cphenly 's review for:

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

5.0

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I'd give this 4.75 stars if I could, only for the troubling ending, but certainly since I can't nitpick, the book deserves a 5. I loved this book right from the beginning--all the way up to the last page.

Spoiler

I can see that it makes sense for Duchess to die, and there were times when I even wanted him to, but I found it quite disturbing that he dies at Emmett's hands, albeit without intention and without Emmett's even knowing. Seems to me we're left with the strong possibility that cops will be looking for Emmett until they find him. Woolly's death was sad, but seems inevitable and it fits the rest of the story well.

I love the characters in this book. Even Duchess, who made me nutty early on grew on me to some degree as his quirky but consistent moral code arose. He clearly is not a "good guy," but you see where he and his behavior came from. Emmett and Woolly, and Sally and Ulysses and even Abacus Abernathe are beautifully developed and engaging characters. Billy Watson, however, is pure gold. He alone is worth 5 stars. I have read all of Towles' books and I am by now a big fan!