The title doesn't say it all

By Daniel Suddes

Books such as Paul Murray’s 'Skippy Dies' increasingly feel like the exception rather than the norm. Here is an intelligent book about teenage life that rewards its readers. Naturally, it has not made as big of an impact as it should. I can only hope that changes. This is one of the best novels I have read in quite some time, a novel that combines the best elements of J.D. Salinger and Thomas Pynchon yet manages to be universal in its themes. That alone shows some hope for literature. In a world that has been saturated by the "Twiligh" saga, "Skippy Dies" represents some hope for the future of literature.

"Skippy Dies" does not have a plot in a conventional sense — rather, it has a framing device. Each of the characters have their own stories, but are all connected to Skippy and the events that led to his suicide at a donut eating contest (spoilers be damned, it’s the title of the work). The novel takes place in the fictional Seabrook College, an Irish boarding school, where the titular character, 14-year-old Daniel “Skippy” Juster (whose nickname is derived from a kangaroo on a children’s TV series) resides. He has several friends, including his science whiz roommate, Ruprecht, who dreams of discovering parallel dimensions, and Mario, a sex-obsessed youth who carries around a lucky condom. Skippy falls in love with a girl named Lori after seeing her at a Halloween dance. However, he suspects that Lori is secretly seeing the school bully and drug dealer, Carl, and this suspicion leads to disastrous consequences for all the characters.

The most striking thing about the paperback version of the novel is how it is divided. The novel is in three parts, and each part is packaged as its own separate novel. This makes the contrast between the various parts incredibly pronounced. The third part, which deals with the aftermath of Skippy’s death, contrasts mightily to the first part, which deals with teenage angst. While the presentation may appear gimmicky, it actually does help emphasize the passage of time and the changes in the characters.

Unlike other works of meta-fiction, which depend far too much on their gimmick, the ploy actually works.



This is one of the few books published recently about youth that seems to actually understand the tribulations of youth. It is not condescending (as "Twilight" seems to be), but sympathetic. Lori’s chapter discussing a blowjob she gave and her pregnancy scare is exquisitely written. For example, Lori describes the invading sperm as an army that is invading her body. This sort of simple analogy works in the minds of teenagers who are still confused about what their bodies can do. The scenes with the schoolteachers are also well done, particularly that of Howard Fallon, a depressed history teacher who has become infatuated with a substitute teacher. Each of these characters literally leaps off of the page, burrowing into a reader’s consciousness. That alone makes it a great book.

But Murray wants to push the boundaries of what is typically found in such novels. That is why, immediately after a discussion of drug abuse and sexual frustrations, characters talk about the multiverse theory and even try to set up bizarre experiments. These moments still feel as organic as the moments of teens selling drugs. It is very rare for a single novel to achieve such a wide variety of teen life — from kids who do discuss such scientific matters to the school bullies who make the long lasting emotional impact that real bullies make.

"Skippy Dies" is only Murray’s second novel, but he has already demonstrated a considerable talent that some authors never seem to possess throughout their entire careers. Murray has demonstrated himself to be highly creative, very erudite and knowledgeable of human nature. It will be exciting to see what Murray will create next.