Welcome to Litsy!

Just to update this. The police caught the “mountain man” yesterday in the afternoon after witnesses had seen him.

🇩🇪 https://bit.ly/3ewL9Ye

It‘s so sad when reality strikes back.

I‘ve pasted you a link to a current German news item. A man took off their weapons from police officers and afterwards ran off in the woods. He is known to be a gun freak and to be living in the woods, so that the police says the forest is his “living room” and expects the search for him to take some time.

Anybody else thinking of “The harder they come”❓😱

🇩🇪 https://bit.ly/3euspss – this article is 10 years old (May, 27th 2010). It‘s about Jerry Kane who is also mentioned in Boyle‘s “The harder they come”. He adds pieces to Sara‘s view of the world.

By reading I noticed that I would have tried to avoid the German“rechtsextrem” if I were the journalist. To me it conjures up the Nazi context but in here it‘s used to describe extreme right-winged attitudes.

Is this only me❓

Blurb:

“The enemy of civilisation, Adam, son of a Vietnam veteran, can‘t fix anything. He flunks out of all schools, sees one psychiatrist after another, until his parents give him up, but there‘s a bomb ticking in him, he sees enemies everywhere and prepares for fight and living In the wilderness.

Sara, also an outsider, falls in love with him – but then she realises that Adam isn‘t able to be reasonable, only very serious with his enemies …”

I don‘t really know what to say about this book – other than I like it and that I‘m impressed because it turned out to be different than I thought from its blurb.

It‘s weird, on the one hand I think Boyle sort of takes the easy way with Adam in “labelling” him instead of giving reasons; on the other hand giving good/plausible reasons might have spoiled the book. 🙌🏼

It gives you something to think and will lead me to some research.

I clearly recognise the blurb now. The funny thing is: I don‘t feel as awkward about the plot as I thought I would. Even though it‘s difficult to describe my attitude better than with “It‘s _so_good_‼️” It‘s horrible and creepy – and deeply human because Boyle makes you _understand_ the outsiders. You really sympathise with them. Maybe you wouldn‘t do like they do but you see where they are coming from and that to them their action is logic.

3 hours left – and to comment on that with “Now we‘re talking.” feels so wrong when you take the subject into account.
But:

Now we‘re talking.

I clearly recognise the book‘s blurb in the plot now.

On the downside: I spent half of my day commuting between bed and bathroom.

On the upside: Enough time to get a huge bite into this for distraction.

At first I was a bit puzzled because it didn‘t seem to be what it pretends, but I think I meanwhile met all the personnel and now it‘s on track to develop as the blurb says.
So far it‘s typical Boyle. I like it. In here, he has a way with misfits without mocking them. 😍

This upcoming audiobook is one of the category: “Loafing about in my virtual tbr-shelf like for _ages_”

Don‘t know why I think now is the appropriate time for it. You know it‘s a “read” I‘m curious for – I mean, hey, it‘s T. C. Boyle‼️ – but I‘m also shy of it.
Have you looked what the blurb says, it deals with❓😯

Seems my sub-consciousness feels _now_ is the perfect point in time to start feeling bad about certain aspects of human co-existence.

I typically enjoy TC Boyle‘s storytelling, and I can say that again regarding this novel. Boyle also centers on two key interests of mine: war and mental health.

Not my first choice of genre/subject matter but the writing is solid & engaging. However, I really didn't connect with it at all. The storyline builds but never quite peaks & I felt the ending was weak. Disliked the characters so didn't feel the necessary sympathy to engage fully with the narrative. There are some moments of poignancy that are touching and thought provoking so don't regret reading it.

Ploughing through this one. While I'm pretty sure this is my book (i.e. not borrowed), I'm also pretty sure I didn't buy it (not really my thing & I never buy hardbacks). Wasn't a gift & didn't steal it 😉 so must've come from publishers/somewhere else as a review copy. I've had it an age & I really cannot remember who sent me it. Feel slightly embarrassed....Thanks for the book anyway whoever it was 😜 It's big & heavy but I'm enjoying it!

Shades of green on this vacation day. For inspiration? The new Bookpage, a Heineken, and some T.C. Boyle. Extremely interested in the war literature components of this novel.

So... TC Boyle is an incredibly prolific and talented writer. I loved Drop City. I've loved a number of his short stories. I've read at least four other books of his. But this one... it felt more like a chore than it should have. I was frustrated with everyone and didn't really like anyone. I thought I was embarking on a little TC Boyle bender, but I think I will hold off. I just want something I can't put down.

Next!!! :) I'm pretty excited to read this one! Updates coming!

This is an intense read. Poignant and powerful. Boyle is a master of storytelling, and as long as he is with us, it is a good time to be alive.