1st Journal Entry for Rocket Boys:

Since there is a decent chance you haven’t read this book, I’ll open my first journal entry with a hopefully brief summary of what this book is exactly about. Although written like a novel more than a history book, Homer H. Hickam’s "Rocket boys" is a true story or "memoir" about Mr. Hickam growing up in a small, poor coal mining town in west Virginia. He decides he doesn’t want to be just another miner and starts building rockets with his buddies. His first attempt is merely a model airplane filled with cherry bomb powder, that blows up his mothers fence, and nearly himself. Along the way he has problems with his father, who wants him to be a miner, the authority, and just about everything else that could cause trouble. But in the end he pulls through, winning the national science fair, shooting a rocket 5 miles up, and ultimately; becomes a NASA engineer. So there you have a poor summary of what the book is about, which really does it no justice whatsoever.

My first impression of the book (other than it was long, and I didn’t want to read it) was that it seemed like it might end up being too "full of it." Or "too preachy." That type of thing. I got this impression firstly from a few religious references early in, some conversations that sounded too well "scripted" to be emotionally realistic, and the fact that I could tell this was actually one of those "feel good" books. However, now I don’t really think this. The religious references are just a bit heavy at the start for some reason. (No, I’m not trying to be anti-religious here.) As for the scripted-ness, there are a few lines that are kind of corny in the very dramatic "I left some part of me behind when I"" type of way, but it seems that perhaps I was just getting too used to the incredibly short one or two word lines everyone delivers in Asher Lev. It isn’t really all too preachy, and as for the "feel good" type of book this is, I remembered that isn’t always a bad thing. It just seems that after reading many, many, at least partially negative or dark books that It’s been drilled into my head that "only dark ugly stories can truly be artistic" or only dark stories can "be deep." In fact, I’m finding that I’m actually enjoying reading a story about someone who isn’t either partly insane, or maimed or something.

As for how does this book go with the criteria? As for the "coming of age" it fits perfectly, as most books do. The main character and all his friends mature notably throughout the story. Actually, although I’m not done, everybody in the story seems to be maturing in some way. As for the minority thing, it isn’t a perfect fit.. He isn’t a religious or racial minority, being white and Christian. And although he is poor, and the underdog in the story, he is one of the "richer" kids in town. However, I guess one could make an argument that the town itself is the minority, against the bigger, advancing world, which is rendering the coal obsolete. In that respect it works. It sounds like I’m desperate here I’m sure, but if one reads the story this is clear enough.

This story isn’t exactly a real symbolic one, and while many would think this a negative thing, it’s not necessarily. First off, if stuff like symbolism is thrown in just because "it needs to be there" etc. it usually sounds extremely corny. Second, a break from symbolism can be good. Third, the farther I get into this story, the more I can relate with it. By the time I got to about page 150, I had more or less subconsciously made each one of the characters somebody that I actually know.(With me as the main character of course) I didn’t do this for "easier understanding" or anything it was just that many of the situations, people in here etc. sometimes seemed scarily parallel to the way I/we (the we being the other real people I know) acted or thought. In short, all that I’m trying to say is that this book is pretty true to life once you get into it, and ignore the rare overdone sentence.

In the end, I’m finding I’m liking Rocket Boys which is most definitely helping me accomplish reading it quickly (Aiming for two days.)