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One of those books readers wish would never end.
“Simply put, Wesley Stace is one of my favorite contemporary authors. If you love to read, please please PLEASE read By George or Stace's first book (another complete pleasure) Misfortune.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-06-02.
In By George, Stace's beautiful writing and language, captivating characters, emotional and intellectual depth, and constantly intriguing plot provide utter joy, leaving readers like me wishing for more. I will skip an explanation of the plot to leave the satisfaction to you in the hopes that you will read this amazing novel.
And Wesley Stace, please keep writing!! I'm already waiting in anticipation for your next book!” -
1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
The Dummy Speaks
“I love the layout of books like this one; one chapter is written in the voice of an eleven-year-old boy, and the next is written in the voice of a ventriloquist's made-to-order dummy (who warns that he should be called "boy" rather than "dummy.") The chapters are separated by forty-three years, so the back and forth can get a bit confusing; however, I enjoyed being forced to pay attention. No reader will quickly scan this book--nor would one want to!
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-10-06.
The characters are all a bit quirky--much like real people. Nonetheless, I found myself looking forward to reading the "boy's" chapters. I learned a great deal about ventriloquism, along with bits about magic tricks and show business from the 1930s through 1980s, which made this an interesting read. The story is a complex family tale. I loved it!
There is some profanity.
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2 of 2 members found this review helpful.
Review
“What do you do when you discover that there's someone else out there with the same name as you? In this charming story about two Georges, you will find out. First there is George, a ventriloquist dummy and than there is George an eleven-year old boy. This story is really told and narrated by George, the puppet as told by his memoirs that he experienced as a dummy and all the travels and people he meets along the way.
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-09-21.
I thought it was refreshing as well as unique to see everything through a ventriloquist dummy's point of view. The situations George, the dummy had to deal with were pretty amusing. As much as I liked gaining a different prospective I did have some trouble staying focused all the way through this book. There were some dry spots. Even with this being a factor I would still read another book by Mr. Stace. I definitely thought that Mr. Stace brought a lot of creativity to By George.
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1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
A Writer Who Makes It All Seem So Easy
“"by George" is simply excellent. It works on such a simple, refreshingly straightforward level, and yet - and I won't go into any of the plot here since other reviews have covered it - given Stace's handling of the theme (ventriloquism, finding ones own voice, etc), almost every scene becomes as deep and complicated as the reader wants it to be, layered with extra meaning: some become unbearably poignant, others take on a rather sinister aspect. I only realised towards the end that there aren't in fact three narrators, as it seems, but two - and this works perfectly too. The whole book has a beautiful, subtle mechanism.
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-01-21.
Apart from this, the story works most satisfactorily and the characters are richly described. I've never read another book quite like it and I suspect I'm not alone. It's quite a feat to pull this kind of thing off, particularly without making it all seems show-offy, but Stace makes it seem so easy. Highly recommended.” -
3 of 3 members found this review helpful.
A Tale Told by 2 Georges
“This is a family history told by two Georges - one a ventriloquist's dummy named George and the other by a boy (who grows into a teen) named George after the dummy.
An amazon user wrote this on 2007-12-30.
The family is in entertainment, starting with the matriarchical great grandmother, Echo, down through her son, his wife, grandaughter and then the now-living George. The wooden George belonged to the son who died in WWII, entertaining the troops with his ventriloquism until his death. He narrates part of the story. As strange as this seems, it is fitting and does not go over the top (he even makes a snide reference to the dummy in Goldman's book of the '70's which is very funny).
The story line follows the family, including George-the-living, through its history. Every generation has its conflicts, ghosts and skeletons in the closet. Therefore there is some tension from the outset. However, the tension builds and builds as the family's revelations come to light. Everyone older than George, including George the dummy, has secrets they reveal. The final secrets are brought out of the closet by the living George.
This is a terrific story following several generations in the entertainment business in England; starting in vaudeville, going through entertaining troops in WWII and all the way into television. The telling is sprinkled with humor. There is something reminiscent of "Water for Elephants" in that it is most of all a very good story in interesting settings. The revelations in every generation are startling, yet believable. The characters, including the supporting cast, are all interesting and have depth. The writing is very good as well. Highly recommended for a very good and entertaining family saga. ”
