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The Lincoln Highway
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2021)The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America
In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the work farm where he has just served a year for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother and head west where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future.
Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles’s third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes.
In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the work farm where he has just served a year for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother and head west where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future.
Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles’s third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 2021
About the author
Amor Towles
28 books23.8k followersBorn and raised in the Boston area, Amor Towles graduated from Yale College and received an MA in English from Stanford University. Having worked as an investment professional in Manhattan for over twenty years, he now devotes himself fulltime to writing. His first novel, Rules of Civility, published in 2011, was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback and was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011. The book was optioned by Lionsgate to be made into a feature film and its French translation received the 2012 Prix Fitzgerald. His second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, published in 2016, was also a New York Times bestseller and was ranked as one of the best books of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the St. Louis Dispatch, and NPR. Both novels have been translated into over fifteen languages.
Mr. Towles, who lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children, is an ardent fan of early 20th century painting, 1950’s jazz, 1970’s cop shows, rock & roll on vinyl, obsolete accessories, manifestoes, breakfast pastries, pasta, liquor, snow-days, Tuscany, Provence, Disneyland, Hollywood, the cast of Casablanca, 007, Captain Kirk, Bob Dylan (early, mid, and late phases), the wee hours, card games, cafés, and the cookies made by both of his grandmothers.
Mr. Towles, who lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children, is an ardent fan of early 20th century painting, 1950’s jazz, 1970’s cop shows, rock & roll on vinyl, obsolete accessories, manifestoes, breakfast pastries, pasta, liquor, snow-days, Tuscany, Provence, Disneyland, Hollywood, the cast of Casablanca, 007, Captain Kirk, Bob Dylan (early, mid, and late phases), the wee hours, card games, cafés, and the cookies made by both of his grandmothers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 27,462 reviews
March 29, 2024
After loving the author's previous two books, one of which is an all-time favorite of mine, no one's more surprised than me that I didn't end up loving The Lincoln Highway.
Emmett has just been released from a juvenile detention facility after serving time for involuntary manslaughter. Now that his father has passed away and he no longer has family in town, he plans to pick up his little brother and drive along the Lincoln Highway to California so that they can start anew. But his carefully laid plans fall by the wayside when his friends show up and force him to embark on a different journey altogether.
I hate to say it, but this book confused me. I thought Emmett was our protagonist, and I was all ready to cheer him on as he did whatever he needed to do to start a new life, mainly by driving along the Lincoln Highway (hence the name of the book, right?). But this must be a case of mismatched expectations because Emmett wasn't the actual focus of this book and he didn't drive along that namesake road.
Emmett is but one character out of many in this book, and he shares equal limelight with them all. Each of these characters has their points of view and ample time in the book, filled with their corresponding backgrounds and narratives. But the issue is that the tales of these side characters are not vital to the story. You can just cut out their turns and still have essentially the same story overall. So to include them made the whole thing feel bloated and unfocused.
It doesn't help that a bunch of the side characters kept clowning around and getting up to shenanigans throughout the entire book. It almost feels like slapstick comedy, where outrageous things happen just for some laughs. This was especially odd because a lot of the notable events in here were people getting beat up or killed. But there was this incongruous, jokey tone permeating those scenes that didn't really go with whatever horrible event was happening.
That isn't to say this was all bad. I still enjoyed Towles's writing, even if I didn't really connect with the story. He always includes these little bits of wisdom coated in humor, and I gobbled up the Greek mythology references in here, as well as the trip down memory lane to FAO Schwarz. Clearly Towles was paying homage to 1950s Americana, and he does well from the parts I could pick up. But in the end, I just wasn't the right audience for this book, and I hope other readers trying this will have better luck than I did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
A Gentleman in Moscow
Rules of Civility
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
Emmett has just been released from a juvenile detention facility after serving time for involuntary manslaughter. Now that his father has passed away and he no longer has family in town, he plans to pick up his little brother and drive along the Lincoln Highway to California so that they can start anew. But his carefully laid plans fall by the wayside when his friends show up and force him to embark on a different journey altogether.
I hate to say it, but this book confused me. I thought Emmett was our protagonist, and I was all ready to cheer him on as he did whatever he needed to do to start a new life, mainly by driving along the Lincoln Highway (hence the name of the book, right?). But this must be a case of mismatched expectations because Emmett wasn't the actual focus of this book and he didn't drive along that namesake road.
Emmett is but one character out of many in this book, and he shares equal limelight with them all. Each of these characters has their points of view and ample time in the book, filled with their corresponding backgrounds and narratives. But the issue is that the tales of these side characters are not vital to the story. You can just cut out their turns and still have essentially the same story overall. So to include them made the whole thing feel bloated and unfocused.
It doesn't help that a bunch of the side characters kept clowning around and getting up to shenanigans throughout the entire book. It almost feels like slapstick comedy, where outrageous things happen just for some laughs. This was especially odd because a lot of the notable events in here were people getting beat up or killed. But there was this incongruous, jokey tone permeating those scenes that didn't really go with whatever horrible event was happening.
That isn't to say this was all bad. I still enjoyed Towles's writing, even if I didn't really connect with the story. He always includes these little bits of wisdom coated in humor, and I gobbled up the Greek mythology references in here, as well as the trip down memory lane to FAO Schwarz. Clearly Towles was paying homage to 1950s Americana, and he does well from the parts I could pick up. But in the end, I just wasn't the right audience for this book, and I hope other readers trying this will have better luck than I did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
A Gentleman in Moscow
Rules of Civility
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
October 18, 2021
I’ve been writing short reviews these last couple of months, but I knew at some point a book would come along and I’d be compelled to say more about it than just a few sentences.
