| Title | : | How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 369 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 2005 |
| Awards | : | Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award (2006) |
Evan was once lead guitarist for a hot band with a hit single; now 31, he gets by as a guitar instructor to middle-aged guys, and does menial work in a music shop. With Dean in the picture he has to change fast, which means facing up to the past, to his own father, and to the epilepsy that haunts him and threatens his every moment.
How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets Reviews
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It's hard to like a book when the protagonist is self-deprecating and the author overly dramatic and unrealistic. It's even harder to like a book when the female love interest is personally insulting. As a female recording engineer, and a woman who has lived in Seattle, I can promise that no female recording engineer, in Seattle, at age 38, wears cropped shirts to show off her mid-riff while working in the studio with bands. First of all, it's cold in Seattle. Second, professional women like to be taken seriously, and you can look cool and sexy without looking trampy. It would have been more realistic for her to wear a Fastbacks t-shirt and leather pants. And she wouldn't have lived in a crappy apartment. And she wouldn't have talked about her biological clock with a pathetic guy who is magically her boyfriend after 2 weeks, 1 week of which she is out of town, and he suffers from impotence so they never even have sex. I don't mean this to sound superficial or overly pragmatic, but even suspending disbelief, this is some loser's dream of the hot babe who will love him unconditionally. And life is not like According to Jim. Don't even get me started.
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How Evan Broke His Head And Other Stories is a melodramatic work; character depth, logical cause and effect, and the meaning of the story are sacrificed for the sake of drama. The characters are constantly at each other's throats. Their dialogue is confusing and convoluted and goes on for pages and pages. The story's premise is interesting, but the execution is poor, leaving the story underdeveloped and muddled.
If you are considering reading this book because you enjoyed The Art Of Racing In The Rain, you may want to reconsider. It is neither as delicate nor as soulful. -
I jumped into this book fresh off
The Art of Racing in the Rain, as I'm sure many others have done. It's a great story with a lot of relationships that break and mend and break again. Although I found the main character, Evan, to be sufficiently likable, his character was not different enough from the main character of "Racing" for me to fully identify with him. This is a situation where the order the books are read affects one's appreciation of them, though it's the reverse of the order of publication.
I also want to commend
Garth Stein for tackling the difficult subject of epilepsy. I learned a lot about it and appreciated his in-depth treatment of the topic.
Mr. Stein's mastery of suspense also deserves notice. Sometimes a character is on the verge of drastically changing something huge in his life, and that sense of tension is maintained for pages and pages, while you're urging him to take action and do the right thing for once.
I definitely enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more Garth Stein books in the future. -
This is one of my all time favorite books. It was by an unknown author and I just pulled it off the shelf of the library. What a delight to find such a page turner. When his ex girlfriend dies, Evan, a struggling musician, becomes an instant father to his 14 year old son. Amongst all this, he is dealing with his own family relationships and with the secrets of his epilepsy. It makes for a very touching read.
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Again I loved Stein's writing. This book was really great and had some good messages in it. I loved Evan and really wanted him to be happy and suceed. At times it was a little frustrating not knowing what was going on with him and Tracy's life after she left. It was all kind of too secretive and a little anti-climatic, because you never really find out what exactly happened to Evan or Dean in their childhoods. But I definitely like Garth Stein and will read more of his books, when he writes them.
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I need more stars to rate this one fairly. Based on the way I've sometimes handed them out in the past, five isn't enough.
I enjoyed it so much, and was so moved by the conclusion, that I turned back to the beginning and am now reading it a second time, just to admire the way it's put together. I now see, for example, that chapter one works like the overture of a musical, in that it prefigures the shape of the overall narrative. I see the first appearances of what will be recurring themes and patterns, such as the "officious little nurse" on p. 30 who is mirrored by another nurse on p. 340. This is effective storytelling.
The focus is on a talented but only marginally successful young guitar player named Evan. For years he has been living with a variety of problems, including difficult relationships with his parents and brother, but underlying all that is the fact that he has epilepsy and has learned (from those parents) to try to "hide his horrible secret from the world [ so as to ] live a life without a sign around his neck that says KICK ME, I'M A CRIPPLE." There's a story behind how he acquired that disorder, too.
Other readers have mentioned that this deals with some of the same themes as Stein's
The Art of Racing in the Rain (which I also loved), and that the plot is reminiscent of
About a Boy. Great stories do tend to bring others to mind. The other story I thought of is
It's a Wonderful Life.
