The Things of a Child by Jay Matthew Korn is a powerful and deeply moving story about Pudgy, a street hustler grappling with both AIDS and advancing dementia in 1991. As his conditions progress, Pudgy embarks on a poignant journey through his memories, determined to create a meaningful legacy for his adopted son, Angel. Korn's intimate and unflinching prose captures the raw emotion of Pudgy's situation while maintaining a sense of dignity and purpose in the face of devastating illness. The exploration of memory, identity, and parental love creates a narrative that transcends its specific historical context to address universal human experiences of love and loss. The portrayal of marginalized lives is authentic and compassionate, never falling into stereotypes or easy sentimentality; the themes of survival and fatherly love emerge naturally from the action of the story, creating moments of profound connection amid the harsh realities of illness and social stigma.

Author Jay Matthew Korn has penned a moving story that shifts seamlessly between present reality and memory, creating a powerful meditation on identity and legacy that many people will be able to relate to. The lyrical quality of the prose captures both the beauty and pain of Pudgy's recollections, and the artistry in the writing softens the blow of some of the most harrowing moments. A very skillful blending of memory and hallucination creates a dreamlike atmosphere, and this uncertainty enhances the emotional impact of Pudgy's story and the anxieties and tensions that he faces. The relationship between Pudgy and Angel is the emotional anchor of the story, giving weight to every choice and memory with strong dialogue that propels the action forward naturally. Overall, The Things of a Child is a remarkable achievement in contemporary literary fiction, offering both an intimate portrait of a specific historical moment and a timeless exploration of human connection and legacy. I would not hesitate to recommend it.

Jay Matthew Korn’s novel The Things of a Child explores memories, aging, and the impact of the past on the present. The story recounts the tumultuous life of Pudgy, an engaging narrator whose sharp, at times fragmented narrative drives the novel forward with energy. Set against the backdrop of a neighborhood that has seen better days, Pudgy’s story begins in the colorful and chaotic streets where everyday life mixes the uneventful and the remarkable. At the heart of the novel is the relationship between Pudgy and Angel, a connection that explores themes of loyalty, redemption, and the unspoken words that shape the understanding of family and friendship.

Jay Matthew Korn’s writing is both redolent and direct, characterized by a unique voice that captures the rhythm and pulse of street life. The dialogue explodes with life, and the settings are rendered with absorbing detail. His writing style evokes narrative energy and vivid urban landscapes reminiscent of writers like Charles Bukowski and William Kennedy. Like Bukowski, Korn digs into life’s raw, unpolished aspects with a stark, unfiltered voice that captures the grit of everyday existence. His attention to the dynamics of street life and the depth of character interaction shares a kinship with Kennedy’s portrayal of Albany in novels like “Ironweed.” I was most impressed with Korn’s ability to blend humor with pathos and to turn the mundane into the profound. I found the writing style so engaging that it completely enveloped me. The Things of a Child is a meditation on the passage of time and how we seek to capture and understand the moments that define us. Through Pudgy’s eyes, we see the complexities of human relationships and the enduring power of a well-told story to heal, reveal, and transform. Korn is a literary master, and this is a book to read time and again.