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catsobvi's review against another edition
3.0
Initially, I found this book really funny. I listened to it while commuting to work, and spent a lot of time laughing out loud. For instance, I really enjoyed when Mitch was taking the test on 1984 and we heard his answers to the questions v. what he was really thinking. Yes, I think we might call the author too clever for his own good, but for something to listen to while driving it was really entertaining at the beginning. Then it gradually gets darker and darker. This is not a bad thing, though I did start to miss the laughs later in the story.
While the characters were amusing, I did not think they were very well-drawn. They all kind of sounded the same. I frequently had problems following who was speaking if their words weren't followed by some variation of "So-and-so said." And Mitch I found to be a pretty unconvincing teenager. He was way too sharp and insightful for what he was supposed to be.
The description for the book says that it asks the question "What does it mean to be normal?" I actually thought it was more looking at others' perception of ourselves v. the reality of who we are. Towards the end of the story, we get two new narrators: Mr. Laidlaw & Cubby Candy. Both of these are frequent characters throughout the story, but we only see them from others' perspectives. In their sections, however, we get their side of things. (I'm not sure that I really liked having those sections, but I get why they were there.) Another example is Horace. He fights for survival in the snowstorm because he's worried about what his friends will think if he dies out there. And then there's the article on Grendel that describes him in a way that contradicts what the readers know about him. Throughout the story we are faced with how a character is perceived or wants to be perceived and who they actually are. I really enjoyed this aspect.
What I did not enjoy was that ending. We knew something crazy was going to happen since it started with news about the snowstorm, but was it really necessary? I kind of wanted to cry when Mitch was lamenting the loss of his sister's football talent because there wouldn't be anyone else to tell her how great she was. While it was unpleasant having 2/3 of the characters who had narrated the story for us die, what I really disliked about the ending was how out of place it seemed. What was the point? It felt like he had no idea how to end the story, so, hey, let's have a huge snowstorm and kill some people.
While the characters were amusing, I did not think they were very well-drawn. They all kind of sounded the same. I frequently had problems following who was speaking if their words weren't followed by some variation of "So-and-so said." And Mitch I found to be a pretty unconvincing teenager. He was way too sharp and insightful for what he was supposed to be.
The description for the book says that it asks the question "What does it mean to be normal?" I actually thought it was more looking at others' perception of ourselves v. the reality of who we are. Towards the end of the story, we get two new narrators: Mr. Laidlaw & Cubby Candy. Both of these are frequent characters throughout the story, but we only see them from others' perspectives. In their sections, however, we get their side of things. (I'm not sure that I really liked having those sections, but I get why they were there.) Another example is Horace. He fights for survival in the snowstorm because he's worried about what his friends will think if he dies out there. And then there's the article on Grendel that describes him in a way that contradicts what the readers know about him. Throughout the story we are faced with how a character is perceived or wants to be perceived and who they actually are. I really enjoyed this aspect.
What I did not enjoy was that ending. We knew something crazy was going to happen since it started with news about the snowstorm, but was it really necessary? I kind of wanted to cry when Mitch was lamenting the loss of his sister's football talent because there wouldn't be anyone else to tell her how great she was. While it was unpleasant having 2/3 of the characters who had narrated the story for us die, what I really disliked about the ending was how out of place it seemed. What was the point? It felt like he had no idea how to end the story, so, hey, let's have a huge snowstorm and kill some people.
carlyghee's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kevinmitola's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
My first Klosterman novel. I failed to understand the point of the book and I wanted to give up on it multiple times. As sudden and random as the ending felt, it was probably the most interesting thing about the whole book.
laurensalisbury's review against another edition
2.0
As much as I wanted to enjoy this novel it was nearly impossible to the point of being hardly readable. I love Chuck Klosterman and his previous non-fiction works but his novelist fiction style leaves something to be desired. The story as a whole is weak and trite, but this is not the reason the book fails. The characters are interesting enough and likable, but the book lacks clarity and a driven plot. When the reader reaches the end of the book suddenly they are thrown into a whirlwind of activity and a tragedy they were not expecting due to the tone throughout the rest of the book. The novel ineffectively leads the reader through the story and shoves a tragic ending into the mix unexpectedly. That being said, the ending was what made this book worth the read and the two star rating. Without the ending the book is a complete flop, but the tragedy works for Klosterman enough to keep me reading.
