Duck Egg Blue

by Derrick Neill

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157392685X
• ISBN13: 9781573926850
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 273 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Worth several good discussions

Sometimes the River looks brown and muddy, and at others it reflects the heavens to assume a hue of duck egg blue. So it is with God, to some he looks startlingly real, to others he appears as all of nature and a few can't find him at all. The novel is about a teenager who is pressured to define his own lack of belief. At stake is his Eagle Scout badge as the board insists he assert a belief in god.The public library refers to the book as a "Bildungsroman," that is a novel of growing up, of the emotional development of the hero. It is also a didactic novel, which teaches us about the contemporary problems of religion, education, teaching evolution, and related issues. The author has them all there, and as far as I can see he has his facts correct. It is thus small wonder that the characters are a little more than life size. The hero is more perfect than any literary teenager should be allowed to be. The hero's mother is better and wiser than any teenager could recognize. His girl friend is sweeter and more understanding than any believable ninth grader, and she is more beautiful than expected in any real woman. And the fundamentalist male character is, of course, truly evil.Let me hasten to add this is not some dreary morality tract. On the contrary I found it a very interesting and lively novel which held my attention without difficulty or hesitation. In fact, I only put it down to sleep. More, the novel provides scenes and situations which raise insistent questions which demand clear answers, and should be food for discussions. A New Age character claims that music which makes her cry are the real equivalent of prayers. Perhaps the deaf and non-musical then, don't pray? Honest work is equally praised as devotion. Does the agnostic character have a truly honest position, or is it merely a practical out so he doesn't offend the everyday world? Does the atheist have a supportable position, or is he merely bitter? Are the myths in the Bible and in other religious scriptures really "metaphorical representations of the grand mystery of our world and of the spiritual potential of every human being" (p. 139) as the Unitarian pastor asserts, or are these mere fairy tales? Can our hero walk with his friend to accept both, god and science. Will they agree that evolution is simply god's way of creation?At one point in the novel some students are excused from viewing an educational movie about sex and reproduction, because their parents will not give them permission to do so. Surely these students will be mercilessly teased and hounded by their class mates. Now, if it is OK to be excused from sex instruction and assigned other work, why is it not OK to be excused when the Christian majority insists on having public prayers?Eventually, the hero is faced with answering the scout board what it wishes to hear, that he believes in some kind of God, or else to tell them the truth. In an epiphany of music the hero goes with the lead in "Les Misérables" who will be

Duck Egg Blue is Highly Recommended

Cameron Wright has completed his requirements for Eagle Scout. In an interview with the Scouting board, he says he doesn't know whether he believes in God. His badge is held until he "reconsiders." His ultrareligious father had more than something to do with it. John, his father, also says Cameron's model of the Grand Canyon for a high school science project is all wrong. (He used the color Duck Egg Blue for the river.) Meantime, Mark Edwards, Cameron's science teacher, who is also dating Cameron's divorced mother, is being pressured by the principal to give "creation science" equal time. This not only threatens his cherished position at the school, but also the separation of church and state. Cameron spends the year trying to decide if he should tell the Scout board what they want to hear, or stand up for what he believes. When writing about creationism in school, it's easy to take an attitude of I'm Right and You're Wrong. Neill doesn't. Some will like it, and some will hate it, but everyone should read DUCK EGG BLUE.

You'll love "Duck Egg Blue"

I'm a religious liberal, a humanist and a free thinker and it's about time a novel was written for and about my particular minority group. I thoroughly enjoyed Neill's "Duck Egg Blue." The book is full of philosophical musings and its assertions are based on reason rather than blind faith. And it's a great novel to share with your kids, especially if they're in the midst of grappling with the so-called 'ultimate questions.' "Duck Egg Blue" gives me hope--hope that humanity will become increasingly enlightened in the future. And after what happened in Kansas recently concerning the creationism vs. science debate, I was starting to think we were on the brink of another Dark Ages.

"Blue" puts religious discrimination and dogma in its place

"Duck Egg Blue" is a great book. Considering the real life battle the Unitarian Church is now having with the Boy Scouts over the Religion in Life award, and considering what the idiotic Kansas state school board did a couple of weeks ago, this novel is coming out just in time. The 21st Century is now upon us. Will reason, or superstition, prevail in the new millenium? Neill is obviously concerned with this question. And we should be too.

Neill is courageous and "Duck Egg Blue" is an important work

Reading the review by "Nicholas" I can't help but shake my head in disgust. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that someone who writes as bad as he does shouldn't be taken seriously. What's more, I doubt he even read "Duck Egg Blue." It's obvious he just didn't like the subject matter but was afraid to admit it. As for "Duck Egg Blue," the book is written on at least a high school level. I'm sure Derrick Neill, the author, wanted to get his important message out to as wide an audience as possible. The novel is thought provoking, funny and touching. It's also a very important work, reminding us that America was founded on the principle of freedom of thought--not on religious dogma. Bravo to Derrick Neill! But watch out religious conservatives. Like our friend Nicholas, you're not going to like this book.