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hatrireads's review
2.0
I made my self read the whole book but I really didn’t like it.I think it was the dark subject matter and that the characters were not that endearing. I was drawn into the story but it just went on too long.
carolpk's review
5, no holds barred, stars for each and every page. At over 500 pages, Edgar and Lucy is a commitment but don’t let the numbers intimidate you. Victor Lodato’s words sing and you’ll be turning pages so rapidly, you’ll be finished, sorry that it has come to an end.
The Hook It could have been the title, Edgar and Lucy lacking pizzazz, that initially didn’t grab my attention. It might have been the somewhat bland cover that does make sense after reading the book. The positive reviews started didn’t sway me. I still wasn’t convinced that this was a book for me. Even knowing that Victor Lodato would be a featured author at Northshire Bookstore’s 2017 Booktopia Event didn’t hold any weight. What convinced me in the end was as simple as hearing the author describe his book and his share with his audience that one of his characters; Florence, was a combination of traits of his grandmothers, one Italian and one Polish. Perhaps not the best reason to pick up a book but I’m so glad I did.
The Line(s) So many flagged pages. I had to stop noting every single passage that struck me. I chose this simple phrase from among the many.
Grief loves innocence.”
The Sinker Here’s where it gets harder. How do I convince you to pick up Edgar and Lucy? The only way I can think to explain it is to imagine a dictionary filled with words. Nothing in themselves. Then imagine that same dictionary used with skill by someone who can arrange these into this impressive story. That's Victor Lodato, talent on a grand scale.
Victor Lodato read to his audience at Booktopia. These opening lines are the first of many passages that I loved:
Having a life meant having a story. Even at eight, Edgar knew this.
What he didn’t know was his own beginning. Newborn brains were mushy. If you wanted to how your life had started, you had to get this information from other people.
But what if these people were liars?
I kept falling asleep.” Said Lucy. She was speaking of Edgar’s birth. The boy liked this particular story, and so he made sure to roll his head in feigned boredom. “Even with all the pain, I was, like —“ Lucy opened her mouth and made a stupendous snore sound worthy of a cartoon character. “It was nearly three in the morning when you decided to show your face.”
She tossed back her hair and turned to the mirror. “And you didn’t make a fuss either. Doctor said he’s never seen a kid care less about being born. Slap, slap, and back to sleep.”
“And then they put me in the box, right? In the glass box, right?”
“Yup. Because you were so small. And you didn’t wake up for a week.”
“Size of a dinner roll, “ Lucy said with a slight shudder. “And so white, I thought you were a friggin’ ghost.”
Edgar and Lucy. Lucy and Edgar. These two are prominent characters yet not the only ones. There are others, just as important, perhaps more important and just as thoroughly written in detail, each playing their part to make this story complete. I loved Edgar and unlike some other reviewers, I even loved Lucy. I loved all the characters and didn't want to let them go.
You could call this a coming of age story set against the backdrop of a dysfunctional family, where mental illness, grief, and circumstance set in motion happenings beyond the control of this young boy. Edgar and Lucy is often humorous and might even be funny if not for its aching sadness. Do not miss it. It’s a gem.
The Hook It could have been the title, Edgar and Lucy lacking pizzazz, that initially didn’t grab my attention. It might have been the somewhat bland cover that does make sense after reading the book. The positive reviews started didn’t sway me. I still wasn’t convinced that this was a book for me. Even knowing that Victor Lodato would be a featured author at Northshire Bookstore’s 2017 Booktopia Event didn’t hold any weight. What convinced me in the end was as simple as hearing the author describe his book and his share with his audience that one of his characters; Florence, was a combination of traits of his grandmothers, one Italian and one Polish. Perhaps not the best reason to pick up a book but I’m so glad I did.
The Line(s) So many flagged pages. I had to stop noting every single passage that struck me. I chose this simple phrase from among the many.
Grief loves innocence.”
