I honestly and truly have no idea how to rate this book. She is a good writer- there's no question there and she sure gets that dismal depression which has taken over a lot of the east coast-particularily New England. But gimme a break. It got to the point that I physically could not read anything about Jada.I could not read how passive this hulk named Gordon was. I mean quiet is one thing- but his guy was sleepwalking through the whole book. 300 pounds of dead meat. Really. And Jada's just waiting there to eat him alive- which she does. Here's what I think. There had to have been SOME light, something alittle bit GOOD to make it believable-but there wasn't. The whole story just went from murky-to murkier. Just hideous gloom-all these parasites taking advantage of this Hulk .And him just taking it- right up to the end.He just takes it all.Yeah me too- I need an Archie comic after this one. Okay I just figured out what irritates me about this book. It's because there is this whole notion that says if a book or a movie is depressing it makes that book or movie SMART. Intellectual.Sophisticated.And if you want to put any light into it- that makes you dumb, superficial, shallow.It just ain't so. Even the worst character in this story had to have a light at the end of the tunnel-something to live for- and they didn't . Not one of them. They were all consumed by their own gloom. That's just not true.Even the most evil soul has invented a reason to live. These characters did not have that. Not one reason to go on. That's not the way it is.Now-I really need an Archie comic. JM
Existences cabossées, tragédies dérisoires des laissés-pour-compte de l'Amérique profonde... Avec le talent qui a fait l'immense succès de Mélodie du temps ordinaire, Mary McGarry Morris nous livre un roman poignant sur la liberté, le pardon et l'expiation. Après avoir purgé une peine de vingt-cinq ans pour homicide, Gordon Loomis réapprend à vivre dans un monde à peine moins redoutable que l'univers carcéral. Car la paisible ville du Massachusetts où il a grandi est devenue une zone de non-droit abandonnée aux dealers et aux gangs. Gordon va devoir se réinstaller parmi les hommes. Et le danger vient moins de la méfiance qu'il lit dans le regard des gens que des mains qui se tendent vers lui. Celle, pleine de sollicitude, de l'exubérante Delores, que des histoires d'amour désastreuses ont brisée et qui voudrait tant accompagner son nouveau départ; celle, implorante, de Jada, l'adolescente délurée et meurtrie qui lutte de toutes ses forces pour sortir sa mère de la toxicomanie. A l'une comme à l'autre, Gordon est incapable de répondre, lui pour qui la vie s'est arrêtée avec son crime... Mais que s'est-il réellement passé lors de cette nuit fatidique ?
Gordon Loomis' character is what kept me reading the novel, that and my desire to see how Morris would tie all the disparate elements together. The shifting point of view, and the late add-in of italicized text (whose point of view was that meant to be anyway) were distracting. The ending, in which not only is nothing resolved but Gordon's character still has not reached any ... what, enlightenment? ... was terribly disappointing. The one thing done really well, in my opinion, was the glimpse inside the ex-con's predicament of 'damned if you do and damned if you don't'. While the novel did not live up to its promise, it was still an enjoyable Sunday read.
—Barbara
I stayed with this book until the end, but was dissatisfied by unresolved storylines at the end. This is a book full of characters that are really hard to like. Most of them live on a street filled with violent crime and drugs so they live a hard life. We have glimpses of their lives, but don’t have a good picture of them. Sometimes their motivation is clear, but not always. Gordon is the most frustrating. He is the main character and was recently paroled after serving 25 years in prison for a murder he may not have committed. He is a big man of very few words; he mostly says he is sorry. Is he mentally disabled? He seems to have completed some post-high school education, so why does he come off as he does? Why does Dolores pursue him relentlessly despite his constant rejections? Too many questions.
—Marca
I thought the ending was abrupt, but I enjoyed this book. Started it Yesterday afternoon. Put it down to cram for my Cisco final. Then resumed today, now that all my finals are out of the way. Morris did a decent job of portraying a family who has a loved on in the pen for murder. But she also made the man who commited the murder, sorry. He's extremely sorry- sorry for the shame he brought on to his family, shamed and apologetic that he makes those around him (who know what he did) uncomfortable
—Caroline Alicia
