Boy's Life (novel)

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Boy's Life

First edition
Author	Robert R. McCammon
Cover artist	Gerber Studio
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Mystery, Dark Fantasy
Publisher	Pocket Books
Publication date	1991
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	440 (Original Hardcover) 578 (Original Paperback)
ISBN	978-0-671-74226-3
OCLC	23771248
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 20
LC Class	PS3563.C3345 B6 1991

Boy's Life is a 1991 novel by American writer Robert R. McCammon. It received the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1992. It is considered by readers and critics as his best novel.^[1]

The story is set in the early 1960s and makes observations about changes in America at that time, with particular emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement. Several of the characters are connected to the Ku Klux Klan, and the segregation of the black community is dealt with in some detail.

Plot summary[]

In the novel, Cory Mackenson shares with the reader his experiences in the twelfth year of his life. The year begins when his father attempts to rescue a driver as his car plunges into Saxon's Lake, only to discover the man has been beaten to death. Cory spends the rest of the year, despite multiple distractions, attempting to find out who killed this stranger before his father's dreams drive him into the depths of the lake too. Boy's Life is a story of coming of age in the south, an all too real reality mixed with the magic and fantasy of childhood.

Cory gets up early to help his father work his milk route. As they discuss Cory's plans for the future, they drive through their little town of Zephyr, Alabama. When Cory's father begins to drive past Saxon's Lake, they are both shocked when they see a car race across the road in front of them and plunge into the lake. Cory's father dives into the water to rescue the driver only to discover the man has been horribly beaten and strangled. Someone has stripped the dead man naked and handcuffed him to the steering wheel to prevent his body from ever rising to the surface again. Cory and his father rush to the nearest house, which happens to be a brothel managed by a woman named Grace, and call the police. Unfortunately, there is little the police can do without a victim, a name, or a motive.

People talk about the murder for weeks, disturbed that such a thing could happen in their small town. However, with no progress on the legal end of things, people soon forget. Easter comes, as Cory and his family attend church with both sets of grandparents. The day is extremely hot and the church is packed. Within moments of the pastor beginning his sermon, a nest of wasps become agitated in the attic and wasps begin invading the church. The entire congregation rushes for the doors, hoping to escape their horrible stings.

Not long after Easter, Cory's bike breaks down and doesn't work anymore. Cory goes to retrieve it with his father, but they learn that the junk man has picked it up. At the junk man's house, Cory learns that his bike has already been crushed. However, Cory and his father get to see a tooth that possibly came from the mythic creature that lives in the Tecumseh, Old Moses. Not long after this, rains bring a swelling of water in the river, leading to a flood. The whole town of Zephyr rushes to Bruton to build a temporary dam to hold the waters back. While there, Cory goes to the home of a local woman whose father is having a heart attack. Cory is left alone with a little boy while his mother and the boy's mother move the old man to dry ground. A creature floats into the house and attempts to attack Cory and the boy. Cory manages to fend it off with a broom, shoving it so far in the back of its throat the creature backs off. As a result of his heroics, Cory is invited to visit the Lady, the honorary leader of Bruton, and promised a new bike.

School finally gets out. Cory and his friends rush off to make plans for their summer. When Cory gets home, he discovers that he has received the promised bike from the Lady. The bike is new and has everything a boy could want, including what Cory believes is a golden eye in the headlamp. A few days later, Cory and his friends meet at the baseball field. A new boy in town, Nemo Curliss, watches them toss the ball for a time. Cory invites him to play too. Nemo turns out to have a powerful pitching arm, strong enough to bruise Davy Ray's hand when he catches Nemo's pitch. As they play ball, the Branlins come upon them. The Branlins begin to tease the younger boys as they often do. When the Branlins begin picking on Nemo, Cory and his friends defend him. The Branlins begin to beat the boys, leaving Cory and Davy Ray hurt, but Johnny Wilson with a concussion.

