Blood Follows: A Tale of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach

Book Description

All is not well in Lamentable Moll. A sinister, diabolical killer stalks the port city's narrow, barrow-humped streets, and panic grips the citizens like a fever. Emancipor Reese is no exception, and indeed, with his legendary ill luck, it's worse for him than for most. Not only was his previous employer the unknown killer's latest victim, but Emancipor is out of work. And, with his dearest wife terminally comfortable with the manner of life to which she asserts she has become accustomed (or at least to which she aspires) -- for her and their two whelps -- all other terrors grow limp and pale for poor Emancipor. But perhaps his luck has finally changed, for two strangers have come to Lamentable Moll... and they have nailed to the centre post in Fishmonger's Round a note requesting the services of a manservant. This is surely a remarkable opportunity for the hapless Emancipor Reese... no matter that the note reeks with death-warded magic; no matter that the barrow ghosts themselves howl with fear every night; and certainly no matter that Lamentable Moll itself is about to erupt in a frenzy of terror-inspired anarchy.... After all, it's work... and working is better than not working. Isn't it? First in a series of novellas taking place in the Malazan Empire.

Customer Reviews:

Blood Fellows.......2007-05-24

As a big fan of Steven Erikson's work I was very interested to try his novella Blood Follows: A Tale of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. This is essentially an introductory book that gives you part of the origin of these three characters that appear in Erikson's 3rd (or 4th depending on how you like to count them) Malazan novel. As I've come to expect, the characters are well developed, interesting, flawed and compelling. The story is not quite as interesting as it might be although using a shorter format keeps background and secondary information to a minimum. Nevertheless, it's a very entertaining read with the higher quality prose that Erikson is known for. My only complaint would be that this should have been a full length novel.

Good little break........2007-03-27

If you enjoy Erikson's main series this little, and I mean little, novel will only wet you appetite for more of Erikson's writing. This book looks short and is deceptively shorter, so paying full price might not be the best idea. If you like Erikson's style without having to juggle multiple storylines, you will definitely enjoy this novel. It lacks action but the town of Lamentable Moll comes to life without it. It basically gives you a back story to Bauchelain and Korbal Broach and their manservant Reese. I found the novel enjoyable even without the action. Overall I found it worth my time.

Staggeringly expensive short story, but enjoyable.......2007-01-10

So you are addicted to the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and have read all 6 published novels to date (up through the Bonehunters at present), even ordering the 5th and 6th used or from canada or the UK rather than wait, and now you have read them all and other authors just don't seem as interesting....then you notice these two 'short novels' about the necromancers from Memories of Ice (i think), Bauchelain and Korbal Broach....

1) these short novels are around 110-20 pages each, but that is only half the story. typeface is larger, the books themselves are quite small, and you end up with only 27 lines per page versus 37-38 avg in the larger books, and somewhat less letters per line to boot. I bet if reduced to the more narrow typeface of the main novels, these would be less than 75 pages each. These are short stories, and they go quite quickly.

2) you are going to pay for these short stories - even at the amazon price (34 bucks for both) you are paying more than you would for the first 4 in paperback, and we are talking about maybe 2500-3000 pages of story there versus a converted equivalent of maybe 150 in BOTH of these.

3) you are going to finish them FAST, as in a couple of hours.

all that considered, they are entertaining for what they are, with Blood Follows being the backstory on the origin of Emancipor Reese and how he came to be in the employ of the necromancers. There is a sub-plot involving their doings in the city of Moll, with some focus on a character leading the investigation of the murders by (surprise) Korbal Broach.

I did not include price in my star rating, but it is worth considering how annoyed you will be when you see the size of what you are buying.

entertaining but not up to standard.......2006-11-05

while this novela was well written and entertaining it lacked a lot of what the malazan series gives the reader. i assume by intention it was short and basic however a little too much brevity and simplification was taken on behalf of the author. The entre book was roughly equivlant to one chapter in the malazan series but without the interaction between alternate storylines and multiple characters. Overall an entertaining read but i'd finished it in just over an hour and felt slightly cheated. However it was a entertaining hour.

