Thank You, Mr. Emerson


Fiction - Literary
286 Pages
Reviewed on 02/05/2023
Buy on Amazon

Author Biography

Born in Brookline, MA, Gerald Berns grew up in Newton, MA and is a graduate of Newton South High School and the University of Rhode Island where he was a starting catcher/first baseman on the varsity baseball squad. Earning a graduate J.D. degree from Boston University, soon after Mr. Berns became a resident actor with The Boston Repertory Theatre and for 5 years appeared in over 20 stage productions, starring in the world premieres of Harry Nilsson's musical, "The Point" - creating the role of "The Rockman" - and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s "Player Piano" - creating the role of "Kroner". Berns has appeared in many television shows, commercials, and feature films. His character in "Beverly Hills Cop" was satirized in MAD Magazine. On stage in Los Angeles Mr. Berns was seen in "Outward Bound", a production at the Hudson Backstage, and at Ojai's Theatre 150 in "True West" by Sam Shepard. Attending the play, Mr. Shepard remarked the production "was one of the best" he had seen of his play. As a screenwriter Mr. Berns has had over 20 options of his screenplays and has been represented by the William Morris Agency and Paradigm. Entering USA Film Festivals, four of his screenplays, two co-written, won over a dozen Film Festival Honors, including two years in a row Silver Awards at the Oregon International Film Awards. Recently Berns' first novel "Thank You, Mr. Emerson" was published on Amazon/Kindle, and more recently received a FIVE STAR Book Review from Readers' Favorite .

    Book Review

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

Thank You, Mr. Emerson by Gerald Berns is a contemporary novel that is simple yet magical in the intelligence it exudes. It’s a highly relatable story that takes a look at the conversation of a couple where they discuss their dreams, love, apprehensions, interest, future plans, and beliefs, and these things wrap up into a profound narrative that becomes emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually compelling. Paul and Susan are having issues with their relationship. Paul is asking Susan to pack up and go to Oregon to build sandboxes, which is utterly preposterous for a woman who has taken ten years to perfect her trade in real estate management. Paul is only asking her to give it a try for a year, but what Susan perceives in Paul’s Walden-style plans is a symptom of a midlife crisis. Ralph Waldo Emerson and even Henry David Thoreau are about to figure significantly in this witty and touching dialogue-driven tale.

Thank You, Mr. Emerson is intelligently written and is both character and dialogue-driven wherein you can see Paul's and Susan’s behaviors as simply willful and philosophical. The delivery of their arguments gives them clear distinctions as individuals. I personally can relate to Paul and at this point in his life, any guy nearing their forties can understand what he is going through. Gerald Berns has the gift of sustaining the tension between his two protagonists in a witty yet unexaggerated manner. He banks on the absurdity of existence and complements it with spiritual transcendence, and what you get is a great novel. It is a story with the creativity and imagination to make you think and be entertained simultaneously because it doesn’t resort to formulaic clichés. With its sweeping emotion and well-articulated thoughts, everyone should read this book.