Attachment Patterns

by Stephen Metcalfe

Is the artist, Robert Boone, crazy? As his daughter, aspiring novelist, Isolde tells us, he sure doesn’t think so. Okay, yes, he recently found himself in the hospital loudly declaring he wanted to die, but that was a moment of unexplained weakness, of post-pandemic exhaustion. He’s fine now, calm, and self-possessed as always. Only the doctors don’t believe him. They’ve insisted he enroll in a three week, out-patient, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy program. Which is? “Psychotherapy in which patterns of thought are challenged in order to address unwanted behaviour patterns.” With no choice now, Robert Boone will reluctantly look at his life. In lectures and group sessions, he will examine his past, his unspoken fears and grief and his relationships both old and new. As his daughter, Holdie says: “Anything I tell you from this moment on was disclosed to me, remembered by me, surmised by me and in some cases (okay, more than some) was totally and completely made up. (By me.) Still, all of it is the God’s honest truth.” Is Robert Boone crazy? Isn’t everybody? We’ll find out.

234 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2023

About the author

Stephen Metcalfe’s writing career has encompassed theater, film and fiction. His first novel, THE TRAGIC AGE, was published by St. Martin’s Press in March of 2015. His second novel, THE PRACTICAL NAVIGATOR, will be released by St. Martin’s in August, 2016. He has also written a fantasy novel both for children and the child in ever adult, THE WELL OF EVERY AFTER, that he will self publish in 2017. His stage plays include LOVES & HOURS, VIKINGS, STRANGE SNOW, SORROWS AND SONS, PILGRIMS, HALF A LIFETIME, EMILY, WHITE LINEN, THE INCREDIBLY FAMOUS WILLY RIVERS, WHITE MAN DANCING, A WORLD OF THEIR OWN and THE GIFT TELLER. He has been produced in New York and at regional theaters throughout the United States as well as in Europe and Japan. Screen credits include HALF A LIFETIME, COUSINS (with Isabella Rossellini and Ted Danson), JACKNIFE (with Robert De Niro and Ed Harris), ROOMMATES, EL ABUELO and BEAUTIFUL JOE (with Billy Connelly and Sharon Stone). He also wrote the production drafts of PRETTY WOMAN, ARACHNOPHOBIA, IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, DANGEROUS MINDS, THE MARRYING MAN and MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS. Other screenplays include TIME FLIES, THE OLD BOY, JONAH, THE INFIELD, THE HARROWER, SCYLLA, PASSING FANCY, ROCK, PAPER, BONE and AN INNOCENT ABROAD.


He is an Associate Artist at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and has been an adjunct professor in dramatic writing at University of California at San Diego, University of San Diego and San Diego State University.

Reviews

[Matt McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book which is, and actually deserves to be, a great deal better than its delivery presents. At its heart is profound social and psychological insight, both pre- and post-COVID in context, and it is underpinned by a genuine warmth and, most of all, touching, multi-layered poignancy. Its problem is that it feels perhaps a little disjointed in nature and, even more than that, and worse, as if it hasn’t really been given 100% of the attention and polish that it absolutely deserves. The author is tremendously good, his humour and bittersweet comic prose to an exceptionally high standard, as is the book’s melodrama. It is also immensely clear that Metcalfe has a good, detailed knowledge and understanding of the issues of mental health in the social context, psychology as a subject and psychotherapy in practice – either that or he is a deep-thinking, insightful observer of the human condition. The fact that there is little in the way of story arc is not a problem, as this is not really the point; it is rather more an allegorical, slice-of-life study, observational or perhaps even literary fiction. Its problems are rather more in its formatting and the condition of its proofing. I’m sorry to be blunt, but it is clear that this book requires a good amount of work to really fulfil its literary potential. This is in fact a real shame, because it could be – and should be – simply superb.

I really enjoyed its subject matter, its metaphorical allegory and, most of it, its very subtle hints toward the complexity and virtues of its protagonist. Bob is a troubled soul, a tortured impressionist artist with a tremendously good heart. Unwittingly, he cannot stop himself trying to compensate or help fix the problems of the needy all around him. He brings joy to the moment for many, yet never takes a moment to consider this, as his own happiness continuously eludes him. You genuinely empathize with Bob; you want him to be happy, or at least content, and to stop beating himself up. You find yourself wanting to do the same for him, when he finds himself compelled to attend a group CBT programme for varied suicidal and depressed individuals. What follows is an intimate look into his mind and his coping mechanisms, but rather how he appears to those around him. I like this book, and found myself genuinely with a surprising affection toward it and its characters. The fact is, though, it deserves more attention to detail, more polish, more reader-friendliness – with all this, I think this book could really shine.

[James Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and insightful read

Well written story of a man and his battle and journey to deal with his demons and find himself. Such insightful descriptions of the process of human self-discovery, recovery, and the dynamics of interpersonal relations with others.