Although the telling is consistently enjoyable, I felt that the early portion, when Evan brings Dean back to his home in Seattle, amounts to a kind of male fantasy. Here's this younger guy who does not have a particularly favorable view of him (to put it mildly), and what happens? They show up at a club where Evan is unexpectedly called up onstage to jam with a well-known band. That's followed by a session at a recording studio, which not only goes well but ends with something sweet shaping up between Evan and a very foxy recording engineer. At that point, Dean's first impression of Evan as a contemptible loser must be undergoing revision.
It isn't long, however, before such fantasy gives way to the inescapable, intertwined problems that Evan needs to resolve, and doing so means dealing with some bone-deep sadness.
So here I am, still rereading it in hopes of better understanding how Stein has made this work so well--while waiting for another title of his to arrive in the mail. -
Evan Wallace is a 31-year-old frustrated guitar player, still trying to make it big in the Seattle music scene. He's also an epileptic, since a car accident at age 12, who's been treated like damaged goods by his family ever since. His father is a heart surgeon, his brother is a lawyer, and his parents have built a veritable shrine to his brother at their house. And, oh, yeah, he fathered a child with his high school girlfriend back when he was 17, but he's never had any contact with him. Suddenly, through tragic and bizarre circumstances, he and 14-year-old Dean are forced to spend time together.
I initially was drawn to Evan and Dean's story, and I liked that they're both flawed and not knowing how to navigate this new "father/son" territory. But then you realize that Even is a not-so-reliable narrator of his own story, and he was becoming really annoying. Keeping dumb secrets that don't need to be kept, not speaking out when he should, when there seems to be no real impediment to his doing so. It was getting frustratingly infuriating. (Or was it infuriatingly frustrating?)
Oh, and of course a smokin' hot babe of a woman falls hopelessly in love with him. She's also extremely successful in her own right, knows all the right things to say, knows how to show him and his kid a great time, is a domestic goddess, etc., etc., etc., AND still forgives him after he treats her like a piece of shit for no #*$% reason! Riiiiiight... -
UNUSUAL SUBJECT HITS HARD
Epilepsy has rarely been examined in fiction.
In How Even Broke his Head and Other Stories, Garth Stein puts an end to the silence.
With cool and measured precision, he introduces us to Evan Wallace, epileptic, and then forces us to watch Evan's ever-so-slow drift toward the inevitable seizure. Along the way, somehow, we find ourselves hoping Evan's efforts to ward it off, control his grip on consciousness, will succeed because at stake is the love of his son - a son he's only just learned exists.
Stein's depiction of their coming together is real, raw, gritty. Both father and boy are flawed. They feel their way, just like all of us.
The struggle begins the day they meet, and for Evan becomes his first real attempt to come to terms with the disorder that until now has ruled his existence.
Garth Stein knows this subject. His PBS documentary "When Your Head's Not a Head, It's a Nut?" is the story of his sister's preparations for surgery aimed at relieving her epilepsy. You owe yourself this read. It'll grow your head.
Art Tirrell is the author of "The Secret Ever Keeps".
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601... -
It started off slow and ended with my least favorite types of endings: the vague one. The middle was filled with characters making bad decisions that made me want to shout into the book... and you're thinking this is a bad review, aren't you?
Actually I enjoyed the book quite a lot. After the slow beginning I really got interested in the characters and although I wanted to throttle Evan's son Dean and scream at Evan at times, I also couldn't stop reading and always wanted to know more about what was happening with this strange little family.
Definitely give this one a try. -
This book confirmed that I love Garth Stein's books. This story was about a carefree musician who suddenly has to look after his 14 year old son that he has never known. It brings up old family demons and Evan's battle with epilepsy. And it is a bonus that it takes place around Seattle so things are familiar.
Now I am going to look for Stein's
Raven Stole the Moon -
I would, if possible, rate this one a three-and-half. I figured, coming off of Stein's "The Art of Racing in the Rain," and having a book with my name in the title, things could not go wrong. And while that remained true, things never really went right with this one either. All in all, it was a decent story, it had a few nice passages here and there, but frankly, I am not expecting to remember a lot about this book the farther time moves me away from it.
The other thing that was not my favorite, and I have felt this in other books, is having a main character with some ticking time bomb that I know is coming and just have to patiently wait for. Evan had epilepsy, and you don't give a character epilepsy unless he's going to have a seizure at some point in the book. That feeling hanging over the character, which I contribute more to the fact that it was part of the character rather than anything Stein specifically did with his writing, felt like an odd distraction in the development of the story.
The characters were okay, if not a little hackneyed. I had trouble identifying with Evan when he pushed Mica and Dean away near the end. That sort of self-deprecation is always annoying to me. Dean seemed like there was some greater character that could have been drawn out. Mica was fairly two-dimensional. I won't credit Stein with doing any of that intentionally.
