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candecast 's review for:
The Lay of the Land
by Richard Ford
The Lay of the Land is the second book I've read by Richard Ford. I should've read the previous two novels, but this story pretty much stands on its own. Ford's writing is his pure Americana; it captures a picture of us, that is already outdated, but still relevant in many respects. What could be more Americana than a real estate broker? The story is nostalgic, and in this COVID-19 pandemic era, it had me wishing for the good old days of the oughts.
Frank Bascombe is not a complicated character. He represents the typical middle-aged American man, grappling with issues that a lot of middle-aged men around the world wish they had. He is wealthy, lives in an exclusive neighborhood, has prostate cancer, goes through a third failed marriage, and struggles with the loss of his oldest son by suicide. The relationship with his only surviving son intrigued me the most. I really couldn't understand where his son was coming from other than a young male, spoiled rotten, and no sense of what direction he wants his life to take. His son's attitude drove me crazy, and I just wanted to reach out and slap him.
I see a lot of myself in this story; perhaps that is why I could relate to it. I was the same age as the protagonist in this story during the early oughts, and I could relate to a lot of the feelings that Frank Bascombe expressed. It's said to think that I feel nostalgic for that period because when I was there, like Bascombe, I was embarrassed that Bush was president. He seemed like such a dolt! Living in a COVID-19 world has me yearning for the good ole post 9/11 world.
Frank Bascombe is not a complicated character. He represents the typical middle-aged American man, grappling with issues that a lot of middle-aged men around the world wish they had. He is wealthy, lives in an exclusive neighborhood, has prostate cancer, goes through a third failed marriage, and struggles with the loss of his oldest son by suicide. The relationship with his only surviving son intrigued me the most. I really couldn't understand where his son was coming from other than a young male, spoiled rotten, and no sense of what direction he wants his life to take. His son's attitude drove me crazy, and I just wanted to reach out and slap him.
I see a lot of myself in this story; perhaps that is why I could relate to it. I was the same age as the protagonist in this story during the early oughts, and I could relate to a lot of the feelings that Frank Bascombe expressed. It's said to think that I feel nostalgic for that period because when I was there, like Bascombe, I was embarrassed that Bush was president. He seemed like such a dolt! Living in a COVID-19 world has me yearning for the good ole post 9/11 world.