One afternoon at the public pool, Cory hears a new song by a new group called the Beach Boys. Cory is excited by this new song. However, a local preacher is not as impressed. In fact, he has a special church service to lecture the community on the evils of this new music. Cory and his family attend out of curiosity. During the sermon, the preacher pulls out a monkey he calls Lucifer. Lucifer becomes frightened by the crowd and attacks the preacher. Lucifer then attacks the congregation before escaping through the open door.

A short time later, Cory spends a week with his paternal grandparents, Jaybird and Sarah. Cory dislikes his Granddaddy Jaybird because he always wakes him before dawn and makes Cory do some of the harder chores around the farm. On Cory's last day at the farm, Granddaddy Jaybird takes him to the store to buy ice cream salt. However, instead of going home, Granddaddy Jaybird takes Cory to a house where an illegal poker game is going on. Cory waits for several hours outside and finally gives up, deciding to walk home. Finally Cory is picked up by the local doctor who drives him back to the farm.

As a deal with his father to go to Jaybird's, Cory is allowed to go camping alone with two of his friends. The boys walk deep into the woods and settle down for the night. Cory tells a scary story. In the middle of the story, they see a car drive past their campsite. The boys follow the road and find two men waiting in their car. The boys watch as another car drives up and the men transact some kind of business with these new arrivals. Ben becomes covered with spiders and screams out, attracting the attention of the men. The men chase the boys through the woods. Cory is separated from his friends. The following day, Cory comes across a girl skinny dipping in a pond. The girl takes him home, cleans his wounds, and arranges for him to get a ride to a phone. Cory wins third prize in a writing contest. The mayor calls and asks Cory to meet him at his office. Once there, Cory sees a hat with a green feather in it and jumps to the conclusion that the mayor is the killer. Cory becomes frightened and runs off. However, the feather on the mayor's hat does not match the one Cory found at Saxon's Lake.

Cory wins a plaque and has to read his story at a ceremony. A few days later, Cory is invited to have dinner with Vernon Thaxter, son of a local bank owner. Back at school, Johnny brings his collection of arrowheads. After school, the Branlins attempt to steal the arrowheads. Johnny fights Gotha, using the boxing techniques he learned from a book during his long recuperation from his concussion. At the same time, Cory leads Gorda off on his bike and causes him to fall into a ditch filled with poison ivy. Neither Branlin ever teases or bullies Cory and his friends again.

One afternoon, Cory comes home from school to learn that Rebel, his dog, has been hit by a car. Cory rushes to the vet to see his dog, only to learn he is dying. Cory prays death away. Rebel recovers, but he is never quite right. One night Cory hears someone talking to his dog. Cory realizes it's a young boy who once lived down the street, but died in a fire. Soon, Cory realizes it's time to give up Rebel. He arranges to have the vet put Rebel down. A short time later, Cory is riding his bike in town and is kidnapped by Donny Blaylock, one of the men he saw transacting business during his camping trip. Donny plans to hurt Cory, but instead he's distracted by the memory of a man he killed on that road. There is a car accident and Cory is freed. However, Donny is arrested for murder.

The sheriff, it turns out, has been taking bribe payments from the Blaylocks. As a result, he is leaving town. However, before he leaves, the sheriff wants Donny to be taken by the state police. The sheriff asks Tom Mackenson for help. At first Tom refuses, but later agrees. There is a shootout that ends when Biggun Blaylock's ammunition turns into green garden snakes. A short time later, the Brandywine Carnival comes to town. At the carnival, Cory and his friends see everything from the haunted house to a baby with one eye. Cory drags them off to see a creature that appears to be a triceratops. Davy Ray is deeply affected by seeing this animal, so when Cory learns the next day that someone helped the animal escape, he suspects it was Davy Ray. That fall, when hunting season begins, Cory finds himself thinking about parrots and green feathers. However, before Cory can investigate his suspicions, he learns that Davy Ray has been shot in a hunting accident. Cory and his family rush to the hospital. Cory tells Davy Ray a story about a solitary traveler. The following morning, Cory learns that Davy Ray has died from his injuries. Cory doesn't know how to deal with the death of his friend, especially when his mother and pastor tell him he must have faith that Davy Ray is somewhere better.

When Cory learns that the vet and his wife had a green parrot at in their home the night the stranger from Saxon's Lake was killed and that they both are allergic to milk and therefore would not have thought of seeing a milk man out before dawn, he begins to suspect they killed the man. At the same time, Cory's father finally goes to see the Lady after he goes to her for help dismantling a bomb. At this meeting, Cory's father is told the number thirty-three is important. The only thing Tom can find with that number is a bus that comes to town every other day. Tom takes a job at the gas station where the bus drops off passengers and waits. On the day someone finally gets off the bus, Cory goes to the vet's house to spy on him, in order to prove he killed the stranger. Tom learns that the dead stranger was a Neo-Nazi who helped hide a couple of German officers in Zephyr years before. The man came to town to blackmail these Germans, so he can start a new life. Tom cannot imagine which of his neighbors might be German officers who could be so cruel as to pick and choose which Jewish prisoners should die.

However, when Tom learns the German officer was a veterinarian, he begins to suspect Dr. Lezander, the local vet. Tom and his new companions go to the vet's house where they discover Cory is being held against his will. Dr. Lezander takes off with Cory. Tom follows them. When they reach the road that runs beside Saxon's Lake, the triceratops comes out of the woods and attacks Dr. Lezander's car, pushing it into the water. Tom saves Cory, but can do nothing for Dr. Lezander.

Cory returns to Zephyr many years later with his own family. The town was abandoned after the paper mill closed down in the 1970s. Cory drives to all his familiar haunts, finally stopping at his family's home. Before leaving, Cory decides to drive to the Thaxter mansion. There, Cory discovers that the mansion was given to an orphanage for boys and several people he knew in childhood still live there, working with the little boys.

Setting[]

The novel is set in Zephyr, Alabama, a fictional town near the Tecumseh River. The book is set in the 1960s. Zephyr is a small town that is populated with people who work both at the paper mill up river and for the local dairy. The people all know one another and often are friendly with one another, sharing holidays and birthdays together as well as tragedies. Down river is Bruton, a small town that is populated by many of the black people who work in Zephyr as domestic and blue collar workers. Through the course of the novel, the main character befriends many of the residents of Bruton, overshadowing the border between the two towns that often separates his neighbours from the Bruton residents.

Characters[]

Cory Mackenson[]

Cory Mackenson is an eleven-year-old boy in 1964. This novel follows Cory's adventures that year, including his attempts to solve a murder, which his father has been haunted by since inadvertently witnessing the disposal of the body. Cory is precocious, a young man who wants to be a writer, so he spends a great deal of his time investigating the people and events taking place in the little town where he lives. Cory fights off Old Moses, a large aquatic creature that swims into a house in Bruton during the flood. Cory later goes camping alone with a group of friends and overhears a bomb transaction that allows him later to save the people of Bruton from a hate crime. Cory loses a good friend that year and gains another. It's an amazing summer that will remain with Cory the rest of his life, bringing him back to Zephyr twenty years later with his family, only to find several friends still living there.

Tom Mackenson[]

Tom Mackenson is Cory's father, employed as a milkman. While delivering milk early one morning, he and son Cory saw a car drive into Saxon's Lake. Acting quickly, Tom dove into the water attempting to save the driver. What Tom saw that day will haunt him for the rest of the novel. The man in the car was already dead; he had been beaten, had a piano wire wrapped around his throat, and had been handcuffed to the steering wheel of the car before it plunged into the lake. Tom then begins having nightmares, in which he believes he hears the murdered man telling him to join him down in the dark. Tom interprets this to mean the man wants him to commit suicide, but eventually he learns from the Lady that the man is speaking instead to the killer. Tom will later learn that he is not saying "down in the dark", but "Dahninaderke". His dreams will lead Tom to the identity of the killer and solve his nightmares.

Rebecca Mackenson[]

Rebecca Mackenson is Cory's mother. Rebecca is an overprotective mother who has trouble adjusting to the idea that her son is growing up. Rebecca does not want Cory to go camping on his own, but finally relents when her husband agrees to it. Rebecca is a force in her son's life, not always the one to say no but occasionally the one who encourages her son. When the Lady invites Cory to visit her, Rebecca insists that they go even though her husband disagrees. This meeting allows the Mackenson family to discover that the Lady is actually a kind woman who only wants to help.

The Lady[]

The Lady is a highly respected black woman who lives in Bruton. It's said that the Lady is over one hundred years old and that she is an expert in voodoo magic. Most white people are afraid of the Lady, including Tom Mackenson. However, Cory becomes good friends with the Lady after the flood that wipes out a portion of Bruton. Cory rescues a small black boy from a monster fish known as Old Moses. In return, the Lady gives Cory a new bike he names Rocket. The Lady also claims to be able to help Tom with the nightmares he has suffered since he saw a dead man sink into Saxon's Lake. The Lady gives Tom a reading that comes up with the number 33. In the end, Tom uses this number to solve the mystery of the dead man, proving the Lady's powers of the unknown.

Minor characters[]

Vernon Thaxter[]

Vernon Thaxter is the eccentric son of the richest man in town. Vernon once wanted to be a writer despite his father's disapproval and even published a book once. However, the publishers talked Vernon into changing the book to fit their market, a change that caused the book to not sell well. As a result, Vernon had a mental breakdown that brought him back home, living as though he were a child again. Vernon can often be seen walking through town naked. However, Vernon has a clear mind when it comes to watching the people in town and he manages to give Cory some insight into the killer of the mystery man in Saxon's Lake that helps him identify the culprit.

Davy Ray Callan[]

Davy Ray Callan is a friend of Cory's. Davy Ray is the friend who likes to tease the others, often voicing doubts about the games and theories the others entertain. Davy Ray has a strong opinion on everything, including the stories that Cory often tells, forcing him to stay honest to his story. The fall of 1964, Davy Ray is hunting with his father when he trips and accidentally shoots himself. Davy Ray dies during the night after the accident.

Ben Sears[]

Ben Sears is another of Cory's friends. Ben has a father who drinks moonshine with the Blaylocks, causing a great deal of tension in the home. Ben is the friend who always seems to be lagging behind, who is slower than the others. However, Ben remains a close friend to all, especially Davy Ray who delights in teasing Ben for his slowness. Ben grows up to be a successful stock broker.

Johnny Wilson[]

Johnny Wilson is a friend of Cory's. Johnny is beaten badly by the Branlin boys, Gordo and Gotha, leaving him with a concussion that excludes him from many of the summer activities the other boys indulge in. As a result, Johnny teaches himself boxing with a book written by Sugar Ray Robinson. When Gotha Branlin attempts to beat Johnny again over some arrowheads, Johnny fights back, teaching Gotha a lesson. This causes Gotha to go straight and stop beating smaller kids. In the end, Johnny grows up to be chief of police in a city in Florida.

Granddaddy Jaybird[]

Granddaddy Jaybird is Cory's paternal grandfather. Granddaddy Jaybird is a loud, obnoxious man who is obsessed with practical jokes and animal carcasses. Cory comes to realize as he grows that Granddaddy Jaybird is a selfish person who cares for no one but himself. In fact, Cory's first lesson in this is when Granddaddy Jaybird abandons Cory in the heat of a summer's day in order to play illegal poker with Bodean Blaylock. Cory understands that Granddaddy Jaybird is not a good person, but he also believes that his curiosity that helps in his writing comes from Jaybird, therefore he respects his grandfather for his gifts to his own personality.

