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gkelch's review against another edition
3.0
We just read this for my book club. It's the story of a man who gets something of a new perspective on his life, his town, and the people in it after surviving a serious accident. I enjoyed it, though the pace was a bit slow for my taste. It was well-written and I'd recommend if you like gentle stories about small towns or particularly enjoyed Harry's Trees.
jcgrenn_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant writing and masterful storytelling. The larger than life Tim Burtonesque characters, the ease of walking through the small town, the eerie Norse mythological feel of men taming winds and waters and lightning—all made for a novel that was a beautiful, enjoyable ride.
gayle_g's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Despite the unassuming name of the book - Virgil Wander - the descriptions of the place, the characters, and the events provide a rich mosaic for your imagination. To me it is a calming book to read when you are rattled. The book conveys a sense of community despite some character flaws. There are a couple characters that feel like outsiders - one might benefit from feeling accepted.; the other character has deeper, darker issues that take on a sinister tone.
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Virgil Wander' by Leif Enger is his first novel in ten years. His first novel 'Peace Like a River' is one of my favorites.
Virgil Wander has survived a car crash into an icy lake when we meet him. He has some cognitive and physical limits. This makes it hard to run the small movie theater he owns. He takes in a roommate in Rune, a man who builds kites and ponders the mystery of his missing son. The small town is full of other unusual, but real, characters, all suffering their own version of tragedies.
Leif Enger has way of creating affably memorable characters. In previous books, characters have gone on journeys. In this book, the journey is more internal and the quirky hard luck town becomes a character of its own. Loving a place and the oddball characters that inhabit it are what happens to Virgil Wander. We don't get many hints about his life before the accident, but this book feels like the character is born anew with a chance to rebuild his world.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Virgil Wander has survived a car crash into an icy lake when we meet him. He has some cognitive and physical limits. This makes it hard to run the small movie theater he owns. He takes in a roommate in Rune, a man who builds kites and ponders the mystery of his missing son. The small town is full of other unusual, but real, characters, all suffering their own version of tragedies.
Leif Enger has way of creating affably memorable characters. In previous books, characters have gone on journeys. In this book, the journey is more internal and the quirky hard luck town becomes a character of its own. Loving a place and the oddball characters that inhabit it are what happens to Virgil Wander. We don't get many hints about his life before the accident, but this book feels like the character is born anew with a chance to rebuild his world.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
kriscricket's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
egould1's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The author’s writing style is different than other books I’ve read - very evocative of a mood without spelling out exactly what has happened. It catches the reader up and kind of feels like a dream or trance. I thought the time we spent with Greenstone and its residents (and one visitor) was charming. However, the shift in tone during the last third of the book was a little abrupt and made it less dream-like. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
gmp's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
A luminous, beguiling, charming book. Virgil Wander drives his car off a cliff in his small Midwestern town; saved by am acquaintance, his new life becomes one of wonder and discovery. Virgil's brush with death leaves him with missing adjectives but new people in his life, including the widow, son, and father of the town's most famous resident, who vanished a dozen years before; the town's celebrity, an unsettling and manipulative man; and others. The entire novel is like a poem, something to be read and re-read and savored.
rebeconda's review against another edition
4.0
A deep and meandering novel, with characters you can’t help but love. Enger writes with a depth that draws you in to the heart of being human. This is a beautiful book.