| The Hour I First Believed: A Novel | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 298 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1566
Category: Book
Author: Wally Lamb
Publisher: Harper
Studio: Harper
Manufacturer: Harper
Label: Harper
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1ST
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 752
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.9
ISBN: 0060393491
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780060393496
ASIN: 0060393491
Publication Date: November 1, 2008
Release Date: November 11, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, while Caelum is away, Maureen finds herself in the library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed. Miraculously, she survives. But when Caelum and Maureen flee to an illusion of safety on the Quirk family's Connecticut farm, they discover that the effects of chaos are not easily put right. While Maureen fights to regain her sanity, Caelum discovers five generations' worth of diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in his family's house. As unimaginable secrets emerge, Caelum grapples with the past and struggles to fashion a future from the ashes of tragedy. His quest for meaning is at once mythic and contemporary, personal and quintessentially American.
Amazon.com Review
Product Description
Wally Lamb's two previous novels, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, struck a chord with readers. They responded to the intensely introspective nature of the books, and to their lively narrative styles and biting humor. One critic called Wally Lamb a "modern-day Dostoyevsky," whose characters struggle not only with their respective pasts, but with a "mocking, sadistic God" in whom they don't believe but to whom they turn, nevertheless, in times of trouble (New York Times). In his new novel, The Hour I First Believed, Lamb travels well beyond his earlier work and embodies in his fiction myth, psychology, family history stretching back many generations, and the questions of faith that lie at the heart of everyday life. The result is an extraordinary tour de force, at once a meditation on the human condition and an unflinching yet compassionate evocation of character. When forty-seven-year-old high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his younger wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, Caelum returns home to Three Rivers, Connecticut, to be with his aunt who has just had a stroke. But Maureen finds herself in the school library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed, as two vengeful students go on a carefully premeditated, murderous rampage. Miraculously she survives, but at a cost: she is unable to recover from the trauma. Caelum and Maureen flee Colorado and return to an illusion of safety at the Quirk family farm in Three Rivers. But the effects of chaos are not so easily put right, and further tragedy ensues. While Maureen fights to regain her sanity, Caelum discovers a cache of old diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in an upstairs bedroom of his family's house. The colorful and intriguing story they recount spans five generations of Quirk family ancestors, from the Civil War era to Caelum's own troubled childhood. Piece by piece, Caelum reconstructs the lives of the women and men whose legacy he bears. Unimaginable secrets emerge; long-buried fear, anger, guilt, and grief rise to the surface. As Caelum grapples with unexpected and confounding revelations from the past, he also struggles to fashion a future out of the ashes of tragedy. His personal quest for meaning and faith becomes a mythic journey that is at the same time quintessentially contemporary?and American. The Hour I First Believed is a profound and heart-rending work of fiction. Wally Lamb proves himself a virtuoso storyteller, assembling a variety of voices and an ensemble of characters rich enough to evoke all of humanity. From the Author: Wally Lamb's Playlist for The Hour I First Believed  I?m often asked what novels by other authors I 'm reading when I?m writing one of my own. The better question is: What and who am I listening to? I?m pleased to share many of the tunes, recognizable and obscure, that helped me write Part I, "Butterfly" of my novel, The Hour I First Believed. I hope you enjoy them. 1. "Gloria," by Van Morrison from The Sopranos - Peppers and Eggs: Music from the HBO Series (Morrison) Caelum saves a slot for Van the Man in his list of ?Greatest Songs of the Rock Era.? Morrison had this hit with the band Them in 1964, the year Caelum was 13. 