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Book Review: Empty Corridors: Learning to Fail

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

Title: Empty Corridors: Learning to Fail

Author: Paul Douglas Lovell

Publication Date: March 18, 2021

Genre: LGBTQ+ Memoir

Cover:

The cover of Empty Corridors is quite clever. Words and phrases like “nonconforming,” “rebellious,” and “marching to the beat of one’s own drum” immediately popped into my mind. Lovell uses a similar cover theme with his other books, which provides a sense of continuity.

Premise

Set in the 1980s, the reader is given a glimpse into the life of Paul Lovell as a young man completing secondary school in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. His family’s reputation ensures that others label him as the problem child, and he does his best to live up to this expectation. Consequently, he spends an enormous amount of time in the hallways of his school or what he calls the empty corridors. As Lovell struggles with poverty and learning difficulties, he also hides a secret.

Why I chose this book:

Author Paul Douglas Lovell requested this review. After having a genuine and highly transparent conversation via email with Paul, my gut told me that his book would be an ideal fit for the theme of my March blog. A single line caught my eye while looking at his book on Amazon, “Though they often have no voice, a problematic child will more than likely have a tale to tell.” Over the years, I’ve worked professionally with many of these “problematic children,” and in one line, Lovell perfectly captured their struggle of having no voice. As a speech-language pathologist, I find this to be heartbreaking and unacceptable. It was at that moment that I knew I would read Empty Corridors.

First Impression:

The book opens with, “Paul isn’t the easiest boy to like.” What follows is a surprisingly honest account of Paul’s personality and early life. The reader is quickly introduced to Paul’s family dynamics, and I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to the TV show “Shameless,” which happens to be one of my favorites.

What I loved:

One of Lovell’s strengths as a writer lies in capturing people’s energy. It’s not just that he sheds light on their personalities or describes their physical appearances. He captures the energy that each person puts into the world around them. I knew what it would feel like to stand in the same room as his father yelled or sit in a classroom with certain teachers who disliked him. And I think this extends to accurately capturing his own energy. Paul frequently came across as the carefree class clown willing to do anything for a laugh; however, the reader sees time and time again how Paul hides his insecurities and weaknesses behind this image.

In addition to being an enjoyable, nostalgic read, especially for those of us born in the 70s 80s, I think Empty Corridors serves at least two important purposes. First, combined with Lovell’s other two books, it offers hope to people struggling with similar issues. Lovell left secondary school barely able to read and write, yet he is now an author with three books. I’m sure a few of his former teachers would be shocked to know this! Second, it highlights the struggles that children and young adults still face each day worldwide. Poverty. Abuse. Hunger. Learning difficulties. Bullying. Understanding their sexuality. This story took place nearly forty years ago, but the issues remain the same.

Additional Thoughts:

I wrestle with biographies and memoirs because I’m not always compelled to read the details of another person’s life. In fact, if I’m being honest, I will almost always choose fiction. I suspect that many people choose to read a biography or memoir because the author is famous or has an outstanding accomplishment or experience to share. In Lovell’s case, I was drawn to his story simply because of his ability to present himself honestly, holding nothing back from his audience. He has a realness that is admirable as he presents his authentic self, nothing more and nothing less.

Quotable Quotes:

• Paul’s confidence is a fickle thing that surges in peaks and troughs like ocean waves. (Page 9)
• The entire class is misbehaving, and his sense of achievement at creating fun for all is gratifying. (Page 54)
• Paul prefers to act like an idiot rather than prove he is one. (Page 64)
• Someone neglected to explain to him that gratitude is an action as well as an emotion. (Page 110)
• Paul could probably do with salvation, although some would proclaim it’s faith and religions that are in need of redemption. (Page 236)

Who might enjoy this book:

Empty Corridors is ideal for readers who enjoy memoirs that offer a raw peek inside the life of a young man struggling with poverty, learning difficulties, and even understanding his sexuality.

Overall Impression:

Five stars. Empty Corridors is impactful because Paul is not just a character created to fill a role in a story. He is a living, breathing person who has laid his soul bare for the world to see. He shares everything…the good, the bad, and the ugly. At times, I found myself laughing and then wanting to cry for the pain he endured. I silently cheered him on when he experienced success, and then my heart broke when he suffered failure and humiliation. I look forward to reading Lovell’s two other books, Playing Out: Swings and Roundabouts and Paulyanna: International Rent Boy, as I think they will offer more insight into his childhood years and his young adulthood. Lovell has proven that our pasts do not define who we will become in the future, and I thank him for it!

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