Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

Hello Gentle Reader

I have been sick for past few days. With a nasty cold. When I cough, something fly’s up my throat, and into my mouth. I spit it out, and there, in, the sink is a green blob of infectious or infected mucous that looks back at me. I can't help but turn the hot water on, and watch go down the drain. Makes me wonder what kind of war, is going on inside of my body. But to my relief, of being sick, and barely having the energy to eat -- seeing as my throat gets so soar -- and barely wanting to do anything at all, I found myself, reading and sleeping most of the time. In this time though I was able to read the six hundred and sixty page novel in three volumes called "Skippy Dies," by Paul Murray.

A comedic yet tragic novel, of growing up, and the growing pains of growing up, the novel certainly is something of extraordinary feats. The depiction of the mundane life, of the students, and even the teachers. The idea that even though we all had dreams at one point, sometimes our lives take the complete opposite direction then the one that we had hoped for. I mean honestly who would really want to become a teacher, and go back to their own school, and teach there? Who really wants to remain in the past, even in the present? Not many would say that, that is what they had planned for their life. Living in a suburb, that's power goes out because someone is building a science park next door, and then to go teach at the same all boys school that is falling apart, and your haunted by past events, and the nameless past nicknames.

The story really does show the inner life of school boys, and what really goes on in their minds. Obsessed with sex, and their own personal problems, and trying to act tough and cool, yet what lurks beneath them all is emotional problems, and real tender people, who are open to blows and attacks from others.

Throughout the story we are given a look inside the large ensemble of characters. We see how each one is connected to the other in some way or another. Howard the history teacher is connected to the boys, on the grounds that he used to go Seabrook, and knows all too well, the politics of the school, as well as what it means to go to the school. If going to the school means anything, at all.

The novel, is an interesting story. As I sit here, trying to explain it to myself, I find myself unable to. In fact to say that Daniel “Skippy,” Juster was the main character feels a bit like a stretch. I mean he was the main character, but he never did seem to say much about anything. In fact, his unknown malaise to us, and his inability to connect with others, appears to come from his father, and family, who appear to be people emotionally cut off from each other, in order to keep up the façade that they are a good old happy family. When in reality that they are not, when the mother is dying of cancer. A poison that is raving her body from head to toe.

The scientific theory called “M-Theory,” plays a part in the novel as well, from the plump pudgy character and questionable genius Ruprecht Van Doren, who is a friend and roommate of Daniel “Skippy,” Juster. The “M-Theory,” is a way that for me or in my observation, that Ruprecht can feel special or hope that there is another universe in which he can be respected in. Yet it appears, that Ruprecht logical mind is put to the test when grief, is placed on his platter, and he is forced deal with Skippy’s death. When everything is suddenly turned away and around Ruprecht will try and contact Skippy and use the “M-Theory,” as justification as the need for doing so, and possibility that he can contact Skippy. In most terms however, everyone knows, Ruprecht will fail, and most just go along with the idea, just to simply watch him fall flat on his face, making others snicker and laugh at the supposed geniuses plans, showing that he nothing more than a normal person. Nothing more and nothing less. Yet Ruprecht science fictional ideas just keep moving forward, and his ability to cease giving up, makes him a tragic character. Because his love science, his arrogance lack of ability to actually understand life, in its simple format, and to see that life is not just made of laws of physics and “M-Theory,” and atoms and particles, and really life is just simple, in its terms that you live and die. Ruprecht unable to comprehend this, and un able to accept this, only sets himself up for more and more failure, to the point that you only expect him to fail, and say “good for it, you deserve to fail. You can’t accept the inevitable, then so be it.” Which makes it hard (for a person like myself to sympathize with Ruprecht)

Throughout the entire life story, we watch the characters fall to pieces. The entire novel truly shows the authors ability to show the hopelessness of life, and its humour and also shows us, just how much everyone is hiding on the inside. How we are all, secretly on the verge of mental breakdowns, cheating on the people we love, suicide, and watching our entire world falling apart around us. The author Paul Murray shows us in his novel “Skippy Dies,” just how futile life can be, and also how nasty people are. When people try to cover up scandalous affairs for the good of the many, rather than facing the justice and consequences that come with all our actions, Paul Murray is showing us all that no matter what. There is a deep hopelessness, and irony to our lives, but also a sense of hope. Surely one can see that we should not envy those, that looks happier or more beautiful or smarter than us. Because it appears that their worlds themselves are falling apart around them, and their entire inner world is plagued by a malaise. When the world around us is falling apart, there appears to be no more reason to live, we all find a reason to live, and just move. When your hand is in the fire, just pull it out, one could say.

Thank-you for reading Gentle Reader
Take care Gentle Reader
And Remember to always stay Well Read.

M.Mary