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book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook performed by Don Leslie
From the book jacket: Aloft offers a reexamination of the American dream from the inside out, through the voice of Jerry Battle, a suburban middle-aged man who has lived his entire life on Long Island, New York. Battle’s favorite diversion is to fly his small plane solo; slipping away for quick flights over the Island, Jerry has been disappearing for years. Then a family crisis occurs, and Jerry finds he must face his disengagement in his relationships.
My Reactions:
Jerry Battle is the narrator of this character-driven novel. It is his unavailability – emotionally and physically – that colors all the relationships he has. He reflects on his deceased wife, Daisy, who is apparently bi-polar, and her death, but seems really not to understand (or want to face?) what really happened. His long-term live-in girlfriend has left him, though she is still a part of his family circle since she basically raised his children and they love her. He cannot seem to admit – to himself, or more importantly to Rita – how much he misses her, or how culpable he was in destroying their relationship.
He prides himself on how well he has handled his wife’s death, raised their children alone, and managed the family business, but he seems completely unaware of what is really going on. At times he behaves like a teenager – getting into ridiculous contest to prove to his ex-girlfriend, her current fiancé, and/or to himself that he is really THE ALPHA MALE. And then he’s perplexed by his own son’s need to prove the same … with a bigger house, fancier cars, etc.
My reactions to Jerry were as puzzling as his own reactions to what’s going on around him – I was angry, confused, frustrated, ready to give up, wanted to go on, and ultimately loved him and his family. I’ll definitely try another of Lee’s novels.
Don Leslie did a fine job performing the audio version. His inflection seemed to perfectly portray Jerry’s emotional distance, and tardy awakening.
From the book jacket: Aloft offers a reexamination of the American dream from the inside out, through the voice of Jerry Battle, a suburban middle-aged man who has lived his entire life on Long Island, New York. Battle’s favorite diversion is to fly his small plane solo; slipping away for quick flights over the Island, Jerry has been disappearing for years. Then a family crisis occurs, and Jerry finds he must face his disengagement in his relationships.
My Reactions:
Jerry Battle is the narrator of this character-driven novel. It is his unavailability – emotionally and physically – that colors all the relationships he has. He reflects on his deceased wife, Daisy, who is apparently bi-polar, and her death, but seems really not to understand (or want to face?) what really happened. His long-term live-in girlfriend has left him, though she is still a part of his family circle since she basically raised his children and they love her. He cannot seem to admit – to himself, or more importantly to Rita – how much he misses her, or how culpable he was in destroying their relationship.
He prides himself on how well he has handled his wife’s death, raised their children alone, and managed the family business, but he seems completely unaware of what is really going on. At times he behaves like a teenager – getting into ridiculous contest to prove to his ex-girlfriend, her current fiancé, and/or to himself that he is really THE ALPHA MALE. And then he’s perplexed by his own son’s need to prove the same … with a bigger house, fancier cars, etc.
My reactions to Jerry were as puzzling as his own reactions to what’s going on around him – I was angry, confused, frustrated, ready to give up, wanted to go on, and ultimately loved him and his family. I’ll definitely try another of Lee’s novels.
Don Leslie did a fine job performing the audio version. His inflection seemed to perfectly portray Jerry’s emotional distance, and tardy awakening.
hectaizani's review against another edition
4.0
I got this audio book from the clearance table at Half Price Books. I grab anything that looks even mildly interesting, sometimes I get lucky, sometimes not. This was one of the lucky times. I really enjoyed this story of a 60ish widower and the trials and tribulations of his family. Set in Long Island, NY and the surrounding areas it gave me a welcome reminder of home.
cck13's review against another edition
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a_novel_femme's review against another edition
1.0
in general, i have big issues with chang-rae lee, a writer who tries to squash the verbosity of fitzgerald and the taciturn masculinity of hemingway into one voice that wants to preach on how hard it is to be surrounded by difficult asian and/or korean and/or korean american and/or white women all the time. in fact, i could write this exact same thing for his other two novels and it would still hold true.
at least a gesture life and native speaker rouse me to debate others on how much they irk me at times; with aloft, i just kept falling asleep.
at least a gesture life and native speaker rouse me to debate others on how much they irk me at times; with aloft, i just kept falling asleep.
vivelaviv's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
debr's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully written, human and humane book about mortality, family, and navigating the strange journey of life. Chang-rae Lee is exquisitely sensitive to the human condition, and handles his characters with great love and respect. Just lovely.
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
Written quite sensitively and was quite endearing about the troubles of a dysfunctional (but normal!) family and how they rise above it. The ending was quite bittersweet and I enjoyed it as a whole.
juniperusxx's review against another edition
4.0
Pidin kirjailijan kerrontatavasta tosi paljon, ihana uusi kirjailijatuttavuus. Päähenkilö oli kanssani juuri samanikäinen, lieneekö sekin vaikuttanut siihen, että tapa tarkastella elämää tuntui kovin tarkkanäköiseltä? Olen vihainen siitä, että kirjan kansikuva on näin lattea ja väritön, suorastaan harhaanjohtava. Kannen vuoksi lykkäsin kirjaan tarttumista vuosia, eikä kannen perusteella voisi ikinä arvata, että kirjan kieli on värikästä, elämää pursuavaa ja hauskaakin. Täytyypä googlailla, onko tältä korealaissyntyiseltä kirjailijalta suomennettu yhtään muuta teosta.
msjoanna's review against another edition
3.0
This book is the story of a soon-to-be sixty year old father, boyfriend, widower, and son. The story tells the intimate and inner thoughts of the main character. The characters are well developed, the thoughts are insightful, the writing is good. The book reminds me of the writing of Richard Russo -- the somewhat sad story of an ordinary man with an ordinary life where not everything had worked out the way he might have hoped. Reading the inner monologue of Jerry Battle as he struggles to reach out to his family and girlfriend and as he fights against his tendency to just float along distantly, I felt frustrated and sad for the main character. The author managed to bring me into the head of the protagonist. Somehow, though, rather than feeling inspired by the efforts of the protagonist, I just felt defeated and deflated.