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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
So many mixed feelings about this book. I didn't WANT to like it as much as I did. Almost feel embarrassed at how much I enjoyed this read.
Clever, fast paced writing that at times felt like a grown up version of a Junie B Jones book.
I was so frustrated by the main characters and their seemingly helplessness in coping with the consequences of their choices. Aside from Rusty, the 12 year old, they seem powerless to act but float along being acted upon.
Not a satisfying ending, I'm looking at you Trish, but not a surprise and completely in character.
Clever, fast paced writing that at times felt like a grown up version of a Junie B Jones book.
I was so frustrated by the main characters and their seemingly helplessness in coping with the consequences of their choices. Aside from Rusty, the 12 year old, they seem powerless to act but float along being acted upon.
Not a satisfying ending, I'm looking at you Trish, but not a surprise and completely in character.
Well, this is not a light read and it took some time for the story to devlop for me but it is necessary to have such the build up (there are a lot of characters in this book).
Brady Udall's The Lonely Polygamist is the story of Golden Richards, his four wives, and their 28 children. Though the story has many characters, the book follows mainly 3: Golden, the father; Trish, his most recent wife; and Rusty, aka: Son #5 and 'the family terrorist.'
Golden, 45-years-old, is a general contractor. He's lied to his wives and told them he's working in Nevada to build an 'old folks home' when he's really building a brothel. While there, he meets a woman and begins having an affair of sorts. He spends the story lying, covering up his lies, and mourning the loss of a very special daughter.
Trish, 27-years-old, is Wife #4. She's struggling with the life she's chosen and dealing with her most recent loss - a baby carried full term who dies right before she gives birth. Disappointed with a husband who is never around, fighting for his attention, dealing with petty disputes between the sister wives; she feels left out most of the time.
Rusty, 11-years-old, is constantly picked on and taunted by his siblings. Wanting desperately for someone to notice him, he spends most of his time banished to 'the tower' where he mourns being away from his mother, his foot odor problem, and his gray underwear full of holes.
The book is both sad and funny. I spent the first half of the book just laughing, and then while I read the second half, I felt almost bad for laughing so much. Overall, a different perspective on life and loss. It's incredibly well-written and I have to give Udall TONS of praise for actually giving each character a character. There are 28 kids, 5 adults and a dog in JUST this polygamistic family - yet they each can be picked out and you come away from reading knowing a little bit about them all (more about some, of course). There are other characters in there: church members, construction workers, a brothel owner, neighbors, and even an ostrich. Udall put alot of work into his characters and I think the characters along with exceptional writing is the reason this book shines.
Golden, 45-years-old, is a general contractor. He's lied to his wives and told them he's working in Nevada to build an 'old folks home' when he's really building a brothel. While there, he meets a woman and begins having an affair of sorts. He spends the story lying, covering up his lies, and mourning the loss of a very special daughter.
Trish, 27-years-old, is Wife #4. She's struggling with the life she's chosen and dealing with her most recent loss - a baby carried full term who dies right before she gives birth. Disappointed with a husband who is never around, fighting for his attention, dealing with petty disputes between the sister wives; she feels left out most of the time.
Rusty, 11-years-old, is constantly picked on and taunted by his siblings. Wanting desperately for someone to notice him, he spends most of his time banished to 'the tower' where he mourns being away from his mother, his foot odor problem, and his gray underwear full of holes.
The book is both sad and funny. I spent the first half of the book just laughing, and then while I read the second half, I felt almost bad for laughing so much. Overall, a different perspective on life and loss. It's incredibly well-written and I have to give Udall TONS of praise for actually giving each character a character. There are 28 kids, 5 adults and a dog in JUST this polygamistic family - yet they each can be picked out and you come away from reading knowing a little bit about them all (more about some, of course). There are other characters in there: church members, construction workers, a brothel owner, neighbors, and even an ostrich. Udall put alot of work into his characters and I think the characters along with exceptional writing is the reason this book shines.
I feel like the author got a few of the details about the characters mixed up in this book. I feel like he was starting to get confused about who lived where(like the part where he was saying which of the three stooges lived where and how old they were). I feel like as the author he should've taken the extra effort to get that right. It took me a long time to grasp the fact that this book is not set in the present(the mention of Jimmy Carter being president). I feel like it would have been nice if the author had made that clear a bit earlier in the book. I didn't really love the ending of this book so much. It was really interesting at first(i.e. Rusty's death, family all moving in together, whether or not Trisha would decide to leave), but I just wish it had ended differently. With Golden not marrying Huila, it almost just makes it seem like his affair with her was for nothing. The ending of this book is the reason it gets 3 stars. I feel like the author could have come up with something a bit more creative.
okay... about ⅓ of the way through this book and i am just not into it. did note a couple of funny lines, but it feels purposeless. and i truly don't care where it goes or if it improves later on in the story. i feel badly about feeling this way toward the book because it was highly recommended to me, and several of my GR friends have rated it highly. perhaps it's my mood and it will work better at a different time? for now, it's going on the DNF shelf (did not finish). i just have way, way too many other unread books on my shelves clamouring for attention.
This book probably deserves 4 stars, but I really didn't like the main character and I think I'd rather be watching Big Love. In any case, it's an interesting book and wasn't boring, but for me, it wasn't as good as I had hoped.
4.5 Stars. Beautiful prose, great characters. I loved it.
Another book that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! Even though the book did not end at all the way I wanted it to, it was a very enjoyable read. I've always been fascinated by the subject matter (though I could never be a sister wife) I was unsure about this book. While it started a little slow, it became engrossing quickly. The stories of the rich, flawed, unique characters drew me right in. My favorite character was Rusty, but I also felt a surprising kinship with Trish. A great read, one I recommend for anyone looking for something a little off the beaten path.
Very good and sad; I don't really want to hear anything more about polygamy for a while.