********
I thought I was going on an adventure across the country on the Lincoln Highway, but I found myself on a journey of the heart with these characters, looking for “fresh starts “, each of them discovering who they are, how they fit into this world, each one having been abandoned in one way or another, each one rising up to meet their fate, trying to make amends. They don’t actually cross the country from New York to California in 1954, but take a detour from farm country in Nebraska to New York City (and what an ode to New York City ! ). Three teenage boys, one just released from a juvenile work farm, two who have escaped, are flawed and well meaning, trying to do the right thing. And oh my heart, the eight year old brother of the first boy, who is precocious, yet sweet in his naïveté and belief in heroes.
It’s about heroes, too, not just the ones in the book that Billy carries with him, but these unforgettable characters who are heroes in their own right to each other in some way, along with some other characters who I was touched by. I loved everything about this novel - the seamless way that Towles takes his readers to a time and place, the way he bridges that connection between fiction and life. He’s an extraordinary storyteller. Despite its length, I didn’t want it to end, didn’t want to leave these characters whose journeys reflect love and friendship, sadness and joy and are filled with the stuff that life is made of.
As always a pleasure to read with Diane and Esil.
********
I thought I was going on an adventure across the country on the Lincoln Highway, but I found myself on a journey of the heart with these characters, looking for “fresh starts “, each of them discovering who they are, how they fit into this world, each one having been abandoned in one way or another, each one rising up to meet their fate, trying to make amends. They don’t actually cross the country from New York to California in 1954, but take a detour from farm country in Nebraska to New York City (and what an ode to New York City ! ). Three teenage boys, one just released from a juvenile work farm, two who have escaped, are flawed and well meaning, trying to do the right thing. And oh my heart, the eight year old brother of the first boy, who is precocious, yet sweet in his naïveté and belief in heroes.
It’s about heroes, too, not just the ones in the book that Billy carries with him, but these unforgettable characters who are heroes in their own right to each other in some way, along with some other characters who I was touched by. I loved everything about this novel - the seamless way that Towles takes his readers to a time and place, the way he bridges that connection between fiction and life. He’s an extraordinary storyteller. Despite its length, I didn’t want it to end, didn’t want to leave these characters whose journeys reflect love and friendship, sadness and joy and are filled with the stuff that life is made of.
As always a pleasure to read with Diane and Esil.
November 22, 2021
***NOW AVAILABLE, ONE OF MY TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR***
5+++++ stars
DO YOU WANT TO GO ON A ROAD TRIP????
The year is 1954 and our trip will take place along The Lincoln Highway. We’ll start in New York City and travel to the end in San Francisco. What you won’t know is how many different “side trips” and wonderful characters that you will encounter on your way. . Buckle up HERE WE GO!!!!!!
READY TO MEET YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS?
Emmet Watson, age 18 is being driven to his home in Nebraska after having been released from a juvenile work farm. Emmet’s mother has been absent for many years and now his father has passed away and the family home and failed farm are in foreclosure. Emmet will have sole custody of his younger brother Billy. He has come home to settle things and to pick up his brother and his car. He is ready to start life anew, out of Nebraska and headed West, Texas or California.
Young Billy Watson has been waiting for his brother’s return for 18 months. He welcomes him with open arms!!!!!!!
After their father died, a neighbor and friend watched Billy until Emmett was released. Billy is a curious little guy, super intelligent and with lots of love to share, he has some interesting tastes in books!
His very favorite “big red book'' is something he keeps in his backpack at all times. “PROFESSOR ABACUS ABERNATHE’S COMPENDIUM OF HEROES, ADVENTURERS AND OTHER INTREPID TRAVELERS”. Given to him by the school librarian it is his most prized possession! Billy will read many stories to friends along the way!!
As soon as the warden drives away, two of Emmet’s friends from the farm appear on his doorstep, having hidden in the back of the truck, they still have part of their “sentence” to complete.
Duchess is a “wild and crazy” guy. He’s mostly kind hearted but has hatched a plan with Wooley that should get them all a lot of money.
He’s an alcoholic and often not dependable. But when he sets his mind on something he will pursue it at all costs.
Wooley, is a well intentioned friend and will do anything for those he cares about. He is estranged from his wealthy family. He will, however, inherit money from his grandfather when he turns 18. Wooley isn’t really that interested in the money, to him friendship and trust are more important. He is a somewhat troubled young man, always different from his peers, and often ignored by his family. He always felt like a PIECE OF A PUZZLE THAT DIDN'T FIT!
I completely lost myself in this story. Mr. Towles is a master storyteller. While I enjoyed his prior books, this one is definitely my favorite. This novel and cast of characters drew me in. It is, of course, beautifully and meticulously written. At times a bit wordy, I loved how this group of adventurers continued to get side tracked to different places. THAT’S A LOT LIKE LIFE ITSELF!!!
The characters are so real, I feel a little lost now that the book is over. I had to wait a day to write this review because I knew I would “gush” and I still have.
This is a book that I would love to put into everyone’s hands! It’s about family that we are born into and families that are “made” by a combination of the people we love.
This is a quote from the novel “Wouldn’t it have been wonderful, thought Woolly, if everybody’s life was like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. . . .one person’s life would just fit snugly in its very own, specially designed spot, and in so doing, would enable the whole intricate picture to become complete”. Is that not a beautiful quote?
This novel is set to publish on October 5, 2021.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and author through Edelweiss.
,
5+++++ stars
DO YOU WANT TO GO ON A ROAD TRIP????
