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A review by crankylibrarian
Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wagemese was a lyrical master of tender and compassionate storytelling, and this remarkable story of the ersatz family which evolves between a quartet of hard core street people and their 3 middle class "Square John" friends is unforgettable. Told from 5 alternating viewpoints, Wagemese gradually reveals the tragedies, traumas, and just plain bad luck that have landed each person in their current situation. All the characters are well drawn and distinctive, but by far the most vividly realized is Digger, the toughest and most bitter of the 4 "rounders". Quick to anger and slow to trust, he provocatively challenges the 3 "do gooders", accusing them of chaos tourism and an inability to accept the rounder perspective as valid. When a sudden windfall offers them financial security, all 4 rounders must decide how much to let it change them, and if the middle class trappings of a suburban homelife are enough to erase the nightmares of the past.
Up til about 3/4 through, I thought this was one of the best books I had ever read, but then Wagemese seemed to lose focus : 3 late night desperate searches for a missing person, several increasingly artificial confrontations , and some irksome new age style spiritual rambling. A few of the philosophical reflections felt out of character, and only one of the 2 female characters is given any depth. Still overall, this is a rich and engaging story revealing the fragility of "normal" life and the inner strength of those too often dismissed as worthless.
Up til about 3/4 through, I thought this was one of the best books I had ever read, but then Wagemese seemed to lose focus : 3 late night desperate searches for a missing person, several increasingly artificial confrontations , and some irksome new age style spiritual rambling. A few of the philosophical reflections felt out of character, and only one of the 2 female characters is given any depth. Still overall, this is a rich and engaging story revealing the fragility of "normal" life and the inner strength of those too often dismissed as worthless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Death
Moderate: Child death
agemese was a lyrical master of tender and compassionate storytelling, and this remarkable story of the ersatz family which evolves between a quartet of hard core street people and their 3 middle class "Square John" friends is unforgettable. Told from 5 alternating viewpoints, Wagemese gradually reveals the tragedies, traumas, and just plain bad luck that have landed each person in their current situation. All the characters are well drawn and distinctive, but by far the most vividly realized is Digger, the toughest and most bitter of the 4 "rounders". Quick to anger and slow to trust, he provocatively challenges the 3 "do gooders", accusing them of chaos tourism and an inability to accept the rounder perspective as valid. When a sudden windfall offers them financial security, all 4 rounders must decide how much to let it change them, and if the middle class trappings of a suburban homelife are enough to erase the nightmares of the past.
Up til about 3/4 through, I thought this was one of the best books I had ever read, but then Wagemese seemed to lose focus : 3 late night desperate searches for a missing person, several increasingly artificial confrontations , and some irksome new age style spiritual rambling. A few of the philosophical reflections felt out of character, and only one of the 2 female characters is given any depth. Still overall, this is a rich and engaging story revealing the fragility of "normal" life and the inner strength of those too often dismissed as worthless.