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This novella is very good, but definitely not kid appropriate.   It flows nicely and there is enough detail so you can imagine the characters.  I especially like the twist at the end.

From: Amelia | Created on: 4/1/2012 10:44:42 PM

That's the best way to describe this. Ordinary things take on great meaning when viewed through a special lens. We question things assuming everything that affects us is *about* is, and then we find it isn't, and that's what Roger finds, and that's what changes him.

This almost has the autumnal light of a Russian short story, there's something about it that lingers. It's sad, but happy. Unless you have a heart of stone you'll cry, but you'll be glad you did. And you'll learn, as Roger and Violet both do, that life sometimes makes big plans and it's not about you. And yet...it is, too.

From: Maureen Owen | Created on: 6/29/2011 1:53:35 AM

I thought this novella rather well-written than otherwise, although the style was a little bland and conventional. There were a few grammatical errors, but there always are those. :) I couldn't tell where it was going, and I felt that the author was trying to tap into the deeper places of the soul to which every person can relate; but I felt that he didn't quite achieve this. The end of the story was shocking, and certainly made the whole thing: if it weren't the unusual and yet somehow natural way in which Violet and Roger dealt with the tragic situation, I should have passed this novella off as boring. Then again, maybe that was the point: life sometimes is boring, in a sense, and then Death awakens one to how beautiful boring can be.

From: Rachel Devin | Created on: 6/26/2011 10:49:11 AM

Violet Rothko is an amazingly well crafted novella. The characters are fully developed; situations and dialogue are both believable and natural sounding. There were moments in the book I was transported directly into the story. As a coffee lover, I have spent many days doing what is depicted in the story.

There are minor errors in punctuation and an occasional misplaced word. Once those are corrected, this could very well be a perfect story.  This book would be a welcome addition to my bookcase at home.

From: christopher padgett | Created on: 2/4/2011 1:12:03 AM

This is a great, great novella. Mr. Grabowski is very literate--which, surprisingly enough, can be hard to come by. There is so much character development, especially concerning Violet (hence, the title). The descriptions of the first date are very real--great conversation lapsing into awkward silence and vice versa.

The beginning is very slow, but after the initial slowness the reader is quickly reeled in. Just who is this Violet Rothko--and who is this Roger? Why doesn't he show up? Great suspense!

However, I do feel that there was a little too much telling, not enough showing. The reader is not really allowed to explore the most obvious facets of Violet's personality--the reader is told this, which I feel takes away slightly from the pleasure of reading. Violet is such a strong character, in fact, that a lot of the "telling" is unnecessary.

Great story. The twist at the end was totally unexpected and was totally...fitting. I'd say more but I'd risk ruining this absolutely awesome story. :)

From: Katie Rayne | Created on: 1/26/2011 12:37:17 PM

reminded me of something professionally-published, both in design and execution. why can't more stuff here be like this--the fonts were nice & didn't hurt your eyes, and the cover art is awesome! great story that kept me turning pages [virtually-speaking] up till the very end, and then it floored me!!  kudos to mr. john grabowski. now reading his novel entertaining welsey shaw & it's great too.

From: Carmen Barone | Created on: 12/31/2010 3:14:46 AM

This was a real surprise. Surprise because it started off unassumingly but ended with a bang. It may start off a bit slow for today's MTV tastes but the descriptions ring true and it's a novella about tone and atmosphere and perception as much as plot--a work for those who love WORDS, in other words. The writer has chops and apparently is in the process of finishing his first real book up, chapters of which are also being posted here. I am downloading and reading them right now and wanting more.

From: Emilio Sancha | Created on: 12/26/2010 5:45:23 PM

In John Grabowski’s novella, Violet Rothko, Roger, one of the two principal characters pleads,
“I just want to know why you won’t talk to me again. Even if you want to have nothing more to do with me, and that’s fine, I would like to not make whatever mistake I made again in the future.”

As with most men that we women dump, he cannot stop asking what he had done wrong. We women know that one does not have to do anything wrong to be dumped. But Roger is even resigned to the fact that the woman was right to desert him due to the way he had behaved, “as though their relationship beyond the date were a sure thing”.  

As with most men, he is a paste and could even qualify as a stalker. But Roger could not relent.

Grabowski keeps the reader in suspense, first telling the story of Violet, one of the two protagonists, and then that of Roger, the other, making us wonder if the story came from two short stories.

It is not funny that unemployed guys put on an appearance of being employed. It is sad how their tips eventually fall off and how they eventually get resigned to unemployment and even start dressing casually. They stop going to the café altogether. Relieved that at least she has some job, Violet, who not only feels even a little privileged but who also, eventually, becomes very happy to get a dream position in the company, immediately dumps the guy who had seen beyond her coffee shop apron.

Grabowski preys on the reader’s curiousity and on his ability to keep the reader in the dark and, in the process, shames the reader who gains an understanding into their own judgemental attitude and into their rush to draw conclusions. It is Roger’s persistence that finally allows us to see that it is at the height of her newfound bit of happiness that she is summoned to her fate.

With very minor modification, this book would make good reading for school youth in any country, as it would give adults an opportunity to discussion, among others, the youth’s own actions when they are desperate for love and the virtue of not rushing to judge others.

Immaculate Tumwine
Author of American Jungleman

From: Immaculate Tumwine | Created on: 12/26/2010 4:48:34 PM

I got this and read through the first chapter, I thought that it had a slow start... but once it gets into the other character's side of the story. It really begins to explain some things.
The ending is such a shame for Violet... I think they would have made a good couple.

From: kyle james | Created on: 12/10/2010 3:15:18 AM

The ending really surprised me.  And made me cry.  The characters take a while to develop but you get to know them like your real friends, and they feel very real by the end.  You'll have a lot invested in this story by the last page.

From: Dana Hatch | Created on: 10/9/2010 8:58:28 PM