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| The Ramblers |
Title: The Ramblers
Author: Aidan Donnelley Rowley
Publication Date: 2/9/16
Pages: 400
Genre: Literary Fiction / Fiction
How I Found It: TLC Book Tours
Date Completed: 2/10/16
Summary: Three New Yorkers struggle to find their place in the city, their friendships, their families, their futures.
What I Thought: Sometimes I really do not enjoy contemporary fiction. Sometimes it feels like writing without a purpose, just a story that needed to get out of a writer's head but had nowhere to go and nothing of substance to say. Then, sometimes, there are contemporary works of fiction that feel crafted with love and emotion and the struggles of an author's own life. They feel important; if not in a grand literary sense, then in a deeply personal sense, as though the author has bared a portion of his or her soul on the page. For me, The Ramblers thankfully fell in the latter category.
The three central characters, who are passed in and out plot focus, are each nicely broken, thoroughly imperfect. Particularly in literary fiction, I want to see characters who feel real. They are, after all, the driving point of these stories. The plot itself, as with many books in this genre, does not accomplish a whole lot. Instead, the story is about the characters, their development and desires. Each is working through an identity crisis of some sort and spends the book trying to work through the emotional and practical ramifications of that.
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| Aidan Donnelley Rowley |
The word which most immediately comes to mind reflecting on this book is genuine. It feels, as I said, as though Rowley has laid a piece of herself on the page for our perusal. It feels intimate and honest. The characters, despite their obvious priviledge and wealth, are still humans, dealing with deep issues and fears. I enjoyed the book, more than I anticipated I would. It was not life changing or anything, but it was a thoughtful read, something I always enjoy.
*To read other bloggers' thoughts on The Ramblers, check out the full tour schedule.*
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Will I Re-Read: Maybe
A Reduced Review: This work of literary fiction feels genuine and intimate in its focus on characters who are delightfully, heart-breakingly broken.
Genuine seems like the perfect word for this book. Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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