Jon Bauer

Un niño de ocho años más bien precoz se ha convertido, veinte años después, en un adulto imprevisible. Durante su infancia su madre se dedica a acoger niños, lo que provoca en él unos celos que es incapaz de manejar. La situación se agrava con la llegada de Robert, un chico amable por el que la madre siente enseguida un gran afecto: la inseguridad y la furia del niño acabarán por cambiarlo todo. Veinte años después el hijo regresa a casa tras una larga ausencia para ocuparse de su madre. La enfermedad la ha dejado inerme; el poder ya no está en sus manos, pero ni ella ni su hijo han olvidado lo que sucedió.… (meer)

I'd be the first to admit that I'm no literary expert, but as far as I can see Bauer's effort here is not exactly a literary masterpiece. There's no subtlety, and the family is painted as dysfunctional in the same way as the TV Simpsons. Similarly, the eight year old main character (also appearing as a 28 year old) is really just another Bart Simpson. Bauer presents a series of incidents, each more outrageous and crazy than the previous. None of the characters is at all realistic, to my thinking. I wonder if the boy/man is meant to be really mentally ill, and the bizarre behaviour both as a boy and an adult is meant to demonstrate that to the reader. I couldn't get too emotionally involved with this story because of the weirdness of the characters. Sure, I accept that Bauer is trying to demonstrate that the failure of the boy's family relationship has produced a man who is socially disconnected. He does that, but there's no real intrinsic interest in these cartoon character people, for me anyway. I read right through to the end, mostly because two people who I respect seemed to suggest that the book was in the end a worthwhile read. Helen and Jenny: we'll have to agree to disagree about that!… (meer)

Rocks in the Belly is narrated by an eight year old boy, an only child desperate for his parents' affections. His mother brings in foster boys which incites a fierce and sometimes dark jealousy. Possessive of his mother's attention, her son does whatever he can to monopolise her affections and when Robert joins their family, all this is set to escalate.

Originally from the UK, but now an Australian citizen living in Melbourne, it's hard to believe this is Jon Bauer's first novel. I read a sample chapter in Good Reading Magazine a long time ago and I recall it had me hooked right away.

The reader never learns the name of the troubled young boy in Rocks in the Belly, however his observations are unique and dark, strangely youthful and sometimes quite funny. Offsetting the humour are unexpected sociopathic thoughts and shocking behaviour that reminded me of movies like The Good Son.

Interspersed between the chapters we meet the young boy as an adult, returning to the family home to look after his mother in the very last stages of a terminal illness, her mind almost lost to a brain tumour. The two of them together dance around the shadows of the past slowly revealing to the reader the shocking events of years ago.

This is an excellent read and I thoroughly enjoyed the sections narrated by the young boy, they were piercing and unpredictable and definitely kept the pace flying along. I'd definitely recommend Rocks in the Belly by Jon Bauer; the young character is likely to stick with you for a while afterwards.… (meer)