2. "The Meaning of Loneliess," by Van Morrison from Wh at's Wrong with This Picture? (Morrison) In a bluesy mood, now-middle-aged Morrison explores the ?existential dread? of life?s second half. Middle-aged Caelum?s pondering life?s meaning, too. 3. "A--hole," by James Luther Dickinson from Free Beer Tomorrow (Unobsky) ?Ask any of us cynical bastards to lift up our shirt, and we?ll show you where we got shot in the heart,? says Caelum, as he angrily grieves two failed marriages and a third failing one. 4. "Black Books," by Nils Lofgren from The Sopranos - Peppers and Eggs: Music from the HBO Series (Lofgren) Lofgren?s mournful vocal, matched to his stunning guitar work, mirrors Caelum struggles to accept the jolting reality of Maureen?s infidelity. 5. "Useless Desires," by Patty Griffin from Impos sible Dream (Griffin) Dr. Patel advises Caelum that if he cannot forgive his wife, he should move on. Instead, the Quirks move away from Three Rivers and toward tragedy in Littleton. Griffin?s bittersweet road song captures both the desire for and the futility of escape. 6. "At the Bottom of Everything," by Bright Eyes from I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (C. Oberst) Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes) imagines an airplane ride every bit as strange as the one Caelum takes beside chaos theorist Mickey Schmidt. 7. "House Where Nobody Lives," by Tom Waits from Mule Variations (Waits) In response to his aunt?s stroke, and later, her death, Caelum returns to a now-empty farmhouse. 8. "When God Made Me," by Neil Young from Prairie Wind (Young) Caelum, back in Three Rivers and now in his late forties, contemplates an earlier, more innocent youth--and its loss. 9. "Mbube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)," by Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Taj Mahal from Long Walk to Freedom (traditional) Mr. Mpipi performs a dance of hunger that turns into a dance of love, and a praying mantis egg case explodes with life on young Caelum?s windowsill. 10. "Believe," by Cher from The Very Best of Cher (B. Higgins/S. McClennan/P. Barry/S. Torch/M. Gray/T. Powell) ?Believe? was inescapable in 1999, the year I toured Europe with my previous novel and began this one. The pop star?s durability causes Caelum to speculate that only two life forms would survive a nuclear holocaust: cockroaches and Cher. 11. "My Buddy," by Chet Baker from The Best of Chet Baker Sings (Donaldson/ Kahn) My dad used to sing this song to me when I was a little boy, riding beside him in our green Hudson during Saturday errands. Baker?s songs always makes me sad, but this one?s bittersweet. I played it over and over when I was writing the episode where Caelum?s father drives him to town to buy him his belated Christmas gift. 12. "Mary," by Patty Griffin from Flaming Red (Griffin) When the shooting begins in the Columbine library, Maureen crawls inside a cabinet, writes Caelum a goodbye note, and prays the Hail Mary. 13. "A Case of You," by Prince from < i>A Tribute to Joni Mitchell (Mitchell) This Joni Mitchell classic evokes, for me, the impact of Mo?s Columbine experience on the Quirks? marriage. 14. "Losing My Religion," by R.E.M. from In Time: The Best of R.E.M 1988-2003 (M. Stipe/P. Buck) How could a merciful deity allow Columbine to happen? Caelum?s ambivalence about god turns to bitter rejection. 15. "Couldn?t Hear Nobody Pray," by Maggie and Suzzy Roche, Ysaye Barnwell, and DuPree from Zero Church (traditional) Disengaged and disspirited, Caelum gropes for a spiritual connection but hears only silence. This song was recorded by vocalists from the Roches and Sweet Honey in the Rock in the aftermath of 9/11/2001. The shadow of that cataclysmic day hung over my writing of this novel for six years. 16. "I Drink," by Mary Gauthier from Mercy Now (Gauthier/Harmon) As Maureen?s reliance on prescription drugs increases, Caelum, too, numbs himself--with his father?s, and later Ulysses?s, preferred poison. 17. "Hallelujah," by Jeff Buckley from So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley (L. Cohen) Leonard Cohen?s haunting meditation about the spirit and the flesh has been covered by many artists. The late Jeff Buckley?s version is perhaps the loveliest and most poignant. 18. "The Ghost of Tom Joad," by Bruce Springsteen from The Ghost of Tom Joad (Springsteen) In the closing days of a traumatic school year, in a borrowed classroom, Caelum and his students discuss Steinbeck?s masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. Shortly after, Caelum and Mo will take to the road as the Joads did, yet they?ll travel from west to east. Praise for The Hour I First Believed
?Lamb...has delivered a tour de force, his best yet. A?