Another minor, fun diversion from the greater goings-on........2006-06-29

Steven Erikson, Blood Follows: A Tale of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach (Night Shade Books, 2005)

Discerning readers of martial fantasy-- that stuff that focuses more on the troops, the battles, and the strategy of fantasy campaigns instead of the fairies (Tolkein's Return of the King, Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, and Moon's The Deed of Paksennarion are all excellent examples of the form) should take every possible chance they have to visit Genabackis, the fantastically detailed world in which Erikson sets the books in his Malazan Book of the Fallen series. The tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are nonesuch tales, silly little side stories where Erikson can indulge an obvious predilection for base, somewhat infantile humor that's just as black as anything to be found in the main series.

This story centers on the pair's long-suffering manservant, Emancipor Reese, and tells the story of how he came to work for the lovably evil necromancers. Reese, drunk, answers an ad on a post in his hometown of Lamentable Moll, a nasty little place that is currently inhabited by a serial killer who murders, with increasing amounts of violence, one person per night. It's somewhat predictable (come on, you have to know who the murderer is, don't you?), but then, the murder mystery isn't the focus here. Emancipor's early encounters with Bauchelain (Broach, as usual, rarely emerges from the shadows in which he's most comfortable), and how the two of them form the bond that makes Reese both more valuable and more intimate than your usual manservant, are the focus. As always, Erikson's characters are perfectly drawn, and he uses no emotional shortcuts; despite Blood Follows being a fifth (or less) the length of the typical Malazan book, Erikson still builds everything the right way, so that the reader can genuinely empathize with, and enjoy, the characters Erikson presents, and the situations in which he puts them.

Another winner from Erikson. If you haven't yet encountered, him, start off with Gardens of the Moon and Deadouse Gates, and then slip these stories in somewhere between two of the later novels. ****

Average customer rating:

Intriging novel, but a bit derivative...

Excellent premise with imperfect execution

Very, Very Troubling

Resurrection, Inc.
Kevin J. Anderson
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0451154096

Download Description

Resurrection, Inc. found a profitable way to do it. All it took was a microprocessor brain, a synthetic heart and blood, and, presto, anyone with the price could buy a Servant with no mind of its own and trained to obey any command. But for every Servant created, a living worker was out of a job, and suddenly Resurrection, Inc.'s profits became everyone else's loss. Some took to rioting in the streets, their rampages ruthlessly ended by armored and heavily armed Enforcers, eager for the kill. Some joined the ever growing cult of Neo-Satanism, seeking heaven in the depths of hell. Only one tried to change the world. His name was Danal, he was dead--but he remembered. And he was the last hope for the living...

Customer Reviews:

Intriging novel, but a bit derivative..........2006-12-28

Kevin Anderson's debut novel "Resurrection InC" has some very good passages, and the action(once it starts) moves fast. Danlo, a newly formed "Servent" that is a corpse that is animated by a microprocessor, becomes "self-aware", and tries to figure out if he remembers his life before his death. Parts of the novel "pay homage" to "1984", with a doomed heroine named Julia that awakens a cog in a monsterous machine to the evil he is doing. Villain is of course, power-hungry, condescending and slightly insane, using a form of "Satanism" as a joke to fool the masses. Nice use of San Francisco here, and good reference to R.U.R and Kapek.

Excellent premise with imperfect execution.......2006-04-23

Resurrection Inc. is a disturbingly different kind of novel than most are used to. This could have been a painfully bad read, if the idea for the story had been put into the hands of a less qualified author. Kevin Anderson has done a suprisingly good job of taking a very "out there" premise and crafting it into a compelling novel that is hard to put down once it's started. There's a few problems with the story that occur here and there, but they are offset to the point that one could almost ignore them completely by the dead-on stinging social commentary and overal excellent story crafting present.

