The Boy Who Wanted Too Much

The Boy Who Wanted Too Much is a collection of poems that form a story. There is prose to support the poetry and frame the story but at its heart, poetry is the key. Subject matter touches upon the realms of myth, religion, fantasy, the human condition and love. Each poem speaks with the authors unique voice.

Book Review

Author 'reaches into his soul' to explore life,love
Hillside poet 'reaches out' to readers in his first book

When one dis deep enough into one's feelings, dreams, thoughts and experiences, one can create a poetic effect.

And the poetic effect, literally speaking, for Greg L. Hines of Hillside, has emerged into a book called "The Boy Who Wanted Too Much".

Hines has introduced an interesting compilation of poetry and prose, examining his own apparent state of growing into He has constructed his deepest dreams of reality into a manuscript that is separated in three sections: "The House of Emasculation", "Fairy Dust" and the final section, which is titled "The Pleasure Letters."

And in all three, he reaches into his innermost soul to decipher and to understand all that is happening to him in life and love.

Some of the poems that Hines has inlcuded in the book are extremely well written and find their way into a persons's heart and soul.

Others, however, appear to have been written just for the moment- and then cast aside.

Hines, in a comment from the author in his opening pages, explains that "...this is a novel written in a new writing form...developing...over a period of five years. It is known as an abstracted reality."

He begins the book with a poem, "The Boy Who Wanted Too Much," and an introduction that says it all.

He writed of enemies, lost dreams, girls, angels, love, fear, hate, lust, God and peace, ecstacy, doom -- every emotion that, through the growing years, turns a boy into a man, And as a man, he struggles with all these confrontations.

Hines reaches out to his readers to have them delve into their own feelings from boyhood to manhood and to know just what it is really like to grow up and face the world of reality.

"The Boy Who Wanted Too Much" is well worth perusing. Some of the poetry actually sounds as if Hines had lyrics in mind for songs to be written.

And this reviewer really would'nt mind if it is placed on the shelf in a new category of poetry.

It will, however, need more of its kind upon which to lean.

--Bea Smith
[email protected]

Article About the Book

Poet 'grew with his material' for first book
By Bea Smith
Staff Writer

The reason it took Greg L. Hines of Hillside 10 years to write "The Boy Who Wanted Too Much," a book of emotional poetry, was because he grew along with the material.

"Actually," Hines explained, "I started writing the book when I was younger, in my early 20s. I wanted to be as authentic as possible. And as my perspective changed, so did the character of the book. I call it a novel of abstract reality. It felt like a story although not one that read from A to B."

Hines, who is a musician by profession, mentioned that "I've been writing since I was 9 years old. And with a book such as this, for me, a lot of it had to do with my life experiences. It was pretty much a way of getting my feelings out and coping with a lof of things I had going on then. With "The Boy Who Wanted Too Much, 'you can come away with the exact same story."

Hines said he takes great pride in the fact that "this is my first published work, even though it is self published by my own publishing company. Hardkandy Publishing, here in Hillside."

He also publishes his own music through Hardkandy Records Inc.

"I'm self-employed, have my own record label, and m