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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
Wow. Another wonderful read from Amor Towles. Fabulous quirky cast with beautiful writing pulling together a truly immersive story. Highly Recommended
I am a Amor Towles "fangirl." I cannot get over the beauty and craft in his books. I read this novel purely out of a love for the author, not having much interest in the actual plot. And you know what? This book totally worked for me. I found myself immersed in the story and caring about the characters despite my initial impressions. There is just something about Towles' writing style that draws me in and doesn't let go. A rare thing for an author to be able to get me to read about a subject that doesn't interest me with such utter fascination. A literary road trip novel with well-developed characters that leap off the page, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY deserves much of the same acclaim of its predecessor A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. Although "MOSCOW" is undoubtedly my favorite, I really appreciated "LINCOLN" for the 'great American novel' vibe and it's plucky story of adventure and mischief.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Six hundred pages flash by as fast as a cross-country trip in a 1950s car with a newly souped-up engine in this road novel set in post-war America. I've read three or four books with similar themes in the last few years, stories of people with midwestern roots finding themselves traveling the iconic ways of our country, invoking mythical journeyers and masters of Americana. I truly enjoyed this book; of Towles's three novels, this is my second favorite. It is not as amazing as A Gentleman in Moscow, a book with sparkling sentences and character tells and dialogue. But it is great with characters. There are the Nebraskans: Emmet, A young ex-con who landed an unlucky punch against a bully; Billy, his 10-year-old brother who is a fount of knowledge and plans and earnestness and questions; and Sally, the local farmer's daughter who cares for Billy during his brother's incarceration and may be forgiven for seeming to carry a torch for Emmet. There are the New Yorkers, a pair of Emmet's prisonmates: Wooly, scion of an old-money family whose ditziness and lostness earn him a trip to the work camp, and Dutchess, a boy abandoned by his alcoholic, floozie-chasing, itinerant actor father after he's imparted the basics of a scam, a lot of lines of poetry and Shakespeare, and a penchant for quick (illegal) solutions to problems. The prisonmates lead Billy and Emmet away from their intended move West, bringing them into contact with all manner of near-legends. One special delight is Billy's well-read book of 25 heroes, from which he reads to all and sundry and whose author begins the book with reference to his office on the 55th floor of the Empire State Building. So much legend coming to life, so much flimflammery. I quibble with the ending--perhaps the final pages should have been swapped with the penultimate scenes. But this is an enjoyable book, and I recommend it to those who want a big but fast read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
This is a fantastic book told from the different points of views of the people in the story. So much of this is about consequences of choices that were made without forethought of what would happen. It is a sweet story too about brothers and friends. Also a little bit about starting over.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
I was surprised how quickly I got through this. Very interesting story and complex characters. Lots of reviews hate Duchess, but I think there's more to him and I felt somewhat sympathetic towards him. The ending wasn't quite what I wanted or expected.