Christopher CoakeBesprekingen

This book was soooo hard for me to get into.....

Seven short stories about people in trouble after witnessing or dealing with death, with superb dialogue. In Back Down to Earth, during a bedroom chat, a man tells his lover the story of his failure to rescue his dog at the edge of a precipice, and his witnessing the fall, feeling that he should fling himself after his dog, and that his act was so wrong that he had condemned himself. in All Babies Come From Heaven, a lesbian couple arguing about whether to have a baby find their positions reversed when one of them witnesses an automobile accident in which a toddler dies. Cross Country depicts the kidnapping of a child from the point of view of the kidnapper, the child, and another child on a different trip with his father. Ambiguities and subtleties abound. In A Single Awe, at a Christmas party, a wife realizes she no longer likes the husband she fell in love with and married because he saved a mother in a terrible accident and suffered burns as a result. I found the final story, All through the house, the weakest. Here, a police chief deals with the aftermath of his best friend killing his wife, his sons, and his inlaws. The scenes around the murder are well drawn. It's just that the murder itself strains credulity.

But all in all, a great debut. However, not something to read when you need some cheer. Because in one way or another, aren't we all in trouble?

As a parent, it was difficult to read this--about a man struggling to deal with the death of his 6-year-old son and the resulting death of his marriage.... Though the story was told from the father's point of view, there were a number of other people's perspectives that were made pretty clear, too. It was challenging, finding one person to identify with--I could see many sides of the story and relate to several of the characters.

I know some people have a difficult time reading books (or watching movies) about things like this, so whether or not I'd recommend it would depend on the individual. (I won't let my husband read it, that's for sure!) I found the writing to be wonderful, despite the fact that this was an advanced copy and there were a few errors in it... To say I "enjoyed" it would be wrong. However, I did feel like it was, indeed, a "good read". I'll look for more work by this author.

Deals with some important issues, gets one's interest initially, at times is a page turner, but then long stretches are boring and repetitive, and characters end up being somewhat stereotypical. At the very least, major sections of this should have been edited and curtailed. Somewhat unsettling to think that the author teaches writing at the university level. In the end, skip this unless the topics are of overwhelming interest.

You Came Back is everything you want a literary novel to be - a great premise that draws you in, fully realized characters that provide a deep insight into what it means to be human, and a writing style that gives you the feeling you're in the hands of a talent that won't let you down. Here Coake explores the ramifications of parents who suffered the loss of a child and had their marriage crumble as a result. The novel picks up seven years later when their lives have started to pick up again, and the husband, Mark Fife, has made a new love and is ready to get married again. All that gets turned upside down, though, when the owner of the house he used to live in - where his son died falling down steps - finds him to tell him that her son has heard a ghost in the house that seems to be Mark's dead son, calling for his father. The novel offers an amazingly gripping exploration of the personal havoc that news brings. Mark resists at first, trying to stay committed to his new love and trying not to be overcome once again by grief and the guilt he still carries for his imagined responsibility in his son's death. Complicating matters further is that his first wife, before grief soured their relationship, was the great love of his life.

As serious as the topic, this is not a depressing story or one overcome with explaining the mechanics of inhabitants of a ghost world. It's all about living a life when your most precious dreams and loved ones have been taken from you. There are surprises along the way, and I wouldn't say anymore to avoid giving anything away, but Mark Fife is one terrific character and I think any reader would enjoy spending 400 pages inside his minds as he struggles with these issues. I normally enjoy strict realism, and got a little concerned when I heard this was a "ghost" story. But my mind had been opened by reading David Long's brilliant "The Inhabited World." Like that novel, this one is much more about the emotional struggles of living a life full of setbacks and tragedies than it is about ghoulish presences. Coake wrote a brilliant short story collection a few years back and I hope this novel will give him enough success to continue writing plenty more novels and collections.

This book is so emotional and so gripping and gut wrenching. It tells you a story of utter grief, unconditional love of a husband and wife, between parents and a child, and the uncertainty of the future and afterlife.

The story is written from the father/husband's point of view, and I found it quite interesting to hear that, because not many author's venture to that territory. Mark is such a strong, committed, unconditional loving character, who in fact, has his flaws. He proves that even through flaws, one can overcome and persevere. He also proves that sometimes love isn't enough if both people don't feel the same way. I didn't find myself liking Allison all that much, but maybe it was because throughout the story, I couldn't help finding myself routing for Mark and Chloe. Coake did such a wonderful job writing all of the characters and being so in depth with each and every one of them!

I thought that the story was well written and thorough. It seems like Coake really thought this through before putting it on paper and takes the reader through many different emotions while reading, from the very beginning to the very end. I feel that too often stories leave a reader hanging without giving insight into their future, however, I felt comfortable closure at the end of this story.

Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this book and thought that the narrator, Scott Holst, did the story complete justice. I felt like I could have been truly listening to Mark tell the story! I certainly was glad that I finally got around to reading this one!

Not exactly a ghost story though that does come into play. More of man and woman trying to get on with their lives after the accidental death of their 7 yr. old son. A good story but I wish it had been a bit tighter, some parts seemed to go on too long, which really slowed down the pace. Good writing and enough suspense to keep me reading though.½

Do you believe in an afterlife? What happens to your loved one after death? What if that loved one was your child? Do you believe in ghosts? If you lost a child and believe that ghosts are real, would you choose to be haunted by the child? What if you don’t believe in ghosts but someone unknown to you who lives in your old house comes to tell you that the ghost of your son is there, is haunting the house, is calling for you? What do you do then? These questions and more are raised in Christopher Coake’s powerful and intense novel You Came Back.

Mark Fife was nearly crippled by the accidental death of his young son Brendan years ago. His marriage to college sweetheart Chloe disintegrated painfully and he almost drank himself to death so weighted down by grief. Seven years on, he is still accepting the loss of his son, the complete wrenching finality of Brendan’s death, but he is living with a patient, good woman, Allie, whom he has decided to marry, tentatively ready to start a new chapter in his life. But just as he starts to move on, a woman named Connie Pelham comes to him and tells him that Brendan’s ghost is haunting Mark and Chloe’s old house. Mark doesn’t believe in ghosts but he can’t bring himself to discount her story, worried that his denial of the existence of this one ghost is a refutation of his beloved son. He keeps most of the situation from Allie and is reluctant to share it with ex-wife Chloe either. He is completely conflicted about his life, uncertain whether to look to the past or leave it behind. He cannot see a way in which to keep both parts of his life connected, certain that it must be one or the other, convinced that he can be the old Mark Fife, husband of Chloe and father of Brendan or the new Mark Fife, fiancé of Allie. He does not understand how to be just one Mark Fife.

As Mark gets swept up in the possibility of Brendan’s spirit still inhabiting their old house, he does not think to include Allie in this life, hewing back to Chloe despite the terrible hurt she inflicted on him after they lost Brendan and naturally turning to her as not only the love of his life but also as Brendan’s mother. Mark must consider whether he believes Connie and her young son about their sightings and what it would mean if they are right about Brendan’s presence. Blindsided by the fact that he is suddenly not so certain about anything in his life anymore, not his engagement to Allie, not his former certainty that ghosts don’t exist, not his divorce from Chloe, not anything really, Mark tries to move forward, making decision after poor decision, hurting almost everyone around him including himself as he grapples with his feelings, desires, and the ultimate truth.

On the surface a novel about the supernatural, this is really a suspenseful look at faith, love, and loss and the ways in which these govern so much of our lives and decisions. The main characters, Mark, Chloe, and Allie are all complex, conflicted, and confused, grappling with this tragedy that will forever define who they are and how they go on. Although wallowing in grief, being sucked backwards by the possibility of his son’s ghost, and not coping well at all, Mark is a very sympathetic character. Watching him want desperately to believe in Brendan’s continued existence is absolutely heartbreaking despite the careless and selfish ways in which he ignores and crushes Allie in his overwhelming desire to find his lost son. Chloe and Allie are less sympathetic but the novel is far more centered on Mark and his internal struggles, only focusing tightly on the women as they touch his life and emotions.