--Entertainment Weekly
?Lamb, a maestro of orchestrating emotion . . . knows how to make his fans? hearts sing.?
--Elle
?A page-turner... Lamb remains a storyteller at the top of his game.?
--USA Today
?A soaring novel as amazingly graceful as the classic hymn that provides the title?
--Miami Herald
?Wally Lamb is a remarkable talent.?
--Columbus Dispatch
?Every character is rendered with vivid, utterly convincing depth....a heck of a page-turner.?
--Dallas Morning News
?[Lamb?s] pacing is superb: Sections of the story expand to accommodate a mix of characters, yet scenes don?t linger overlong.?
--Cleveland Plain Dealer
?Lamb has crafted another affecting, engrossing tome about complicated, interesting characters.?
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
??too compelling to put down?a richly textured story...?
--St. Louis Post-Dispatch
?Lamb does an extraordinary job narrating some of the most terrifying tragedies of the past 10 years....an epic journey. Grade: A.?
--Rocky Mountain News
?When you put Lamb?s newest novel down, it will be reluctantly. It?s that good.?
--Knoxville News-Sentinel
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| Customer Reviews: Read 293 more reviews...
 The Hour I First Believed July 2, 2009
This epic tome is truly larger-than-life. Not only is this heavy book one that you don't want to fall asleep while reading, it also confronts a plethora of psychological issues within one man's life.
Caelum Quirk has certainly seen his share of tragedy. While he is visiting his dying aunt, his wife is traumatized as she hides from the young assassins in the Columbine tragedy. As Maureen struggles to recover from the ordeal, she is charged with drug abuse and vehicular homicide. While visiting his wife in jail, Caelum has to come to terms with mounting debt and the trials and tribulations of living as the husband of a convicted murderer. With the help of a friend, he uncovers the amazing family history of his ancestors, one of whom was instrumental in fighting for women's rights at the turn of the century and also for creating the prison where his wife resides. The family history, filled with shame and lies, also reveals success through love, perseverance, and a profound affinity for justice and equality.
This book seems to wander a lot, but that seems to be the nature of the beast. After all, Mr. Lamb is in the middle of an overabundance of plot twists and parallels. The characters ring true, especially Caelum, who elicits so much pity and empathy, that it is sometimes painful to experience his life with him. The vacillation between the Caelum's present moments and that of the lives that passed before him proves dynamic and interesting.
 The Hour I First Believed June 25, 2009
Another great journey with Wally Lamb! A pleasure to have the Birdsey twins connected to the main character in this book. Wally Lamb is my favorite author.
Great read June 25, 2009
Wally Lamb has done it again! He can weave a story and keep one so involved that you hate to put it down. This rates right up there with I KNow This Much is True. Excellent book.
Amazing! June 24, 2009
The fact that so many of the negative reviews essentially whine, "well, it was good, but it was too long and complicated..." should suggest to any capable reader that they can pitch those reviews into the trash as irrelevant. Yes, the book is over 700 pages. Yes, there is a lot of detail, information, and several plot lines to follow. And yes, if you are a discerning and capable reader, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK! It's phenonmenal, and it's a sad statement on our literary capacity as a whole that a book this amazing is disregarded by so many as basically "too difficult."
 Good but flawed June 19, 2009
I am a huge fan of Wally Lamb, and clearly the man is one of contemporary America's finest authors. But his new book ultimately bites off more than it can chew. It has some great bits, but mainly fails by being too long. My main complaints are:
1. Priting the entire thesis paper takes up probably 75 or so pages and is WAY more info than needed to explain some of the secrets of Caelum's childhood and his family. Excerpts would have been more than enough!
2. Slightly implausible that SO many bad things could happen to one person in a 10 year span. Found it hard to believe in the credibility of that!
So, worth reading if you are a huge fan of Mr. Lamb, but it's a LONG book, so be prepared to put in some time and for a potential letdown!
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