I read a dystopian book back in 9th grade (91-92 school year), and have been trying for quite a while to remember what it was.
Basic plot: Similar to 1984 in that the main character (male) lives in a society where personal freedoms like enjoying books and art and non-propagandist television aren't allowed. Somehow this character decides or discovers that there is a secret headquarters where a group of people make all the rules, and if he can infiltrate it, that he can make some change (don't remember what he intended to do). He finds the headquarters, and rather than the folks in it arresting him or kicking him out or whatever, they welcome him with open arms and invite him to join, just because he was smart enough (or whatever) to find them. He doesn't join them, but escapes...and I don't remember how it ends. There was also a love interest, I think. The copy I read was mass market, so it wouldn't have been brand new in 91. It was fairly thick, and I think it was in shades of blue with silver raised lettering (which is exactly the sort of "helpful" information that I, as a bookseller, hate getting).
I have been wracking my brain trying to figure it out for the last couple of years, with no luck. Any ideas?
― Caenis (Caenis), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 01:32 (twenty-one years ago)
http://www.logan.com/loganberry/stump.html
― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 04:05 (twenty-one years ago)
― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 06:41 (twenty-one years ago)
― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 10:50 (twenty-one years ago)
― Sarah Summertime, Wednesday, 5 May 2004 13:19 (twenty-one years ago)
Sorry Caenis, I definitely missed this one..
― Sarah Emily, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 10:50 (twenty-one years ago)
― isadora (isadora), Saturday, 29 May 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)
― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 5 September 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)
― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:43 (twenty years ago)
Help out my friend please -
I remember a novel I read in 1994. In it, the main protagonist – a teenage boy – listens to the song Serve the Servants by Nirvana whilst in a truck. It had in the title the words ‘bone’ or ‘match’ but I can’t for the life of me remember it – the author or the title. The picture of the author was some hairy, bearded chap. Does anyone know what I’m talking about?
It was marketed as a kind of post-Generation X thing despite featuring a young boy and being written by an old bloke.
― MaresNest, Wednesday, 25 January 2017 21:32 (eight years ago)
Russell Banks, Rule Of The Bone, disliked by Michiko Kakutani.
― alimosina, Wednesday, 25 January 2017 22:01 (eight years ago)
Awesome thanks so much!
― MaresNest, Thursday, 26 January 2017 00:38 (eight years ago)
> Basic plot: Similar to 1984 in that the main character (male) lives in a society where personal freedoms like enjoying books and art and non-propagandist television aren't allowed. Somehow this character decides or discovers that there is a secret headquarters where a group of people make all the rules, and if he can infiltrate it, that he can make some change (don't remember what he intended to do). He finds the headquarters, and rather than the folks in it arresting him or kicking him out or whatever, they welcome him with open arms and invite him to join, just because he was smart enough (or whatever) to find them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Perfect_Day ???
― koogs, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 20:04 (eight years ago)
That's the one I thought of when I first read this thread (just now). I read the wiki entry yesterday, when looking up stuff about Ira Levin. Think I'll check some of his books, also Richard Condon's.
― dow, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 23:30 (eight years ago)
So did you like it?
Me?
It's been a long time since I read it but I remember it being a bit clunkier than the others. His thing seems to be to put the twist in the *middle* of the book, leaving it to echo around the second half, and I don't think he does that as well here as any of his other books really. And I think it's the only one not set in the real world.
― koogs, Thursday, 20 April 2017 03:14 (eight years ago)