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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I listened to this audiobook and like a lot about it. The author's notes reiterated what I thought when listening: I hadn't heard a story like this before. I didn't love its take on alcohol and some parts seemed a bit contrived, but I am thankful books like this exist and that I listened.
TW: The beloved elderly cat dies.
This was a lovely (mostly) comfort read for me, with the added benefit that I learned a little about gay history in the UK. All the characters were delightful and I enjoyed the audiobook narrator. The spoiler is that Gracie the cat, the only companion Albert has at the beginning of the book, dies in one of the early chapters. The somewhat lengthy description of the trip to the vet and Albert's grief hit close to home and I just BAWLED. But the good news is that there's not very much violence against people in the book, so it was primarily a cozy read about love and friendships.
This was a lovely (mostly) comfort read for me, with the added benefit that I learned a little about gay history in the UK. All the characters were delightful and I enjoyed the audiobook narrator. The spoiler is that Gracie the cat, the only companion Albert has at the beginning of the book, dies in one of the early chapters. The somewhat lengthy description of the trip to the vet and Albert's grief hit close to home and I just BAWLED. But the good news is that there's not very much violence against people in the book, so it was primarily a cozy read about love and friendships.
The best book I've read in a long time. Achingly heartwarming. May every anxious, lonely person find their community.
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death of parent
I didn’t feel invested in anyone but the cat and then the cat died. ):
There were a few spots where the prose felt a bit clunky and the author lacked subtlety in his messaging, but overall this was a nice, fun read about an endearing, elderly queer man coming into his own that manages to balance the tears with laughter. I look forward to reading more from Matt Cain!
This was a sweet story of an older man learning to open up and build community after keeping to himself for decades. The discussion guide in the book notes that one of Cain's aims with this book is to show how the world has changed (specifically for white gay men, I would say) in the past 50 years, and I think that was successful; I really loved the bonus interviews in the back with some gay men who grew up around the time Albert did in the book.
Although Albert's search for his long-ago love is the catalyst for the plot, that becomes almost incidental as the search draws Albert out into the greater community around him. The side characters are mostly caricatures, but Cain does give them a little depth as Albert gets to know them better. Personally, I liked the ending, which felt like a good balance of realistic and hopeful. I thought the secondary plot from Nicole's perspective worked slightly less well, and the book probably would have been just as good without the chapters switching to her perspective or if Cain had dedicated equal page time to her story.
As is often the case with gay cis men writing queer stories, the book participates in bi erasure in the sense that everyone who finds out Albert is searching for a male love immediately labels him as "gay." That wasn't that surprising, but it was disappointing.
On the whole, this was an uplifting read that I'm glad my book club selected for our discussion this month.
Although Albert's search for his long-ago love is the catalyst for the plot, that becomes almost incidental as the search draws Albert out into the greater community around him. The side characters are mostly caricatures, but Cain does give them a little depth as Albert gets to know them better. Personally, I liked the ending, which felt like a good balance of realistic and hopeful. I thought the secondary plot from Nicole's perspective worked slightly less well, and the book probably would have been just as good without the chapters switching to her perspective or if Cain had dedicated equal page time to her story.
As is often the case with gay cis men writing queer stories, the book participates in bi erasure in the sense that everyone who finds out Albert is searching for a male love immediately labels him as "gay." That wasn't that surprising, but it was disappointing.
On the whole, this was an uplifting read that I'm glad my book club selected for our discussion this month.