The year is 1954 and our trip will take place along The Lincoln Highway. We’ll start in New York City and travel to the end in San Francisco. What you won’t know is how many different “side trips” and wonderful characters that you will encounter on your way. . Buckle up HERE WE GO!!!!!!
READY TO MEET YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS?
Emmet Watson, age 18 is being driven to his home in Nebraska after having been released from a juvenile work farm. Emmet’s mother has been absent for many years and now his father has passed away and the family home and failed farm are in foreclosure. Emmet will have sole custody of his younger brother Billy. He has come home to settle things and to pick up his brother and his car. He is ready to start life anew, out of Nebraska and headed West, Texas or California.
Young Billy Watson has been waiting for his brother’s return for 18 months. He welcomes him with open arms!!!!!!!
After their father died, a neighbor and friend watched Billy until Emmett was released. Billy is a curious little guy, super intelligent and with lots of love to share, he has some interesting tastes in books!
His very favorite “big red book'' is something he keeps in his backpack at all times. “PROFESSOR ABACUS ABERNATHE’S COMPENDIUM OF HEROES, ADVENTURERS AND OTHER INTREPID TRAVELERS”. Given to him by the school librarian it is his most prized possession! Billy will read many stories to friends along the way!!
As soon as the warden drives away, two of Emmet’s friends from the farm appear on his doorstep, having hidden in the back of the truck, they still have part of their “sentence” to complete.
Duchess is a “wild and crazy” guy. He’s mostly kind hearted but has hatched a plan with Wooley that should get them all a lot of money.
He’s an alcoholic and often not dependable. But when he sets his mind on something he will pursue it at all costs.
Wooley, is a well intentioned friend and will do anything for those he cares about. He is estranged from his wealthy family. He will, however, inherit money from his grandfather when he turns 18. Wooley isn’t really that interested in the money, to him friendship and trust are more important. He is a somewhat troubled young man, always different from his peers, and often ignored by his family. He always felt like a PIECE OF A PUZZLE THAT DIDN'T FIT!
I completely lost myself in this story. Mr. Towles is a master storyteller. While I enjoyed his prior books, this one is definitely my favorite. This novel and cast of characters drew me in. It is, of course, beautifully and meticulously written. At times a bit wordy, I loved how this group of adventurers continued to get side tracked to different places. THAT’S A LOT LIKE LIFE ITSELF!!!
The characters are so real, I feel a little lost now that the book is over. I had to wait a day to write this review because I knew I would “gush” and I still have.
This is a book that I would love to put into everyone’s hands! It’s about family that we are born into and families that are “made” by a combination of the people we love.
This is a quote from the novel “Wouldn’t it have been wonderful, thought Woolly, if everybody’s life was like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. . . .one person’s life would just fit snugly in its very own, specially designed spot, and in so doing, would enable the whole intricate picture to become complete”. Is that not a beautiful quote?
This novel is set to publish on October 5, 2021.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and author through Edelweiss.
,
May 5, 2023
Choo choo choo! That’s the sound of my disappointment train which suddenly left the town. With this ominous cue you may sense some very unpopular review is on its way!
I’m not sure if it’s about my changing literary taste or dark winter mood, but lately I start showing less interest to highly appraised and five starred books! After seeing those high recommendations, I thought I would absolutely love this book from the author of Gentleman in Moscow! I have to admit: the beginning was so promising and gripping which made me think I found another five starred gem but… till the characters hit the road, everything has changed, things got repetitive, new characters were thrown into equation and I didn’t like them much. Actually I showed no interest to learn more about their stories. And that ending….should I say disappointed, abrupt, empty… I don’t know what adjective I may use to define the ending without giving spoilers.
I think I was expecting something more than reading a story about teenage boys and tangerine obsession.
The beginning was impressive. In 1954, at a juvenile work farm, Emmett Watson who served for fifteen months because of manslaughter is getting to be driven to his house in Nebraska. His father passed away and his mother is long gone so only he and his eight years old brother left. The bank is already planning to take over the family farm. So at young age, his plan to have fresh start is driving to California with his brother Billy. But unfortunately the warden’s car which will take him to his home is already taken over by two friends at friend and now they are both headed to Big Apple . After that point the story’s direction absolutely changed. And I didn’t enjoy it!
Well, of course I’m not gonna give two stars !I really don’t want to get booed! ( it happened to me when I wrote my unpopular review to Cloud Cuckoo Land) I’m giving my solid three stars! I was expecting so much more but actually this book was definitely not for me!
I’m not sure if it’s about my changing literary taste or dark winter mood, but lately I start showing less interest to highly appraised and five starred books! After seeing those high recommendations, I thought I would absolutely love this book from the author of Gentleman in Moscow! I have to admit: the beginning was so promising and gripping which made me think I found another five starred gem but… till the characters hit the road, everything has changed, things got repetitive, new characters were thrown into equation and I didn’t like them much. Actually I showed no interest to learn more about their stories. And that ending….should I say disappointed, abrupt, empty… I don’t know what adjective I may use to define the ending without giving spoilers.
I think I was expecting something more than reading a story about teenage boys and tangerine obsession.
The beginning was impressive. In 1954, at a juvenile work farm, Emmett Watson who served for fifteen months because of manslaughter is getting to be driven to his house in Nebraska. His father passed away and his mother is long gone so only he and his eight years old brother left. The bank is already planning to take over the family farm. So at young age, his plan to have fresh start is driving to California with his brother Billy. But unfortunately the warden’s car which will take him to his home is already taken over by two friends at friend and now they are both headed to Big Apple . After that point the story’s direction absolutely changed. And I didn’t enjoy it!
