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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Well, this was lovely. The writing feels effortless and deceptively simple, but it is clearly neither of those things. I was immediately taken in by the story of this ordinary man going through the motions of his life. Like all good character-driven narratives, its themes are universal and touch on what it means to be human. Micah's realizations are my realizations. I will be reading more from Anne Tyler.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked up this book on a whim, mostly because of the title, but it was a sweet book. Micah leads a small and straightforward life. He has a strict daily and weekly schedule which rarely varies. He is a super for the building he lives in and runs a small IT business called Tech Hermit. One day a young man shows up wondering if Micah might be his biological father. Although Micah is certain he is not this guy’s father, his presence leads to a chain of events and disruption of Micah’s routine enough that it shakes up his life. Quite enjoyed the story.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely adore Anne Tyler’s writing, and this book was no exception. My only issue with it was that it seemed to end too soon and abruptly! (Although perhaps that’s on me; I lost track of progress reading on a kindle and didn’t realise how close I was to the end...)
Thanks to NetGalley for the proof
Thanks to NetGalley for the proof
A refreshingly calm and limpid backwater in a flashy Booker list, where everything else so far seems to be forced and performative and clamouring for attention. As everyone says, Redhead here is sweet, old-fashioned, understated - and quite small. Too small for a big prize, in my opinion.
I'd never read Anne Tyler before; I remember once a hundred years ago when I was working in a bookshop suggesting one of hers, might have been just after the Pulitzer, to a regular customer who had run out of all her usual pulp to read, and the regular came back later to tell me (without rancour) how much she'd hated it, which I took as a sort of recommendation, but I never got around to it.
BLT:
1. Shuggie Bain
2. Redhead by the Side of the Road
=3. How Much of These Hills is Gold
=3. This Mournable Body
5. Such a Fun Age
I'd never read Anne Tyler before; I remember once a hundred years ago when I was working in a bookshop suggesting one of hers, might have been just after the Pulitzer, to a regular customer who had run out of all her usual pulp to read, and the regular came back later to tell me (without rancour) how much she'd hated it, which I took as a sort of recommendation, but I never got around to it.
BLT:
1. Shuggie Bain
2. Redhead by the Side of the Road
=3. How Much of These Hills is Gold
=3. This Mournable Body
5. Such a Fun Age
A 3.5. This was a quick, easy, satisfying read about a few days in the life of Micah Mortimer. His OCD was entertaining...every day he had a cleaning task to accomplish (maybe I should be a little more like him?). Beyond the OCD he was kind and funny. The ending was satisfying yet predictable. It was a sweet book.
Recommended by Anne Bogel’s 2020 Summer Reading List.
I am a fan of Anne Tyler and the quirky characters she writes and this book is no different.
Micah is in his 40s and he feels different from his entire family. His family, (while really only in one part of the book, is my favorite part) lives a slightly chaotic and messy life and he strives for simple perfection. This ends up causing him to have issues with the women he has had relationships over the years. In the end, he realizes that he may have thought he doesn’t need people in his life, he knows he feels alone and wants to do what he can to fix that. It does end on hopeful note but it was a little bit harder for me to read than some of her past books.
I am a fan of Anne Tyler and the quirky characters she writes and this book is no different.
Micah is in his 40s and he feels different from his entire family. His family, (while really only in one part of the book, is my favorite part) lives a slightly chaotic and messy life and he strives for simple perfection. This ends up causing him to have issues with the women he has had relationships over the years. In the end, he realizes that he may have thought he doesn’t need people in his life, he knows he feels alone and wants to do what he can to fix that. It does end on hopeful note but it was a little bit harder for me to read than some of her past books.
Rather odd. It felt like the main character was falling apart. I recently reread her first novel, If Morning Ever Comes; this book seems like a grown-up version of that, but less hopeful, somehow.