Sleepers - (slang) a juvenile delinquent sentenced to serve more than 9 months or a spy/agent who remains undercover and passing through town.
I still don't get it why they used the term Sleeper, but I really don't care. I loved the book.
I picked this up in one of my more random bookstore visits. As far as I can remember I really had no specific reasons why I bought it. I didn't even realize that it was the exact book the 1996 film Sleepers was based on. Well, it was a vague memory. I remember back in high school, during the Brad Pitt matinee idol era, my best friend was raving about the film. I didn't get to watch it though and I still haven't watched it. It's kind of weird actually. Usually expose myself to really good films, but I think there were misses here and there. This is one of them cause I figured the movie was pretty awesome with Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and of course Brad Pitt. But the book was awesome.
There was no particular reason why I bought this book. All I know is that it was a random pick and I was hooked immediately on the premise. 4 boys in Hell's Kitchen find themselves convicted and sentenced to juvenile imprisonment, which changed their lives forever. Sleepers written by Lorenzo Carcaterra was a book about friendship, retribution and tragedy. Though in this case, I'm more interested on the tragic parts. What went on in the juvenile facility that was so bad interested me more. I figured that was the core of the story.
While reading the book, it transports you from the good times. The foundation of the neighborhood and the boy's friendship were greatly given weight. They've always been protected amidst the imperfections, but as a reader there were some anxiety attacks knowing that something would eventually slip. Then the break did occur and the juvenile imprisonment happens.
The juvenile facility experience was just so scary. I couldn't imagine a place like that existed or people even had the conscience to do disgusting things to kids. There were difficult times reading abuses being done on the characters the book built up so well. At first I wanted to know the more tragic parts, but actually reading through it just made me want to get to the revenge part fast.
The book, more than the successfully narrated harrowing parts, was successful in building up the lives of these four boys each with a definitive character who suffered and got justice the only way they knew how. There weren't saints definitely but they deserved imprisonment but not the abuse. It was a novel to narrate imperfect systems, dangerous neighborhood, dysfunctional households and tragic experiences, but it was also a story of hope, strong friendship, value of life and innocence.
This is not exactly a light novel. Some parts are quite difficult to digest, but no one should miss this. There's really a profound reason why it was a best seller in the first place. It's not a book with a light material. This demands a toughened heart.
I haven't watched the movie, and I don't think I would want to watch it ever. The book is more than enough for me.
I still don't get it why they used the term Sleeper, but I really don't care. I loved the book.
I picked this up in one of my more random bookstore visits. As far as I can remember I really had no specific reasons why I bought it. I didn't even realize that it was the exact book the 1996 film Sleepers was based on. Well, it was a vague memory. I remember back in high school, during the Brad Pitt matinee idol era, my best friend was raving about the film. I didn't get to watch it though and I still haven't watched it. It's kind of weird actually. Usually expose myself to really good films, but I think there were misses here and there. This is one of them cause I figured the movie was pretty awesome with Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and of course Brad Pitt. But the book was awesome.
There was no particular reason why I bought this book. All I know is that it was a random pick and I was hooked immediately on the premise. 4 boys in Hell's Kitchen find themselves convicted and sentenced to juvenile imprisonment, which changed their lives forever. Sleepers written by Lorenzo Carcaterra was a book about friendship, retribution and tragedy. Though in this case, I'm more interested on the tragic parts. What went on in the juvenile facility that was so bad interested me more. I figured that was the core of the story.
While reading the book, it transports you from the good times. The foundation of the neighborhood and the boy's friendship were greatly given weight. They've always been protected amidst the imperfections, but as a reader there were some anxiety attacks knowing that something would eventually slip. Then the break did occur and the juvenile imprisonment happens.
The juvenile facility experience was just so scary. I couldn't imagine a place like that existed or people even had the conscience to do disgusting things to kids. There were difficult times reading abuses being done on the characters the book built up so well. At first I wanted to know the more tragic parts, but actually reading through it just made me want to get to the revenge part fast.
The book, more than the successfully narrated harrowing parts, was successful in building up the lives of these four boys each with a definitive character who suffered and got justice the only way they knew how. There weren't saints definitely but they deserved imprisonment but not the abuse. It was a novel to narrate imperfect systems, dangerous neighborhood, dysfunctional households and tragic experiences, but it was also a story of hope, strong friendship, value of life and innocence.
This is not exactly a light novel. Some parts are quite difficult to digest, but no one should miss this. There's really a profound reason why it was a best seller in the first place. It's not a book with a light material. This demands a toughened heart.
I haven't watched the movie, and I don't think I would want to watch it ever. The book is more than enough for me.
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