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justemreads 's review for:
Shotgun Lovesongs
by Nickolas Butler
3.5 stars. There is a lot to love in Shotgun Lovesongs. Nickolas Butler has created some interesting and mostly likable characters. I truly loved some of his poetic descriptions of the Wisconsin landscape. I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Butler speak at an event, and I found him to be a really fun, down-to-earth guy. He addressed the "rumor" that this story is that of Bon Iver and insists that while the book is loosely inspired by Justin Vernon's story, it is not the basis for the book. I grew up in a small town in Northern Wisconsin less than an hour from where the fictional "Little Wing" was located. The characters in the story are relatively the same age as I am, and because of this I was hypercritical of this book. I think had I grown up someplace else, I would have mostly loved this book. While I enjoyed reading it, there were just constantly little things that would happen, where I would want to yell, "THAT WOULD NEVER ACTUALLY HAPPEN!!!" ;)
A few spoilers below...
First of all - let me tell you, Henry, Ronnie, Kip, and Leland? Nobody in Northern WI born in the early 80's was named that. Everybody was Joe or Mike or Dan or Nick. We had a "Tucker" in my class and that's about as exotic as it gets. Also, while this idea that the entire small town is just all friends with each other seems pretty far fetched. Like, honestly, it's really nice to think that Felicia would be friends with Lucy, the stripper...but I can pretty much promise that wouldn't be the case. Also, I felt like sometimes Butler's dialogue really gave into the Wisconsin stereotypes that we're all simple people and kind people. I suppose Kip's existence is supposed to show some diversity, but in the story he's apparently only smart and "cosmopolitan" because he moved away to Chicago. And the part about Ronnie getting drunk and wandering out completely unnoticed- it just bugged me. Everyone knew he was a recovering alcoholic. They would never have had his bachelor party in a bar and people would have been watching him and helping him. On one had, you're telling me that everyone is WI is simple and kind, but they leave their drunk friend to fend for himself in the snow? Unlikely.
There were also just really silly inaccurate things - as I mentioned in a status update...NOBODY would ever drive down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago to get from NY to Northern WI. Nobody! That would add a good three hours on to your trip! ;) And finally, the end was just a little to drawn out and dramatic for me. The whole egg story left me feeling kind of annoyed at the story as a whole, whereas most of the book was enjoyable. I think Nickolas Butler is a good author with a great voice. In this case, the story just hit home a little too much to me and made shake my head more often than I would have liked.
A few spoilers below...
First of all - let me tell you, Henry, Ronnie, Kip, and Leland? Nobody in Northern WI born in the early 80's was named that. Everybody was Joe or Mike or Dan or Nick. We had a "Tucker" in my class and that's about as exotic as it gets. Also, while this idea that the entire small town is just all friends with each other seems pretty far fetched. Like, honestly, it's really nice to think that Felicia would be friends with Lucy, the stripper...but I can pretty much promise that wouldn't be the case. Also, I felt like sometimes Butler's dialogue really gave into the Wisconsin stereotypes that we're all simple people and kind people. I suppose Kip's existence is supposed to show some diversity, but in the story he's apparently only smart and "cosmopolitan" because he moved away to Chicago. And the part about Ronnie getting drunk and wandering out completely unnoticed- it just bugged me. Everyone knew he was a recovering alcoholic. They would never have had his bachelor party in a bar and people would have been watching him and helping him. On one had, you're telling me that everyone is WI is simple and kind, but they leave their drunk friend to fend for himself in the snow? Unlikely.
There were also just really silly inaccurate things - as I mentioned in a status update...NOBODY would ever drive down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago to get from NY to Northern WI. Nobody! That would add a good three hours on to your trip! ;) And finally, the end was just a little to drawn out and dramatic for me. The whole egg story left me feeling kind of annoyed at the story as a whole, whereas most of the book was enjoyable. I think Nickolas Butler is a good author with a great voice. In this case, the story just hit home a little too much to me and made shake my head more often than I would have liked.