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The Night of the Comet: A Novel Hardcover – July 30, 2013

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 91 ratings

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A KIRKUS REVIEWS "BEST BOOKS OF 2013"
 
NEW YORK POST "REQUIRED READING"
 
PEOPLE MAGAZINE STARRED REVIEW
 
From the acclaimed author of
Letter to My Daughter comes an engrossing coming-of-age tale that deftly conveys the hopes and heartaches of adolescence, and the unfulfilled dreams that divide a family, played out against the backdrop of a small southern town in 1973.
 
For his fourteenth birthday, Alan Broussard, Jr., receives a telescope from his father, a science teacher at the local high school who's anxiously awaiting what he promises will be the astronomical event of the century: the coming of Comet Kohoutek. For Alan Broussard, Sr.--frustrated in his job, remote from his family--the comet is a connection to his past and a bridge to his son, with whom he's eager to share his love for the stars.  
But the only heavenly body Junior has any interest in is his captivating new neighbor and classmate, Gabriella Martello, whose bedroom sits within eyeshot of his telescope's lens. Meanwhile, his mother Lydia sees the comet--and her husband's obsession with it--as one more thing that keeps her from the bigger, brighter life she once imagined for herself far from the swampy environs of Terrebonne, Louisiana. With Kohoutek drawing ever closer, the family begins to crumble under the weight of expectations, and a startling turn of events will leave both father and son much less certain about the laws that govern their universe.
 
Illuminating and unforgettable,
The Night of the Comet is a novel about the perils of growing up, the longing for connection, and the idea that love and redemption can be found among the stars.
 
Praise for George Bishop's Letter to My Daughter
 
"A first novel of immense power . . . George Bishop is a novelist to keep your eye on."--Pat Conroy, author of
South of Broad
 
"Gripping . . . [Bishop] somehow gets into a teenage girl's head and roams around there like a native. You believe in Laura; her voice never hits a false note."--
Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.)
 
"George Bishop writes
Letter to My Daughter with a keen eye, an open heart, and a lot of love. I am sure I will return to it again as a cautionary tale and a parable of forgiveness."--Adriana Trigiani, author of The Shoemaker's Wife
 
"Before you sit down to read this book, put aside a few hours or else you'll miss some appointments. You will be pulled into every paragraph."--Clyde Edgerton, author of
The Night Train
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the summer of 1973, the summer that Comet Kohoutek is due to arrive, 14-year-old Alan Broussard is head over heels in love with his classmate Gabriella, who may or may not return his affection. As for Alan’s science-teacher father and namesake, he is equally smitten . . . with the comet! It is virtually all he can talk about in his classroom and in the community. But no one—at first—takes the twitchy, nerdy teacher seriously. However, as the comet, which clearly is meant to be more than a comet, comes closer, he begins to rise in stature. Yet while comets and the human heart may promise hope and possibility, they are capricious things. Will both the teacher and his lovesick son be disappointed? Bishop has written a quiet, occasionally bittersweet novel about the differences between desire and disappointment, expectations and reality. Though the son’s story is predictable, the tender heart of the novel is the father’s, which is more original and, ultimately, more engaging. --Michael Cart

Review

"Bishop's stunningly crafted coming-of-age novel of yearning, devotion and choices will bring readers back to their own first love. The time period is captured brilliantly and the story is hauntingly realistic. As if the outstanding plot and lovingly developed characters weren't enough, the book is interspersed with enough fascinating nuggets about astronomy and sky watching that it wouldn't be surprising if it sparked a run on telescopes after its release."
--Shelf Awareness

"The Night of the Comet offers a snapshot of a moment in time and then fills in all the back story of the circumstances preceding it. A coming-of-age tale liberally dusted with starry trappings, the book perfectly captures the interminable feeling of high school--how the days drag and the future looms yet seems as if it will never come--as well as the heightened sense of drama that suffuse events at the time, as first loves and infatuations take on near-cosmic importance."
--The San Francisco City Book Review

"It's the summer of '73, and the Kohoutek comet is hurtling toward Earth. The media hypes doomsday, while in a dull Louisiana backwater an obsessed science teacher becomes unraveled by his passion for the approaching mass of ice and gas. Told through the eyes of his 14-year-old son, himself tortured by passion for a new girl in town, this lyrical family saga twinkles with bittersweet humanity. As the comet becomes a laughingstock, Bishop (
Letter to My Daughter) does a heavenly job telescoping the heady promise of youth tinged with the sorrow of lost dreams."--People