The story behind the novel is that sometime in the future the medical process for reanimating an otherwise inanimate corpse has been discovered and put to a very profitable use. Why pay a worker every two weeks for the rest of his natural life - complete with benefits and medical insurance, when for the price of just one normal worker's yearly salary you could have a unquestioning servant to do any simple or physical work, no matter how distatestful or strenous, and never pay another penny. While this sounds great to all the employers out there, this of course causes a huge problem for all the blue collar workers who have no higher education or technical skills to set them apart from the undead servants.

With this backstory it would appear that the author is trying to create a dystopia, and while there are elements here that could create dystopia (such as all the out of work, lower caste individuals playing the part of the "proles" from the novel 1984, or the futuristic technology gone horribly wrong ala Brave New World), it never fully manifests, which unfortunately lessens the impact of the book slightly.

There are three main organizations who hold power in the universe of this novel - the first is the actual company called "Resurrection Inc." which creates the servants, the second is the "Enforcers" who are privately owned military/police who have destroyed the need for government run police. The final orginazation is the prominent religion of the time frame - Neo Satanism. Were not talking real modern day LaVeyan style satanism either, but the "ye olde" satanism where a literal devil figure is worshipped. At first glance, this seems completely out of place in a novel about the medical advances of the future, but as the novel progresses it becomes easy to understand why this element is in the book. Anderson is contrasting mankinds technological advances with their personal and intellectual advances. While the ability to create unlimited slave labor via the dead, and a vastly complicated network of computers and every day appliances have been strung together succesfully, man still remains the gullible and superstitious sheep they have been since the dark ages. As the reader will discover part-way through the book, this religion was created specifically for the purpose of separating the sheep from those who can think for themselves, and several real world examples are made (painfully so to the members of the religions mentioned). For example, when two of the people responsible for the advent of Neo Satanism are discussing how to go about creating the religion, one of them mentions how they should fake some physical evidence to back up the outrageous claims of the religion, the other person replies caustically, "Proof? We can just say the angel Moroni popped down and did away with all the evidence, it's been done before." in a reference to the very same thing occuring in the Mormon religious doctrine.

The actual main story, that of the hero of the novel, an undead servant named Danal, is an interesting read on it's own, regardless of all the social issues surrounding the story. It seems Danal, despite all odds, can somehow remember things of when he was alive - which of course raises all kinds of fun questions about life after death, the morality of slavery, the "cosmic consciousness", and all that other stuff that man will be bickering about until the end of time. *Partial spoiler ahead here* The main thing about the story that bothered me was it's ending - it was happy. Everything worked out for the heroes and all the "bad guys" got what they deserved. This completely destroys the point that the author was trying to make. The unhappy endings worked in "1984" and "Brave New World" because it showcased the themes of the novel. The happy ending in this novel cheapens the impact, as it seems to concede some ground, as though the author is saying, "Yeah, I've got this amazingly great point to make, but I'd better cave in and give the very kind of people I'm writing about a happy ending so they don't actually think about anything and start asking any questions".

Looking past the few problems the novel has, "Resurrection Inc." is an excellent read, and highly recommened, just be prepared to take some abuse if you are one of the sheep the author is writing about.

Very, Very Troubling.......1999-04-20

I read this book a couple of years ago, and it still bothers me. As I was reading it I had trouble sleeping. After I finished it I couldn't read anything else for a couple weeks.

This was a profoundly disturbing book. I gave it three stars because of its powerful effect -- not because I enjoyed it. In truth, it was absolutely horrifying.

The premise is that in the near future mankind has figured out how to re-animate the dead, making them just smart enough to provide slave labor but not activating the higher mental functions that would allow them to become autonomous. The world's economy has been profoundly changed (toward personal gain for a very few, and economic ruin for everybody else) by this source of unlimited free manpower.

The story centers around one person whose memory does not get completely wiped, and begins to remember bits and pieces of his former life. Oooh, it creeps me out just typing this!!!

