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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
But memory doesn't let go of us. We can no more choose to put away the past than we can cease to breathe and go on living....the old sins and scars come to reclaim us.
The Fortunate Ones
Ed Tarkington
•
I've had my eyes on The Fortunate Ones for some time because Southern fiction is my thing. But I was leery because I have been so let down by hyped books. And then I began hearing comparisons to Pat Conroy, and I became even more intrigued, and more skeptical. For me, Pat Conroy "wrote the book" on modern southern literature and when anyone puts him in the same sentence with another author, they better be able to back it up.
•
And I am happy (and somewhat shocked) to report that this book brings me hope for the future of southern lit. I should start by saying I listened to this, and the narrator (MacLeod Andrews) is absolutely fantastic and I do believe part of my adoration lay in hearing his southern accent read to me. But I've said before no narrator can save weak writing. The Fortunate Ones has all the earmarks of good southern stories: the past and how it haunts us, class, race and social status, memory, family, and of course there must be gorgeous and lyrical prose. And it's all there.
•
There were so many times during this book (and it is relatively short - about 300 pages or 8 hours of listening) that I found myself recalling themes from Conroy's novels. The problematic mother/son relationship, class and social status are two that Conroy used frequently and Tarkington does as well. At certain moments his writing did feel very reminiscent of Conroy, and I do not hand that compliment out easily.
•
And while there will never be another Pat Conroy, I now hold out hope for my beloved southern lit and I surely hope that Tarkington plans to write again.
The Fortunate Ones
Ed Tarkington
•
I've had my eyes on The Fortunate Ones for some time because Southern fiction is my thing. But I was leery because I have been so let down by hyped books. And then I began hearing comparisons to Pat Conroy, and I became even more intrigued, and more skeptical. For me, Pat Conroy "wrote the book" on modern southern literature and when anyone puts him in the same sentence with another author, they better be able to back it up.
•
And I am happy (and somewhat shocked) to report that this book brings me hope for the future of southern lit. I should start by saying I listened to this, and the narrator (MacLeod Andrews) is absolutely fantastic and I do believe part of my adoration lay in hearing his southern accent read to me. But I've said before no narrator can save weak writing. The Fortunate Ones has all the earmarks of good southern stories: the past and how it haunts us, class, race and social status, memory, family, and of course there must be gorgeous and lyrical prose. And it's all there.
•
There were so many times during this book (and it is relatively short - about 300 pages or 8 hours of listening) that I found myself recalling themes from Conroy's novels. The problematic mother/son relationship, class and social status are two that Conroy used frequently and Tarkington does as well. At certain moments his writing did feel very reminiscent of Conroy, and I do not hand that compliment out easily.
•
And while there will never be another Pat Conroy, I now hold out hope for my beloved southern lit and I surely hope that Tarkington plans to write again.
This is exactly the type of book I love: rich character development, set over multiple decades, with passionate themes of lost love, suppressed love, and unconditional love.
Content warnings: suicide, infant death, abortion
Content warnings: suicide, infant death, abortion
3.5 stars. Didn't enjoy this one quite as much as his debut novel, which I really liked. For me, the Nashville characters felt too stereotyped but perhaps that wouldn't be the case from someone not immersed in the city.
This novel has a very Gastby-esque framework of an outsider telling the story of others at a slight remove. I found the prose very readable and the story well-paced but nothing particularly compelling in this for me.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
This book is one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time. The author's skill allows this (very loose IMHO) retelling of The Great Gatsby to really shine. This book, although about a white boy who comes to live among the elite of Nashville, still manages to touch on controversial subjects (race, class, LGBTQ) without either being heavy handed or too trite. The main character is developed so well - he is introspective and sees the "wrongness" about his new life among the elite, but knows that he is too drawn in by it to rebel against it.
Five words to describe this book: beautiful writing, social commentary, coming-of-age
This book is one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time. The author's skill allows this (very loose IMHO) retelling of The Great Gatsby to really shine. This book, although about a white boy who comes to live among the elite of Nashville, still manages to touch on controversial subjects (race, class, LGBTQ) without either being heavy handed or too trite. The main character is developed so well - he is introspective and sees the "wrongness" about his new life among the elite, but knows that he is too drawn in by it to rebel against it.
Five words to describe this book: beautiful writing, social commentary, coming-of-age
I got totally sucked into this world of money, prestige and a whole lot of secrets and lies. I love this type of story about people never being what they seem on the outside and peeling back all of those layers. And poor, poor Charlie, I felt so bad for him and feel like he never quite gets what he yearns for. And some lessons he learned too late. I'm glad this one was recommended because I normally wouldn't have chosen it myself.