CHASING THE BEAR:
A Young Spenser Novel
By Robert B. Parker
Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, May, 2009 ($17.99)
ISBN-10: 0399247769
ISBN-13: 978-0399247767
Reviewed by Shirley Wetzel
Like many other blockbuster writers, Robert B. Parker is entering the young readers market. Unlike those authors, his book is about the early life of his grown-up character, Spenser. Billed as a "Young Spenser Novel," one might assume this is the first in a new series.
The story begins with Spenser and Susan spending a lazy afternoon watching the swan boats in the lagoon at the Boston Public Garden. Susan muses that she knows him better than anyone else in the world, but there are parts of his life that are a mystery to her -- particularly his childhood. She states that beyond knowing his mother died just before his birth by Caesarean section (an interesting topic that is never explained -- did she die trying to give birth to him, or was something else going on?) and that he was raised by his father and two of his mother’s brothers. Now she wants to learn more of the story, and Spenser obliges in his sparse, methodical way.
His father and uncles were carpenters, big men who could hunt and fish and take care of business. They taught young Spenser to do all that so that he could be self-sufficient. They taught him how to box so he could stand up for himself, and they taught him how to pick his battles. They were, for all their Irish toughness, gentle men who loved their boy. They attended all his Parents Days at school, and, although they had little education, his father bought him a used set of classic books and all three took turns reading to him at night. They taught him that "There’s legal, ...and there’s right," and a man had to learn how to tell the difference and when to choose one or the other.
There is a bit of violence, and some scary moments, but this is no "Young Indiana Jones" tale. While I’m not sure this book will attract a large following among young readers, it is an interesting look at how Spenser became the man he is. It is a good story, of an unusual, but happy and functional family, a welcome change from the stories of many of the tough guys and gals who came from neglectful or abusive backgrounds. Spenser’s father and uncles are men I would like to know, and to have on my side. I recommend it to Spenser fans of all ages.
Return to Over My Dead Body! Online.
Copyright © 2009 Over My Dead Body! All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Over My Dead Body! is prohibited. OMDB! and OMDB! logos are trademarks of Over My Dead Body!