Well, of course I’m not gonna give two stars !I really don’t want to get booed! ( it happened to me when I wrote my unpopular review to Cloud Cuckoo Land) I’m giving my solid three stars! I was expecting so much more but actually this book was definitely not for me!
October 8, 2021
Audiobook….read by Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, Dion Graham
…..16 hours and 39 minutes
Being a…
….HUGE FAN of
“A Gentleman in Moscow” and
“Rules of Civility”…
I was excited as any other fan to dive into Towles third novel.
However …
“The Lincoln Highway” wasn’t my cup of tea.
Great beginning…
But….
as the story moved along, the adventures and stories grew tiresome to me.
I grew tired of Billy’s young voice. His zealous fervent perky-curiosity became annoying and laborious to me.
I wasn’t a fan of many of the
devious-clownish characters.
I didn’t care for theatrical stories of Hercules, Galileo, Edison, or other imperial dramaturgic tales.
I didn’t want a Shakespeare lesson —
I had no interest in the sailboat stories…
or…
Heroes of legends
Sorcery and enchantment intervention of the Gods …
or…
Toys in FOA Schwarz….
or…
lessons on how to make strawberry jam or pie…
I didn’t mesh with some of the quirkiness-‘words-of- wisdom’ slants…
Example:
“When a piano falls out of the window and lands on a persons head there’s a good chance he’ll understand why he deserved it”.
Plenty of repetitiveness, too. How many times did I need to hear about the nine postcards?
Sometimes I felt that had Towles written this as a middle school children’s book -it could have been brilliant- but as an adult book mixed with childish stories - it just didn’t work for me.
I didn’t care for the mischievous humor-satire-ish-thriller-ish….book that this was.
That said… Amor Towles is an eloquent -talented writer/storyteller. I admire him - and seriously loved his past two novels.
“The Lincoln Highway” had powerful underline messages about human behaviors which were heartfelt— but the adventurous-packaging that they came in was too fatiguing to me.
2 star-personal enjoyment….(I don’t like sour cream either), — so this is just a personal preference review….
not a slam on the author whatsoever.
4 stars for Amor Towles eloquent skills.
Rounding out my final rating to 3 stars.
…..16 hours and 39 minutes
Being a…
….HUGE FAN of
“A Gentleman in Moscow” and
“Rules of Civility”…
I was excited as any other fan to dive into Towles third novel.
However …
“The Lincoln Highway” wasn’t my cup of tea.
Great beginning…
But….
as the story moved along, the adventures and stories grew tiresome to me.
I grew tired of Billy’s young voice. His zealous fervent perky-curiosity became annoying and laborious to me.
I wasn’t a fan of many of the
devious-clownish characters.
I didn’t care for theatrical stories of Hercules, Galileo, Edison, or other imperial dramaturgic tales.
I didn’t want a Shakespeare lesson —
I had no interest in the sailboat stories…
or…
Heroes of legends
Sorcery and enchantment intervention of the Gods …
or…
Toys in FOA Schwarz….
or…
lessons on how to make strawberry jam or pie…
I didn’t mesh with some of the quirkiness-‘words-of- wisdom’ slants…
Example:
“When a piano falls out of the window and lands on a persons head there’s a good chance he’ll understand why he deserved it”.
Plenty of repetitiveness, too. How many times did I need to hear about the nine postcards?
Sometimes I felt that had Towles written this as a middle school children’s book -it could have been brilliant- but as an adult book mixed with childish stories - it just didn’t work for me.
I didn’t care for the mischievous humor-satire-ish-thriller-ish….book that this was.
That said… Amor Towles is an eloquent -talented writer/storyteller. I admire him - and seriously loved his past two novels.
“The Lincoln Highway” had powerful underline messages about human behaviors which were heartfelt— but the adventurous-packaging that they came in was too fatiguing to me.
2 star-personal enjoyment….(I don’t like sour cream either), — so this is just a personal preference review….
not a slam on the author whatsoever.
4 stars for Amor Towles eloquent skills.
Rounding out my final rating to 3 stars.
September 13, 2021
Another winner from the talent that is Mr Amor Towles .
It’s June 1954, and 18 year old Emmett Watson is being driven home by Warden Williams after serving time in a Kansas youth facility. Emmett has to tie up his late father’s estate, and then he and his little brother Billy will be leaving town for a fresh start in life.
Emmett and Billy have different ideas about which direction they should head - Billy wants to follow the Lincoln Highway, where their mother, (who walked out on the family many years ago) is thought to be living. Emmett wants to follow wherever the work is, however, much to Emmett’s surprise, Duchess and Wooly, who are still supposed to be serving time in the facility where Emmett was, have managed to secrete themselves in the trunk of Warden William’s car, and are intent on a road trip of their own! What follows is madness and mayhem, but what a journey!
What an inventive and absorbing read this is. The characters are wonderful - all memorable in their own special way, the storyline is just an escapade full of humour and joy, not to mention some moving scenes thrown in for good measure. Can’t praise it enough!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for an arc in exchange for an honest unbiased review*
It’s June 1954, and 18 year old Emmett Watson is being driven home by Warden Williams after serving time in a Kansas youth facility. Emmett has to tie up his late father’s estate, and then he and his little brother Billy will be leaving town for a fresh start in life.
Emmett and Billy have different ideas about which direction they should head - Billy wants to follow the Lincoln Highway, where their mother, (who walked out on the family many years ago) is thought to be living. Emmett wants to follow wherever the work is, however, much to Emmett’s surprise, Duchess and Wooly, who are still supposed to be serving time in the facility where Emmett was, have managed to secrete themselves in the trunk of Warden William’s car, and are intent on a road trip of their own! What follows is madness and mayhem, but what a journey!
