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Title: Eroded Idealism and Hope Reborn
Review: "We tried to change the world, but the world changed us..."The 30th reunion of the class of 1969 frames this thoughtful and moving book. It's told in alternating (then and now) chapters and follows a handful of graudates through Vietnam(an extremely harrowing segment), cancer, adultery, and other life changing experiences. O'Brien explores the choices his characters have made and the reverberative consequences of those decisions. At it's core 'July July' explores the loss of youthful innocence and the accompanying idealism and shows what these characters have adopted to replace that absence or void in their lives. O'Brien also shows how -- given the right reminder (like a reunion) this hope and love of being alive can sometimes be reborn. I found this novel a gripping and very moving reading experience.
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