required reading for teens and adults under stress, 05 Aug 1999
I'm a retired high school English teacher (42 years in California's classrooms), and I first read this novel in early 1944 at my grandfather's request at age 13. In my early teaching experience, I required this novel be read by my 10th grade students. In later years, the novel became the focus for my less able students as I guided them through the novel by having them prepare maps of Ithaca by transferring author descriptions into real street maps of Fresno, California. Incidentally, I was reared in Hanford, California, about 32 miles south...and, yes, the Postal Telegraph Office existed then and so did the Gallo Winery, though Saroyan used a different name.

Human dignity and sense of self within a community are key issues in this disarmingly simple narrative.The casual reader will miss the three-pronged revelation of human insight seen through the eyes of the child, Ulysses; the teen Homer; and the adult, Marcus. The widowed mother provides a stability upon which all these offspring rely. Essentially, she is a life source, and all three sons at the same time mirror her influence as they interact with others in the daily business of living.

Saroyan's simplicity in these three viewpoints, though cast in a time few modern readers can recall (1943),still strongly portrays a basic element of humans caring for humans. That act is valued forever regardless of culture, gender, or age. It is universal.

Unfortunately,I am unable to locate a copy containing a chapter titled "At the Parlor Rooms." Most copies taught at the high school level have had this chapter deleted. Today's youth would not be offended by its inclusion. Saroyan's intent, I believe, was to illustrate Homer's exposure to a fuller understanding of the "human experience," and its Aristotelian sense of the comedy of life.

I'll be assisting Saroyan's grand-niece this summer in a college course as she relates memories of her famous uncle. I look forward to revisiting Fresno, Augie, Shag, Mr. Mechano, the apricot tree, and the saintly librarian who guided two young boys into the magnificent mystery of books.

POWERFUL BUT GOODY-TWO-SHOES MAIN CHARACTER, 27 Jul 1999
This book was great, but at the same time it was very condescending. Am I the only one who thinks that the main character is too perfect? Why doesn't he ever do something bad that he regrets later? I remember the coach who was mean to Homer and his friend, Joe. This coach was painted as a bad guy, but at least he wasn't perfect. If the main character wasn't perfect, this story would be so much better. The only character I could even identify with was Lionel, the kid who was rejected by his peers for being a slow learner and hung out with four-year-old Ulysses because he was the only one who didn't tease him.

You couldn't GIVE it enough stars!!! Loved this book!!!, 19 Jun 1999
What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's a wonderful little snapshot of life in Ithaca, CA, as told through the lives of those who live there. But what I loved most about it were two things. One, other than the dramatic moments when a war dept. telegram was read, this book did not have that sort of overly (and phony) theatrical feel that other authors feel they must provide whenever they deal with similar subjects. Instead, Saroyan gave the majority of attention to the mundane, ordinary routines of life and showed how people truly LIVED in times of great distress. Two, I loved the synchroncity of events in certain parts of the book. In one scene, at the EXACT MOMENT that Homer is taking off on his bicycle to pick up messages, Marcus and his friend Tobey are on a passenger train taking off for their own mission. Pitiful example, I know, but read this book and you'll know what I'm talking about!

A capsule of life in a small community during World War II., 14 Jun 1999
This book is an episodic novel centered on the Macauley family in the town of Ithaca, California, in the San Joaquin Valley in the early 1940s (Saroyan [1908-1981] was born in Fresno, California, and much of what he describes of the life of Ithaca relates to Fresno). The central characters are the fourteen-year-old Homer Macauley, who is working as a telegraph messenger, and his four-year-old brother Ulysses (note the names of Homer, Ulysses, and Ithaca!). Through them we see the people and the vitality of this small community and the impact of World War II. The war is having a deep effect on Homer because he finds himself acting as a "Messenger of Death" since he has to deliver telegrams to family members from the Government informing them of the death of a loved one. This book appeared in 1943 in the middle of the war and, in my opinion, much of its popularity is due to the comfort it gave to many families throughout the U.S. who had family members in the armed forces overseas. Families of widely different backgrounds and heritages as well as entire communities were holding together in this time of strain and concern just as Ithaca was doing. [One minor character in the book is Big Chris, who appears a couple of times in the book, always acting as a guide or "savior." Was Saroyan trying to say here that He is always there in times of need? Or, am I reading too much into the symbolism?] This was a required novel in one of my English classes when I was a kid. And, I discover that it is still a required text more than thirty years later!

