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alexisgarcia's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
the first part of this, i absolutely loved. i loved his interactions with the members of the senior center, trying to figure out what to do with his time since being retired, etc.
but what in the world was the whole rest of the book??? a good portion of the synopsis of the plot centered around the current events of his life, but that was barely apart of the actual book. the rest was incredibly out of left field and just too whimsical and pointless for me. i cannot believe i got through this book. the characters were very flat and underwhelming and there never seemed to be an established plot. this was incredibly disappointing.
but what in the world was the whole rest of the book??? a good portion of the synopsis of the plot centered around the current events of his life, but that was barely apart of the actual book. the rest was incredibly out of left field and just too whimsical and pointless for me. i cannot believe i got through this book. the characters were very flat and underwhelming and there never seemed to be an established plot. this was incredibly disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual content, Grief, and Toxic friendship
daniellekat's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Marking this as finished but I stopped at about 50% (near the end of part 2) and just skipped to the final part (part 4). I really wanted to like this. The first part was interesting and charming but I hated everything that came after it. I never wanted to pick this up but chugged along hoping it would all come together. The writing was good enough to keep me engaged and there were some witty moments, but overall this was just boring. I skipped to the end (returning to the 'present day' section of the novel) hoping that the slog would be worth it....thank god I didn't commit the time to actually getting to the end. This moved so slowly and the pay off was definitely not worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident
jodar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The novel is a bit all over the place, from melancholy and sorrow to romantic love and humorous fun and silliness. And I think that is the point: this is a life as really lived, with its exciting, boring, heartwarming and emotionally distant times.
The MC is unusual as a protagonist in being highly introverted and, for much of his life, more or less happily self-sufficient. It is the characters around him that bring most of the light and colour to the story. The novel does seem to drag for quite some time during periods of the MC’c life; however, that becomes an understandable contrast to other times in his life when he moves beyond a largely solitary existence. What I found satisfying is the MC’s character remains consistent and believable, even after he reaches out to others – both as a child and late in life. And he is open to life experiences and kindly to others whose personalities and attitudes differ widely from his own. He has his own internal strengths and isn’t a ‘victim’ when life events are harsh towards him.
One aspect I found lacking was more detail about his experiences when he was a librarian. We read that in later life he looked back at his work with pride:
The MC is unusual as a protagonist in being highly introverted and, for much of his life, more or less happily self-sufficient. It is the characters around him that bring most of the light and colour to the story. The novel does seem to drag for quite some time during periods of the MC’c life; however, that becomes an understandable contrast to other times in his life when he moves beyond a largely solitary existence. What I found satisfying is the MC’s character remains consistent and believable, even after he reaches out to others – both as a child and late in life. And he is open to life experiences and kindly to others whose personalities and attitudes differ widely from his own. He has his own internal strengths and isn’t a ‘victim’ when life events are harsh towards him.
One aspect I found lacking was more detail about his experiences when he was a librarian. We read that in later life he looked back at his work with pride:
Now he understood how lucky he had been to have inhabited his position [of librarian]. Across the span of nearly fifty years he had done a service to his community and also been a part of it… (Part 4, “2006”)
Also missing is exactly how his internal world of reading impinged on his internal and external existence, given how important it was to him:
Bob was quiet within the structure of himself, walled in by books and the stories of the lives of others. It sounded sad whenever he considered it, but actually he was happy, happier than most, so far as he could tell.… his reading … was a living thing, always moving, eluding, growing, and he knew it could not end, that it was never meant to end. (Part 1, “2005–2006”)
Somehow for me while it is not a perfect novel, by the end it had pleasantly surprised me by its emotional complexity and it is one I may well reread again one day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent and Violence
leanniefae's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I received an audio arc through Netgalley. This was my first audiobook arc, thanks, publisher and netgalley.
I don't read a lot of fiction like this. So here's a link to a review that explains my feelings perfectly :
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f637ef62-0491-413b-8cde-c6d487df08cb
I don't read a lot of fiction like this. So here's a link to a review that explains my feelings perfectly :
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f637ef62-0491-413b-8cde-c6d487df08cb
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Car accident, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
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