Though some sections prove mundane, the work paints an intricate, memorable portrait.
A semi-autobiographical, character driven novel chronicling one American man’s life from author Riske.
In a series of short chapters, readers learn all about a protagonist named Al (who happens to share the same first name as the author). From Al’s younger years in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s to his retirement in 2024 in California, the narrative presents snippets of his life. One of the main players is a woman he met in college named Annie. The two marry in a “rain-soaked park in Oregon” in 1976. Much to the surprise of many around them, their marriage stands the test of time; Even after 28 years, Al is still wild about Annie’s “beautiful face.” Al’s longtime friend Cory is not so lucky—he has his first potential marriage called off shortly before the wedding. Further down the road, Cory marries a woman after knowing her for only six months. This union is fraught from the get-go and ultimately dissolves in divorce, and Cory spends time sleeping on the floor in a sparse studio apartment. Al is tempted by a co-worker with whom he shares “a certain chemistry” that he admits scares him. His greater struggle, however, is with his lifelong ambition to become a published author. The novel moves quickly as the chapters progress; embellishment is kept to a minimum. Al tells readers things like, “I find it easy to picture Cory alone in his studio apartment” without going overboard with unnecessary details. As a lasting image of Al and those in his life takes shape, readers grow eager to learn their fates. Not that Al’s life is always a roller-coaster—some chapters, such as those devoted to vacations that Al and Annie take, are not always page-turners (a trip to Montana inspires statements like “Montana is full of lakes”). Yet, by the end, the individual stories accumulate into a bigger picture. This bird’s eye view of a life makes for a genuinely pleasing reading experience.
Though some sections prove mundane, the work paints an intricate, memorable portrait.Pub Date: May 13, 2024
ISBN: 9798324974916
Page Count: 239
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 10, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.
A French art historian’s English-language fiction debut combines the story of a loving relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter with an enlightening discussion of art.
One day, when 10-year-old Mona removes the necklace given to her by her now-dead grandmother, she experiences a frightening, hour-long bout of blindness. Her parents take her to the doctor, who gives her a variety of tests and also advises that she see a psychiatrist. Her grandfather Henry tells her parents that he will take care of that assignment, but instead, he takes Mona on weekly visits to either the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, or the Centre Pompidou, where each week they study a single work of art, gazing at it deeply and then discussing its impact and history and the biography of its maker. For the reader’s benefit, Schlesser also describes each of the works in scrupulous detail. As the year goes on, Mona faces the usual challenges of elementary school life and the experiences of being an only child, and slowly begins to understand the causes of her temporary blindness. Primarily an amble through a few dozen of Schlesser’s favorite works of art—some well known and others less so, from Botticelli and da Vinci through Basquiat and Bourgeois—the novel would probably benefit from being read at a leisurely pace. While the dialogue between Henry and the preternaturally patient and precocious Mona sometimes strains credulity, readers who don’t have easy access to the museums of Paris may enjoy this vicarious trip in the company of a guide who focuses equally on that which can be seen and the context that can’t be. Come for the novel, stay for the introductory art history course.
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9798889661115
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
