What do You think about The Temple Of Gold (2001)?
(view spoiler)[The title is a reference to the ending of Gunga Din, a poem by Rudyard Kipling, and a film starring Cary Grant, in which, as I understand it, avarice leads to the downfall of the main protagonist, while, in order to do his duty and raise the alarm, a companion heroically signs his own death warrant.Golding is a very good writer. This book reads sort of like a modern version of a coming-of-age book written by, I want to say Fitzgerald, though I'm not quite sure why. The protagonist is a stunningly handsome young man, clever, who has intellectual talent but lacks ambition and coasts through a series of love affairs and misadventures including stints in college and the army. The book kind of answers the question of how you could meet a handsome clever young man and think he had all the world in front of him, and have no idea that he had already been through a lifetime of experiences. Or should we understand from the temple of gold reference that the protagonist is not long for this world, like Hemingway's A Clean Well Lighted Place? (hide spoiler)]
—Geoff
Maybe the best novel of its kind that I've read. A coming of age story with all the trappings you'd expect (sex, drinking, episodic storytelling, humor and tragedy) and a heavy dose of excellent writing and character work. William Goldman does the majority if his character development through dialogue, which makes sense given his later Oscar. Even minor characters that only stick around for a scene or so get the full benefit of his spectacular words. It really scares anybody with thoughts of becoming a winter that he sprung fully formed from the void. And maybe it's even more inspiring than scary.
—Alex
Goldman, W. (2001). The temple of gold. New York City, New York: Ballantine Books.The Temple of Gold is an incredible coming of age story about a young man named Ray Trevitt. This novel captures the angst and dilemmas people often face when growing up and is quite similar to the classic novel, The Cather and the Rye. Ray is a young man growing up in the 1950's and goes through many tragic, but life changing experiences. Ray gets drunk and kills his best friend by accident as he drives home drunk. The experience scars Ray and causes him to enlist in the army so he doesn't have to deal with his family and his best friend’s family. Ray ends up being dismissed from the army after injuring his leg in a grenade explosion. He then decides to go to school and get married. Ray does not succeed in these endeavors, but he is determined to keep going. The novel ends with Ray having hope that he can face his future head on and because he is finally ready to accept responsibility for what he has done in the past. This book is about the journey of discovery we all go through, and will continue to go through as we live and learn in our lives.This book should definitely be used in the classroom because it addresses many important subjects like jealousy, identity, hope, and responsibility. The Temple of Gold is a great way for students to understand their own stages of growth as they journey closer to adulthood. The book will captivate students' and help them to feel understood and connected by realizing that Ray represents the progression to adulthood that all teenagers and young adults go through. Students will likely feel very connected to the narrator because they will go through or have gone through experiences that are very similar in nature to Ray's as they grow up to become adults. The Temple of Gold is an excellent addition to any classroom library. (Sean and Stephanie)
—Sean Noga
