Michael Deal

Michael Deal is a novel about one mans struggle to find his place in the human community. The structure of the book reflects its theme. Every action sequence every series of events every chapter as well as the entire book as an organic whole exhibits the identical structure as its protagonist attempts to fit in is frustrated and fails and reacts in one of two ways withdrawal or attack until at the very end of the novel he finds his own way of coming to terms with the issue.This blending of structure and theme is masterfully accomplished in the Africa sequence which constitutes most of chapter two the longest of the novels three chapters.The theme of finding ones place may not be unique; but Vivelos voice as well as his manner of presenting this perennial concern is decidedly different from that of any other novelist.