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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
Definitely would have been better read, not listened to. Was still dry Southern lit exploring human nature
This was pretty good, I definitely enjoyed it. The narrator is not likeable, although he is trying. He thinks terrible things about all the people around him and is pretty nasty, yet he has many of the same flaws. He thinks everyone is fat, has issues with women, can’t make small talk. But he loves his dog, so how bad can he be??
I liked this book. Maybe not as much as I hoped. It was a bit predictable in a modern literature kind of way. However, the writing was very good. I think this might have worked better as a short story or novella, but it was okay as a novel too.
I got to the end of this and wasn't fully sure of the point (or maybe I was just surprised it never took the tragic direction I was expecting and didn't see a hopeful end coming?) but was captivated throughout nonetheless. Shades of Ignatius J. Reilly as expertly written by a much younger woman.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. This is a quick read that immediately engaged me but as I read on I felt it dragged a bit without a lot of point.
Louis McDonald is a recently retired, recently divorced man living alone and not doing a very good job of it. He drinks too much, doesn't eat well and doesn't know how to have a relationship with his adult daughter. One day he makes a wrong turn and somehow ends up with a dog , which eventually brings the dog's former/current owner into his life.
Louis is not a likeable character, which I don't mind in a book ( I loved Olive Kittredge) but his behaviors and the plot around them don't make sense. Women are unreasonably attracted to him, which may be because he seems easy to take advantage of, but that is unclear. His ex brother-in-law stops by regularly to bring him leftover food, which leads you to believe Louis must have some redeeming qualities for someone to maintain that relationship, but again that is unclear. Louis had a long-term marriage to a seemingly normal, loving woman and as a reader I was left to wonder why.
In the end I made my own conclusion that Louis might be on the spectrum and was probably depressed due to the divorce. I enjoy reading books that delve into the why of something and this one just missed.
Louis McDonald is a recently retired, recently divorced man living alone and not doing a very good job of it. He drinks too much, doesn't eat well and doesn't know how to have a relationship with his adult daughter. One day he makes a wrong turn and somehow ends up with a dog , which eventually brings the dog's former/current owner into his life.
Louis is not a likeable character, which I don't mind in a book ( I loved Olive Kittredge) but his behaviors and the plot around them don't make sense. Women are unreasonably attracted to him, which may be because he seems easy to take advantage of, but that is unclear. His ex brother-in-law stops by regularly to bring him leftover food, which leads you to believe Louis must have some redeeming qualities for someone to maintain that relationship, but again that is unclear. Louis had a long-term marriage to a seemingly normal, loving woman and as a reader I was left to wonder why.
In the end I made my own conclusion that Louis might be on the spectrum and was probably depressed due to the divorce. I enjoy reading books that delve into the why of something and this one just missed.
This book had its charms, but I think I was also hoping for a little more. And while I loved Louis and Layla, some of the book got to be a little too unbelievable for me.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It was literally the worst thing I've ever read. It was an audiobook so I was able to put it on double speed and blow through it. The main character was awful. The author tried to capture Biloxi, but really just dropped some familiar names. But she did a great job of making this dirty old man into an asshole.
Not even the dog redeemed it.
Awful awful. And if nothing else, it was a complete bore. Nothing happened except the inner thoughts of a horrible old man.
Not even the dog redeemed it.
Awful awful. And if nothing else, it was a complete bore. Nothing happened except the inner thoughts of a horrible old man.
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
really enjoyed. the most refreshing and raw portrayal of a persons inner thoughts that i’ve ever read.