Snapshot of a teenager's experience facing adulthood in WW2., 27 May 1999
I loved Saroyan's "My Name is Aram" and also enjoyed this emotional snapshot of a small town in California during WW2 viewed throught the eyes of a teenager. Saroyan captures my heart from the very beginning as I find myself smelling the night air while riding a bicycle in the San Juaquin Valley I also knew as a child. The characters are real and I felt that I knew them each of them in some manner. This is a classic and should be required reading in high school english lit classes. It's short, sweet and leaves one richer after reading.

required reading for teens and adults under stress, 05 Aug 1999
I'm a retired high school English teacher (42 years in California's classrooms), and I first read this novel in early 1944 at my grandfather's request at age 13. In my early teaching experience, I required this novel be read by my 10th grade students. In later years, the novel became the focus for my less able students as I guided them through the novel by having them prepare maps of Ithaca by transferring author descriptions into real street maps of Fresno, California. Incidentally, I was reared in Hanford, California, about 32 miles south...and, yes, the Postal Telegraph Office existed then and so did the Gallo Winery, though Saroyan used a different name.

Human dignity and sense of self within a community are key issues in this disarmingly simple narrative.The casual reader will miss the three-pronged revelation of human insight seen through the eyes of the child, Ulysses; the teen Homer; and the adult, Marcus. The widowed mother provides a stability upon which all these offspring rely. Essentially, she is a life source, and all three sons at the same time mirror her influence as they interact with others in the daily business of living.

Saroyan's simplicity in these three viewpoints, though cast in a time few modern readers can recall (1943),still strongly portrays a basic element of humans caring for humans. That act is valued forever regardless of culture, gender, or age. It is universal.

Unfortunately,I am unable to locate a copy containing a chapter titled "At the Parlor Rooms." Most copies taught at the high school level have had this chapter deleted. Today's youth would not be offended by its inclusion. Saroyan's intent, I believe, was to illustrate Homer's exposure to a fuller understanding of the "human experience," and its Aristotelian sense of the comedy of life.

I'll be assisting Saroyan's grand-niece this summer in a college course as she relates memories of her famous uncle. I look forward to revisiting Fresno, Augie, Shag, Mr. Mechano, the apricot tree, and the saintly librarian who guided two young boys into the magnificent mystery of books.

POWERFUL BUT GOODY-TWO-SHOES MAIN CHARACTER, 27 Jul 1999
This book was great, but at the same time it was very condescending. Am I the only one who thinks that the main character is too perfect? Why doesn't he ever do something bad that he regrets later? I remember the coach who was mean to Homer and his friend, Joe. This coach was painted as a bad guy, but at least he wasn't perfect. If the main character wasn't perfect, this story would be so much better. The only character I could even identify with was Lionel, the kid who was rejected by his peers for being a slow learner and hung out with four-year-old Ulysses because he was the only one who didn't tease him.

You couldn't GIVE it enough stars!!! Loved this book!!!, 19 Jun 1999
What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's a wonderful little snapshot of life in Ithaca, CA, as told through the lives of those who live there. But what I loved most about it were two things. One, other than the dramatic moments when a war dept. telegram was read, this book did not have that sort of overly (and phony) theatrical feel that other authors feel they must provide whenever they deal with similar subjects. Instead, Saroyan gave the majority of attention to the mundane, ordinary routines of life and showed how people truly LIVED in times of great distress. Two, I loved the synchroncity of events in certain parts of the book. In one scene, at the EXACT MOMENT that Homer is taking off on his bicycle to pick up messages, Marcus and his friend Tobey are on a passenger train taking off for their own mission. Pitiful example, I know, but read this book and you'll know what I'm talking about!

A capsule of life in a small community during World War II., 14 Jun 1999
This book is an episodic novel centered on the Macauley family in the town of Ithaca, California, in the San Joaquin Valley in the early 1940s (Saroyan [1908-1981] was born in Fresno, California, and much of what he describes of the life of Ithaca relates to Fresno). The central characters are the fourteen-year-old Homer Macauley, who is working as a telegraph messenger, and his four-year-old brother Ulysses (note the names of Homer, Ulysses, and Ithaca!). Through them we see the people and the vitality of this small community and the impact of World War II. The war is having a deep effect on Homer because he finds himself acting as a "Messenger of Death" since he has to deliver telegrams to family members from the Government informing them of the death of a loved one. This book appeared in 1943 in the middle of the war and, in my opinion, much of its popularity is due to the comfort it gave to many families throughout the U.S. who had family members in the armed forces overseas. Families of widely different backgrounds and heritages as well as entire communities were holding together in this time of strain and concern just as Ithaca was doing. [One minor character in the book is Big Chris, who appears a couple of times in the book, always acting as a guide or "savior." Was Saroyan trying to say here that He is always there in times of need? Or, am I reading too much into the symbolism?] This was a required novel in one of my English classes when I was a kid. And, I discover that it is still a required text more than thirty years later!

