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danaisreading 's review for:
The Leftovers
by Tom Perrotta
I got this as a Goodreads Giveaway. The premise is an interesting one - after a Rapture-like event, how does the rest of world carry on?
This is not a religious book. Tom Perrotta is very explicit to say that this isn't the Rapture as some Christians believe. Jews, Hindus, Arabs and atheists are among the missing. The Sudden Departure (as it is known in the book) isn't the focal point of the story, it's just the catalyst. The Prologue starts about a year after the Sudden Departure, and the rest of the book takes place three years later. Other than references to those who Departed, and one or two "eyewitness" stories, there isn't a lot of discussion of what the event is, or how it occurred.
The story focuses on one family in a little town on the East Coast. (I still can't figure out if Mapleton was in New Jersey or Connecticut, but again, it doesn't matter much.) Everyone in the Garvey family survived the Sudden Departure, but each react in varied ways.
Laurie Garvey is motivated to join the Guilty Remnant, a semi-cult who believe that the end is near, and demonstrate their belief by taking a vow of silence, wearing white, chain-smoking cigarettes, and stalk (or Watch) non-believers.
Her son Tom drops out of college and becomes involved with a different cult, called Holy Wayne and the Healing Hug Movement. Her daughter Jill was an Eyewitness to the event - her friend was sitting next to her one moment, and the next is gone. Only her husband Kevin seems to be unaffected by it all, although he gets involved in local politics and becomes the Mayor of Mapleton.
The only other major character in terms of POV is Nora Durst, the Woman Who Lost Everything - her entire family is among the Departed, leaving her behind to sort through an incredible amount of guilt, depression, and grief.
The book rotates through each of the character's point of view to weave their stories together. When I first started reading, I was slightly disappointed by the fact that not a lot of time is spent on the Sudden Departure. I wanted to see more of the event itself, rather than be dropped in media res into the aftermath. But as I read more, I realized that the Whys and Hows isn't the point of the story, it's all about the What Nows. This is more of a character study than a plot-driven book, even though there is a plot of sorts for some of the characters.
However, for a character study, it's not that compelling a read, and there's a bit of a missed opportunity. Perrota creates all of these religious or cult-like responses to the Sudden Departure - The Guilty Remnant, Holy Wayne, the Barefoot People - and those groups prove to be more interesting than the Garveys. It might have been a stronger book if Perrotta has chosen to focus on Laurie in the GR or Tom reacting to Holy Wayne and the Barefoot People, rather than flipping back and forth between the five characters. Even focusing more on Nora and how she deals with the loss of her entire family would have been a worthwhile exercise.
I think it's a book worth reading, but it's just not the book I was expecting. It's not that deep or difficult, and it doesn't really answer the questions the premise raises.
This is not a religious book. Tom Perrotta is very explicit to say that this isn't the Rapture as some Christians believe. Jews, Hindus, Arabs and atheists are among the missing. The Sudden Departure (as it is known in the book) isn't the focal point of the story, it's just the catalyst. The Prologue starts about a year after the Sudden Departure, and the rest of the book takes place three years later. Other than references to those who Departed, and one or two "eyewitness" stories, there isn't a lot of discussion of what the event is, or how it occurred.
The story focuses on one family in a little town on the East Coast. (I still can't figure out if Mapleton was in New Jersey or Connecticut, but again, it doesn't matter much.) Everyone in the Garvey family survived the Sudden Departure, but each react in varied ways.
Laurie Garvey is motivated to join the Guilty Remnant, a semi-cult who believe that the end is near, and demonstrate their belief by taking a vow of silence, wearing white, chain-smoking cigarettes, and stalk (or Watch) non-believers.
Her son Tom drops out of college and becomes involved with a different cult, called Holy Wayne and the Healing Hug Movement. Her daughter Jill was an Eyewitness to the event - her friend was sitting next to her one moment, and the next is gone. Only her husband Kevin seems to be unaffected by it all, although he gets involved in local politics and becomes the Mayor of Mapleton.
The only other major character in terms of POV is Nora Durst, the Woman Who Lost Everything - her entire family is among the Departed, leaving her behind to sort through an incredible amount of guilt, depression, and grief.
The book rotates through each of the character's point of view to weave their stories together. When I first started reading, I was slightly disappointed by the fact that not a lot of time is spent on the Sudden Departure. I wanted to see more of the event itself, rather than be dropped in media res into the aftermath. But as I read more, I realized that the Whys and Hows isn't the point of the story, it's all about the What Nows. This is more of a character study than a plot-driven book, even though there is a plot of sorts for some of the characters.
However, for a character study, it's not that compelling a read, and there's a bit of a missed opportunity. Perrota creates all of these religious or cult-like responses to the Sudden Departure - The Guilty Remnant, Holy Wayne, the Barefoot People - and those groups prove to be more interesting than the Garveys. It might have been a stronger book if Perrotta has chosen to focus on Laurie in the GR or Tom reacting to Holy Wayne and the Barefoot People, rather than flipping back and forth between the five characters. Even focusing more on Nora and how she deals with the loss of her entire family would have been a worthwhile exercise.
I think it's a book worth reading, but it's just not the book I was expecting. It's not that deep or difficult, and it doesn't really answer the questions the premise raises.