John Jerome (1)

I first read John Jerome probably fifteen or more years ago when I picked up his book, ON TURNING SIXTY-FIVE. I wasn't that old yet, but I could relate to much of what he had to say about ageing and diminished powers. In fact, a few of my friends read the book then too. Sadly, Jerome died just a couple years after publishing that book. Since then I've read his marvelous little book, TRUCK, about fixing and restoring an old pickup truck. And now here is STONE WORK, which will, of course, make you think of Frost's "Mending Wall," which is fine, because Jerome is a fan of Frost, as well as Thoreau and other types who like to futz about in the great outdoors. I found myself skimming and skipping around in this year-long seasonal journal Jerome kept, a tale held together with continued references to the stone wall he was building, with some help from family and friends, but mostly by himself, as well as other manual tasks undertaken around his rural Massachusetts home. I'm afraid I didn't find it quite as compelling as the other two books, but there's plenty of food for thought here, nonetheless. I think what I like most about Jerome's writing is the way he never really takes himself all that seriously, and his dry wit and self-deprecating sense of humor. If you've never read John Jerome's stuff, STONE WORK is probably a pretty good intro, but ON TURNING SIXTY-FIVE is, I think, his best book - a worthy swan song for a fine writer.… (mer)