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jenleah's review against another edition
1.0
The first half was pretty good. The next 2/3 were not so good, and the last third made me want to throw this book across the room.
robynryle's review against another edition
5.0
Such a beautiful, sad, intentional book about MEN. Not, men, as in men as stand-ins for all humanity, but men as men. Men as boys who are wounded by the process of growing up. About the horrible things we make men do in war and the horrible things men do to women and each other. About sons and mothers and sons and fathers. Just lovely and perfect.
spencergl's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome read!
A wonderful read! Brought back all sorts of memories from my time in the BSA. I thought it properly reflects the changes in the program through the years.
A wonderful read! Brought back all sorts of memories from my time in the BSA. I thought it properly reflects the changes in the program through the years.
readhikerepeat's review against another edition
5.0
Reviewed at The Book Wheel.
Few authors are able to strike at the hearts of a reader quite like Nickolas Butler. His first novel, Shotgun Lovesongs, was brilliant and put its finger on the pulse of a vein of American life in a way that neither glorified nor condemned life in a small town. In his latest, The Hearts of Men, Butler pours some of his own experiences into a novel about boy scouting, a lifetime of evolving friendship, and how our childhood experiences shape the adults we become.
Nelson didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. A small, timid boy with unpopular hobbies, he was often the target of summer camp cruelties. The one friend he did have, Jonathan, was fraught with the complications that come with being a teenage boy: fitting in while trying to stand out, being kind without being perceived as weak, and being yourself when individuality isn’t always valued. This was particularly true for Jonathan and Nelson, who spent their summers together at Boy Scout camp, where order and conformity ruled.
Under the starlit skies in Wisconsin, the two boys came of age side by side, but at the end of each summer they went their separate ways. For Nelson, this meant wrestling with his difficult home life and deciding who he wanted to be when he grew up. For Jonathan, who seemed to have it all, it meant setting aside expectations and becoming his own man.
The Hearts of Men follows Nelson, Jonathan, and their families throughout their lives. From their summers in Boy Scout camp to their early days as fathers to their twilight years, their relationship brings their own sons into the fold as they, too, head off to Boy Scout camp. As with real life, they encounter the struggles that come with growing up: seeing their parents as individuals, choosing a career, and deciding what kind of fathers they want to be.
There are parts of this book when my heart ached for the characters. Bullying takes place, and it’s clear that it leaves its mark on a person and can affect the arc of their life. But there’s also joy, particularly in the form of Wilbur, who sees the talent in people and roots it out of them, no matter how deeply it is buried.
Butler has, once again, done an amazing job of telling the story of people – everyday people – who, like many of us, carry our scars with us as we try to make it through each day. Because no matter how privileged someone appears to be, we all have our secret pains. I also loved the Gators references, but that’s because I grew up in Gainesville!
If you were looking for a book about someone who could be you, your neighbor, or your summer camp buddy, and aren’t afraid of the sticky situations brought into our lives by others, then pick up The Hearts of Men.
Few authors are able to strike at the hearts of a reader quite like Nickolas Butler. His first novel, Shotgun Lovesongs, was brilliant and put its finger on the pulse of a vein of American life in a way that neither glorified nor condemned life in a small town. In his latest, The Hearts of Men, Butler pours some of his own experiences into a novel about boy scouting, a lifetime of evolving friendship, and how our childhood experiences shape the adults we become.
Nelson didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. A small, timid boy with unpopular hobbies, he was often the target of summer camp cruelties. The one friend he did have, Jonathan, was fraught with the complications that come with being a teenage boy: fitting in while trying to stand out, being kind without being perceived as weak, and being yourself when individuality isn’t always valued. This was particularly true for Jonathan and Nelson, who spent their summers together at Boy Scout camp, where order and conformity ruled.
Under the starlit skies in Wisconsin, the two boys came of age side by side, but at the end of each summer they went their separate ways. For Nelson, this meant wrestling with his difficult home life and deciding who he wanted to be when he grew up. For Jonathan, who seemed to have it all, it meant setting aside expectations and becoming his own man.
The Hearts of Men follows Nelson, Jonathan, and their families throughout their lives. From their summers in Boy Scout camp to their early days as fathers to their twilight years, their relationship brings their own sons into the fold as they, too, head off to Boy Scout camp. As with real life, they encounter the struggles that come with growing up: seeing their parents as individuals, choosing a career, and deciding what kind of fathers they want to be.
There are parts of this book when my heart ached for the characters. Bullying takes place, and it’s clear that it leaves its mark on a person and can affect the arc of their life. But there’s also joy, particularly in the form of Wilbur, who sees the talent in people and roots it out of them, no matter how deeply it is buried.
Butler has, once again, done an amazing job of telling the story of people – everyday people – who, like many of us, carry our scars with us as we try to make it through each day. Because no matter how privileged someone appears to be, we all have our secret pains. I also loved the Gators references, but that’s because I grew up in Gainesville!
If you were looking for a book about someone who could be you, your neighbor, or your summer camp buddy, and aren’t afraid of the sticky situations brought into our lives by others, then pick up The Hearts of Men.
good_winter's review against another edition
4.0
Part 1 of this book was beautiful, following a boy scout named Nelson through a summer at camp. As generations pass in the other sections of the book, Nelson is still there in the background but was no longer the focus I wish that he was. Despite the disconnect I felt between the stories, get any of Nikolas Butler’s characters near a forest, a campfire, a sunset... and the writing is pure magic. His sincere appreciation for nature and love of Wisconsin is so deeply apparent. This author is pure gold, and I can’t wait to read the last of his novels he has released so far.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
5.0
A 2017 staff favorite recommended by Andrea, Jo, Ellen J. and Jean. Read Andrea's review at the Cook Library blog, Shelf Life: https://shelflife.cooklib.org/2017/03/07/andreas-pick-of-the-week-the-hearts-of-men-by-nickolas-butler/
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Shearts%20of%20men%20butler__Orightresult__U;jsessionid=E446E22EEB0CF654769C0537501CC04B?lang=eng
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Shearts%20of%20men%20butler__Orightresult__U;jsessionid=E446E22EEB0CF654769C0537501CC04B?lang=eng
wdanger's review against another edition
Unfortunately I can’t listen to this narrator
rheyman's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
abbys_book_corner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It took me a very long time to get into this book, and the writing style wasn’t for me.
However, the theme and message was just amazing and I loved the different parts with new POVs.
However, the theme and message was just amazing and I loved the different parts with new POVs.
bauermeyers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape