Horror World
http://horrorworld.org/msgboards/

A Discussion On "Thrust"
http://horrorworld.org/msgboards/viewtopic.php?f=120&t=4741		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:25 pm ]
Post subject:  A Discussion On "Thrust"
The following discussion on Tom's "Thrust" was held in The Cellar here at Horrorworld and if Tom has no objections I will post the discussion here.

Since I am cutting and pasting I will write in the name of the person making the post right at the top of the post.

Ttzuma
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:43 am by TMLCrow Post subject: Thrust by Tom Piccirilli--Thoughts and Observations

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finished this one today. I know Tt is reading it as well, so hopefully he'll add his two cents to mine.

For a short book, 140 pages, this is one I had to stop and start, but not because it was bad. It was very good. However, the main character, Chase, is dealing with mental illness and has a lot of hallucinations and flashbacks. They are woven into the story so well that after awhile, I began to question what was real and what wasn't, and I found myself needing to take a break and re-enter this reality.

But that is the strength of this book. A reader wants inside the heads of the characters, and sometimes what you find there isn't pretty or simple. Chase is dealing with a lot of things, and you are right there with him.

Mental illness is a big part of this story. It isn't used in a light-hearted manner, and it isn't used to try to make you feel something for Chase. It's just there because it's there. People suffer from and deal with various forms of mental illness in real life, and Chase and his friend Shake do the same in the book--sometimes with some success, sometimes not.

I know Tom has some poetry books that have been published, and I found it interesting that Chase and Shake are poets/performance artists. I'm not much for poetry, but I would be willing to give Tom's a try.

I would recommend this book, but with the suggestion of reading it a bit at a time. It doesn't really feel like it should be read in one sitting. You'll need to give yourself a chance to digest what's happening before delving further. But it is well worth the effort.

Thad
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:00 am by Horrordude
Post subject: thrust.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been on a Piccirilli binge and I keep reminding myself to get Thrust and Frayed.

I'm sure, Tt, will post a good review on this.

I doubt Piccirilli can write a bad book. I have to get his earlier ones like Hexes, The Deceased and Dark Father.
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted by TTzuma:

I also finished it yesterday Thad, and I agree with your assessment. I was not going to write a review on this as I think people are pretty tired of me writing reviews. But I will make a few observations though since you brought it up and invited me to comment.

This is a tough book to read. Like you, it took me days to read it and not because it was long (it’s a novella for those that don’t know) or because I was forcing myself to read it. It took that long because it is so intense.

While I was reading it I kept thinking "what did Picirrilli pull from inside himself to write like this? How can he get into Chase's head (the protagonist) as deeply as he has without experiencing these kinds of thoughts and feelings himself? Then I thought, well maybe he has.

Then I started thinking how it was none of my business really why Pic can write so well about this issue, but still, I wondered ‘how’ he did it, what were the mechanics of it. How can someone write about mental illness, paranoia, and depression so skillfully that a reader with no experience with these ailments, could understand, and maybe even identify with his characters that suffer so greatly from them?

So I asked him and he answered me.

My question and his answer are posted in the Tom Picirrilli section here in Horrorworld and if you read Tom’s reply it seems pretty standard…except for one line: We slip on new identities, we follow the course of our most emotionally upset selves.

As I was reading Thrust I believed that only someone who had experienced the kind of emotional pain that Chase and Shake were suffering from could write about it so realistically.

To my way of thinking, the only way out of depression is to climb down deep into it. Wallow in it. Embrace it first and only then begin to understand it. Once you've done that you can deal with it your own way. I wondered if Tom was doing this with Thrust.

Not that any of this matters when you’re reading Thrust.

Nominally, Thrust is about a performance artist named Chase who recites poetry. Chase has a history that includes drug use and alcoholism. These stem from a past that includes watching his father rape a young girl and then his father taking his own life. But then again maybe not, Chase is mentally ill and these incidents may never have happened. Chase was once involved in a horrific car accident with two disastrous consequences, the first is that he winds up committed to a mental hospital, the second is that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident vow’s to kill Chase.

The beautiful thing about Thrust is that you don’t really know ‘what’ it’s about. You never have a grip on the story or the characters, hell, this occurs all the way to the last page. It’s this feeling of being in a fog, never knowing if something is right in front of you or if it’s way out reach while you’re reading it that makes this story so compelling.

Tt
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:38 am by Tom Piccirilli

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the very thoughtful, insightful critique of THRUST, guys. I think it's one of my better works, but for some reason it's often overlooked and not many people take the time to comment on it at length, so I greatly appreciate that you both did, back to back.

Sorry if my response seemed pretty standard, TT, but the fact is that except for the emotional portion of the piece, there isn't much of "me" in it, i.e., biographical bits. I've never spent time in a mental hospital, never seen a psychiatrist, never even performed my poetry in some kind of poetry slam. But the heart of the matter, the truth of feeling like you're going nuts, well...I've dealt with that. Although I was never diagnosed, I'd have to say that I was probably clinically depressed for a large portion of my life, at least from the ages of 15 to 30. In my early 30s I seemed to discover my strengths, undersood my role in the world, found security in myself. I still suffer a touch of depression now and again, but I'm aware of it and can usually ride it out without too much trouble.

Anyway, I appreciate the detailed reviews, Thad & TT. Hope you enjoy the work too, HD, if/when you get a chance to check it out. As for not being able to write a bad book...oy! I'd steer you away from DF and The Deceased if I could. More fire than craft, more lierary bombastics than deep-set truth. Young writer's books with a lot of young writer's mistakes and flaws.
_________________
Tom Piccirilli
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted by Ttzuma
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the response Tom. Thrust takes a while to digest, it really doesn't leave your thoughts for long when you've finished reading. And I agree with you, I think Thrust is one of your best works.
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted by Horrordude:

Tom, it' funny that you think your earlier works aren't all that great, because on Amazon most reviews for all of your early works are killer-and that place is brutal! Some people on there would downgrade their grandma's book if it wasn't that great.

Sorry to hear about the bouts of depression. I went through that also after the deaths of close family members and seemed to survive through reading and writing. I wouldn't be surprised if writing also played a part in your ability to rise over life's crap. I look at life often as an obnoxious bully who wants to beat you down and then laugh in your face; I plan on sticking around and giving him a big shitburger to eat, and hope you do too.

Keep writing 'em and I'll keep reading 'em, Tom!
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted by TMLCROW:

Thanks for the response, Tom. Since I've been on this board, and previously the other board, I've enjoyed discussing an author's work with them. It's heartening to know that a lot of authors will take such things seriously when looking at their work.
Author:  ttzuma [ Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Posted by Tom Piccirilli:

Thanks, guys, for all the generous compliments.

Also, I'd suggest that you folks bring your reviews over to Amazon as well. So many folks on Amazon are either horrific naysayers or simply say "I liked it" or "I hated it." Very few thoughtful reviews between all the chaff. But Amazon is the place where insightful comments might actually help sell extra copies of the books you love. Let the buying world hear your thoughts.
_________________
Tom Piccirilli
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/