The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green
The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green
Joshua Braff
John Green
Great coming of age novel. - John Green
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The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green

The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green

Joshua Braff
By
Joshua Braff
3.5
2258
ratings on Goodreads

In the sprawling suburbs of 1970s New Jersey, Jacob Green finds himself ensnared in the tumultuous web of his family life, dominated by the towering, tyrannical figure of his father, Abram. "The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green" is a poignant exploration of a young boy's struggle to find his identity amidst the chaos of his upbringing. Jacob's journey is one of humor and heartbreak, a delicate dance along the fine line between the love he has for his family and the desire to break free from the chains of their expectations. Joshua Braff crafts a world so vivid and real, it resonates with the echo of our own childhood dreams and demons. Braff navigates the complexities of faith, family, and freedom with a deft hand, painting a portrait of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood, where every decision feels like an insurmountable challenge. Jacob's internal battle, his 'unthinkable thoughts', are laid bare in a narrative that is as brutally honest as it is beautifully tender. Through the eyes of Jacob Green, we are invited to revisit our own moments of rebellion and realization, making "The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green" not just a story, but a journey through the fragile, fleeting moments that define us.

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Released
2004
1 Jan
Length
259
Pages

1

recommendations

recommendation

Great coming of age novel. - John Green
Know that...there's plenty of food and of course popcorn on the dining-room table. Just...help yourself. If that runs out just let me know. Don't panic. And there's coffee, both caff and decaf, and soft drinks and juice in the kitchen, and plenty of ice in the freezer so...let me know if you have any questions with that.' And lastly, since I have you all here in one place, I have something to share with you. Along the garden ways just now...I too heard the flowers speak. They told me that our family garden has all but turned to sand. I want you to know I've watered and nurtured this square of earth for nearly twenty years, and waited on my knees each spring for these gentle bulbs to rise, reborn. Butwantdoes not bring such breath to life. Only love does. The plain, old-fashioned kind. In our family garden my husband is of the genusNarcissus, which includes daffodils and jonquils and a host of other ornamental flowers. There is, in such a genus of man, a pervasive and well-known pattern of grandiosity and egocentrism that feeds off this very kind of evening, this type of glitzy generosity. People of this ilk are very exciting to be around. I have never met anyone with as many friends as my husband. He made two last night at Carvel. I'm not kidding. Where are you two? Hi. Hi, again. Welcome. My husband is a good man, isn't he? He is. But in keeping with his genus, he is also absurdly preoccupied with his own importance, and in staying loyal to this, he can be boastful and unkind and condescending and has an insatiable hunger to be seen as infallible. Underlying all of the constant campaigning needed to uphold this position is a profound vulnerability that lies at the very core of his psyche. Such is the narcissist who must mask his fears of inadequacy by ensuring that he is perceived to be a unique and brilliant stone. In his offspring he finds the grave limits he cannot admit in himself. And he will stop at nothing to make certain that his child continually tries to correct these flaws. In actuality, the child may be exceedingly intelligent, but has so fully developed feelings of ineptitude that he is incapable of believing in his own possibilities. The child's innate sense of self is in great jeopardy when this level of false labeling is accepted. In the end the narcissist must compensate for this core vulnerability he carries and as a result an overestimation of his own importance arises. So it feeds itself, cyclically. And, when in the course of life they realize that their views are not shared or thier expectations are not met, the most common reaction is to become enraged. The rage covers the fear associated with the vulnerable self, but it is nearly impossible for others to see this, and as a result, the very recognition they so crave is most often out of reach. It's been eighteen years that I've lived in service to this mindset. And it's been devastating for me to realize that my efforts to rise to these standards and demands and preposterous requests for perfection have ultimately done nothing but disappoint my husband. Put a person like this with four developing children and you're gonna need more than love poems and ice sculpture to stay afloat. Trust me. So. So, we're done here.
— Joshua Braff, The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green

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