Karen
Even though some brutal stuff happens in this novel, I'd still call it gentle. Patrick DeWitt treats his characters, all weirdos in their own ways, with tenderness, even though life doesn't.
Bob Comet, retired librarian, ostensibly someone who reads about life instead of living it, finds a confused old lady at the 7-11 and returns her to the senior center where she resides. His experience at the senior center inspires him to ask the manager if he could volunteer there, and she reluctantly agrees. She tells him that most of the volunteers they've had gave up quickly, because they couldn't cope with the residents.
As you might guess, Bob Comet perseveres at the senior center, with some ups and downs. In the process, we learn about his past: his failed marriage, his failed friendship, his youthful adventure as a runaway, and the significance of the Hotel Elba in his life.
Although I liked this book, it does teeter on the edge of the "loveable, quirky old folks" trope AND it plays dangerously with the "librarian who reads instead of living" stereotype (though I would argue it doesn't really buy into that last one). It also has more than a tinge of melancholy.
Even though some brutal stuff happens in this novel, I'd still call it gentle. Patrick DeWitt treats his characters, all weirdos in their own ways, with tenderness, even though life doesn't.
Bob Comet, retired librarian, ostensibly someone who reads about life instead of living it, finds a confused old lady at the 7-11 and returns her to the senior center where she resides. His experience at the senior center inspires him to ask the manager if he could volunteer there, and she reluctantly agrees. She tells him that most of the volunteers they've had gave up quickly, because they couldn't cope with the residents.
As you might guess, Bob Comet perseveres at the senior center, with some ups and downs. In the process, we learn about his past: his failed marriage, his failed friendship, his youthful adventure as a runaway, and the significance of the Hotel Elba in his life.
Although I liked this book, it does teeter on the edge of the "loveable, quirky old folks" trope AND it plays dangerously with the "librarian who reads instead of living" stereotype (though I would argue it doesn't really buy into that last one). It also has more than a tinge of melancholy.