I’m still mulling over Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. As a friend remarked : if we’re still talking about the book, debating whether we enjoyed it, then surely it must be a good read?
After Towles universally beloved second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, he had to produce a different rabbit out of his hat for book #3. Which he certainly did. Reading Lincoln Highway I felt as if Towles was channelling a mixture of Mark Twain and O. Henry, both renowned American writers. Twain gave us the boyhood adventures of Huck Finn, and O. Henry gave us hundreds of stories based on Americans living in the late 1800s/early 1900s. His range of characters and themes was all encompassing, to say the least, and Towles assorted cast of disparate characters was strongly reminiscent of O Henry’s work. Then, for good measure, Towles tossed in a sort of Child’s Guide to Greek myth, notably the adventures of Ulysses, germane to the story but ….
I’m aware my expectations led me astray. The title and the cover, and the era of the story (1940s America) gave rise to expectations of a Jack Kerouac road-novel/bro adventure type story. Hence my confusion.
I’m still undecided. Yes, it was a rattling good yarn. But, nonetheless: did I enjoy it or didn’t I? Did you?
Here’s a king-size grumble: why do so many of Anne Tyler’s novels feature such useless, hapless characters, stumbling (usually unsuccessfully) through their ultra-ordinary, middle class American lives? The characters in Noah’s Compass exasperated me beyond measure. Here’s a vow: no more AT novels for me.
On a happier note, I have nothing but praise for These Precious Days – Ann Patchett, an essay/memoir collection. Despite disparities between us in age, culture, and geography, AP addresses universal themes such as her daily life, family, friends, reading, life and death., which resonated with me. Oh: and shopping – or, rather, not shopping. I ‘m smiling as I recall her essay on Snoopy (from the Charlie Brown comic strip) titled ‘To the Doghouse’ and found it heart warming that Snoopy is such a source of inspiration to her. I shall treasure, and re-read the book with renewed pleasure.
FICTION
Lincoln Highway – Amor Towles. America in the 1940s, two brothers on a road trip that leads them east, instead of their intended destination, westward. A mix of boys’ Own Adventures, Classical Mythology, a diverse cast of characters – with a powerful, if somewhat abrupt, ending. Give it a try.
*The Reluctant Fundamentalist – Mohsin Hamid. Cleverly structured, and elegantly written. The unusual first-person narrator addresses only his American guest? CIA assassin? in a quiet, courteous voice that contains an underlying menace – or does it? An unpredictable storyline, with an ambiguous and challenging ending. I can see why it reached the Booker Shortlist in 2007. A very good read indeed. Recommended
**
The Ruin of Us – Keija Parssinen. Tradition, and life under the autocratic monarchy in Saudi Arabia, make for a compelling story, written by a Saudi expat. Polygamy rears its troublesome head, as does fundamentalism; human conflict abounds and there are no easy answers in a Saudi/American long standing marriage. Due to the authentic setting, an unusual read.
*The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted – Robert Hillman . Hungarian Hannah Babel doggedly survives WWII in Europe:Auschwitz, death of three beloveds, and finally emigrates to Australia. Rural Australia in the early 1960s, lonely farmer Tom Hope, whose wife has joined a religious cult and taken her son Peter, who adores Tom. Worlds collide in a dramatic unfoldment, with plenty of flashbacks to Hannah’s survival in wartime. Not the light read I was expecting; I was mislead by the title. But well written, and an unusual setting.
Noah’s Compass – Anne Tyler. Retrenched 60 yr old school teacher Liam stumbles through life in a fog, exacerbated by a head injury during a midnight robbery, which leaves him semi-amnesiac and subsequently coupled with an equally unhappy, lost female … oh, I can’t go on. If you enjoy AT suggest you look up the publisher’s blurb for the novel. A big NO from me.
RE-READ: Devil’s Cub – Georgette Heyer. I’m a life-long fan of GH’s Regency historical romances, and periodically I indulge. Scheming mamas, flirtatious minxes, virtuous heroines, rakish suitors, stern fathers, duels, elopements – candlelight, lace, jewels, the Georgian aristocracy in a comedy of manners – a delightful escape from 21st century Covid and climate change.
*RE-READ: State of Wonder – Ann Patchett. I can’t resist an Ann Patchett she’s such a wonderful writer. A Medical research team deep in the Amazon jungle, a dead team member; a miracle drug, but above all the seething tropical jungle and its people. A magnificent read; possibly AP’s masterpiece.
NON-FICTION
These Precious Days – Ann Patchett. A collection of essays and memoir, mirroring contemporary life in the USA, but with enough common human experience that should resonate with any reader. Entertaining, thought provoking, funny – a wonderful reading experience.
- * Indicates a Library loan from Cape Town Public Libraries
THE BOOKSMITH 