Losing a child is every parents’ nightmare and Coake captures a depth of emotion here that is absolutely staggering. The plot tension ratchets up as the novel progresses and Mark’s skepticism waxes and wanes. And the reader is as undecided about the truth of Brendan’s ghost as Mark himself is as the narrative progresses. The continued, lifelong grief in the aftermath of Brendan’s death and the struggle to still make a happy life are carefully limned and authentic. This well-written and thoughtful novel is gripping and multi-faceted and the reader will clutch at his or her throat as each intense layer peels back in Mark’s quest for peace, acceptance, and understanding.½

Do you believe in life after death, heaven or ghosts? This is a heart wrenching story of the loss of a child and death of a family. Normally, this is the type of book that I would avoid. I don't consider stories with dead or dying children to be much of an entertainment. They just make me sad. However, I was intrigued by the possibility of the child returning as a ghost.

The story examines the question of life after death and really addresses has some thought provoking concepts. It also examines the grieving process and it's affect on those left behind. I think that this might be a great book for a book club to read and discuss. There are many different theories that could inspire some very stimulating discussions.

There is, of course, so much sadness throughout the novel. The feeling can be very dark and depressing. Any time I find myself skimming pages, something is wrong. I was skimming. To be fair, I only skimmed a few parts. With some good editing, it might have kept my interest. It is a fine line to walk, since the grieving process is a main theme and cutting too much or the wrong parts, could lead to less empathy with the characters and the story could loose it's impact. Ultimately, this is a very small complaint and shouldn't discourage anyone from reading this book.

Overall, the author did a great job with a really difficult subject. I felt the depression that the father suffered through and the craziness of the Mother seemed totally rational at times. The secondary characters were interesting and well rounded. They added more depth to the story and each was affected differently by the death. The ending is bittersweet, but it did leave me feeling some hope for at least one of the characters.

Very interesting read, but a bit long-winded. It was so easy to sympathize with the protagonist Mark Fife as he struggled through grief and regret while piecing his life back together. He has lost his only son after a fluke accident and subsequently lost his wife through the grieving process. Just when he finally gets his life back on track, a mysterious stranger opens these old wounds with news that his deceased son Brendan is calling for him from beyond the grave. Does he pursue connecting with his son's ghost or chose to move forward with the new life he has fought so hard to find?

I found it interesting to read Mark Fife's journey of coming to terms with losing a child from his atheist perspective and how that aspect affected his grieving process. I also found him to be a very genuine and honest character...just too in-depth. By about page 170, I found myself pleading with him, "Just make a decision and do something already!" The book would benefit from some careful editing to avoid the repetitiveness of poor Mark's indecisiveness.

I did enjoy this book despite it lengthiness. It has a good balance of the supernatural without being "new-agey" and explored grief in a realistic way. Please note that I received an advance reading copy from
the publisher via Shelf Awareness which has not influenced my review. Thank you.

Coake looks at grief in this achingly heartfelt novel about the death of a young boy and the paths that his parents take as they try to come to grips with their deep sorrow. So moving. And the supernatural aspects make it a fascinating story.

We're In Trouble by Christopher Coake is one of those books - a collection of short stories - that just grabbed me absolutely from the moment I started reading (the opening story, In the Event, was perfectly pitched at me I think, and affected me more than a story's done in a while). Coake's just been named one of Granta's Best Young American writers, and on the basis of this, I look forward to seeing him live up to that in the years to come.

These stories are all about people faced with moments of transition, often deaths, and how their loves and lives buckle, bend and either take the strain or don't. Coake's characters stare death in the face and they react in the most human of ways; the book is filled with a sense of over-powering fear, with the possibility of strengthening as a result of it. It's an often bleak read, but there is something redemptive in how many of the characters face their situations; as much as Coake writes of death and how we face it, he also gives a very real sense of love and how it can both shatter and persist. Though not all of the stories carry that tinge of hope, in those that do, it is the strength of the character's relationships that hints at how they will endure.

Some of the stories are more ambiguous...Cross-Country, in which a boy is driven across the States by a man who may or may not be his father ends on a deeply haunting image that juxtaposes a protective love with something far more menacing.

Though they share a common theme - characters in some sort of trouble, facing change and death - the stories are varied in style and tone. This is a writer already working at a high level, and these are the sorts of images and stories that are going to live on in my head for some time to come.½