One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.
I have no idea where I got this book or why I picked up Wildlife by Richard Ford but it was once housed as a used book at The Strand. I really enjoyed the feeling of this book and that the cover is slightly scratchy.
In a town in Montana, where wildfires are raging just near by, a man loses his job. At the same time his son loses his perfect image of his parents.
I liked this book. It wasn’t groundbreaking or brilliant. But I enjoyed it for it’s straight forward, unfettered, coming of age story. I liked the background setting of a nervous town in Montanan and the atmosphere it provided. The characters were not all entirely fleshed out, but some aspects were surprising poignant. Joe, the 16 year narrator, is quiet and solemn. His mother is distantly mean. A slice of life story revolving around one small tragedy, this book is also quiet. It reminded my of the movie The Ice Storm, and the idea that everyone has a whole world of their own that they rarely show others. I would recommend this book for those who like coming of age stories, stories about boys growing up in America, or period slice of life novels.
What is your favorite coming of age story?
