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A review by kry_yang
Eat Only When You're Hungry by Lindsay Hunter
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked up this novel expecting something of a satirical comedy, given its premise and "back cover" description. However, I was met with a slow-burn, depressing story with a cast of extremely unlikeable characters.
Our main character Greg is a fat, old white man who drives to Florida in an RV to find his missing son GJ. As someone who enjoys reading books with unreliable/unlikeable narrators, I was surprised by how... little I empathized with Greg. I was not emotionally invested in his character at all. I wish Hunter had spent more time developing the female characters in the story, like Marie (Greg's ex-wife) and Deb (his current wife)--I found their characters infinitely more compelling. Also, I don't know how this novel could be comedic in any way--Hunter's descriptions of Greg's fatness made me want to gag and cringe, not laugh.
The plot moves *very* slowly (and doesn't quite *go* anywhere, I would argue). Hunter indulges in flowery descriptions, both for physical settings and for Greg's thoughts. I think this is the type of contemporary fiction in which the actual plot doesn't matter--I felt that Hunter was more interested in exploring broad themes like addiction, family, and love, and the narrative had a "missing son" that simply framed this messaging.
Eat Only When You're Hungry forced me reflect on my own childhood, and the role my parents played in my upbringing. I do think there's some insightful commentary about love and parenting. However, the execution left a lot to be desired. For example, the book explores the idea of troubled parenting through flashbacks about Greg's life. These flashbacks were fascinating, but again, I struggled to relate to his character, so I feel like I couldn't absorb the "message" of this novel as much as I would have liked.
Ultimately, I'm leaving this book with mixed feelings. I think Hunter's writing style is incredibly beautiful--I love the way she personifies objects in the environment, and she does a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere of a particular time and place. On the other hand, I felt that the elements of plot and character fell extremely flat. TL;DR: This novel is slow, introspective, yet heartbreaking read that leaves a lot to be desired.
Our main character Greg is a fat, old white man who drives to Florida in an RV to find his missing son GJ. As someone who enjoys reading books with unreliable/unlikeable narrators, I was surprised by how... little I empathized with Greg. I was not emotionally invested in his character at all. I wish Hunter had spent more time developing the female characters in the story, like Marie (Greg's ex-wife) and Deb (his current wife)--I found their characters infinitely more compelling. Also, I don't know how this novel could be comedic in any way--Hunter's descriptions of Greg's fatness made me want to gag and cringe, not laugh.
The plot moves *very* slowly (and doesn't quite *go* anywhere, I would argue). Hunter indulges in flowery descriptions, both for physical settings and for Greg's thoughts. I think this is the type of contemporary fiction in which the actual plot doesn't matter--I felt that Hunter was more interested in exploring broad themes like addiction, family, and love, and the narrative had a "missing son" that simply framed this messaging.
Eat Only When You're Hungry forced me reflect on my own childhood, and the role my parents played in my upbringing. I do think there's some insightful commentary about love and parenting. However, the execution left a lot to be desired. For example, the book explores the idea of troubled parenting through flashbacks about Greg's life. These flashbacks were fascinating, but again, I struggled to relate to his character, so I feel like I couldn't absorb the "message" of this novel as much as I would have liked.
Ultimately, I'm leaving this book with mixed feelings. I think Hunter's writing style is incredibly beautiful--I love the way she personifies objects in the environment, and she does a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere of a particular time and place. On the other hand, I felt that the elements of plot and character fell extremely flat. TL;DR: This novel is slow, introspective, yet heartbreaking read that leaves a lot to be desired.