Nirvana

Nirvana
Kevin Marley
Lulu Press
ISBN: 1-4116-2219-7
Non-Fiction, Memoir, Spirituality
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

Nirvana is the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of Ray Sawol. This book takes the reader into the life and the mind of Ray from the time of his conception through his childhood and adulthood to his death. During his lifetime, Ray works through the normal trials and triumphs of daily life: how to relate to others, how to pay the bills, how to find someone to love, how to raise a family, and generally how to follow the rules set out by our society. However, Ray also struggles with questions of who he is, what is his life purpose, and how does he connect with God and the world around him.
Nirvana masterfully illustrates the rollercoaster ride that we all call life. A piece of Ray is in all of us. Thus, the reader will immediately feel a profound connection to Ray. Using this strong character connection, this book brings to the surface all deep feelings of frustration, hope, failure, love, disconnection, and connection in the reader. Moreover, the author successful uses a number of very unique and creative literary devices such as the use of poetry-like pieces, newspaper headlines, and irregularly spaced texts mixed with regular text to subtly accentuate different moods and feelings in the story further drawing the reader into the depths of this book.