"The comet in question is Kohoutek, which for people coming of age in the 1970s caused some hoopla. In Bishop
ʼs funny and endearing follow-up to his novel "Letter to My Daughter," Alan Broussard Jr. gets a telescope for his 14th birthday from his amateur astronomer dad, a science teacher at the high school in their Louisiana bayou town. But Junior is less interested in Kohoutek than in lovely Gabriella Martello, whose family lives in a mansion within telescope view -- with a lifestyle that catches the attention of Juniorʼs mom."--New York Post Required Reading

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books; First Edition (July 30, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345516001
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345516008
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.34 x 1.05 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 91 ratings

About the author

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George Bishop Jr.
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George Bishop, Jr., worked as an actor for eight years in Los Angeles before traveling overseas as a volunteer English teacher to Czechoslovakia in 1992. He enjoyed the ex-pat life so much that he stayed on, living and teaching in Turkey, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, India, and most recently, Japan. He holds a BA from Loyola University in New Orleans, an MFA from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, and an MA from the School for International Training in Vermont.

His stories and essays have appeared in publications such as The Oxford American, The Third Coast, Press, American Writing, and Vorm (in Dutch). His first novel, Letter to My Daughter was published by Ballantine Books in 2010; his second, The Night of the Comet, came out in 2013, also with Ballantine.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
91 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story touching and well-written. They describe the book as an enjoyable, remarkable read with clear writing that is descriptive without being overly wordy. Readers appreciate the realistic characters and family dynamics.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

19 customers mention "Story quality"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the story touching and well-written. They describe it as a masterful way of gradually developing the story and tying threads together with a satisfying and uplifting ending. The plot keeps readers interested and the book is described as a well-recorded true story.

"Lovely story. Maybe a little too much astronomy for the average reader ( me ) but the humanity of the characters carries the story...." Read more

"...He really has a grasp for understanding and conveying the thoughts and emotions of each one of the characters portrayed here...." Read more

"...The Night of the Comet is a well-researched book that tells an interesting if familiar story of the travails of growing up and not understanding..." Read more

"...I found the tenderness with which he eventually viewed them to be very touching. I've recommended this to several friends already." Read more

14 customers mention "Readability"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the well-researched story with great eloquence and depth. The setting is described perfectly, making it a satisfying conclusion to the book.

"...And the setting for this story was perfectly described by the author which really made the story seem very real...." Read more

"...The Night of the Comet is a well-researched book that tells an interesting if familiar story of the travails of growing up and not understanding..." Read more

"...A satisfying finish and highly recommended." Read more

"This book was just okay, a decent read...." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive2 negative

Customers find the writing clear and descriptive without being overly wordy.

"...The writing is beautiful and the story timeless. Will be reading this one again and again!" Read more

"...From the very beginning I was hooked on this story. The writing is extraordinary, clear and descriptive without being overly wordy...." Read more

"...The book is well researched and written...." Read more

"...Really uplifting and extremely well written." Read more

6 customers mention "Character development"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters realistic and sympathetic. They also mention that the father is a very real character.

"...astronomy for the average reader ( me ) but the humanity of the characters carries the story. Very poignant, and rather sweet...." Read more

"...However, this one really touched me. The characters are quirky enough to be interesting, but not so much that I couldn't relate to them...." Read more

"...However, as it progressed, the family relationships, the very real characters set in the context of a small Louisiana town and the frustrations of..." Read more

"...Even though it was set in the sixties the characters were easy to relate to, and I did gain a better appreciation for astronomy...." Read more

5 customers mention "Family dynamics"5 positive0 negative

Customers like the family dynamics. They mention the real characters and that the family relationships work well. The book is about love and family, and a comet.

"...It's a book about love and family and a comet." Read more

"...However, as it progressed, the family relationships, the very real characters set in the context of a small Louisiana town and the frustrations of..." Read more

"...The family dynamics really work here...." Read more

"...written story of love, frailty, hope, and family in our very imperfectly perfect world...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2014
    Lovely story. Maybe a little too much astronomy for the average reader ( me ) but the humanity of the characters carries the story. Very poignant, and rather sweet. Low-key and heartfelt.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2013
    I enjoyed this novel so much! I've always been keenly interested in the stars myself, so he'd captured my interest from the very first page. And the setting for this story was perfectly described by the author which really made the story seem very real. He really has a grasp for understanding and conveying the thoughts and emotions of each one of the characters portrayed here. The writing is beautiful and the story timeless. Will be reading this one again and again!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2013
    I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

    It's 1973 in the small town of Terrebonne, Louisiana. Alan Broussard, Jr. (aka "Junior") has just turned 14, and his mind is on many of the same things other 14-year-olds think about—trying to fit in at school, trying not to let his parents embarrass him, and, more importantly, girls—especially his new neighbor, the beautiful Gabriella Martello.

