What the Deaf-Mute Heard

by G.D. Gearino

Book Overview

A magical offering for the many fans of "Forrest Gump", this entertaining tale tells of a deaf-mute who sees and "hears" everything in his small Southern town--and spends a lifetime guarding a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684813378
• ISBN13: 9780684813370
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Disappointing

I saw the Hallmark version on television several years ago. I was expecting the same heartwarming small town story from the book. This is NOT like the Hallmark movie. Very little resemblance. It was disgusting in parts. In fact, it was so unlikeable that I actually threw the book away instead of passing it on. It just didn't deserve to take up space on the bookshelf.

WONDERFUL-WONDERFUL !!!

I agree wholeheartedly that G D Gearino should be a much more recognized author. This guy has a wonderful style of writing-reminding me somewhat of another favorite author of mine - Dominick Dunne. I truly hated for the book to end. At times it was totally laugh out loud funny - which doesn't happen for me while reading very often. His writing style just keeps you hanging on and wanting to read more-therefore always keeping your curiosity up. The story was great - this is one of my favorite books ever! This book will NOT be passed on to the thrift shops - I will read it again.

long lasting impression

I love this book! I am 13 I heard it on tape 4 (at age 9) years ago and the name and story has stayed with me. I thought it was a great idea! what if all people thought that you could not hear them? I thought this book had a great human nature as well as a great plot that just gets thicker and thicker I hope more people read this book. book lover to the sole, Megan

A secret kept all too well

Why is G.D.Gearino not more publicly recognized as a fantastic writer and storyteller as he so deserves to be with his novel What the Deaf Mute Heard? In the age of Stephen King and Danielle Steel, I suppose there is not room for true talent and thus, the secret of Gearino is kept all too well. I have never visited the South myself, but was immeadiately swept into the compelling world of Sammy Ayers, Jenkins the bus manager, and the rest of the characters portrayed here so vividly. Gearino's language, thoughts, and feelings expressed through Sammy's eyes are some that will not soon be forgotten, my favorite being, "If you can't make fun of death, then what's the point of living?" The story was truly original and one of such inspiration and triumph that it is unthinkable that this accomplishment should go unnoticed. And while Steven King charges six dollars a pop for the new 150 page enstallment in his atrociously written trilogies, plots, characters, and st! orytelling such as Gearino's, should be deemed priceless.

A book showing people's blindness to handicapps.

It is easy to ignore deaf-mutes. They are just another type of handicapped people in the world. In the book What The Deaf-Mute Heard, Sammy Ayres, a ten-year-old boy, was abandoned in a bus depot. He seemed invisable to everyone. Unbeknownst to most people, Sammy only acted as a deaf mute. Truth was, he could hear and speak clear as a bell. This allowed for folks to talk in front of him and even expose their private thoughts as if he wasn't there. The bus commisioner Jenkins and the diner owner took him under their wing. When he grew up, he became the town handy man, and was used by everyone to do chores around their homes. Because he was "deaf", he became privy to a church insurance fund scam. It became apparent to him that he may have to decide whether to expose himself and the people involved. One of the people involved with the scam was Tolliver Tynan. He was a rich arrogant snob who had always been a thorn in Sammy's side. I enjoyed this book because the characters were fully developed. Reading about their impact on Sammy's life convinces you you've known them all your life. Some scenes from the book are for more mature audiences. The TV movie based on the book left out scenes that showed Sammy's "coming of age", such as Sammy going to school with Tolliver bullying him around. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think you would too.