 Ken Newman reviewsBazhe's Damages "If you’re ready for a real-life story of a very difficult time in world history, as well as looking into some very happy and very sad windows into a rebel's life, by all means, this is an excellent book for you. You’ll find it a tremendous surprise—A tremendously good surprise." |
| Damages by Bazhe Paperback: 307 pages Publisher: iUniverse Star; (January 5, 2004) ISBN: 0595297145 I beg your indulgence for beginning this review in the first person, but I’ve just finished reading Bazhe’s document, Damages, and I can’t help myself. I’m calling this autobiography a “document,” because it not only documents the author’s early life, but it also documents a behind-the-scenes view of the dissolution of Yugoslavia, and the “underground” nature of the GLBT community there, while artfully comparing American society to society in eastern Europe, most notably former Yugoslavia. The caveat at the beginning of the book states that this is a true story, but some of the names and circumstances have been modified to protect the identities of some of the characters. I’m glad they didn’t say that it was to protect the “innocent.” No one seems to be “innocent” in this book. The story begins with the death of Bazhe’s cruel father, a retired communist official, and Bazhe returns to the Macedonian province in Yugoslavia to visit his mother. During his visit, he discovers that his beloved adoptive mother is not well. Eventually, she consents to seeing a doctor. Bazhe nurses her in her home, while finally locating his biological mother. During their first meeting, a secretive week, Bazhe reveals to his birth mother, and his readers, his painful, abusive, and lonely childhood, with a significant window of real happiness. I identified with Bazhe in many ways, while in the end I didn’t know whether to envy or pity him. Finally, I found myself counting my own blessings. While losing his own innocence at a tender age, he is forced to create his own world. His striking good looks are both a blessing and a curse. Bazhe brilliantly tells stories of his growing up in a world that he knows will damn him. The stories interweave to develop in him the strength that he will need to survive. There is great maturity here. There is incredible happiness as well as heartbreaking sadness in this man’s life, and he comes out of it as a survivor. A survivor of the damages that make him what he is. The real danger of baring your soul as Bazhe has done, is that readers can end up feeling that they know the author, well. In this case, I feel that Bazhe has kept some of his most private thoughts to himself, while sharing a great deal of both joy and sorrow. While the book could use a better job of editing, I cannot fault the author, especially since English (the American version) is his sixth language. This book is beautifully written and reads smoothly. He does an excellent job of moving the story along, and holding the reader’s attention, even though this is a fairly long book. In spite of its length, the romantic in me would like to have read more of the author’s relationship with his partner, Fred. He states that Fred loves him, and I’m sure he loves Fred, but there must be a solid relationship there for them to endure the lengthy separations that occur. This must be one area that Bazhe decided to keep something to himself. Who could blame him? If you’re ready for a real-life story of a very difficult time in world history, as well as looking into some very happy and very sad windows into a rebel's life, by all means, this is an excellent book for you. You’ll find it a tremendous surprise– A tremendously good surprise. |