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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This book had me feeling torn. I finished this book loathing the protagonist despite reading certain passages that I related to. Those feelings of wanting to escape your hometown and the common discriminations and close-mindedness of family and friends. I just hope I wasn't as insufferable as Owen in my most "I got to get out of this town" moments when I was younger. I kept waiting for Owen to mature and maybe look back and see how the people from his home have shaped him into who he has become and that those same people genuinely care about him. Maybe the instant arguments and conflict are done to show the tense nature of family dynamics after the 2016 election but it seemed overdone and, if anything, a flaw in Owen's character to suddenly discard any and all positive aspects of these people due to who they may had voted for. (Yes, I know how someone votes says a lot about themselves and it has become increasing difficult to have actual discourse with someone with opposing views but we got to keep trying, right?)
The protagonist and his love interest, Alma, also had moments of being annoying in that they seem to be the quintessential hipsters who have to present themselves as having better taste and opinions than everyone else. The same ones that look down on even the people they are most like and wish to surround themselves with compared to others (especially those on the opposite end of the political spectrum). I definitely wondered if their necks were hurting from looking down on everyone while on their high horse.
Despite these quarrels, I was sucked into the story and the writing. There are some beautiful passages in here and the spiritual journey of Owen as he tries to figure out his life along with navigating his relationship with his family, friends, and Alma definitely felt real. I also wish there was more with some supporting characters like Cort, James, and Rando as toward the end of the book they are given their small bit of closure and then are gone.
I do need to say something about the characterization of Western Kentucky and Paducah, since I am from there. Yes, there are a lot of conservative folks in this Republican state (surprise!). However, there is also a large group of people in the area that are not. People who do not agree with the majority and would likely had made up the entire friend group of Owen. Yet, this book is written as if they do not exist. I'm not sure if this was a publisher choice to really drive in the point of where Owen was from or if it reflects the feeling of shocked defeat that those people felt after the election. Perhaps rendered silent in defeat. I do not know.
This is definitely a book I complained about yet also made me contemplate and reflect. For that, I'm thankful for it being written.
The protagonist and his love interest, Alma, also had moments of being annoying in that they seem to be the quintessential hipsters who have to present themselves as having better taste and opinions than everyone else. The same ones that look down on even the people they are most like and wish to surround themselves with compared to others (especially those on the opposite end of the political spectrum). I definitely wondered if their necks were hurting from looking down on everyone while on their high horse.
Despite these quarrels, I was sucked into the story and the writing. There are some beautiful passages in here and the spiritual journey of Owen as he tries to figure out his life along with navigating his relationship with his family, friends, and Alma definitely felt real. I also wish there was more with some supporting characters like Cort, James, and Rando as toward the end of the book they are given their small bit of closure and then are gone.
I do need to say something about the characterization of Western Kentucky and Paducah, since I am from there. Yes, there are a lot of conservative folks in this Republican state (surprise!). However, there is also a large group of people in the area that are not. People who do not agree with the majority and would likely had made up the entire friend group of Owen. Yet, this book is written as if they do not exist. I'm not sure if this was a publisher choice to really drive in the point of where Owen was from or if it reflects the feeling of shocked defeat that those people felt after the election. Perhaps rendered silent in defeat. I do not know.
This is definitely a book I complained about yet also made me contemplate and reflect. For that, I'm thankful for it being written.
Two rules to make it to the end of a book: well-written or good plot. This was a struggle as the story wasn't all that gripping. The first-person story being told by a writer should make the prose engaging and it was for the most part. The ending was off-beat but the next page revealed the author had gone to the Iowa writers workshop. Coincidence?
One irritation that never resolved: central character found a minimum-wage job on a tree crew at a college. Author seemed to know a lot about tree work and we got glimpses of it and the central character's noting of trees throughout. However, can't square the belittling of his job with the specialized nature of an arborist who straps on the harnesses and climbs the trees. That is a skill and not an entry-level if-you-can't-find-anything-else type of job.
One irritation that never resolved: central character found a minimum-wage job on a tree crew at a college. Author seemed to know a lot about tree work and we got glimpses of it and the central character's noting of trees throughout. However, can't square the belittling of his job with the specialized nature of an arborist who straps on the harnesses and climbs the trees. That is a skill and not an entry-level if-you-can't-find-anything-else type of job.
Bits of normality strung together into a life anyone could see themselves in. So filled with details of the area and time, so easy to relate.
The best thing I’ve read in a long time. Literally couldn’t put it down.
For those of us who live in Louisville, this was a fun read with recognizable streets, bars, restaurants and parks sprinkled throughout. But the story takes a deep dive into class and relationships, as Owen Callahan and Alma Hadzic navigate the difficulty of meshing their different backgrounds into a present day relationship. Owen grew up in rural Kentucky. Amazingly, in spite of some serious drug use, Owen graduated from college, and then he drifted from one menial job to another. His divorced parents were often perplexed with his choice of becoming a writer, but their love for him never wavered. Eventually, penniless, Owen ends up living in his grandfather's basement and working as a groundskeeper at a small liberal arts college, taking one free writing class. He meets Alma, who is a Bosnian refugee. She and her parents moved to the Washington, DC area, where they worked hard to assimilate and thrive. Alma graduated from Princeton and now has a job as writer-in-residence at this small Kentucky college. Owen and Alma's relationship is fraught with landmines. Their backgrounds and motivations are so different, it's hard to see how their relationship will survive. The pace of the novel is a little slow, but the writing is wonderfully descriptive.
emotional
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:
Yes
First book in a LONG time that I had to just keep reading. Read it in two days. Loved the voice and story.
I don’t even k ow where I heard about this book from.
I don’t even k ow where I heard about this book from.
This book echoes what it says about its protagonist's writing — very well written, they also a little hollow.
This is very well written, very literary, a bit slow moving, but overall an enjoyable read.