From: Vivian <vgreblo>
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 11:31:30 -0500

All the postings on Smack motivated me to read the book last weekend. I've enjoyed all the comments. Unfortunately I didn't have the foresight to save them for further reflection. I will comment on the last couple of postings regarding "positive" role models.

I don't think the book was completely devoid of positive role models. Had there been a "near perfect" adult in this book we would have seen right through it and so would the young adults reading "Smack". I didn't quite understand the role of Vonny and Richard. If memory serves me right, V & R were around 19 or 20 at the opening of the story. (Near the end, Vonny comments about Gemma being 18 and she being 24.) I didn't understand why V & R were interested in G & T. They were both were 14 and too young to receive dole money. I was half expecting V & R to be the ones to get G & T hooked on heroin and get them involved in prostitution and drug dealing. While V & R are far from ideal role models for Gemma and Tar, V & R do "grow up" and move on with their lives. I think their "positive" influence is demonstrated in their approachability later when both Gemma and Tar seek help.

For me,"Smack" was an interesting look at an adolescent experience was far removed from my own. Both sets of parents had their problems, although Tar's family was, how shall I put it, a couple of standard deviations from the mean. It was no surprise that Gemma's parents were willing to help their daughter put her life back together. I found her to be a self?sorbed individual, not unlike a lot of teenagers. I think most teenagers find their parents unreasonable, restrictive and out of touch with the younger generation.(Based on my own experience.) It only when you become an adult
(and later a parent) that we see the "good" of our parents.

Because of his family background, I had a lot sympathy for Tar through much of the book but by the end I was getting tired of the the "victim" role. I guess I can't relate/have a low tolerance for addictive and abusive behavior. I wanted him to beat heroin but I don't think Tar has it in him. I agree with Karen Veith's comment that Burgess allowed the reader some room for speculation about the future of his characters. I, for one, felt that Tar would spiral down again. I'm not so sure that Gemma will stay clean either. And what about Lily and the rest?

Just a quick comment on the usage of time... I felt that Burgess spent too much time building this story up. I was getting a little bored. It's not until around p. 150 that we see heroin used. We're half way into the book. Then the book speeds forward a couple of years. I would have liked more on the "meat" of the story -- the addictive life and the struggle to leave it.

  As a final comment -- Has anyone in the reading audience seen the movie,
"Trainspotting"? I'm surprised that no one has mentioned it sooner. It's set in dismal squats of Edinburgh, Scotland. It's about heroin addiction among several men in their early 20s. I guess you could call it a "black-comedy". I found myself laughing nervously but feeling that I really shouldn't be laughing at such a serious matter. It's a disturbing movie if anyone is interested in being more disturb by heroin addiction.

Vivian Greblo Elementary Education UW-Madison
Received on Thu 18 Jun 1998 11:31:30 AM CDT