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A review by richardbakare
A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano
5.0
"A Good Hard Look" by Ann Napolitano is a novel that explores the lives of several characters in the small town of Milledgeville, Georgia, intertwining their personal struggles with the presence of the real-life author Flannery O'Connor. The novel delves into themes of love, loss, faith, and the search for meaning in life.
Ii love Ann Napolitano’s work and in "A Good Hard Look," she crafts a narrative that is both deeply character-driven and thematically rich, offering a poignant reflection on life’s complexities and the human condition. It also hits particularly close to home being a story about Georgia and featuring Flannery O’Connor.
These two facts drive the narrative in key ways. The small town setting shrinks the scope and allows all the key events and characters to stand out. The story is rich without being laden down with the bloat of too many ancillary figures and moments. Flannery O'Connor’s presence in the town, though reclusive, influences the lives of those around her. I do wonder how she have have taken to this characterization.
The other focus on the link between tragedy and romantic relationships is gripping. Napolitano uses mismatched pairings everywhere to highlight the struggle between romantic dreams and bitter realities. Small town love is under a spotlight and constraints that cannot help but to end up in devastating tragedies. As Napolitano’s second novel it was truly a brave attempt and one of my favorites of her work.
Ii love Ann Napolitano’s work and in "A Good Hard Look," she crafts a narrative that is both deeply character-driven and thematically rich, offering a poignant reflection on life’s complexities and the human condition. It also hits particularly close to home being a story about Georgia and featuring Flannery O’Connor.
These two facts drive the narrative in key ways. The small town setting shrinks the scope and allows all the key events and characters to stand out. The story is rich without being laden down with the bloat of too many ancillary figures and moments. Flannery O'Connor’s presence in the town, though reclusive, influences the lives of those around her. I do wonder how she have have taken to this characterization.
The other focus on the link between tragedy and romantic relationships is gripping. Napolitano uses mismatched pairings everywhere to highlight the struggle between romantic dreams and bitter realities. Small town love is under a spotlight and constraints that cannot help but to end up in devastating tragedies. As Napolitano’s second novel it was truly a brave attempt and one of my favorites of her work.