I've read A Stone for Danny Fisher several times over decades. When I was a kid growing up in Danny's Brooklyn I enjoyed the references to places and things and people I knew. I also enjoyed the sexy parts, though they were done more by inference and euphemism than the explicit language we're used to today. Still, any adult and most teenagers knew what was being described.The book is narrated by Danny himself from beyond the grave, as it opens with his family gathered at his gravesite, and so there is no doubt as to his end, only how he got there. The stone in the title refers to the Jewish practice of placing a common stone atop the grave of someone departed, as a sort of way of registering that you have been there, and a sort of remembrance. Thus the stone of the title is the remembrance of Danny's life.The book affected me greatly as a kid, because the happiness of Danny's childhood from the time his family moves into their new house in a new subdivision in East Flatbush when Danny was 8 to the time when his family lost the house and they moved to the Lower East Side at the age of 15 has always stuck with me as warning of how suddenly a happy and stable life can be shredded into despair.Danny's beloved dog dies as soon as his family moves and his childhood dies along with it. From that point, Danny finds hate and love, and kindness and meanness. Plenty of meanness. He finds himself torn between loyalty and betrayal, his own and others, throughout the rest of the novel.The characters are well drawn and vivid. Danny spends his short adult life dreaming of returning to the little Brooklyn house where he knew happiness, and he does. Almost. That quest, and its consequences, brings the novel very close to the "tragedy of a common man" that Miller attempted in "Death of a Salesman." I think Robbins was more successful.I picked this up recently for the first time in several years because I wanted to re-read a particular section. I didn't want to re-read the whole thing, since it is, at heart, a disturbing and depressing story; but the story grabbed me again and compelled me to read it to the very end, rather like a violent event that you don't want to see, but you cannot look away. At the end, there were tears in my eyes. Once again.
I absolutely loved this book. I must confess that the main reason I read this book was because of one of Elvis Presley's movies. Anyone who knows me knows that I am an Elvis fan and anything connected to Elvis must be delved into. The Elvis movie, King Creole, was loosely based on this book and the part of Danny Fisher (a boxer) was originally intended for James Dean, but due to Dean's untimely death, the movie was scrapped for a while until it was rewritten to fit Elvis (a singer). King Creole was also Elvis's favorite movie and the last movie he made before his 2 year stint in the army. Prior to reading this book, I didn't know anything about Harold Robbins except for the tie to King Creole and a small reference in an episode of the 70's British sitcom Fawlty Towers. Well, anyway, I digress, but this is how I came to read 'A Stone For Danny Fisher' and loved it. I could see the characters from the movie and could see the parallels but also could see how they changed things to make it work for the movie. The last sentence of the book absolutely blew me away and isn't this what life is all about (?), and I quote: “To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.”Loved it.
What do You think about A Stone For Danny Fisher (2007)?
If you have discounted Harrold Robbins books as frivolous think again. This is definitely not a light-hearted read. It is the story of Danny Fisher, born into poverty just before the depression hit in the 1930's. It follows his life as he becomes a boxer against his father's wishes, loves a catholic girl against his mother's and defies the gang who pay him to throw a fight - the winning of which will bring him fame and, in his hopes, the approval of his dad. It is a compelling, wonderful tale. I cried my eyes out at the end. Bearing in mind that I read this over 20 years ago and can still quote from it, it indicates the depth of the impression this story left me with.
—Claudine
This is definitely a book written in the 70's and the characterisation feels a little cliched but for all that I enjoyed it again for the 2nd time. I read this about 30 old years ago and was still able to remember certain elements of the story, which I think speaks to the quality of the narrative. It was somewhat predictable though so that may have assisted in the "remembering" process. The main character, Danny Fisher, always appears much older than he actually is. It is the relationship that he has with his father that drives that story. I re-read this after coming across the title in another novel where a character was reading it. It is a relevant piece of fiction for its time.
—Susan
I thought the initial part of the book was quite blah. There were too many stereotypes, and it seemed like a run-of-the-mill book. It was only after around half way point that the book picked up and got some depth. It's an interesting story line (almost Bollywood-ish, with a villain (Maxie) who has zero justification for being a villain. He's simply a bad guy and that's about it) and had enough to keep me going back to the book. But it was also a bit too dramatic.It showcases the life of a badly affected nuclear family during the Great Depression. I liked how it zoomed into the greater issue and showed it in a very relatable way. I particularly liked how the book ended, especially the lastest line, a quote by Thomas Campbell - "To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die."It was a good one time read, but nothing out of the ordinary.
—Swathi Chatrapathy
