A review by mrsfligs
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter

4.0

Reason #269 why you should try authors you’ve never heard of: you might miss out on a book like this one! About six pages in, I knew I was going to LOVE this book. The sense of humor (smart yet sophomoric, sarcastic yet self-depreciating) is what roped me in, and despite the bleak prospects faced by our “hero” Matt Prior (crumbling marriage, unemployment, impending foreclosure, demented dad), I found myself giggling to myself on almost every page. This is laugh-out-loud recession novel that reminded me (in the best possible way) of Jonathan Tropper, who is also a master at mixing humor and tragedy while keeping things real. This was a delight of a book that hit the sweet spot of what I look for in contemporary fiction. I’m so glad to get to know you, Jess Walter! I look forward to reading what else you’ve written… if it is half as good as this book, I know I’ll love it!