Book Description

..IT IS THE FUTURE.... AND THE DEAD WALK THE STREETS....Resurrection. Inc. found a profitable way to do it. A microprocessor brain, synthetic heart and blood-presto, anyone with the price could buy a Servant with no mind of it's own, no memories of its past life, and trained to obey any command. But for every Servant created, a living worker was out of a job. Some people took to rioting in the streets, their rampages ruthlessly ended by armored and heavily armed Enforcers, eager for the kill. Some joined the ever-growing cult of neo-Satanism, seeking heaven in the depths of Hell.

Then came Danal. He was dead-murdered in a neo-Satanist sacrifice-but as a Servant he began to remember. Danal learned who had killed him. . . and what Resurrection, Inc. had in mind for the human race. . .

Customer Reviews:

Resurrection of a Masterpiece.......2000-10-10

Resurrection Inc. is one of the best books I've ever read. If you are fan of Mr. Anderson's work, this is a great place to continue. If you haven't read anything by him, this is a great place to start.

I purchased this book when it originally came out and it has been a fav of mine for years. When I met Mr. Anderson and his wife a few years back, I presented me copy for him to sign, and he was in shock. He hadn't seen a copy in many years and was pleased to see his older works still in circulation.

I can't say enough good things about Resurrection Inc. You won't go wrong with this book! A great addition to any collector's library!

Average customer rating:
Resurrection Inc: Sterling
Kevin J. Anderson
Manufacturer: Overlook Connection Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1892950065

Average customer rating:
The Resurrection of Abel : Who is the Great Black Hope?
Symphony's Armour Inc.
Manufacturer: Symphony's Armour
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1894646002

Book Description

The Resurrection of Abel is a culture-centric motivational book that examines the dimensions of brotherhood, family, self-esteem, self-realization and self-assertion. The work of one of our youngest intellectuals, this book deals with how power is relinquished, transferred, recieved, cultivated and retained by communities in multicultural society.

The Resurrection of Abel addresses the unique motivational challenges facing youth of African descent, particularly in the western world. Analyzing the "Acquired Innovation Deficiency Syndrome", the author identifies certain psychedelic factors that hinder our ability to recognize and actualize our tremendous potentials and leadership competencies.

This book offers a message of hope and inspiration to all humanity, a message that is designed to empower our generation and the next.

Average customer rating:
Shround of Turin: Fraud or Evidence of Christ's Resurrection? (ANCIENT SECRETS OF THE BIBLE Collectors Series)

Manufacturer: Group Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OSI5O6

Average customer rating:
Resurrection Inc
Kevin Anderson
Manufacturer: New Amer Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KGAPGS

Average customer rating:
The resurrection: Moorish Science Temple of America, Inc. ; The truth : be yourself and not somebody else
Timothy Dingle-El
Manufacturer: Gateway Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Islam | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006CZ19C

Average customer rating:

If you like pizza this is the book for you!

Fantastic Little Book

A very nice book for making HOMEMADE pizza!!!

really good crust recipes

If you think homemade pizza is too much trouble, think again

The Best Pizza Is Made at Home (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks)
Donna Rathmell German
Manufacturer: Bristol Publishing Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Pizza | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes

Pizza: More than 60 Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pizza

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Pizza Pizza

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ASIN: 1558672621

Product Description

It's easy to make pizza! You can make your own pizza with infinite variety, unsurpassed freshness, and great affordability. One meal of pizza can represent all of the basic food groups—and it can be as healthy as you wish to make it.

In this book you will find recipes and ideas for thin crust pizzas, deep dish pizzas, stuffed, rolled and layered pizzas; for sauces, toppings and fillings of nearly every description.

Customer Reviews:

If you like pizza this is the book for you! .......2007-08-23

What a great little book. Everything you need to make wonderful pizzas at home. Not only are there many good recipes but also many helpful tips on making the best crusts and sauces.

Fantastic Little Book.......2007-08-10

My family loves pizza but we live out in the boonies, so no delivery and a long drive to get it. This book lets us have great pizza at home, with a minimum of fuss. It has great recipes, not only for lots of crusts (including a no-rise one for busy days), but toppings as well. We have a lot more pizza at home now that I own this book.

