After reading a book as long as the last one, I accidentally chose another long one. But this book turned out to be much better.
Going in blind was perfect for this book – I hate to write too much about it here. I loved how the author built an entire town and history, and had me wondering if these people and places were real. There are elements of nostalgia (like “A Christmas Story”), Stephen King (small town kids against something much bigger than them – like “It” and “The Stand”), but also some moments that take an adult look at the challenges of growing up as a boy. And I could really relate to the stories in here, even though I was born ten years after.
But the real spark here is how the author shows us how events and people shape this boy as he grows up. This is like a collection of stories tied together that show what makes this boy into what he becomes later. And while reading it we see much of this in our own backgrounds.
There are plenty of metaphors and meta moments. Many of the bits of wisdom and sequences still resonate now – and we’re pretty far past 1991.
Weaved into all this is a magical element that pops up when you least expect and keeps you guessing the rest of the book. This was exceptionally well-played. Some of the situations have you wondering what is real and what is not, and since we spend so much time in this no-man’s land we start to feel a little unmoored.
My only small criticism was the over-abundance of the little folksy expressions. At first they are used to put you back into the 1960’s as a kid, but after a while they got a little wearing. But then I’d hear one that I hadn’t heard before and laugh out loud.
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year – so glad that I picked it up! I can’t wait to read it again after a couple a years and go back to the little town of Zephyr, a place and time lost to history.
Next I am reading Train Dreams by Denis Johnson.
