Marathon

By W. William Winokur

Book Overview

An Odyssey of Self-Discovery Based on a True Story From the concrete canyons of lower Manhattan to the ruins of Ancient Greece, Marathon is a deeply personal tour de force of a woman who turns her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 097685080X
• ISBN13: 9780976850809
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Kissena Park Pr
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.5" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

A Work of Art

Marathon is one of those rare books that combines all the best to produce an unforgettable story. This is an exceptionally well-written book. There are occasional phrases throughout the book that are simply gems of wisdom. The author is an excellent story teller, integrating a wide variety of genres to create a story of incredible poingnancy and universality. Readers can identify themselves in any of the characters because they are real and believable. This book is a work of art and a must read for any person seriously participating in the journey of life.

A diamond discovery: a definite winner

William Winokur's epic adventure, "MARATHON" is a page turner that stays with you like a cherished memory. Brilliant plotting, prose and execution, with descriptive imagery that gives the read the feel of watching an Oscar-caliber movie. And speaking of Oscar-caliber movies... I see that JAMES CAMERON, director of "Titanic" has given this book a glowing endorsement on it's front cover jacket. Perhaps "MARATHON" is just the property for Cameron to follow-up his epic "TITANIC"?? Buy this book now, and hang onto the remaining FIRST EDITIONS still available before this baby takes off!!!

Marathon / Mentor

This has to be the best book I have ever read. Ion Theodore was a most amazing man. If only everyone could have had a mentor like him. This story makes me want to learn more about Greece. I know this will be an amazing movie! William Winokur is a man everybody will soon be talking about. I hope someone tells Oprah about this book!

Screams "MOVIE"!!

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (3/06) This novel is actually four stories in one, ranging in time from 490 BC to the present day, all skillfully interwoven by first time author W. William Winokur. The story is a dramatization of the final years in the life of Ion Theodore, a teacher at the Horace Mann School in New York. Ion is an old man, living in a sub-par nursing home, when his niece, Marianna Gardner, a partner in as prestigious New York law firm tracks him down after years of separation. Appalled with the conditions at the nursing home, Marianna takes Ion home to live with her while she tries to find a better home for him. When Ion receives a mysterious letter from Greece, he insists he must return to the land of his birth to answer the summons of his old friend on his deathbed. You'll fall in love with the goodness, gentleness and humanity of Ion Theodore as well as his beloved country. I was truly sad to see the novel end. As I was reading this book, my mind kept picturing Anthony Hopkins portraying Ion. This book just screams "MOVIE !!!" I do have one note of discord......Mr. Winokur has several subplots in the book, one of which is left unresolved. Perhaps it will be the basis of a follow-up novel. I am looking forward to the next novel.

Multi-faceted Story Lines

Marathon is one of those rare novels that becomes infused within the being of the person reading the story. It is a novel that I was unable to put down, one that I wanted to continue reading for a very long time. Maria Anastasia's story is quite incredible; her "resurrection" is a journey filled with wisdom, and it becomes a tribute to the power of love to transform lives in mysterious and poignant ways. While reading the novel, I found myself relishing the multi-faceted story lines that are weaved throughout the pages. The ancient past, the living past, the present, and the hopeful future are all facets of Marianna's resurrection. The stories of Pheidippides, interspersed between Ion's journals, words from The Illiad, and the story of Marianna's and Ion's lives are like the Russian matryoshka nesting dolls, with one story fitting inside of another one and so on. Parts of the major story unfold in Greece and they read like a mystery tale; I did not anticipate the path the story would take once Marianna and Ion arrived in Ion's homeland. It is a beautiful ending for the resurrected protagonist. Ion Theodore is a wise man, and W. William Winokur surely has the blessings of his former teacher and mentor in the words that appear on the pages in this brilliant novel. I loved every moment of this reading experience, and I will pass this book on to those I know and love.