Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was surprised by how much I didn’t like this book, despite Towles’ consistent ability to create complex characters and beautiful scenes. It felt…surprisingly empty despite all the emotional impact. The lovable characters did not seem to grow or change those around them, while the morally ambiguous characters never seemed to resolve into anything more than acts of fate.
The ending felt unsatisfying, the journey felt disjointed, and the stories never seemed to wind together in a satisfying way.
The ending felt unsatisfying, the journey felt disjointed, and the stories never seemed to wind together in a satisfying way.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I started reading this in the airport and the woman next to me started talking about how much she loved the book but the characters were all difficult to root for and weren't "good" people or likeable and idk what she was talking about because I adored them. So fleshed out and vibrant. I felt quite connected to them
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved 'A Gentleman in Moscow' and was very much looking forward to this book. But while the writing was eloquent and insightful as I knew Towles could be, I just didn't enjoy this story.
First of all, the entire title is false advertising. You start the book and think, "Oh neat, these boys are going for an adventure along the Lincoln Highway." But no, that isn't what the book is about at all. It's one giant and frustrating detour from what should have been a Lincoln Highway road trip.
Maybe that's part of what makes it interesting, I dunno. I definitely got a lot of 'O Brother Where Art Thou' vibes throughout the entire novel, from the prison runaways to Pastor John (how could anyone not picture John Goodman's bible salesman in this character?).
I hated the ending. I hated what happened definitively to the characters who had an ending, and I hated that everyone else's ending was completely open-ended. I know some people like a story that leaves the outcome up to the imagination, but I like having loose ends tied up at the end of a novel. When I finished the book, it felt like there was no point to the 575 pages I had just read.
The writing was good, but the story was lackluster. 3.5 stars.
First of all, the entire title is false advertising. You start the book and think, "Oh neat, these boys are going for an adventure along the Lincoln Highway." But no, that isn't what the book is about at all. It's one giant and frustrating detour from what should have been a Lincoln Highway road trip.
Maybe that's part of what makes it interesting, I dunno. I definitely got a lot of 'O Brother Where Art Thou' vibes throughout the entire novel, from the prison runaways to Pastor John (how could anyone not picture John Goodman's bible salesman in this character?).
I hated the ending. I hated what happened definitively to the characters who had an ending, and I hated that everyone else's ending was completely open-ended. I know some people like a story that leaves the outcome up to the imagination, but I like having loose ends tied up at the end of a novel. When I finished the book, it felt like there was no point to the 575 pages I had just read.
The writing was good, but the story was lackluster. 3.5 stars.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a bit of a tough book for me to rate. It was an enjoyable read, especially the middle chunk of it as the characters are traveling on the way to New York. Because I read James just a month or two before reading this book, I got the sense of a Huckleberry Finn inspired story set 100 years in the future traveling by rail and road instead of rafting down the Mississippi. It had a similar sense of some really fun characters and side stories/adventures by boys coming of age while traveling.
At the same time, I didnt find the story to be all that satisfying. The main characters at times felt unbelievable in the way they talked and acted. Some of the transitions between chapters and perspectives were jarring to the point where it felt like I had skipped whole chapters to get to that point. I didnt really expect the story to ever get to a reunion with Billy and Emmetts mother in San Francsico, but I was sad to never see an interaction between Duchess. I found the ending to be particularly disappointing. I wasnt expecting Wooly and Duchess to travel to California and for things to be wrapped up neatly without consequences, but the last 20-30 pages felt like they had a lot of out of character and unnecessary actions that took away from the story for me.
At the same time, I didnt find the story to be all that satisfying. The main characters at times felt unbelievable in the way they talked and acted. Some of the transitions between chapters and perspectives were jarring to the point where it felt like I had skipped whole chapters to get to that point. I didnt really expect the story to ever get to a reunion with Billy and Emmetts mother in San Francsico, but I was sad to never see an interaction between Duchess. I found the ending to be particularly disappointing. I wasnt expecting Wooly and Duchess to travel to California and for things to be wrapped up neatly without consequences, but the last 20-30 pages felt like they had a lot of out of character and unnecessary actions that took away from the story for me.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes