My favorite Novelist comes from The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. His last name is not Emerson, Poe or Melville. He brings his own particular brand of writing style to the literary world and is refreshingly unique. Aaron Charpentier was born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 2009, his Memoir Novella titled “Memoirs Of Love And Other Short Stories” was published in its first edition.
I had previously never read a recently published Novella before his and promptly ordered his book. Once it arrived, I found it very difficult to put it down. I would later refer to it as “a page turner.” I quickly realized that Charpentier writes descriptively. This was the first of many positive impressions that I would receive as I read his book.
He writes about the people, places and things that had impressed him and helped to shape his life. The reader can almost see the brilliant colors of leaves that decorate a New England autumn, hear the kind words of a loving Grandfather or the laughter of children at play. One may have been standing beside Charpentier at a museum in New Bedford, learning a new trade or sitting next to him on a plane as he traveled to foreign lands. Death and life experiences that had caused him a great deal of emotional pain were addressed openly and honestly. Charpentier shares intimately with his readers how he coped with the darker side of life and survived. He utilizes his past as a springboard for new experiences. His Novella maintains a positive outlook on life in a rather innocuous way. It also had its share of humorous moments, too. This lovely Novella grabbed me by the heart and refused to let go even after I had read the final page.
There is yet another reason why Charpentier is a personal favorite of mine. He gives his insights about love to his readers. The most unique quality about his writing is in his ability to write about romance from a man’s perspective. I certainly had never read a book by a male Novelist that aptly described the grief process that often occurs when a relationship ends. Charpentier explains the range of emotions that is often felt through a broken heart as descriptively as he had written about autumn in New England. He tells his readers when he is happy with his love interest, what attracted him to her and sadly, when he knew that their relationship had ran its course. I admired his courage in doing so and vicariously felt his pain.
Aaron Charpentier is a fan of Edgar Alan Poe, Emily Dickinson and Marcel Proust. He currently resides in China where he teaches and lectures at a University. His Novella is fully capable of captivating younger and older readers alike. He hints at writing a second book which I certainly hope is forthcoming. He will remain a personal favorite of mine due to his ability to connect with other people through his writing and understanding of life.
Work Cited
Charpentier , Aaron. Memoirs Of Love And Other Short Stories. 1st. Authorhouse , 2009. Print.