Snapshot of a teenager's experience facing adulthood in WW2., 27 May 1999
I loved Saroyan's "My Name is Aram" and also enjoyed this emotional snapshot of a small town in California during WW2 viewed throught the eyes of a teenager. Saroyan captures my heart from the very beginning as I find myself smelling the night air while riding a bicycle in the San Juaquin Valley I also knew as a child. The characters are real and I felt that I knew them each of them in some manner. This is a classic and should be required reading in high school english lit classes. It's short, sweet and leaves one richer after reading.

required reading for teens and adults under stress, 05 Aug 1999
I'm a retired high school English teacher (42 years in California's classrooms), and I first read this novel in early 1944 at my grandfather's request at age 13. In my early teaching experience, I required this novel be read by my 10th grade students. In later years, the novel became the focus for my less able students as I guided them through the novel by having them prepare maps of Ithaca by transferring author descriptions into real street maps of Fresno, California. Incidentally, I was reared in Hanford, California, about 32 miles south...and, yes, the Postal Telegraph Office existed then and so did the Gallo Winery, though Saroyan used a different name.

Human dignity and sense of self within a community are key issues in this disarmingly simple narrative.The casual reader will miss the three-pronged revelation of human insight seen through the eyes of the child, Ulysses; the teen Homer; and the adult, Marcus. The widowed mother provides a stability upon which all these offspring rely. Essentially, she is a life source, and all three sons at the same time mirror her influence as they interact with others in the daily business of living.

Saroyan's simplicity in these three viewpoints, though cast in a time few modern readers can recall (1943),still strongly portrays a basic element of humans caring for humans. That act is valued forever regardless of culture, gender, or age. It is universal.

Unfortunately,I am unable to locate a copy containing a chapter titled "At the Parlor Rooms." Most copies taught at the high school level have had this chapter deleted. Today's youth would not be offended by its inclusion. Saroyan's intent, I believe, was to illustrate Homer's exposure to a fuller understanding of the "human experience," and its Aristotelian sense of the comedy of life.

I'll be assisting Saroyan's grand-niece this summer in a college course as she relates memories of her famous uncle. I look forward to revisiting Fresno, Augie, Shag, Mr. Mechano, the apricot tree, and the saintly librarian who guided two young boys into the magnificent mystery of books.

POWERFUL BUT GOODY-TWO-SHOES MAIN CHARACTER, 27 Jul 1999
This book was great, but at the same time it was very condescending. Am I the only one who thinks that the main character is too perfect? Why doesn't he ever do something bad that he regrets later? I remember the coach who was mean to Homer and his friend, Joe. This coach was painted as a bad guy, but at least he wasn't perfect. If the main character wasn't perfect, this story would be so much better. The only character I could even identify with was Lionel, the kid who was rejected by his peers for being a slow learner and hung out with four-year-old Ulysses because he was the only one who didn't tease him.

You couldn't GIVE it enough stars!!! Loved this book!!!, 19 Jun 1999
What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's a wonderful little snapshot of life in Ithaca, CA, as told through the lives of those who live there. But what I loved most about it were two things. One, other than the dramatic moments when a war dept. telegram was read, this book did not have that sort of overly (and phony) theatrical feel that other authors feel they must provide whenever they deal with similar subjects. Instead, Saroyan gave the majority of attention to the mundane, ordinary routines of life and showed how people truly LIVED in times of great distress. Two, I loved the synchroncity of events in certain parts of the book. In one scene, at the EXACT MOMENT that Homer is taking off on his bicycle to pick up messages, Marcus and his friend Tobey are on a passenger train taking off for their own mission. Pitiful example, I know, but read this book and you'll know what I'm talking about!

A capsule of life in a small community during World War II., 14 Jun 1999
This book is an episodic novel centered on the Macauley family in the town of Ithaca, California, in the San Joaquin Valley in the early 1940s (Saroyan [1908-1981] was born in Fresno, California, and much of what he describes of the life of Ithaca relates to Fresno). The central characters are the fourteen-year-old Homer Macauley, who is working as a telegraph messenger, and his four-year-old brother Ulysses (note the names of Homer, Ulysses, and Ithaca!). Through them we see the people and the vitality of this small community and the impact of World War II. The war is having a deep effect on Homer because he finds himself acting as a "Messenger of Death" since he has to deliver telegrams to family members from the Government informing them of the death of a loved one. This book appeared in 1943 in the middle of the war and, in my opinion, much of its popularity is due to the comfort it gave to many families throughout the U.S. who had family members in the armed forces overseas. Families of widely different backgrounds and heritages as well as entire communities were holding together in this time of strain and concern just as Ithaca was doing. [One minor character in the book is Big Chris, who appears a couple of times in the book, always acting as a guide or "savior." Was Saroyan trying to say here that He is always there in times of need? Or, am I reading too much into the symbolism?] This was a required novel in one of my English classes when I was a kid. And, I discover that it is still a required text more than thirty years later!

Snapshot of a teenager's experience facing adulthood in WW2., 27 May 1999
I loved Saroyan's "My Name is Aram" and also enjoyed this emotional snapshot of a small town in California during WW2 viewed throught the eyes of a teenager. Saroyan captures my heart from the very beginning as I find myself smelling the night air while riding a bicycle in the San Juaquin Valley I also knew as a child. The characters are real and I felt that I knew them each of them in some manner. This is a classic and should be required reading in high school english lit classes. It's short, sweet and leaves one richer after reading.