What an inventive and absorbing read this is. The characters are wonderful - all memorable in their own special way, the storyline is just an escapade full of humour and joy, not to mention some moving scenes thrown in for good measure. Can’t praise it enough!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for an arc in exchange for an honest unbiased review*
November 3, 2021
holy cow. this roadtrip is a nightmare. everything that can go wrong, does. all because of duchess, who is one of the most unenjoyable characters to read about in the history of books. and honestly, this is probably closer to a 2 star read, but the relationship between emmett and his younger brother, billy, deserves so much better than that.
and its such a tremendous shame that too many other POVs take away from this amazing brotherly bond. i found nearly every character POV, other than emmetts, to be lacking and begging to be skimmed. with the exception of duchess and sometimes woolly, whose POVs do progress the plot, every other POV could be cut from the story without consequence. sure, they add some side stories but, for me, they just took away page time that could have been better spent on emmett and billy. the removal of these very distant side characters also would have helped with the long length and slow pacing.
but gosh. again, i keep going back and thinking about emmett and billy. their connection is just too wholesome. i love their dynamic - emmetts cautious protection and billy innocent affection. they both steal whatever scene they are in and truly outshine all of the other characters. i easily could have read 600+ pages of just them and given it 5 stars.
this also has some really great writing and storytelling with quintessential AT charm throughout. so its a shame that the story is bogged down by unlikeable and unnecessary characters.
↠ 3 stars
and its such a tremendous shame that too many other POVs take away from this amazing brotherly bond. i found nearly every character POV, other than emmetts, to be lacking and begging to be skimmed. with the exception of duchess and sometimes woolly, whose POVs do progress the plot, every other POV could be cut from the story without consequence. sure, they add some side stories but, for me, they just took away page time that could have been better spent on emmett and billy. the removal of these very distant side characters also would have helped with the long length and slow pacing.
but gosh. again, i keep going back and thinking about emmett and billy. their connection is just too wholesome. i love their dynamic - emmetts cautious protection and billy innocent affection. they both steal whatever scene they are in and truly outshine all of the other characters. i easily could have read 600+ pages of just them and given it 5 stars.
this also has some really great writing and storytelling with quintessential AT charm throughout. so its a shame that the story is bogged down by unlikeable and unnecessary characters.
↠ 3 stars
October 1, 2021
Amor Towles spins a beguiling and rollicking historical adventure set in the 1950s, brilliantly imaginative, and with an unforgettable cast of characters, ostensibly about a Lincoln Highway road trip to California that keeps gets derailed. 18 year old Emmet Watson is a surprisingly composed and mature young man, who arrives back home to Morgen, Nebraska, after serving a sentence for involuntary manslaughter at a juvenile work farm in Salina. His unsuccessful farmer father has died, debts mean their family farm has been foreclosed upon by the bank. None of this is a shock to Emmet, he has planned for new beginnings, to pick up his 8 year old brother, Billy, driving in his 1948 Studebaker, to start a more secure future in California, where it appears their mother went after abandoning them years ago.
However, two of his friends, Duchess and Wooley, from Salena have escaped, hiding in the car that Emmet was driven home in by the warden, and they have other more immediate ideas of going to New York. Duchess is a good, if frustrating, man, but his ideas and misguided good intentions fail to take account of the consequences of his actions, he seeks to balance the scales of justice in his life, which includes taking a beating that he feels he deserves. Wooley is a dreamer, out of sync with the world and his wealthy family's expectations, requiring medication for his condition, looking for a one of a kind day rather than the normal every day kind of days, he has access to money that could set all of them for the new lives they all dream of. So begin a series of adventures, where Billy's precious book, Professor Abernathe's Compendium is key, including a thrilling freight train journey to New York, taking in a circus, the Empire State Building and so much more.
They encounter a memorable set of characters on their oddyssey, including the Great Ulysses in search of his wife and child, a villainous Pastor John, Wooley's sister, Sarah, and are joined by the remarkable Sally from Nebraska. Towles vibrant storytelling is spellbinding, oozing with a sense of magical wonder, with its echoes of ancient myths, legends and heroes, brought to life in 1950s America. This is a beautiful, multilayered read, of life, brothers, love, friendship, the spirit of adventure, misfits that a world struggles to accommodate, and the heartbreak of tragedy. I adored young Billy, wise beyond his years, with his heart of gold and simplicity that cuts through what might be thought of as logical and normal. A superb novel that I recommend highly, a wonderful must read. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
However, two of his friends, Duchess and Wooley, from Salena have escaped, hiding in the car that Emmet was driven home in by the warden, and they have other more immediate ideas of going to New York. Duchess is a good, if frustrating, man, but his ideas and misguided good intentions fail to take account of the consequences of his actions, he seeks to balance the scales of justice in his life, which includes taking a beating that he feels he deserves. Wooley is a dreamer, out of sync with the world and his wealthy family's expectations, requiring medication for his condition, looking for a one of a kind day rather than the normal every day kind of days, he has access to money that could set all of them for the new lives they all dream of. So begin a series of adventures, where Billy's precious book, Professor Abernathe's Compendium is key, including a thrilling freight train journey to New York, taking in a circus, the Empire State Building and so much more.