A very nice book for making HOMEMADE pizza!!!.......2005-10-31

A great book, I love the selection of different sauces, toppings the thin crusts and deep dish crusts. And it saves time using the bread machine. Nothing beats HOMEMADE PIZZA! I recommend this book if you like making your own pizza over the store stuff.

I actually maded the barbecue chicken and took it to work and had several marriage proposals with co-ed coworkers. No joke. Great book.

really good crust recipes.......2000-03-27

I checked this book out from the library,coming here to buy it today.I made the boboli type crust and it was excellent. I have been trying for some time to get a really good thin crust recipe and this is quite flavorful. The recipes are really tested which means they WORK.Also, the dough was the first one I have made which was so easy to work with.She suggests you pre bake the crust for this particular recipe and it comes out crispier.I was actually able to slide it on my stone with no trouble.Wonderful CRISPY pizza for the first time!

If you think homemade pizza is too much trouble, think again.......1999-10-20

I could not believe how easy it was to make homemade-from-scratch pizza until I started using this book! Using German's suggestion I started making pizza dough in the bread machine and keeping it in the fridge for nights when I don't feel like cooking. It works great! The kids think they're getting a real treat, and I have an inexpensive dinner on the table in less than thirty minutes, with only about 10 minutes of actual hands on effort. (And it tastes better than delivery, too!) If you like pizza or if you're looking for a quick, cheap, kid-pleasing meal once or twice a week I highly recommend this book.

Average customer rating:

The Best Pizza is Made at Home
German Donna Rathmell
Manufacturer: Bristol Publishing Enterprises, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LDCZNQ

Average customer rating:

The Best Pizza is made at home

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1558671366

Average customer rating:

The Wisest Species

When I purr...........

Average photos, disappointing narrative.

Fantastic!

What a hoot.

I Am the Cat, Don't Forget That: Feline Expressions
Valerie Shaff , and Roy Blount Jr.
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Cats, Dogs & Animals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Cats | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

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Hiss and Tell: True Stories from the Files of a Cat Shrink

Cats 24/7: Extraordinary Photographs Of Wonderful Cats

ASIN: 006056041X
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Book Description

What would cats say if they were of a mind to talk? Valerie Shaff and Roy Blount Jr. have a good idea ...

On the heels of their hugely successful I Am Puppy, Hear Me Yap and If Only You Knew How Much I Smell You, Shaff and Blount have paired again, this time for a witty and insightful look at America's other favorite pet -- the cat. Shaff captures the essence of the ever-elusive cat in her gorgeous photographs, and Roy Blount Jr., who the New York Times says is "in serious contention for the title of America's Most Cherished Humorist," provides accompanying verse that seems to speak a cat's thoughts. The combined result is a touching and often hilarious take on the minds and hearts of felines.

When I purr
Don't infer
It's because you pat.

No, you pat
Because I purr.

I am the cat,
Don't forget that.

Customer Reviews:

The Wisest Species.......2006-07-04

Whether a cat lover or one puzzled by the history of cats in stories or one who feels intimidated by their presence, this is a book to cherish and to entertain and to remind us that felines have their own distinctive personalities that can vary from utter devotion and comfort to conscience-prying demigods!

Photographer Valerie Shaff and writer Roy Blount, Jr. have collaborated in presenting this visually stunning, beautifully designed and charmingly written commentary on the cat. The photographs somehow manage to capture those looks that cats can capture that seem somehow to put us in our place, or at least give us a strong dose of reality testing. Far from presenting the cat as the household ogre, Shaff and Blount combine their talents to unravel the meanings of gestures, of body language, and of responses between cats and people that is as astute as any other book out there.

Blount is a fine writer and commentator (reference his NPR work), but here he is content to offer simple haiku-like mini-thoughts that reflect the transient moods of the subjects. This book is a must for cat lovers and an introduction to the humor and mystery of cats to those considering adding a cat owner to their household! Grady Harp, July 06

When I purr..................2006-04-07

Lovely poems and photos make this book a great gift for the cat lover. Most especially the poem which begins: When I purr ....
check it out in the book and smile.

