The Absurd Christian
The Absurd Christian – Amazon
The Absurd Christian is a unique essay that blends theology and philosophy. With the issue of suffering and suicide at the forefront, the book seeks to explore a new way to deal with these old problems. Join Trudeau as he paints a full picture of the core problem, the philosophical answer, the Christian answer, and the union of the two.
“A Calm Walk Through a Dark Valley” Series
In Another Life is the first book written by Trudeau. It was written over the period of several years and contains his earliest works. The poems center around his struggling love life and the symptoms of a still undiscovered depression.
Battles is the second work by Trudeau. Battles was written during the lowest point of Trudeau’s depression. The book is characterized by intense back and forth conversations with depression and the other factors of pain in Trudeau’s life at this time.
Confessions is the third book by Trudeau. Confessions was written over the course of 6 months while Trudeau was going to therapy. The idea of the book is confronting the problems that are causing and caused by the mental health problems of the author. He hopes he can find relief in the laying out of his innermost problems.
Hopeful doubt is the fourth work in Trudeau’s collection. Hopeful Doubt was written in a period of transition for Trudeau. He had stopped seeing his therapist despite little progress in his mental health and was about to move out of state to attend college. Unsure of what the future held and if he could ever recover, he took his pen and wrote Hopeful Doubt. This book is written mostly from the perspective of fictional characters commenting on Trudeau’s life and offering their best solutions for him.
Letters From a Broken Man is the fifth addition to the series. The book recounts Trudeau’s attempt to reconcile his still declining mental health with a new found mental disorder. He attempts to deal with these problems by addressing them directly. Every poem in this book is written directly from his point of view, something unique to this book alone.
“There is a gripping beauty in the words that held me captivated. No poetry lover can fail to be moved reading Letters From a Broken Man by Michael Trudeau, and nobody in the grip of depression should miss its revealing message; you are not alone.” – 5 of 5 Stars Review By Sarah Stuart for Readers’ Favorite
“I rate Letters From a Broken Man 4 out of 4 stars. The collection is exceptionally edited and brings needed awareness to the topic of mental illness. I recommend the book to fans of poetry, those struggling with personality disorders or depression, and readers desiring a better understanding of mental illness.” 4 of 4 Stars from Online Readers’ Club
This is the sixth and final work of the series. As the title suggests, this book is a direct follow up to the previous work. The poems, with a few exceptions, are written from an outside perspective, not the authors. The book explores where the author stands after years of battling mental health issues with minimal success.
“As someone who has endured a lifetime battle with my own mental health, I found the author’s work relatable. While I do enjoy reading classic sonnets and epic poetry and prose from authors of the past, I also appreciate modern poetry that has a rough-hewn, realistic, take no prisoners attitude. This book delivers. I found nothing whatsoever to dislike about Response from the Other Side. I give it four out of four stars.” – 4 of 4 Stars by Online Reader’s Club
“A Calm Walk Through a Dark Valley” Complete Collection on Amazon.
“A Long Sit in a Dark Forest” Series
Awakening is the first book in a new series. As Trudeau embarks on new paths in life, so does his writing take on new forms. The stark change in style warranted the start of a new series. No longer was life for Trudeau a valley, now he was lost in the overwhelming darkness of a forest.
Follow a man as he wakes up in a strange forest surrounded by strange trees. Unsure of his fate, the man attempts to answer the questions that plague his mind. Unfortunately for him, the only help he can find are two spirits, one claims to be a guide, the other is only darkness. Confusion fills every line of this book, can you figure out what the truth of suffering is?
“Awakening is a battle of consciousness and the narrators find themselves in a forest, not knowing how they got there or why they got there. To understand, they must rely on themselves, their experiences, and two spirits who can arguably be described as unreliable narrators in their own ways and to their own degrees. Ultimately, whether or not the forest is a prison or a sanctuary must be decided. It takes an immense amount of talent to convey a running story in a linear poem, but Michael Trudeau is able to accomplish this successfully in Awakening. The compilation addresses multiple questions that relate to a life lived, a life left, and even a life lost… This is an excellent collection and highly recommended.” – 5 of 5 stars from Readers’ Favorite
“My rating is 4 out of 4 stars. I found no reason to deduct any stars. This book would appeal to individuals who are looking for answers to the meaning of life and those who are searching for a way out of depression.” – 4 of 4 Stars by Online Reader’s Club
Other Works
Last Call is a stand alone collection of horror poems. This book is Trudeau’s first attempt at the genre. The poems cover a variety of themes and styles, following Trudeau’s mantra, “we all fear different things, but we all fear”.
“It’s quite rare for me to have the opportunity to read poetry that dances in and out of the horror genre, one that is classically associated with prose over verse. This was the first thing that stood out when I picked up Last Call by Michael Trudeau. The writing is simple and straightforward with jabs that sneak up almost at the moment when you think you know what comes next. Trudeau employs the teasing of a couple of verses that act as a soft set-up to a revelation that is frequently jarring and consistently thoughtful. It is for exactly this reason that I interrupted my husband’s social media surfing to read him Phone Call, which starts out rather benignly as a tragic family loss that makes the reader feel sorry for two grieving parents, but rapidly transforms into something far, far more sinister. This is an interesting twist to traditional poetry that I imagine many readers will enjoy as much as I have.” – 5 of 5 Stars Review by Jamie Michele for Reader’s Favorite.
Michael Trudeau 