All in all, it was okay -- Stein is still great at dialogue, and I'm still glad I read it -- I'm just happy now to move on to other books that will most likely push this one back into one of those corners of my brain that is dimly lit and covered in a layer of dust due to its intermittent use. -
You're going to like this one a little less than Art of Racing in the Rain but if you liked one you may like the other just fine.
How Evan Broke..... is a more frustrating trip because, A. the narrator is not a lovable dog and B. as with all frustrating scenarios, they play out with you yelling to no one who's listening, "No don't do that, say that, go that way!" It's like watching one of those horror films where the idiot character is doing something stupid you can see will end badly, but they press on regardless, and sure enough... there is carnage.
Most of the 'lessons' this story posits, which have to do with the relationship of a young musician father to his teenage son are very true and if you are afflicted with an attitude described in the book you will either find some passages hard to read or eluding your understanding. The point of the book is these are things you should understand. The story makes the things and the 'why you should understand' quite clear.
One comparison with Art of Racing...is, How Evan Broke His Head is not as comfortably wrapped up in denoument. Art of Racing called up a little tear, a soft smile and a gooshy feeling. How Evan Broke His Head... was more hard-edge reality and maybe left a couple of plotlines unresolved. While these plot points were not critical to the ending, you got a feeling you might have wanted to know the outcomes.
My first Stein book was The Art of Racing...and it blew me away. This Evan story is one star less potent but very satisfying in its own context.
I've decided one thing. I'm a Garth Stein fan. I'd recommend the book and if you happen to be a rock music fan, it's a must. -
Garth Stein writes vivid stories set in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest that make a local think that if they don't actually know his characters, they must have at least run into them somewhere (at the Croc, maybe, or getting coffee at B&O Espresso, or in the line at Dick's late at night) or have a friend who knows them. How Evan Broke his Head is the story of an amazing guitarist (Evan) who has Epilepsy and reunites with the a son he had with his high school girlfriend after she dies suddenly. The book is written from Evan's perspective, dealing with issues such as the management of his epilepsy in light of trying to establish new relationships (with a girlfriend and his son), develop a career as a guitarist, and come to grips with his relationship with his parents. Evan's perception of how he came to have Epilepsy and his perception of himself in the context of the various relationships left me contemplating how our self-perception is never in alignment with the way that people around us perceive us.
I'm also wondering if I could buy Evan's grandfather's condo; it sounds like it might be a good deal with an incredible view. -
The city of Seattle is a great back-drop to the story. Hip music scene. Very well written.
I appreciate how Evan was finally faced with things that both thrilled and scared him...and how those were catalysts for his transformation into an adulthood of responsibility and accountability.
I like that this is a story about a man's new relationship with his son. It's rocky and nobody's perfect.
Mica seems too good to be true, although the author covered that a bit with an explanation of her desperation. Still, Evan is kind of a loser, except when he's playing music...feels a bit cliche. -
This is a story about what it takes to become a father, building trust, and taking chances with people by telling them the truth. Garth Stein is a wonderful writer. I highly recommend all of his books!
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I initially got this book because it is set in Seattle and was really quite entertained from beginning to end. It's so fun to read a book and actually live where the characters move through the story.
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This book was so engaging, I was up til 3:30 this morning finishing it. I simply could not put it down. A compelling story, extremely well written, true dialog, amusing, and it made me cry. The whole package. Read it!
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compelling characters, you wanted things to work out for Evan... but, well, you'll have to figure it out for yourself by reading; who could expect to have to come to terms with being a Dad of a 14 year old, when it was thrust upon him at the funeral of the boy's mom!??! That doesn't sound a bit contrived, does it? So, although Evan's son Dean, is stuck in a rough spot... aren't we all -- there were times the sequence of events seemed forced and you almost lose interest, but you really want to see it thru and have things resolve. I wont ruin the ending of the book for you. But, it's worth coming thru to the final chapters.
The love interest, Mica, was a wonderful enhancement to slip into the book -- but, may seem to be even more contrived than the other relationships. The rock band, is also a nice add-on, and can make you feel like you've gotten to know Evan a bit better thru his friends in his band; but, alas the convenience of switching between bandie and daddy again strains the credibility factor. But, go along for the ride, and you'll enjoy it.
Also, as another reviewer commented, the Epilepsy serves as much to inform the reader of the condition which Evan suffers as it manages to complicate the relationships in the book and the internal stuggles that hallenge Evan thru the entire book. That aspect, is well written, and very touching... it really makes you feel for the main character.
