A review by brandonpytel
Itsenäisyyspäivä by Richard Ford

5.0

Ford’s sequel to the Sportswriter gives us everyman Frank Bascombe in the middle of his Existence Period, sparked by the divorce and remarriage of his ex-wife, and grounded in progression, moving forward, and not dwelling on the past. Bascombe strives to find meaning in his own existence, alone with his thoughts (which are many and what makes these books so great), covering memories of life, ideals of home, relationships with lovers and his children, and just accepting adulthood for what it is: not spectacular, not bad even, just good enough to survive, to keep moving forward, to having peace. Through this all, Frank performs his realtor duties (in many funny scenes with the Markhams), tries to patch things up/understand with his new girlfriend Sally, and ultimately find independence and solitary in the relationship with his troubled son on their trip to Cooperstown, taking on the role of the father who projects wisdom that he honestly may not completely understand. As Frank survives, makes memories, and tries not to dwell on the past but always look forward, progress through life and as a person, he begins to accept life for what it is: not spectacular, but not a bad day to be on earth.