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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
This short novel is a slight, bittersweet tale of an aimless chap drifting his way through life. Micah Mortimer is an uncomplicated man living an uncomplicated life in a small, uncomplicated world.
Then he is visited by a few of life’s minor complications, and in his inability to respond, he is granted another missed opportunity in a life full of missed opportunities. The book's pleasure is inching towards the revelation that he still has time to spare, but that action is required.
In the minor shocks delivered in the first third, Micah works his way through the aftershocks of these events. Slowly, he starts to do the work of self-reflection that might lead him to a slightly happier, more fulfilling existence, exposing him first to us and, at last, partially at least, to himself.
Lovely.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½
This short novel is a slight, bittersweet tale of an aimless chap drifting his way through life. Micah Mortimer is an uncomplicated man living an uncomplicated life in a small, uncomplicated world.
Then he is visited by a few of life’s minor complications, and in his inability to respond, he is granted another missed opportunity in a life full of missed opportunities. The book's pleasure is inching towards the revelation that he still has time to spare, but that action is required.
In the minor shocks delivered in the first third, Micah works his way through the aftershocks of these events. Slowly, he starts to do the work of self-reflection that might lead him to a slightly happier, more fulfilling existence, exposing him first to us and, at last, partially at least, to himself.
Lovely.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½
I needed something to read because I'd left my phone at home and had time to kill before some appointment or other (can't remember now what it was). So I popped into the local library and grabbed the first book I saw with an interesting cover. I have now been introduced to this author and will add another of her titles to my to-read list.
This is a nicely sympathetic story about a man who it would be easy to view unsympathetically. He's very much an "unexamined life", but is forced into thinking about himself and how he interacts with the world (and the people in it) when two things happen. The first is a total surprise - a visit from a lad who thinks he may be his father - and the second is when his girlfriend breaks up with him. Slowly these things impinge on his worldview.
Very nicely written!
This is a nicely sympathetic story about a man who it would be easy to view unsympathetically. He's very much an "unexamined life", but is forced into thinking about himself and how he interacts with the world (and the people in it) when two things happen. The first is a total surprise - a visit from a lad who thinks he may be his father - and the second is when his girlfriend breaks up with him. Slowly these things impinge on his worldview.
Very nicely written!
2.5 stars.
I like Anne Tyler but this was not her strongest book. The character of Micah is so woebegone. It's both endearing and frustrating. And the ending leaves a lot to be desired. On the plus side it's under 200 pages.
I like Anne Tyler but this was not her strongest book. The character of Micah is so woebegone. It's both endearing and frustrating. And the ending leaves a lot to be desired. On the plus side it's under 200 pages.
I always enjoy Anne Tyler’s novels. She keeps returning to one theme: that humans are quirky and odd, but you got to love ‘em, bless their hearts. She paints on a small canvas, concentrating on white middle-class Baltimoreans, the people she knows best. By focusing on small actions and detailed descriptions, she avoids being schmaltzy or trite.
In this novel, you have Micah Mortimer, a forty-something guy who has a little computer tech company, and also acts as the super of his building. He lives a very routine, controlled life, starting every day with an early morning jog. His small basement apartment is utilitarian, clean, and neat, because he has a domestic task for every day of the week. His family is large, extremely messy, and quite funny.
A little ways into the novel, Micah’s lover Cass breaks up with him, leaving him rather shocked and clueless about what went wrong. He gets a bit more information when he connects with an old girlfriend from his college days, and her teenage son, who has run away from home. The reader figures out Micah’s problem long before he does, but the author doesn’t belabor the point. As soon as she’s gotten him where he needs to be, the novel closes the door, ending on the word “happy”.
In this novel, you have Micah Mortimer, a forty-something guy who has a little computer tech company, and also acts as the super of his building. He lives a very routine, controlled life, starting every day with an early morning jog. His small basement apartment is utilitarian, clean, and neat, because he has a domestic task for every day of the week. His family is large, extremely messy, and quite funny.
A little ways into the novel, Micah’s lover Cass breaks up with him, leaving him rather shocked and clueless about what went wrong. He gets a bit more information when he connects with an old girlfriend from his college days, and her teenage son, who has run away from home. The reader figures out Micah’s problem long before he does, but the author doesn’t belabor the point. As soon as she’s gotten him where he needs to be, the novel closes the door, ending on the word “happy”.
Another good novel by Anne Tyler. I enjoy her quirky characters.
Not as impressed with this as I expected to be. Quick read, but the story never seemed to really go anywhere and the characters weren't particularly likeable.
Just a pleasurable, short read. Micah is a delightful character whom I felt immediate sympathy with. He doesn't do small talk and often misses social cues. A tech nerd who lives alone in a basement, but you can see that at heart he is kind, and really doesn't understand why people often find him exasperating. I liked the little vignettes and insights offered into his character in his interactions with Tech Hermit clients.
As in most Anne Tyler novels there's a large, chaotic family in the background but while she has the classic scene of a large family meal, she doesn't really delineate the characters -- they're a mass of undifferentiated sisters, brothers-in-law, children and grandchildren. It's really all about Micah and his gradual realisation that it's OK to make mistakes.
No masterpiece, but it's funny and touching, with a happy ending.
As in most Anne Tyler novels there's a large, chaotic family in the background but while she has the classic scene of a large family meal, she doesn't really delineate the characters -- they're a mass of undifferentiated sisters, brothers-in-law, children and grandchildren. It's really all about Micah and his gradual realisation that it's OK to make mistakes.
No masterpiece, but it's funny and touching, with a happy ending.
All the humor and quirky characters we've come to expect from Tyler, but nothing fresh.