Now, I'm going to read "The Art of Racing in the Rain"... (so, I think that says that I like Garth's style). -
I really didn't like this very much. Evan is an epileptic hothead whose only redeeming feature is amazing guitar skills. He spends the entire book flirting with a big, dramatic seizure which...I mean, is he *not* going to have one? Seems unlikely.
His suprise!son Dean is a teenager who has just lost his mother and is tamping down overwhelming grief to an amazing degree. I would have actually liked to know Dean's POV on all the scenes in the book. Like, what about his new Insta-Mom?
Mica latches onto Evan IMMEDIATELY and never lets go. She's all the way in Evan's life, 1000%. It doesn't matter that he's an impotent man-child who doesn't even know his actual-child, she wants to have a baby with him! There's this implication that, among Seattle musicians, Evan is the most viable candidate for breeding, which is really a pretty harsh indictment of Seattle musicians. She lavishes Evan and Dean with gifts and understanding and it makes her seem really damaged and desperate. She should definitely aim higher.
Like, if Evan had characteristics beyond "guitar-playing epileptic asshole," I can't imagine what they were. I didn't get anything else from the text.
No one talks to anyone else. Everyone keeps secrets, even when it's pointless, even when it's harmful. I hate people like this.
I finished the book because it was set in Seattle, where I'm from. It actually didn't seem all that Seattle-y except for mentions of here-is-a-thing-that-exists-in-Seattle every now and then. -
Stein is clearly aiming for Nick Hornby territory in this novel about thirtysomething musician Evan, who is suddenly required to parent Dean, the teenage son he's never even met, when Dean's mom is killed in an accident. Evan, who suffers from epilepsy, is the lead guitar player in a promising Seattle rock band. As he struggles to integrate his son into his routine, he must also wrestle with unresolved issues, including his fractious relationship with his parents and with his straight-arrrow brother and the feeble way he dealt with his pregnant girlfriend in high school. Dean, still grief stricken and unsure of his fledgling relationship with Evan, starts to act out, and Evan must decide whether he has what it takes to be a father. In his second novel, following Raven Stole the Moon (1998), Stein struggles mightily to capture the commitment issues that Hornby incorporates so naturally. Despite many awkward passages, he does manage to hit a few grace notes when describing the music scene in Seattle and Evan's complicated attitude toward his epilepsy.
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This book is comfortably written and although it is male character-centric and voiced, it's enjoyable and relatable for women as well. Garth Stein has a way of injecting the greatest humor without it being noticeable. For a simple description of a multi-function machine, for example, he threw in that it was a copier, fax machine, printer and waffle maker. I had to read the sentence over and over to realize that that was a genius joke...but I assume and am hopeful that other readers will be quicker on the uptake. :)
I love the way the story evolved and the flashbacks clued the reader in to WHY Evan "broke" his head and why he relates to his family the way he does.
Seriously terrific story with believable drama and characters. -
I am ever so glad my friend David told me to read one of Stein's books a few years ago, because Stein is one of those rare writers that just gets life in this lovely way that few people do.
This is a coming of age story, but it's not about a teenager (Evan is 31). It's a story about relationships, about memory, and about how we can't convince ourselves of things that may or may not have happened. It's about growing and learning and discovering what you want out of life.
Mr. Stein, please write more. I need another book by you soon. (However, you can leave out the conversation between you and your editor, because it was rather scattered and not as funny or earth-shattering as I have a feeling you thought it was. Stick to prose.) -
My first encounter with Garth was The Art of Racing in the Rain. The other two, including this one, were earlier works. And while they both have merit if you were a fan of The Art .... then this will disappoint you, I think.
I cared about Evan but this long drawn out melodrama with is epilepsy, the guilt, the shame, and all that happened after the "accident" was too much. And wouldn't it have come out sooner? Really?
There were all the other twists as well: the death of his first love, Dean, the faulty/shaky career, and then all the sibling stuff, and then enter another woman. Too much going on. It felt like the backstories have backstories.
I am anxious, however, to read his newest which I believe will be out in the fall, 2014. -
I like Stein's writing style, and his grounding of his stories in the Pacific Northwest. (In both books of his that I've read, however, there are plot points that confound me or don't ring true for me.)
Evan is an adult who's still a teenager in a lot of ways. He has epilepsy, which is a huge secret he keeps from nearly everyone in his life. (With sometimes predictable consequences.) He is getting to know his 14-year old son for the first time, following the boy's mother's death. Evan's story includes overbearing parents, a rock band and some not-quite-believable romance. Overall an enjoyable read.