Average photos, disappointing narrative........2006-02-23

This book looked promising when I purchased it-the collaboration of a photographer and writer to produce a book that gives "voice" to the cat. I was disappointed that the reality did not live up to the promise. The photographs were not outstanding, I have seen better in several similiar collections. The narrative was truly disappointing. I felt that Roy Blount Jr really has no understanding of, or true appreciation for, cats. While he may have lived with cats in the past, and may have fond memories of some of them, the words he gave to the photographs fail to capture the essense of cats in all but one or two instances.
I would highly recommend any of the willow creek books (such as "What Cats Teach Us", "Bad Kitties" or "Cat Rules" in place of this book.

Fantastic!.......2006-01-07

Ideal for anyone who is concerned they may confuse their cat for something else.

What a hoot........2005-06-28

This book was a hoot. My cat walked up and layed down next to me while I read it. His face seemed to say, "oh brother".

Book Description

The Care of Antiques and Historical Collections is a wonderful handbook that gives you and your staff the crucial knowledge you need to start and maintain sound programs of storage, display and environmental control for your historical artifacts. Providing instruction for both the expert and novice conservationist, MacLeish offers sound advice on how you can take a few active measures to protect, clean, repair, and care for objects most commonly found in museums or private collections. This is MacLeish's fully revised and greatly expanded edition of Per E. Gudbeck's classic "The Care of Historical Collections".

Book Description

Restore, revamp, repair, and revitalize your home! Whether it's tiling a kitchen work surface or building a bedroom wardrobe, these projects will make a room more attractive and functional. Enhance comfort, increase storage space, introduce character into a setting--when you "do-it-yourself," almost anything is possible. Construct a folding screen to divide a space into two areas or a bed with a storage drawer underneath. Replace cupboard doors, panel a bathroom with pine boarding, or install a wall of display shelving. Plus, 250 color photographs and ingenious ideas, including bathroom lighting and heating options, will open your eyes to potential improvements for your home. "If this book doesn't inspire you to DIY, then nothing will."--Elle Decoration. 256 pages (all in color), 9 1/2 x 11.

Book Description

This highly original study provides an extensive and careful analysis of the Homilies of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI (A.D. 886-912) in order to place them in their historical and cultural contexts. This neglected corpus of forty-two texts comprises both panegyrics on ecclesiastical feasts and discourses on special occasions. The first part deals with the Homilies in the framework of Leo VI's career by examining topics such as the circumstances of the delivery of the Homilies and their political significance. The second part places the Homilies within the Byzantine homiletic tradition of the fourth to tenth centuries. The book, the first monograph on this collection, establishes Leo VI as a prominent literary figure of his time, and sheds new light on both the emperor's fascinating personality and the development of Byzantine homiletics. It will be of great benefit to all those who are interested both in Byzantine literature and the Eastern Church.

Average customer rating:

HOMILIES OF THE EMPEROR LEO VI
Theodora Antonopoulou
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6D1VG

Book Description

Police found John Doe No. 24 in the early morning hours of October 11, 1945, in Jacksonville, Illinois. Unable to communicate, the deaf and mute teenager was labeled “feeble minded” and sentenced by a judge to the nightmarish jumble of the Lincoln State School and Colony in Jacksonville. He remained in the Illinois mental health care system for over thirty years and died at the Sharon Oaks Nursing Home in Peoria on November 28, 1993.

Deaf, mute, and later blind, the young black man survived institutionalized hell: beatings, hunger, overcrowding, and the dehumanizing treatment that characterized state institutions through the 1950s. In spite of his environment, he made friends, took on responsibilities, and developed a sense of humor. People who knew him found him remarkable.

Award-winning journalist Dave Bakke reconstructs the life of John Doe No. 24 through research into a half-century of the state mental health system, personal interviews with people who knew him at various points during his life, and sixteen black-and-white illustrations. After reading a story about John Doe in the New York Times, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter wrote and recorded “John Doe No. 24” and purchased a headstone for his unmarked grave. She contributes a foreword to this book.