They encounter a memorable set of characters on their oddyssey, including the Great Ulysses in search of his wife and child, a villainous Pastor John, Wooley's sister, Sarah, and are joined by the remarkable Sally from Nebraska. Towles vibrant storytelling is spellbinding, oozing with a sense of magical wonder, with its echoes of ancient myths, legends and heroes, brought to life in 1950s America. This is a beautiful, multilayered read, of life, brothers, love, friendship, the spirit of adventure, misfits that a world struggles to accommodate, and the heartbreak of tragedy. I adored young Billy, wise beyond his years, with his heart of gold and simplicity that cuts through what might be thought of as logical and normal. A superb novel that I recommend highly, a wonderful must read. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
July 14, 2021
Still catching up on books I finished this spring. My apologies. THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY is a gem. I adored Amor Towles's first two novels, and I savored every moment of this one. It's 1954, and three young men and a boy are on the adventure of their lives, traveling between the Midwest and Manhattan and the Adirondacks, and while there are meticulous reasons for their incredible journey, what makes this masterpiece work are each of the characters. They have their scars and their demons and their eccentricities. Two you will want to take under your wing and adopt; one will leave you uneasy; and one just might have in him the stuff of heroism. All of them you will care about deeply. I savored this book: every page.
November 27, 2022
It took a long time for me to make it to the ‘Lincoln Highway’ and what a long winding road / read it was, but what an adventure and what a touching exploration of human nature with this intricate character study from the master storyteller that is Amor Towles.
A mix of very ordinary and extraordinary events shape the lives of two brothers and two uninvited travelling companions. With a hint of tragedy looming from the opening pages and a sense of the inevitable you know fate will play its part.
Once again, I find myself asking the same question about an Amor Towles book. Why do I love this so much and the answer is the same? I just do!! There is nothing sensational about the plot, the language, or its characters, but there is something sensational about the way the stories are perfectly nuanced, the characters are intimately observed, and the story is beautifully written.
The Plot (skip if you have read the book)
The year is 1954 when the story begins with a warden releasing 18 year old Emmett Watson from a detention centre for involuntary manslaughter. After serving 15 months, Emmett is released on compassionate grounds after the death of their father to care for his younger brother Billy.
Deciding to make a fresh start, Emmett, and Billy plan to travel along the Lincoln Highway to California to locate their mother, who abandoned the family years earlier. That is until they meet up with two of Emmett’s fellow inmates and now escapees; the dangerous swindler that is Duchess Hewitt and Woolly Martin, a man addicted to prescription medicine.
The story is a time capture odyssey of one week, with a smooth transition from one chapter to the next as the four main characters narrate in the first person providing the history to their story as they learn to live in the present, deal with the past and look forward to their future.
The lives of the four males become so entwined and all of them are taken on a different journey and in a direction that has some devastating consequences. The road is perilous, their mission is thwart with obstacles and the outcome reflected the tragedy and justice you often get from Greek Mythology – which the book often references.
Review and Comments
Characterisation⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was superb and the dynamics between the group and between individuals within the group make this such a unique and extraordinary story.
With the 3 teenagers all aged 18, the perfect backdrop of people on a journey was created. Emmett, Duchess and Woolly were at that crossroads in life when they transition from boys to men but also an opportunity to put right the wrong start and decisions they had made to that point. However, with the desire for retribution, a past haunting them and an opportunity to make money fast, you are totally caught up in their dilemma between doing what is right and wrong. For themselves and the others in the group where the emotional intelligence seems to constantly work against them.
The only character that jarred with me was Billy who was wise beyond his years, and although I enjoyed the character, I would have preferred he was cast a few years older. It would have avoided the constant eye roll from me, because sometimes he felt a precocious little twirp, but still adorable when his innocence shone through.
The 3 star plot ⭐⭐⭐ was saved by the story telling. First of all, what was wrong with the plot? There was not much substance to the plot and events and conversations were often repeated. There is something wrong with the plot when I only decided I loved this book halfway in and then the ending felt a bit incomplete and lacked the closure I wanted for the four boys.
Then I reflected on the closing chapters for a while and concluded that the ending was in fact perfect and did not need a contrived happy ending for everyone. The book is permeated with so much light and darkness, with loss and hope, that it would have been wrong to write the ending differently.
Writing style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars There is an understated elegance to the writing, brilliant in its simplicity and tragic with its constant referencing back to Greek mythology.
There is no doubt that Amor Towles is the master storyteller who does not need the sensational twists or bold characters to tell a story. The mood and the relaxed tone of his writing together with the delicate way he deals with strong themes all create the right atmosphere and a fabulous reading experience.
(4.5 stars rounded up) so 5 stars overall for a book that is incredibly touching in its sentiment and heart breaking in some of its story. A coming of age story that is not about adolescent outbursts but a story of 4 males trying to make life decisions in a world that they have not learned to live in yet.
Enthralling and life affirming with some epic qualities to the storytelling and characterisation.
A mix of very ordinary and extraordinary events shape the lives of two brothers and two uninvited travelling companions. With a hint of tragedy looming from the opening pages and a sense of the inevitable you know fate will play its part.
Once again, I find myself asking the same question about an Amor Towles book. Why do I love this so much and the answer is the same? I just do!! There is nothing sensational about the plot, the language, or its characters, but there is something sensational about the way the stories are perfectly nuanced, the characters are intimately observed, and the story is beautifully written.
The Plot (skip if you have read the book)
The year is 1954 when the story begins with a warden releasing 18 year old Emmett Watson from a detention centre for involuntary manslaughter. After serving 15 months, Emmett is released on compassionate grounds after the death of their father to care for his younger brother Billy.
