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A review by servemethesky
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
4.0
This was my first Richard Russo novel and I really enjoyed it! While this isn't a book I'm going to go rave about to all my friends (more due to the dark, sensitive, and depressing subject matter), it's one that was moving enough that it will likely stay with me for awhile.
I've seen some other reviewers complain that the trope in this book is overdone. Middle-aged white man with malaise, overly cerebral concerns, yada yada. I still found it interesting and moving, and I was definitely rooting for Griffin and Joy to find a way to salvage things. It paints a dark picture of marriage and love, but perhaps a realistic one.
My only complaint is that some of the characters did not feel fully fleshed out- they were relatively two dimensional. Like Laura, for example. She's just Griffin's daughter. She is nice. She is young and hopeful. That's pretty much all we know about her. She's actually kinda boring. I did enjoy the backstory with Sunny Kim and the ominous potential that loomed there. But look at that- even Sunny was more developed a character than Laura! Perhaps Russo did that for a reason, though I'm not sure what that reason would be. We get even less insight/development of Andy's character, Laura's boyfriend. Maybe he's just not important enough, but it felt strange as a reader to not learn about that particular character. He was more of a device to move the plot forward.
All in all, a good read that'll make you spend some time thinking and reflecting on family, relationships, love, and marriage. Since I've heard this isn't Russo's best, I will definitely try some of his other novels.
I've seen some other reviewers complain that the trope in this book is overdone. Middle-aged white man with malaise, overly cerebral concerns, yada yada. I still found it interesting and moving, and I was definitely rooting for Griffin and Joy to find a way to salvage things. It paints a dark picture of marriage and love, but perhaps a realistic one.
My only complaint is that some of the characters did not feel fully fleshed out- they were relatively two dimensional. Like Laura, for example. She's just Griffin's daughter. She is nice. She is young and hopeful. That's pretty much all we know about her. She's actually kinda boring. I did enjoy the backstory with Sunny Kim and the ominous potential that loomed there. But look at that- even Sunny was more developed a character than Laura! Perhaps Russo did that for a reason, though I'm not sure what that reason would be. We get even less insight/development of Andy's character, Laura's boyfriend. Maybe he's just not important enough, but it felt strange as a reader to not learn about that particular character. He was more of a device to move the plot forward.
All in all, a good read that'll make you spend some time thinking and reflecting on family, relationships, love, and marriage. Since I've heard this isn't Russo's best, I will definitely try some of his other novels.