    When Junior's father, an awkward high school science teacher and frustrated scientist, buys Junior a top-of-the-line telescope for his birthday, he does so in the hopes that he and Junior can watch the impending progress of Comet Kohoutek, which he promises will be the astronomical event of the century. Of course, Junior would rather use his telescope to watch Gabriella and her family, who live across the bayou in a much nicer housing development than the Broussards.

    Much to the surprise of Junior, their father's enthusiasm about Comet Kohoutek's impending arrival starts to rub off on the people in Terrebonne, and excitement begins to build, even among those who have never had any interest in science. But the anticipation around the comet also highlights the problems in Junior's world—his mother's desire for a better and more exciting life than she has, one where money and love aren't as hard to come by; his father's frustration with the course his life has taken; even his sister's need to leave their small town. And all Junior wants is for Gabriella to feel the same way about him that he does about her.

    "All of my father's talk about the 'objective observation' and 'trusting the evidence of your senses' was of little use when it came to trying to understand other people. People, I was beginning to believe, didn't so easily conform to the rules of science. With people, it was all just guesswork."

    As tensions in the Broussard family grow at the same time excitement about the comet ramps up in town, Junior tries to make sense of his parents' relationship and the truth about love. But the problems of life, like scientific phenomena, can't always easily be pinned down, no matter how hard we hope they will.

    The Night of the Comet is a well-researched book that tells an interesting if familiar story of the travails of growing up and not understanding your parents' relationship, but needing its stability. It's a story of the drama of first love, particularly unrequited, and how children and adults alike pin their hopes on things that don't always come true the way they want. It's also the story of relationships—between husband and wife, parent and child, those who seem to have it all and those who want it all.

    I liked many elements of this book but found it got a little bogged down with the "coming of age" drama in Junior's life. The story about the excitement generated by the comet, and the way it brings to light problems in the Broussard family, resonated more for me. But it's still a good story that doesn't quite end the way you think it will.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2014
    What happens when we hang all our hopes on one solitary event -- which can never fulfill our expectations. From the very beginning I was hooked on this story. The writing is extraordinary, clear and descriptive without being overly wordy. The plot line is somewhat complicated in that I want to like all the characters, but they are just so darned flawed! But the story flows along like the current of the Mississippi and you are carried along to see where you end up. A satisfying finish and highly recommended.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2014
    This was a featured special on BookBub, which I use extensively. Books are inexpensive or free, so I don't expect too much out of them--that's not to say they aren't good books. However, this one really touched me. The characters are quirky enough to be interesting, but not so much that I couldn't relate to them. Actually, as a science teacher, I found the father a very sympathetic character. He loved his subject (astronomy) soooo much and tried so hard to instill that love in his students, in spite of the fact that he was ridiculed by them. I think it made him more sympathetic to me somehow. I cringed at what it did to his children, however, particularly the son through whose eyes we view him. The novel's crisis is a train wreck, a convergence of public embarrassments of both parents, which I almost couldn't read. In the end, however, the son finds a new respect for his parents, and I found the tenderness with which he eventually viewed them to be very touching. I've recommended this to several friends already.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2013
    This book was just okay, a decent read. The comet became an obsession of the father in the family, who was feeling the pangs of what he could have done with his life but didn't. The mother was feeling similar feelings and the two teenagers were trying to figure things out. It's a book about love and family and a comet.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2014
    The Night of the Comet is a beautiful read. George Bishop doesn't write characters, he writes people - fully fleshed, hopeful, flawed - and they make this story live.

    I hate to call it a 'coming of age' story, because that phrase holds so much predisposition, but Comet is that, and much more. Each of the characters comes of age here, not just the boy around whom the tale is centered. A celestial event sets a family on a path much like its own, coming slowly into focus, causing wonder, disbelief and confusion, but most of all, change - in even the most unlikely situations. Give it a read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2014
    A coming of age story set in 1970s, small town Louisiana, featuring a 14-year old young man and his nerdy father--the latter obsessed with Comet Kohoutek. The first half of The Night of the Comet is slow and repetitive as the author dissects the histories of several characters. The action builds substantially in the second half as it peels away the pains and joys of love.