Read Sleepers Lorenzo Carcaterra 9782258041233 Books

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Product details Paperback Publisher Ballantine Books; 1St Edition edition (1996) Language French ISBN-10 2258041236

Sleepers Lorenzo Carcaterra 9782258041233 Books Reviews

• This was a rather classical-style first person story of 4 "best friends" growing up in an impoverished and tight-knit community in Manhattan in the 1960's. A prank goes sour, and an innocent bystander is horribly injured. The boys are sent off to a horrific, abusive juvenile "facility", which irrevocably alters the course of their lives. It is well done, with a wonderful and convincing "voice". The characters are well developed, and draw the reader deeply into the story. I recommend it highly.
• This is a very sad story of abuse and revenge. When we are young, even when we are older, we often do stupid things without considering the consequences. Four young boys actions lead to some nasty consequences, but then they become victims of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of those who were suppose to watch out for them. Years later, they get the chance for revenge. This novel was a little different that I suspected. It spends A LOT of time discussing the environment that the boys are raised in before we find out what they have done to get sent to the a Juvenile Home. That could have been trimmed down some.
• One out of four ain’t bad. Wait! Yes it is! It is very bad!
  
  I really don’t know how to put into words the things I am thinking right now. So I will try to make a list.
  
  1. I taught junior high school for 32 years. I rarely met a “bad” boy or girl, and I never met a stupid child. But I did meet some pretty bad and stupid adults.
  
  2. The life of a child is a terrible thing to waste.
  
  3. There is no adequate punishment for a person who destroys the life of a child for his own pleasure.
  
  4. Who gave these freaks they called guards the power to do whatever they felt like to these children?
  
  5. Where were the people with authority over these guards? Who was holding them to account? Where was the breakdown? Did they just assume things were fine? Did they never once think to check on the cries of pain and anguish coming from the cells? Or could they just not be bothered? After all, these were “bad boys” who got what was coming to them, right?
  
  That is a pretty inadequate list, but the magnitude of the crimes against these children cannot even be measured.
  
  This book took my breath away. My heart will forever ache for the things these boys had to endure at the hands of so-called adults. I know similar things take place today, and not only in institutions, but in many other places, even within families. How do we stop the abuse?
  
  One of the four boys of this story made it through in reasonable fashion to be able to tell the story. And although I am grateful he did, 14 is not very good odds.
• I couldn't put this book down! There are parts that are hard to read due to the author's well-developed descriptive style of writing. But the outstanding descriptive style is what makes this book so readable. I rarely ever read a book of fiction, so the fact that this book purports to be factual was a plus for me. After reading it, however, I read that it was not a true story. I don't know if it is an account of actual events, as the author states at the beginning of the book, but it is a very spellbinding read in either case.
• Second to None...a Horrific but mesmerizing story from one who experienced the horrors. Psychopaths love abusing the innocent and undefiled and destroying them...This is what Psychopaths do. Period.
• I have seen this movie so many times...but the book, omg I cried at the end. I love lorenzo Carcaterra, being from a close knit Brooklyn neighborhood, this just hits home and reminds me of the many friends I had and how our streets were our lives and we were safe and watched out for. Excellent read!!!!
• This has always been a favorite of mine. Everyone has read and seen it. It's a great read. Brutal. Makes me wonder if there are still guards like this in charge of our misguided youth.
• I don't care how much of the story is fabricated; there's plenty here that's real, especially Lorenzo's often brilliantly rendered dialogue. The plot is brilliant as well. I don't like some of the characters, but I respect who they were and who they became and why. Some of the characters are unforgettable Fat Mancho, Father Carillo, King Benny, Sean Nokes, Marlboro, Carol, Shakes, among others.
  
  I didn't go to reform school, but I spent 9 years in a Texas orphanage where children were either tortured, loved, or tolerated, depending on who was in charge. Many of the scenes and feelings expressed in this story ring true to my experiences there. They could not have been manufactured. It's the overall feel of the story that's convincing and captivates--that driving need for justice (therein termed "revenge"). When you've been tortured as a child, the adult consequences are unavoidable and permanent mistrust, oversensitivity, the inability to attach and express love--emotionally crippling consequences that haunt one forever. Lorenzo demonstrates clearly an uncommon compassion and understanding of these timeless truths of humanity.
  
  If you get nothing else from this story, get that juvenile detention centers can create monsters or angels and violence begets violence.