Gotha and Gordo Branlin[]

Gotha and Gordo Branlin are the local bullies in Zephyr. Gotha and Gordo like to pick on boys younger than themselves, which means Cory and his friends. On the baseball field one day, the Branlin boys attack Cory and his friends mercilessly, causing one boy to suffer a concussion. As a consequence of this episode, one of those boys learns to box from a book and he attacks Gotha Branlin in the schoolyard. Gotha learns from this experience and never attacks these boys again. In fact, Gotha straightens out his life and becomes a decent citizen when he grows older. Gordo, on the other hand, never learns his lesson and eventually dies in a holdup when he is shot by the owner of the convenience store he is trying to rob.

Nemo Curliss[]

Nemo Curliss is a young boy who comes to live in Zephyr for a few short months during the summer of 1964. On their first meeting, Cory comes to discover that Nemo has a talent when it comes to throwing baseballs. However, Nemo's overprotective mother refuses to allow him to play because she feels her little boy is too fragile to play rough sports like baseball. Cory and his friends are deeply disappointed because Nemo could have helped them win the season that summer in little league. During their brief friendship with Nemo, Cory and his friends are attacked by the Branlin boys while defending Nemo, an event that causes the boys terrible injuries and leaves Johnny looking for revenge. Nemo's dad is a salesman for shirts, so they move around a lot and as a result, Nemo can't make any friends. It's very sad when he moves away since he said that Cory and his friends were probably the closest friends he's ever had.

The Blaylocks[]

The Blaylocks, Wade, Donny, Bodean, and Biggun, run the moonshining business in Zephyr. The Blaylocks also run the local brothel and several other illegal businesses. The town of Zephyr lives in fear of the Blaylocks because they know that they will not hesitate to kill in order to protect their businesses or each other. Even the sheriff is under the control of the Blaylocks, taking payments from them every month in a promise to leave them be. In the end, however, the sheriff finds himself forced out of office because of the Blaylocks. Before he leaves, however, the sheriff is insistent that he take Donny Blaylock to jail for the murder of Little Stevie Cauley. There is a shootout, leaving the Blaylocks wounded and arrested. This leaves Zephyr free of the criminal clan for the first time in many years.

Dr. Frans Lezander[]

Dr. Frans Lezander is the veterinarian in Zephyr. Dr. Lezander cares for Rebel when he is hit by a car. Cory is overwhelmed by Dr. Lezander's care of his dog and is so impressed that he entertains the idea of becoming a vet himself. However, when Cory learns that Dr. Lezander is allergic to milk and that he is a night owl, Cory begins to wonder if Dr. Lezander could be the mysterious killer who killed a man and dumped his body in Saxon's Lake. Later, when Cory learns that Dr. Lezander had in his care the parrots of the Glass sisters, he realizes that the green feather he found at Saxon's Lake that fateful day came from Lezander's house. Before Cory can do anything with all this information, his father learns that Dr. Lezander and his wife were really Nazi officers who were cruel to Jews at a concentration camp. Dr. Lezander's real name is Gunther Dahninaderke, a German doctor who chose who would live or die at a concentration camp. Dr. Dahninaderke killed the mysterious man for blackmailing him and threatening to reveal his true identity.

Brenda Sutley[]

Brenda, commonly referred to during the story as "The Demon", is a young girl several years younger than Cory who has a crush on him. The Demon picks her nose and is known to offer boogers to the boys she loves, including Cory. Cory is grossed out by the Demon and is happy when she focuses her affections on another boy. The Demon is a brilliant young girl who is moved up to Cory's grade in the heat of her crush on him and placed in the seat behind him, making his life miserable for the better part of the year. Later, Cory learns that the Demon becomes a chemist for DuPont, but gives up her job in favor of becoming a performance artist.

Chile Willow[]

Chile Willow is a very beautiful sixteen-year-old girl Cory sees swimming naked in a small pond while lost in the woods. Chile takes Cory home with him to the small shack where she lives with her mother, husband, and baby, Bubba. Cory falls instantly in love with Chile even as he is aware he will never see her again after he leaves her home for his own. However, Cory does meet Chile's grown son twenty years later and learns that Chile has become a teacher.

References[]