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Brightest Moon of the Century (Teddy Rose)
In this bright and intelligent book, we follow Edward Meopian from the age of 14 to 45 years old (1968-1999). His mother died when he was young and his father did his best to raise him. They live in Minnesota where his father is an encyclopedia salesman.
Edward’s father decides to enrol Edward in private school which Edward is very unhappy about. There are a bunch or rich snobby kids there and he finds it hard to fit in. One of the rich kids asks him what his father does and he lies and says, my father “is in publishing.” Of course his lie is found out when his father shows up at the school library to deliver new encyclopedias.
Later Edward gets a stepmother and younger stepbrother and then gets accepted into a university in Denver. He is anxious to start this new chapter in his life and to meet girls. He does get his first girlfriend there but it doesn’t last long. He graduates from university and wants to make it as a film director so moves to L.A. Reality hits him hard and he ends up having to work in a camera store to pay his rent.
When he ends up quitting his dead end job and has no money, his father suggests that he move to rural Alabama to set up a convenience store in the trailer park that his father bought. Edward agrees and enlists his friend Sagebrush to go with him. The two could not be more opposite but somehow they work together.
I could go on but I don’t want to give away too much. This is a hilarious and intelligently written book. The funniest part for me was the summer in the trailer park but I loved the whole book. Meeks hits all the right cords. His writing is fresh, intelligent and very witty! Also, being born and raised in Minnesota myself, it was fun to see all the references to cities and landmarks that I recognized.
This is Christopher Meeks first novel but he has written two short story collections that have been highly recommend by Wendy of Caribousmom. I plan to read these and can hardly wait for his next novel. The Brightest Moon of the Century is such a treat and I cannot recommend it high enough!
5/5
Thanks so much to Christopher Meeks and sending me his book and to Wendy of Caribousmom for sending him my way!
The Brightest Century of the Moon (Literary Feline)
Near mid-century when Edward was born, the full moon was years from being the brightest. That would happen - in terms of luminosity and size - in the last month of the century. [Opening of The Brightest Moon of the Century]
The Brightest Moon of the Century by Christopher Meeks
White Whiskers Books, 2009 (ARC)
Fiction; 312 pgs
Christopher Meeks came highly recommended by fellow blogger and friend Wendy from Caribousmom. Wendy has good taste in books, and so I knew I could trust her not to steer me wrong. Although she hadn’t read The Brightest Century of the Moon at the time I agreed to read and review the book, she had read some of the author’s other work and knew he was a gifted writer.
The Brightest Moon of the Century is Meeks’s first full-length novel. If it is a sign of what he has already written and what is to come, Christopher Meeks is well on his way to becoming one of my favorite authors. In this particular novel, the reader is introduced to Edward Meopian. The story spans a good portion of his life, beginning when he is 14 years old and coming to a close when he reaches his mid-40’s, from 1968 to 1999.
This is a difficult book to summarize without giving too much away, but I will give it a try. Edward lost his mother when he was a young boy and is raised by a father struggling to do the best he can under the circumstances. They live in Minnesota where his father works as an encyclopedia salesman. Edward is not too happy when his well-meaning father forces him to attend a private school during his teen years. During the glimpse into his life we are presented, Edward gains a stepmother and stepbrother, heads off to college in Denver, Colorado and makes his way in the world in Los Angeles and later in Alabama. He finds love as well as heartbreak. His life is full of ups and downs as he discovers just who he is, and as he sets off on the path he has chosen for himself. That path does not always go in the direction he anticipated, sometimes taking unexpected detours; and yet it is exactly that which makes Edward’s story all the more real and interesting.
The Brightest Moon of the Century is full of funny moments as well as sentimental ones. I laughed out loud on occasion and got teary eyed in others. While I enjoyed every word in this book, my favorite section has to be Edward’s stay in Alabama where he and his college friend Sagebrush own and run a mini mart in a trailer park. The two couldn’t be more different from one another, one being more interested in playing while the other strives to be responsible. The two men compliment each other, balancing each other out. Small town Alabama was such a contrast from the life Edward had been living in Los Angeles. He grows quite a bit while in the South.
I enjoyed reading about Edward’s experiences in graduate school. as well. The rather demanding Professor Neff reminded me of one of my former college professors, albeit in an entirely different field of study. And I loved the moments when Edward struggles to understand girls and women early on in the book. The final section of the book also left quite an impression on me, taking a more serious turn. As quirky and funny as the book could be at times, there was also a seriousness about it. Life is not always easy. It certainly wasn’t all that easy for Edward.
