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A review by bethreadsandnaps
Four Squares by Bobby Finger
4.25
4.25 stars
Bobby Finger's sophomore novel FOUR SQUARES is a great novel, just like his debut. In this novel, the reader is introduced to the main character Artie when he turns 30 in the first chapter, and he's working at an ad agency in a job he doesn't like. He is tight with his two friends Adam and Kimberly, and they go out to their favorite bar to celebrate, and he meets an elusive love interest named Abraham. Then the narrative flashes forward 30 years to Artie's 60th birthday, and we find him lonely without any of the friends we were introduced to in the first chapter and in seek of companionship but not knowing how to go about it. He decides to volunteer at a gay and lesbian senior activities center, and Artie soon breaks his foot. That forces him to stop volunteering and be on the receiving end of the services, and he meets some fellow older gay men. Will his cynical heart open up to accept friendship and possibly more?
The author is great at writing characters that you feel for and empathize with. I "got" Artie, even though I'm a heterosexual woman. I always enjoy an older protagonist who is a little stuck and trying to find their way. I appreciated the insider's view of gay culture in the 1990s (and 2020s).
I liked going back and forth in time. The chapters are fairly long, so you get enough time in each year that you can sink into it.
I did feel that narrative could have been a bit more cohesive. It felt like some things (Adam and Kimberly's disappearance as friends, for instance) were dangled for far too long, and then it was a little anticlimactic when the reader finds out what happened. Also, it was difficult for me to differentiate Jim from Ellis in the 2022 timeline.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I loved the message that it's never too late to find your friend group.
Bobby Finger's sophomore novel FOUR SQUARES is a great novel, just like his debut. In this novel, the reader is introduced to the main character Artie when he turns 30 in the first chapter, and he's working at an ad agency in a job he doesn't like. He is tight with his two friends Adam and Kimberly, and they go out to their favorite bar to celebrate, and he meets an elusive love interest named Abraham. Then the narrative flashes forward 30 years to Artie's 60th birthday, and we find him lonely without any of the friends we were introduced to in the first chapter and in seek of companionship but not knowing how to go about it. He decides to volunteer at a gay and lesbian senior activities center, and Artie soon breaks his foot. That forces him to stop volunteering and be on the receiving end of the services, and he meets some fellow older gay men. Will his cynical heart open up to accept friendship and possibly more?
The author is great at writing characters that you feel for and empathize with. I "got" Artie, even though I'm a heterosexual woman. I always enjoy an older protagonist who is a little stuck and trying to find their way. I appreciated the insider's view of gay culture in the 1990s (and 2020s).
I liked going back and forth in time. The chapters are fairly long, so you get enough time in each year that you can sink into it.
I did feel that narrative could have been a bit more cohesive. It felt like some things (Adam and Kimberly's disappearance as friends, for instance) were dangled for far too long, and then it was a little anticlimactic when the reader finds out what happened. Also, it was difficult for me to differentiate Jim from Ellis in the 2022 timeline.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I loved the message that it's never too late to find your friend group.