Book review
Published in 1949, Death Be Not Proud is written from the perspective of a father writing about his son who died before his life could truly begin.
The book is a quick read, but it’s poignant and heartbreaking nonetheless. Johnny Gunther, full of life and interested in science, is excited about finishing school and applying to Harvard when at sixteen it is discovered that he has a brain tumor about the size of an orange. Having the tumor removed, doctors think that the problem is solved and Johnny begins the long process of recovery. However, upon further examination, it is discovered that the tumor will aggressively return given time. Fifteen months after his diagnosis Johnny Gunther died; he was only seventeen.
I won’t compare the Gunther family’s experience with that of Anne Frank’s story, but I remember reading her diary as a kid, knowing that she wasn’t going to survive and that subconsciously slowed down my reading of the book. Did knowing before I even began the book prepare me for the heartbreak of her death? No. I felt the same way reading this book. Heartbreaking, but beautiful, the book was so simple and that is what made it so moving.
The description Gunther gave of his son simply slipping away moved me to tears along with the outpouring of letters and condolences that friends, colleagues, and teachers sent to the family. I know that when someone dies it is easy to put that person up on a pedestal, even if he or she was a complete jerk. Although I am a huge cynic when it comes down to singing such praises, I never felt as if Gunther was only trying to paint a pretty picture of his son. While subjective, he did write objectively in many instances.
Gunther never romanticized the death of his son, but captured so perfectly the emotions of two parents who would easily give up their own lives in order for their son to have his. Knowing that your child is dying and not a damn thing can be done about it is enough to make anyone lose it, but there is a particular grace to handling grief that not everyone, fortunately, will ever get the chance to experience.
The book also contained diary entries from Johnny. Once again reminded of Frank, I wanted to not get so attached to the young man and his world of wonder. Gunther’s words became more tragic when he painted for the reader a picture of a teenager who corresponded with Albert Einstein once, gave his father advice about particular articles he was writing, and someone who upon realizing that his body was ultimately working against him ranted desperately to his mother that he needed more time.
It is often said that one of the greatest tragedies is that of losing a child. I can’t pretend to know or even understand that pain, but I do understand the dignity that sometimes comes from both dying and moving on. At the end of the day I believe John Gunther wanted to write a memoir his son would be proud of, and I believe he indeed did that.
- Goodreads rating – 3.84
- SUMMARY – Kelly