Richard Laymon Same Vein

RATING:

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Review Source:

Ash Wednesday by Ethan Hawke

When you mention the most exciting and promising writers of the younger generation, most people don't mention Ethan Hawke. And that's a shame. They should. The Hottest State, while an enjoyable freshman work, is nothing compared to the raw and profound provocative tour de force that is Ash Wednesday. It's a very compelling story about a young couple trying to get started in a world that wants to throw obstacles in their way, right and left. Relationships aren't easy, love isn't easy and marriage is flat-out HARD. Soldier James Heartsock and his pregnant girlfriend Christy take a journey from Albany to New York City, to Ohio, and more. But this young couple is on an emotional journey as well as a physical one.

While he most positively should have won the Oscar for his sublime effort in Training Day, Ethan Hawke deserves equal kudos for this telling tale of enigmatic Jimmy Heartsock and his pregnant girlfriend Christy. Hawke emits such intangible, yet very real, intensity and cathartic power that lead to Jimmy's self-discovery through a trying and arduous epiphany.

"Ash Wednesday" is a story of family ties and disruptions. A key theme of the book is growing up and making the transition to adulthood, and accepting the responsibilities that go along with this transition. Along the way Hawke raises a number of religious and spiritual issues. He deals with such issues as faith, ritual and grace; he seems to be asking if they are still relevant today - whether they can still bring meaning and joy to life. This is a thoughtful and moving novel.

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