A review by mjgriffinii74656
What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell

4.0

This novel was so incredibly “interior” as I’ve come to describe novels that are so intent on memory, emotions, personal connection. While there was some “action” and “plot” to the novel — I almost hesitate to think of these elements as relevant to this novel. Rather, I see so much of this story as focusing more on the response to something. Greenwell seems, from my take, to take to developing a character (the narrator) and a story that is responding to a particular vibe/moment/character. And when the novel goes back in time in the second part to have this reflective take on the narrator’s past, again, the story and narrator seem to be emerging through reflection. [Ok, so I’m not quite sure what I’m getting at here because I haven’t let the thoughts develop as much as I think I could and need to in order to explain. But I hope the idea is somewhat clear…] Thinking about my aesthetic response, I found the moments set in the “current day” of the story stronger, more developed, and engaging. I look forward to reading the follow-up to this story, which Greenwell extends in his second novel.