The Sinker Here’s where it gets harder. How do I convince you to pick up Edgar and Lucy? The only way I can think to explain it is to imagine a dictionary filled with words. Nothing in themselves. Then imagine that same dictionary used with skill by someone who can arrange these into this impressive story. That's Victor Lodato, talent on a grand scale.
Victor Lodato read to his audience at Booktopia. These opening lines are the first of many passages that I loved:
Having a life meant having a story. Even at eight, Edgar knew this.
What he didn’t know was his own beginning. Newborn brains were mushy. If you wanted to how your life had started, you had to get this information from other people.
But what if these people were liars?
I kept falling asleep.” Said Lucy. She was speaking of Edgar’s birth. The boy liked this particular story, and so he made sure to roll his head in feigned boredom. “Even with all the pain, I was, like —“ Lucy opened her mouth and made a stupendous snore sound worthy of a cartoon character. “It was nearly three in the morning when you decided to show your face.”
She tossed back her hair and turned to the mirror. “And you didn’t make a fuss either. Doctor said he’s never seen a kid care less about being born. Slap, slap, and back to sleep.”
“And then they put me in the box, right? In the glass box, right?”
“Yup. Because you were so small. And you didn’t wake up for a week.”
“Size of a dinner roll, “ Lucy said with a slight shudder. “And so white, I thought you were a friggin’ ghost.”
Edgar and Lucy. Lucy and Edgar. These two are prominent characters yet not the only ones. There are others, just as important, perhaps more important and just as thoroughly written in detail, each playing their part to make this story complete. I loved Edgar and unlike some other reviewers, I even loved Lucy. I loved all the characters and didn't want to let them go.
You could call this a coming of age story set against the backdrop of a dysfunctional family, where mental illness, grief, and circumstance set in motion happenings beyond the control of this young boy. Edgar and Lucy is often humorous and might even be funny if not for its aching sadness. Do not miss it. It’s a gem.
kategci's review
5.0
It was such a delight to be at Booktopia and listen to Victor Lodato speak about his new novel, Edgar and Lucy. I had read his first novel, Mathilda Savitch through my postal book club, and I was eager to read this new book. Very different than Mathilda Savitch, Edgar and Lucy is a family story, about how a family can overcome terrible times, remake itself and keep going. Young Edgar lives with his grandmother and mother in their very old house. He loves them both, but not always together; his grandmother is very protective and Lucy thinks the older woman coddles him too much. Difficult things continue to happen, but Lucy's toughness and Edgar's resilience lead them forward in new ways. Victor Lodato is a wonderful writer and Lucy and Edgar are two memorable, vivid characters who will stay with you for a long time.
lorettalucia's review
5.0
"Learning kindness late in life was a kind of torture. The pain often came from the past, from kindnesses withheld. The knife was particularly sharp when those who most deserved your kindness were long gone. And unless you want to die of sorrow, you had to give this unspent kindness to those you loved less."
Wow.
I'm not even positive where to begin. This book was not what I would call a pleasant read, but that was because I was so fully immersed into this world, so tensed by its occurrences, that the real world began to seem uninspiring by comparison.
Constantly changing and surprising--truly surprising--this book has the unpredictability only provided by master storytellers. At various points, I found myself sizing up the story thus far, trying to get a general shape of what I thought would happen next, and inevitably I was wrong. At times, it truly seems to have the feeling where it's so outlandish that it has to be true--because who would be able to come up with a story like that?
The characters are unique but lived in. The kind of people I would meet and think I could pigeonhole or stereotype pretty easily--after all, I've spent more than my fair share of time in New Jersey. But the author digs deeper, lifting up layer under layer. These people both fulfilled their stereotypes and transcended them.
The genre is impossible to define. Is it a thriller? A ghost story? With its beautiful and profound statements, is it experimental literary fiction? Or is it something else altogether, a story that simply needed to be told, working its will until it poured out of the author? All I know is that it will wiggle around in my head for quite a long time.
Somehow, through the use of baroque prose, the author turned the State of New Jersey into a land where ghosts, devils and angels fight over the fates of the living, where the wilds and paranormal are barely beaten back by the progress of human civilization, where mysteries will remain unsolved by science for generations or eons to come.