As death approached for the man known only as John Doe No. 24, his one-time nurse Donna Romine reflected sadly on his mystery. “Ah, well,” she said, “God knows his name.”

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite Book.......2007-05-07

Mr. Bakke has written a riveting book about a nearly unbelievable life. The reader is rapt by the circumstances 'Mr. Doe' meets at every turn, and Mr. Bakke has penned his words in a way that allows the reader to feel something of the feelings Mr. Doe must have experienced. The story told by the book is at once heartrending and hopeful; Mr. Doe is 'trapped' in 'the system,' but he is often shown mercy by compassionate people who even now deserve to be honored for their efforts.

One question remained when I had finished the book: Why did no one---the police, a social worker, ANYBODY---allow Mr. Doe to take them back down the trail he had traveled? Let him be a passenger in a car, pointing his way back to his place of origin?

Great book, though. I'd recommend it for almost anyone of any age. THANK YOU, MR. BAKKE, for showing us the twists and turns of this lost human riddle.

How very sad...........2003-01-13

that not that long ago in this country someone was found wandering the streets and there were no means to identify him. How sad that someone had raised him for 16 years and then "lost" him. This is a story about one man's dignity. Unlike a lot of stories involving institutions, it seems as though John encountered an awful lot of caring people employed at these places. I find it interesting that although he learned to communicate with others, he never discussed his past or gave any real clues as to his beginnings.

It's a well written book about a sad subject. I recommend it.

Important story.......2002-10-31

On October 11, 1946, a black boy of indeterminate age was found wandering the streets of Jacksonville, Illinois. When police discovered he was deaf, mute, and suspected to be retarded, he was sent to the Lincoln State School and Colony, a state facility that bore little resemblance to its name. Had he been permitted to stay at the School for the Deaf, his life would have been completely different, but that school was not permitted to take retarded people.
The Lincoln School was a self-contained city having a farm with price-winning cattle and a dairy processing plant. It generated its own power and returned thousands of dollars to the state treasury, thanks to the free labor provided by the residents (really inmates). These people varied from the very severely retarded to those of borderline intelligence. The place was vastly overcrowded, and the pecking order among residents was often established violently.
John Doe, as he was called since they were unable to identify him at all, was given an I.Q. test, but much like any test, if you don't understand the value or importance of the test, there will be little incentive to do well, even assuming you can understand what is expected of you. A special test was used that had been designed for the deaf, but the examiner had difficulty conveying the purpose and instructions for the various tests that were disguised as games or puzzles. John's deafness and inexperience were a huge impediment, and, not surprisingly, he scored very low on the test. This result was to haunt him for years to come. After several unsuccessful escape attempts, John gradually adapted to his surroundings. He had no known relatives so there was no one to claim him nor to send him packages or money that might help alleviate his situation.
By the mid-sixties, thanks in part to JFK's commitment to improving conditions and education for the mentally retarded and an Illinois commission, facilities and conditions were improving at the Lincoln School. John Doe had now been there close to two decades. Unfortunately, it was also the time of Chlorpromazine that the psychiatric profession had discovered could turn unruly or violent patients into virtually catatonic, but untroublesome, individuals. It soon became the drug of choice for nearly everyone in an institution. Despite regular doses, John was becoming one of the best students in the ASL class that had been started for the deaf residents. He became a trustee and was placed in charge of several other patients, helping them to dress and to get ready for the day.
By 1973 the side effects of the drugs began to manifest themselves and John was inflicted with diabetes and glaucoma. In 1975, the Lincoln School was converted into a state prison, and John was sent to the Jacksonville Developmental Center. He was now totally blind, but thanks to a few dedicated individuals, his talents were recognized and he was sent to the Helen Keller School. This provided him with the skills he needed to subsequently live in a series of group homes.
He died a few years later, but to this day no one has still been able to track down his identity.

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