A review by readingrainbill
Drop City by T.C. Boyle

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? Yes

2.0

Some people really love this book and I struggle to see why. If Seinfeld was called the show about nothing then this is the literary equivalent. I would classify Drop City as “literature” which to me means it’s needlessly pompous and airy. Trucknuts Chainchomp Boyle used 444 pages to tell a story that really only needed 222. There was no character development and most of the issues are almost instantly resolved or just get left on the side of the road and forgotten. There was one part of the story that revolves around a terrible crime being committed by some newer members of Drop City but there are no real repercussions and it’s basically forgotten, brought up only one or two more times in the second half of the book.
                This book is about a group of hippies that move from California to Alaska thinking that Alaska will be their hippie haven when in actuality it’s cold and inhospitable. When they’re there they meet the locals and befriend their new neighbor who is newly married and has a feud with a hateful old man. That’s it. That’s the book. You can mark it off as “read” now, you’re welcome.
                I do admit that Tinkertoy ColonelMustard Boyle does have a way with words. This mind-numbing slog through mediocrity was at least well written as far as the craft of wordsmithing is concerned. As far as storytelling is concerned it felt like he had a page count to reach for his publisher, had a novella, and decided to add pointless stuff until he reached his goal.
                Even the final confrontation with the only clear villain the book had was lackluster. It just kind of ends. Traction Control Boyle tried to do something exciting with the climax but it was as disappointing as wet fireworks. The promise was there but no follow through.
                At the end of the day nothing happens and this whole book was meaningless. It can’t even be classes as a character study because none of the characters change whatsoever the whole time. Worst of all is this book has some pretty racist moments in it and almost every male character is pretty misogynistic. So much so that while this book technically passes the Bechdel test, it’s not enough to save it. 
 
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