''Take Me Where the Good Times Are'' is a novel by

Robert Cormier Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925 – November 2, 2000) was an American author and journalist, known for his deeply pessimistic novels, many of which were written for young adults. Recurring themes include abuse, mental illness, violence, ...

. First published in 1965, it is Cormier's third novel.

Plot

This story features Tommy Bartin, a 70-year-old resident at the

Dorchester County, Maryland Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. At the 2020 census, the population was 32,531. Its county seat is Cambridge. The county was formed in 1669 and named for the Earl of Dorset, a family friend of the Calverts (t ...

poorhouse. When another resident leaves Tommy some cash, he sees his opportunity to go back to the area he grew up in. However, Tommy finds that his old town has changed substantially over time, and he hopes to find a way to be useful again, and to regain his self-respect.

Themes

Themes in this story include the quality of

denial Denial, in ordinary English usage, has at least three meanings: asserting that any particular statement or allegation is not true (which might be accurate or inaccurate); the refusal of a request; and asserting that a true statement is not true. ...

and

facing reality {{Short description, 1960's Radical Left Group Facing Reality was a radical left group in the United States that existed from about 1962 until 1970. History Facing Reality originated in the Johnson-Forest Tendency led by C. L. R. James and Raya ...

even if it is undesirable.

References

1965 American novels Novels by Robert Cormier Novels set in Maryland Dorchester County, Maryland Macmillan Publishers books {{1960s-ya-novel-stub