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A review by billymac1962
The Man from Primrose Lane by James Renner
5.0
What can I say?
Just read the damn thing? But I like writing reviews (something my wife can’t understand as something enjoyable) so I’ve got to say something.
Ironically, the first thing I could say is avoid reviews if you can. I just blocked one of my very long-term Goodreads friends for spoiling the last third of this story with the first line of his review. If only I hadn’t seen that…
Oh well, regret is such a wasted emotion, and I’ve fixed the problem even though the horses have long left the barn.
Incidentally, Publishers Weekly also saw fit to mention the same spoiler in their starred review.
The one thing I can say is that James Renner is a magnificent writer and this story is something that will stick in your head while you’re not reading it, and will linger on after finishing it, as it is doing to me now.
In a lesser writer’s hands, some of the things in this story may lose you, and I thought he was going to, but as I went on things became clearer (or as clear as I could have hoped to grasp).
The Man From Primrose Lane stayed on my to-read list for six years. I almost took it off because the average rating hovered around 3.6, not a ringing endorsement, and for the life of me I can’t understand why it's not higher.
This is a huge five star read for what he did, and how he made it digestible for a dimwit such as I.
James Renner mentions Stephen King, John Irving, and Donald Ray Pollock as influences and the best qualities of these fine writers, namely engaging narrative and dialogue, show up in Renner’s writing.
I am so glad I kept this on my list and decided to read it on a whim. It just goes to show you, doesn’t it?
Now I have to return to working while this story refuses to slip out of my mind.
Just read the damn thing? But I like writing reviews (something my wife can’t understand as something enjoyable) so I’ve got to say something.
Ironically, the first thing I could say is avoid reviews if you can. I just blocked one of my very long-term Goodreads friends for spoiling the last third of this story with the first line of his review. If only I hadn’t seen that…
Oh well, regret is such a wasted emotion, and I’ve fixed the problem even though the horses have long left the barn.
Incidentally, Publishers Weekly also saw fit to mention the same spoiler in their starred review.
The one thing I can say is that James Renner is a magnificent writer and this story is something that will stick in your head while you’re not reading it, and will linger on after finishing it, as it is doing to me now.
In a lesser writer’s hands, some of the things in this story may lose you, and I thought he was going to, but as I went on things became clearer (or as clear as I could have hoped to grasp).
The Man From Primrose Lane stayed on my to-read list for six years. I almost took it off because the average rating hovered around 3.6, not a ringing endorsement, and for the life of me I can’t understand why it's not higher.
This is a huge five star read for what he did, and how he made it digestible for a dimwit such as I.
James Renner mentions Stephen King, John Irving, and Donald Ray Pollock as influences and the best qualities of these fine writers, namely engaging narrative and dialogue, show up in Renner’s writing.
I am so glad I kept this on my list and decided to read it on a whim. It just goes to show you, doesn’t it?
Now I have to return to working while this story refuses to slip out of my mind.