Deciding to make a fresh start, Emmett, and Billy plan to travel along the Lincoln Highway to California to locate their mother, who abandoned the family years earlier. That is until they meet up with two of Emmett’s fellow inmates and now escapees; the dangerous swindler that is Duchess Hewitt and Woolly Martin, a man addicted to prescription medicine.
The story is a time capture odyssey of one week, with a smooth transition from one chapter to the next as the four main characters narrate in the first person providing the history to their story as they learn to live in the present, deal with the past and look forward to their future.
The lives of the four males become so entwined and all of them are taken on a different journey and in a direction that has some devastating consequences. The road is perilous, their mission is thwart with obstacles and the outcome reflected the tragedy and justice you often get from Greek Mythology – which the book often references.
Review and Comments
Characterisation⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was superb and the dynamics between the group and between individuals within the group make this such a unique and extraordinary story.
With the 3 teenagers all aged 18, the perfect backdrop of people on a journey was created. Emmett, Duchess and Woolly were at that crossroads in life when they transition from boys to men but also an opportunity to put right the wrong start and decisions they had made to that point. However, with the desire for retribution, a past haunting them and an opportunity to make money fast, you are totally caught up in their dilemma between doing what is right and wrong. For themselves and the others in the group where the emotional intelligence seems to constantly work against them.
The only character that jarred with me was Billy who was wise beyond his years, and although I enjoyed the character, I would have preferred he was cast a few years older. It would have avoided the constant eye roll from me, because sometimes he felt a precocious little twirp, but still adorable when his innocence shone through.
The 3 star plot ⭐⭐⭐ was saved by the story telling. First of all, what was wrong with the plot? There was not much substance to the plot and events and conversations were often repeated. There is something wrong with the plot when I only decided I loved this book halfway in and then the ending felt a bit incomplete and lacked the closure I wanted for the four boys.
Then I reflected on the closing chapters for a while and concluded that the ending was in fact perfect and did not need a contrived happy ending for everyone. The book is permeated with so much light and darkness, with loss and hope, that it would have been wrong to write the ending differently.
Writing style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars There is an understated elegance to the writing, brilliant in its simplicity and tragic with its constant referencing back to Greek mythology.
There is no doubt that Amor Towles is the master storyteller who does not need the sensational twists or bold characters to tell a story. The mood and the relaxed tone of his writing together with the delicate way he deals with strong themes all create the right atmosphere and a fabulous reading experience.
(4.5 stars rounded up) so 5 stars overall for a book that is incredibly touching in its sentiment and heart breaking in some of its story. A coming of age story that is not about adolescent outbursts but a story of 4 males trying to make life decisions in a world that they have not learned to live in yet.
Enthralling and life affirming with some epic qualities to the storytelling and characterisation.
October 17, 2022
Five stars. It might only be the first week of 2022, but I have a feeling this will be my favorite book of the year. It’s been a long time since a book tugged at my emotions like this one did. It grabbed me, and over and over again, I found myself gripping my chest. It hurt. It scared me. But yes, I also laughed.
It’s an adventure story, an odyssey, an “escapade”, as Duchess calls it, with undertones of mythology. Everyone has hopes and dreams and they clash because not a single one can be realized without denying someone else theirs.
As with his other books, the writing is gorgeous. Towles has a way of creating characters and putting them in scenes so realistic, it was like watching a movie. He has a real knack for setting the time and place. I wanted to savor each moment while at the same time frantic to see how this story would play out for each of the main characters. But not just the main characters, I found myself caring for even the secondary characters. I even loved Duchess, a total scoundrel if ever there was one, even as I was shouting at him multiple times to stop his nefarious deeds.
And oh, that ending. Talk about being caught off guard.
I listened to this and bravo to the narrators. Each definitely added to my enjoyment.
It’s an adventure story, an odyssey, an “escapade”, as Duchess calls it, with undertones of mythology. Everyone has hopes and dreams and they clash because not a single one can be realized without denying someone else theirs.
As with his other books, the writing is gorgeous. Towles has a way of creating characters and putting them in scenes so realistic, it was like watching a movie. He has a real knack for setting the time and place. I wanted to savor each moment while at the same time frantic to see how this story would play out for each of the main characters. But not just the main characters, I found myself caring for even the secondary characters. I even loved Duchess, a total scoundrel if ever there was one, even as I was shouting at him multiple times to stop his nefarious deeds.
And oh, that ending. Talk about being caught off guard.
I listened to this and bravo to the narrators. Each definitely added to my enjoyment.
November 20, 2022
It is hard for me to rate this book because I loved the first third and was extremely disappointed by the rest.
While listening to the first 30% of this book I was so enamored with the writing and the characters I was sure that this novel was going to be my favorite book of the year. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. As soon as the boys hit the road toward the Lincoln Highway Amor Towles' brain was taken over by a much lesser writer who specializes in stories for teenage boys and loves tangents. Many new characters are introduced, none of whom grabbed my interest. The story lost momentum and I began to skip the chapters which were not narrated by the 2 main protagonists and Sally. I loved Sally. She had some of the best lines. After praying to God for months that her father will marry the woman he is dating and therefore have someone other than herself responsible for cooking and cleaning for him she is sorely disappointed when they stop dating. And she quips:
"They say the lord answers all prayers ....but sometimes he answers 'no.'"
I was shocked by the ending. Where did that come from? It changed the tone of the book from folksy, old fashioned story telling to... well, telling would be a spoiler.
I loved Rules of Civility but nothing of Towles' since, including A Gentleman from Moscow. I know. I know. I tried to read it twice but it never captured my attention. I'm sure it was all me. One day I will try again. I was definitely in the minority on "Gentlemen" just as I seem to be in the minority on The Lincoln Highway.
