When I was three-years-old, I was diagnosed with two strokes that were the byproducts of three hereditary brain tumors. The removal of the tumors resulted in a lack of fine motor skills in my left hand (known as “the Shaky Left Hand”) and an inelegant gait.
The book opens with my first day at the catholic school that provided me with a hatred for my first name, a fear of sexual urges and a belief in atheism. In high school I was nameless and studious. Will I be tempted to drink at my first party? Will the school ruffian break me after the Shaky Left Hand accidentally grabbed his girlfriend's butt? Will my testicle untwist itself in time for the dance? The fall after graduation, I was coaxed into living in a dingy apartment in Detroit where I studied theater in college. After two semesters spent doing my roommates’ dishes and imitating animals for my major, I moved back home. Then, I had my first drug experience and got my life on a confident track. (These two events... More > were unrelated.)< Less
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By aksarathi
Dec 7, 2009
Simply stated, Typing With One Hand is an excellent read, and one's admiration (and admitted jealousy) of the author is increased by the fact that he wrote it when he was barely twenty. Jurich's writing style is easy and witty, flowing with no hint of ever having been forced. The tale flows just as smoothly, and one is left flipping the final pages hoping for more of the story to magically appear on the blank pages that mysteriously end nearly every book in publication. This book is perfect for sunny Sundays spent in nostalgia, for Typing contains anecdotes with which one can identify with ease. Jurich's wry sense of humor makes this book all the more pleasurable, with some genuinely funny moments that draw appreciative chuckles and others that elicit shouts of laughter (and reproving glances from librarians). Perhaps Jurich's greatest strength is his ability to clearly perceive people for what they are; his perceptions of the world and those around him serve as the main bases of his... More > humor. It is refreshing to note a well-developed sense of the absurd in one so young. It must be noted that Jurich very often turns his cannons on himself, and at these moments one is reminded of the self-deprecatory humor of Bertie Wooster of the famous Jeeves series. This is not a typical "teen" book and the author exhibits an uncommon maturity. The story certainly contains descriptions of the author's attempts to copulate, but they are ancillary to the main theme of the book and are rather humorously described. An important aspect of the tale involves the author's medical and physical problems, but they are described and woven into the tale without a cry for pity. Indeed, without saying so in so many words, Typing is a story of limitations overcome - a lesson that can be learned by many, both young and old. However, while Jurich is a talented writer, it is clear that he possesses the potential to develop his talents further. Typing is an immature work only in the sense that it was written by one relatively young (much like Frankenstein was) and one is left wondering (not unfavorably) if the book might have been less light if it were written some time in the author's future, when age brings wisdom, experience and new perspectives on old memories. One certainly wonders what fresh modes of insight might adorn Jurich's next work.< Less