sheilabookworm3369's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful, engaging, and then quietly tragic.
lolajoan's review against another edition
4.0
Charming, bittersweet, occasionally chuckle-out-loud funny. Vignettes connected only by place & time, with charmingly flawed characters and vivid descriptions of both external settings and internal processes.
katepiccolo's review against another edition
4.0
so far, loving this more than i expected. it's great.
literateworld's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
vanquishingvolumes's review against another edition
4.0
This book fed my Fredrik Backman loving heart without being a Fredrik Backman book...a story of a cast of characters in a little town with various motives and interests this “slice of life” story warmed my heart and broke it at the same time. I’m just saying...I fell in LOVE with Horace and I hope you do too. What a hell of a book this was, I’m so glad I purchased this as a surprise/mystery book from the lovely bibliomatter.com! A new favorite for sure!
amynbell's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most well-written books I've encountered this year. I will definitely be reading more Klosterman books in the future because I find him to be a great storyteller and character creator. In some ways, his writing reminds me of Douglas Coupland's post-modern pop culture tales.
Klosterman has created a fictitious small town in North Dakota named Owl and written about the people who lived there in 1983 and 1984. Like many small towns, there's no cable television, no movie theater, a few local bars, everyone knows everyone's business, and the most important thing is how the high school football team is doing. What do you do in a town like this to keep from going crazy? You just live.
Klosterman tells the story completely in 3rd person, but each chapter follows around a different character: Julia, a young female teacher new to the town; Mitch, a male high school student who is obsessed with getting the two toughest kids in school to fight; and Horace, an old man who has recently lost his wife. Klosterman leads you into each of their heads where you learn their deepest secrets (like how Horace was cheated out of his wife's insurance money). You also get to hear the town gossip (like which student the English professor is sleeping with).
Since I listened to this as a book-on-CD rather than reading it, I found myself trying to find excuses to ride in my car longer so that I could hear the end of the gossipy tales the characters were telling. Each chapter features a different voice actor depending on if the chapter focuses on Julia, Mitch, or Horace.
I especially enjoyed the first long conversation Julia had with the guy at the bar she'd developed a crush on. What made it unique was that Klosterman let us know, line by line, what each character said versus what they meant by what they said. I think he got it spot on for Julia despite being a male who has never been inside a woman's head before.
The ending was an extreme oh-my-god-what-the... type ending that I absolutely didn't expect. Everything leads to this and the reader doesn't know who will live or die.
I read enough that I really appreciate something different every now and then. Klosterman is my new Coupland.
Note: While I critique both purchased and free books in the same way, I'm legally obligated to tell you I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for my review. Blah blah blah.
Klosterman has created a fictitious small town in North Dakota named Owl and written about the people who lived there in 1983 and 1984. Like many small towns, there's no cable television, no movie theater, a few local bars, everyone knows everyone's business, and the most important thing is how the high school football team is doing. What do you do in a town like this to keep from going crazy? You just live.
Klosterman tells the story completely in 3rd person, but each chapter follows around a different character: Julia, a young female teacher new to the town; Mitch, a male high school student who is obsessed with getting the two toughest kids in school to fight; and Horace, an old man who has recently lost his wife. Klosterman leads you into each of their heads where you learn their deepest secrets (like how Horace was cheated out of his wife's insurance money). You also get to hear the town gossip (like which student the English professor is sleeping with).
Since I listened to this as a book-on-CD rather than reading it, I found myself trying to find excuses to ride in my car longer so that I could hear the end of the gossipy tales the characters were telling. Each chapter features a different voice actor depending on if the chapter focuses on Julia, Mitch, or Horace.
I especially enjoyed the first long conversation Julia had with the guy at the bar she'd developed a crush on. What made it unique was that Klosterman let us know, line by line, what each character said versus what they meant by what they said. I think he got it spot on for Julia despite being a male who has never been inside a woman's head before.
The ending was an extreme oh-my-god-what-the... type ending that I absolutely didn't expect. Everything leads to this and the reader doesn't know who will live or die.
I read enough that I really appreciate something different every now and then. Klosterman is my new Coupland.
Note: While I critique both purchased and free books in the same way, I'm legally obligated to tell you I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for my review. Blah blah blah.