I loved this book. Really, I found it deeply unpleasant in many ways, messy as love can be, but my goodness did I love it.
5 very enthusiastic stars.
Wow.
I'm not even positive where to begin. This book was not what I would call a pleasant read, but that was because I was so fully immersed into this world, so tensed by its occurrences, that the real world began to seem uninspiring by comparison.
Constantly changing and surprising--truly surprising--this book has the unpredictability only provided by master storytellers. At various points, I found myself sizing up the story thus far, trying to get a general shape of what I thought would happen next, and inevitably I was wrong. At times, it truly seems to have the feeling where it's so outlandish that it has to be true--because who would be able to come up with a story like that?
The characters are unique but lived in. The kind of people I would meet and think I could pigeonhole or stereotype pretty easily--after all, I've spent more than my fair share of time in New Jersey. But the author digs deeper, lifting up layer under layer. These people both fulfilled their stereotypes and transcended them.
The genre is impossible to define. Is it a thriller? A ghost story? With its beautiful and profound statements, is it experimental literary fiction? Or is it something else altogether, a story that simply needed to be told, working its will until it poured out of the author? All I know is that it will wiggle around in my head for quite a long time.
Somehow, through the use of baroque prose, the author turned the State of New Jersey into a land where ghosts, devils and angels fight over the fates of the living, where the wilds and paranormal are barely beaten back by the progress of human civilization, where mysteries will remain unsolved by science for generations or eons to come.
I loved this book. Really, I found it deeply unpleasant in many ways, messy as love can be, but my goodness did I love it.
5 very enthusiastic stars.
hwintermute's review
2.0
This book was long winded. I had difficulty connecting to the characters — not a single character resonated with me. The end was unsatisfying- kind of like a balloon losing all of its air & going limp & that’s it.. no pop, no excitement, no feeling, just deflated. The author obviously knows how to write (hence the second star). This story was just boring though.
heartofoak1's review against another edition
4.0
beautiful prose, interesting story but a bit overly long and slightly confusing near the end. it's never good when i'm reading and thinking "when will this end?" would like to read other of lodato's work.
smderitis's review
4.0
I have so many feelings after reading this. The writing is rather beautiful, with the perfect balance of vivid and vague description that gives the reader a clear picture while also letting their imagination wander. It was so easy to become tied to Edgar, but took longer to warm up to Lucy; in the end, they're both such rich characters. The story is full of emotion, and plot twists, and really thought-provoking moments.
There were pieces that were very slow and drawn-out, though, and ultimately some areas that seemed too vague, almost confusing. Overall, a good read, but for someone dedicated to the story.
There were pieces that were very slow and drawn-out, though, and ultimately some areas that seemed too vague, almost confusing. Overall, a good read, but for someone dedicated to the story.
mjmreynolds's review
3.0
3.5 stars. It wasn't earth-shattering, but it was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the flawed characters and their journey.
sleightoffeet's review
3.0
3.5 actually. The writing is both beautiful, and careful to unfold just enough information at just the right time, but I didn't really enjoy the story. Some people find the beauty in a sad story, but I need a little more than a sad story to make it beautiful.
The characters were great, really well developed and I felt like I knew them all, but I didn't really like them as people (except for Edgar), and I found myself getting very angry at them. I will say that though I didn't really like Lucy, I really admire the author's ability to make me understand her and even have empathy for her at times.
I feel like I should like this book more, and maybe 20's me would have, as back then I loved a good sad story. Nowadays, I still read sad stories, but I prefer mine to have a little bit of hope glowing at the edges.
The characters were great, really well developed and I felt like I knew them all, but I didn't really like them as people (except for Edgar), and I found myself getting very angry at them. I will say that though I didn't really like Lucy, I really admire the author's ability to make me understand her and even have empathy for her at times.
I feel like I should like this book more, and maybe 20's me would have, as back then I loved a good sad story. Nowadays, I still read sad stories, but I prefer mine to have a little bit of hope glowing at the edges.