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tophat8855's review against another edition
3.0
It probably deserves another star because it is well-written, but oh well.
This book will appeal to you if you are looking for a book to lazily read. The sentences go on and on without giving you a break and you have to be in a patient mind for that.
But there’s no giant plot. All the characters are amiable, just going about their lives. This is about a guy who lived in Chicago for a little over a year and just follows the things he does.
This book will appeal to you if you are looking for a book to lazily read. The sentences go on and on without giving you a break and you have to be in a patient mind for that.
But there’s no giant plot. All the characters are amiable, just going about their lives. This is about a guy who lived in Chicago for a little over a year and just follows the things he does.
algorithm0392's review against another edition
5.0
Picked this book up in Chicago and so glad I did. Very much an ode to the city, with really fun characters along the way — all the more impressive since they, and the city, are the main features in place of really any plot to speak of.
bklvr08's review
4.0
I randomly bought this book in January because it interested me and I wanted to read and buy a book I’ve never seen or heard of and this book was it. I enjoyed it, as a man who randomly moved to Chicago after school and explores what the city has to offer.
marijka's review
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
ali_oops's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars, Rounded down
A very character-driven novel, I struggled through the first 50 or so pages. I just didn't connect early on with our characters, especially Edward. It took a little getting used to. Needless to say, I finished the last 250 pages in one sitting the next day. I miss these characters already, especially Edward and the city, which became a character in and of itself.
I'm just a little younger than the narrator at the time of writing and am in school just north of Chicago (original home: Deep South). I nearly cried when he left Chicago. I love this city. Some things stick with you in ways you can't imagine. For me, Chicago is one of those cities and books. To be able to describe a place so eloquently through the eyes of others and oneself is an incredible thing. I felt myself in the narrator. An ultimate love letter to Chicago, this book is a one-of-a-kind journey, and if you love Chicago as much as I do, you'll feel that love in this book.
Side note: For those wondering, the plot occurs from September 1976 to December 1977 (the clues are in the baseball) in, I suspect, Boystown/Northalsted. Fun fact.
A very character-driven novel, I struggled through the first 50 or so pages. I just didn't connect early on with our characters, especially Edward. It took a little getting used to. Needless to say, I finished the last 250 pages in one sitting the next day. I miss these characters already, especially Edward and the city, which became a character in and of itself.
I'm just a little younger than the narrator at the time of writing and am in school just north of Chicago (original home: Deep South). I nearly cried when he left Chicago. I love this city. Some things stick with you in ways you can't imagine. For me, Chicago is one of those cities and books. To be able to describe a place so eloquently through the eyes of others and oneself is an incredible thing. I felt myself in the narrator. An ultimate love letter to Chicago, this book is a one-of-a-kind journey, and if you love Chicago as much as I do, you'll feel that love in this book.
Side note: For those wondering, the plot occurs from September 1976 to December 1977 (the clues are in the baseball) in, I suspect, Boystown/Northalsted. Fun fact.
shiloniz's review against another edition
4.0
I love Brian Doyle & though this wasn't my favorite of his books I still love it for all it's intrinsic Brian Doyle-ness.
brittelkins's review against another edition
4.0
Like a love letter to my favorite city, my home. Sometimes I would be in the middle of a chapter, and pause to look around, whether on the bus to work or laying by the lake, and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I get to live in the magical place written about in this book.
noahbw's review against another edition
5.0
Another Doyle wonder! I especially love the passages here about the importance of storytelling and (unrelated) the ways that this novel feels more than a little bit autobiographical.
katiedavis2244's review against another edition
5.0
my favorite book of all time- time 2 on the annual read
ellajay912's review
4.0
From the sweeping skyline to the characters who live there, this book is a love story to the city of Chicago.