As Edward’s story unfolds, the author effectively captures the essence of where Edward is in the moment at each point in his life, both mentally and developmentally. As a result, I grew up right along side Edward. I felt his teenage angst, his optimism about the future, his frustrations and disappointments, his hope and the shifting of his dreams. I experienced first hand his transition from boy to man and as he came into his own. The transition was very subtle, as it is in real life. Life events building on one another and the people that come in and out of our lives are a part of what makes us who we are, shaping the direction our lives take. We play it safe; we take risks. It is no different for Edward.
Edward himself is a bit naive in some ways. It’s that innocence which makes him easy to relate to initially. He is insecure and yet there is also a confidence about him that balances his character out. He does not realize just how smart and capable he truly is. Edward is a romantic at heart, and, like many, he longs for love, hopes for it and searches it out. He wasn’t the cool kid in school nor do the beautiful women flock to his side (although I’m sure he wished they would). He is down to earth; someone who is easy to identify with. He is someone I wouldn’t mind having as a friend.
The other characters in the book are just as memorable. My favorite perhaps is Beatrice, Edward’s stepmother. She seems to take everything in stride and is supportive of both Edward and Edward’s father. Len, the handyman, is another favorite. Like all of the characters in the book, he is flawed, but it is his good intentions and heart that stand out. Many of the characters brought something to the story all their own and made me long to know more about them.
What I got most out of this wonderful novel is a sense of hope. Life is full of bumps in the road, and those bumps make us stronger, helping us to become who we are and who we will eventually be. It’s important not to forget to watch that sunset once in awhile.
This world could be heaven on earth if only people let it, Edward realized. Every sunset could show you. Take it. [pg 224]
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You can learn more about Christopher Meeks and his books at the author’s website.
The Brightest Moon of the Century (Caribousmom)
Near mid-century when Edward was born, the full moon was years from being the brightest. That would happen - in terms of luminosity and size - in the last month of the century. As a child growing up, however, Edward found much splendor and mystery in the moon. It kept changing and following him around, a rock with its own rhythms, much like girls, and he knew he was years away from understanding girls. - from The Brightest Moon of the Century -
Christopher Meeks has transitioned from short stories to his first novel - and the result is a book which draws the reader in with humor, empathy, and a gentle understanding of what it means to live our lives with a sense of wonder.
The Brightest Moon of the Century is organized into nine distinctive chapters which allows the reader to experience the life of Edward Meopian from the age of 14 through his 45th year. Edward is a bit of a nerd and socially naive, a character who consistently made me feel for his struggles and celebrate his triumphs. As a young boy, he loses his mother to a tragic accident and it is perhaps this one event which shapes the man he ultimately becomes. Forced to attend a private boy’s school by his father (who is seeking his own happiness while struggling in his role as single parent), Edward must confront bullies and figure out his place in the world. Edward’s teenage challenges and search for love in the first two chapters reveal Meeks’ finally honed sense of humor and understanding of what it means to be young.
Guys would never talk about, say, what brand of acne medicine they were using, or what great pants another guy was wearing, or wow, good color for a golf shirt. Didn’t girls want to know how far someone got on a date? Or did they talk about how their boyfriends got boners and they happily let them suffer? The more suffering, the better a girl you were? If so, Annie was a fantastic girl. - from The Brightest Moon of the Century -
Edward moves from his childhood home in Minnesota to college in Colorado, later makes his way to Los Angeles (where he tries to follow his dream of becoming a movie director), and finally ends up in rural Alabama managing a mini-mart in a trailer park (my favorite part of the book). It is through these years of his life that Edward struggles with self-discovery, faith, and fate.
“Failure seems to follow me around,” said Edward.
“You’re no failure, son,” said the officer, and Edward turned to face him. “This is God,” said the man. “Or the disorder of life, if you like. This is what we all have to live with.” - from The Brightest Moon of the Century -
In the final chapters, the reader watches Edward grow into middle-age and discover that often the joys of life are balanced with pain. Edward is revealed as a man who empathizes deeply with others and never loses his hope and optimism despite tragedy.
And this is what I love about Meeks’ writing ability - he gives us characters who are very human and who face many obstacles in life, and then he infuses their stories with hope. As in his previous short story collections (reviewed here and here), I found myself caring deeply about the characters in The Brightest Moon of the Century. Meeks writes with a wry humor as he shows Edward tripping and stumbling through the world with a refreshing openness to what life has to offer.
He was simply going to be open to the moment, like a sunflower or the Hari Krishna guy at the airport. - from The Brightest Moon of the Century -
Christopher Meeks’ work is joyful, funny and sensitive. The Brightest Moon of the Century is a satisfying read and one which made me hope that Meeks will continue to write novels.
Visit the Author’s Website where you can find many reviews of all of Christopher Meeks’ work.