The Man Without a Face

Charles didn't know much about life ... until he met The Man Without a Face

"I'd never had a friend, and he was my friend; I'd never really, except for a shadowy memory, had a father, and he was my father. I'd never known an adult I could communicate with or trust, and I communicated with him all the time, whether I was actually talking to him or not. And I trusted him ......

Fourteen-year-old Charles desperately wants two things: a father and a way out. Little love has come his way until the summer he befriends a mysterious scarred man named Justin McLeod, nicknamed ""The Man Without a Face." Charles enlists McLeod's help as tutor for the St. Matthew's school entrance exams, his ticket away from the unpleasant restrictions of his home life. But more important than anything he could get out of a book, that summer Charles learns from McLeod a stirring life lesson about the many faces of love.

1972 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
Best of the Best Books (YA) 1970-1983 (ALA)
Outstanding Children's Books of 1972 (NYT)

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Book without a place, 2007-02-20


This is a strong, poignant, well-written coming-of-age story about a boy with a troubled family life. It is also a tragedy of the Shakespearean variety: the story of a man who could have been great but who fell because of a tragic weakness.
The problem is the fall itself: clearly it concerns a sexual event between Charles (the boy) and McLeod (the man). The event could not have been explicitly described in a young adult novel - in fact, I am not happy about it even being hinted at, particularly in our times of greater awareness of sexual predation of the young - so the result is a very vague, fuzzy encounter, which is hardly satisfactory as the climax (no pun intended) of the book. There is a great scene in which Mcleod warns Charles not to make him a hero, because he would not be able to live up to that image; the trouble is, when he does fail, it doesn't seem to worry him terribly, and he doesn't even manage a sincere apology.
The novel thus falls into a gap somewhere between an appropriate bildungsroman and a shocking adult novel. There is some excellent characterisation and a sad but perhaps appropriate ending, but I won't be recommending it to my kids.


1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

The strength of the story outweighs the problems, 2006-05-25
I won't add to the previous reviewers' applause for Man Without A Face except to say that I found the sexualization of the relationship disturbing -- Nabokov joins NAMBLA. The intimations of homosexuality detract from the themes of trust and redemption. Still, an excellent read and well worth the time. Parents should be prepared to discuss the sexual implications with their children.


2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

The Man Without a Face, 2006-03-13
This book has been a favorite of mine every since I read it as a 12-year-old child. Unlike the movie, which I've just viewed, the book contains a right-to-the-heart, piercing, cornacopia of themes with love being the most important.

A story of a young boy who longs for a father long gone and lives with a mother who's hobby is to get married, an older sister who's job seems to be making his life as miserable as possible, and a younger half-sister who's just trying to find her role in their respective hierarchy combine to make a nearly true-to-life situation, real.

All Charles can think of is to pass the entrance exam to a boarding school and get on with his life away from his family. He meets a man, Justin MCleod, who's self-isolation intrigues Charles and the inhabitants of the local population. Speculation arises as to how Justin got the scaring on his face and the stories and rumors abound and hedge on unsavory topics.

Regardless of the speculation, Charles soon befriends Justin and their relationship blooms to more than that of a teacher and student--they have become friends.

This is a sensitive story of friendship and love. It reminded me of a teacher I once had. He was a good man and had a heart of gold. This is a book that will remain a favorite, always.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

TYL review "the man without a face" , 2005-12-22
This book just keeps you reading; it is fun, dynamic and realistic with a hint of drama. Charles is easily identifiable with and is a colourful character. Curious about the man without a face? Start reading and be surprised!


1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

The Man without a Face, 2005-05-10
My book that I read was very interesting. I would not recommend it for kids nine and under, because it would not be appropriate. This book tells you about Charles, his mean sister Gloria, their mother, and a lost father. Meg was Charles' other sister, who was quite helpful. Chuck tried to get intoSt.Matthew's, but failed a few times. This time he's was really going to have to pass it, but Chuck was never the academic type. So he was really going to need some help. Now, Charles needs to ask for help. He never liked to be helped. Then, Meg has to hook him up with someone. She knows that the man without a face, even though he really had half a face, was a tutor. A long time ago, the man without a face tutored a boy. They were, o sorry. Why don't you just read and find out.

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