While listening to the first 30% of this book I was so enamored with the writing and the characters I was sure that this novel was going to be my favorite book of the year. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. As soon as the boys hit the road toward the Lincoln Highway Amor Towles' brain was taken over by a much lesser writer who specializes in stories for teenage boys and loves tangents. Many new characters are introduced, none of whom grabbed my interest. The story lost momentum and I began to skip the chapters which were not narrated by the 2 main protagonists and Sally. I loved Sally. She had some of the best lines. After praying to God for months that her father will marry the woman he is dating and therefore have someone other than herself responsible for cooking and cleaning for him she is sorely disappointed when they stop dating. And she quips:
"They say the lord answers all prayers ....but sometimes he answers 'no.'"
I was shocked by the ending. Where did that come from? It changed the tone of the book from folksy, old fashioned story telling to... well, telling would be a spoiler.
I loved Rules of Civility but nothing of Towles' since, including A Gentleman from Moscow. I know. I know. I tried to read it twice but it never captured my attention. I'm sure it was all me. One day I will try again. I was definitely in the minority on "Gentlemen" just as I seem to be in the minority on The Lincoln Highway.
February 22, 2022
“… for most people, it doesn’t matter where they live. When they get up in the morning, they’re not looking to change the world… And if it doesn’t matter for most people where they live, it certainly doesn’t matter where they’re going. That’s what gave the Lincoln Highway its charm.”
Let me start by saying that I absolutely adored both Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow. They remain two of my very favorite books, with copies of both holding special places on my bookshelf designated for such treasures. Amor Towles soared to the top of my author list. However, just as brothers Emmett and Billy’s plans to travel to San Francisco to find their mother (who abandoned them eight years ago) went way off course in The Lincoln Highway, this reading experience derailed for me in a pretty big way, too. That’s as far as I’m going with the clichéd phrases, however, because that was one of the problems I had with this book –lack of subtlety and the too-obvious feeling that the entire story was a parable of sorts. I’m sorry to admit it, and I hate to complain about this novel. I just don’t do well with tales that set out to impart some moral wisdom, especially when I don’t feel as if I’ve learned any lesson by the end. In fact, I was a bit puzzled by the final act.
“This is the Lincoln Highway… It was invented in 1912 and was named for Abraham Lincoln and was the very first road to stretch from one end of America to the other… It starts in Times Square in New York City and it ends three thousand three hundred and ninety miles away in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. And it passes right through Central City, just twenty-five miles from our house.”
If precocious children and adventure stories are your cup of tea, then you will very likely find this book to be rather charming and highly entertaining. It’s not told from just eight-year-old Billy’s point of view, however. The story alternates, quite quickly, between the various characters that Towles has dreamed up. I don’t mind switching from one person to the next, if that allows me to gain a better perspective of each character. In fact, just before this book, I read The Moonflower Vine, which had a similar structure. In that one, however, the reader was allowed to spend a great deal of time with one character before moving along to the next. Each person had more depth as a result. Here, Towles rapidly jumps from one to the next before I had enough time to truly appreciate the company. Again, if you’re in it for the fast-paced action, then this works quite well. As a reflective reader, this didn’t appeal to me personally. I’m also not opposed to precocious children, as a rule, but when they seem too good to be true, well, I get a little bored. Billy is not the only one rather mature for his age. Given the fact that Emmett, Duchess, and Wooly had all been inmates at a working farm for juvenile delinquents, it was safe to assume that they all landed there before the age of eighteen. This story takes place right after Emmett has served his time. Emmett, Duchess and even Sally (Emmett’s next door neighbor, peer and former if not current object of affection) were all wise beyond their years. I realize that hardship and an early dependence on oneself to get by when a parent or two is absent can make for more quick-witted and self-sufficient temperaments, but I couldn’t get past the fact that so many of these young adults were gifted with these qualities. I have to admit, I felt the presence of the author himself while reading.
“Reality was almost certainly going to leave its mark on Billy Watson tonight. And that mark was likely to stay with him for the rest of his life as a helpful reminder that while the heroes in storybooks are usually figments of the imagination, most of the men who write about them are figments of the imagination too.”
Enough about my quibbles for now. There were indeed some satisfying points to The Lincoln Highway, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to ignore them. One thing that I could fully relate to was Billy’s love for reading. His most prized possession is always at hand – a beautifully bound book of adventure stories written by Professor Abernathe. He opens the book and shares the wonders inside with anyone who will listen. Which one of us doesn’t hope for such a captive audience when we want to gush about our favorite stories?! Then there was Ulysses, a man who has consigned himself to a fate much like the fabled Ulysses. He’s been traveling by rail aimlessly and illegally for years to atone for a transgression. He’s in search of a wife and son. I could have happily spent a lot more time in his company. One thing that Towles always does so well is drop the reader smack dab in the middle of his settings. 1950s America, the railways, and New York City were all brought to life with his magical words. The idea that life does not travel a straight path is one that’s examined often in literature. It’s forever winding and changing course. The mention of Zeno’s paradox, the inability to get from point A to point B, is even thrown in for good measure. Towles manages the whole thing in a fun, engaging way. Despite the fact that this novel felt less substantial (not page-wise!) and more young adult-like to me, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll read Towles again. I like it best when Towles sticks to a small cast and a smaller scope. I’m happy to be locked up in a hotel room or just wandering the streets of New York City rather than traversing the United States! You must judge for yourself, however – I’m clearly an outlier!
“But having confessed that I have lived my life through books, I can at least report that I have done so with conviction.”
“How easily we forget—we in the business of storytelling—that life was the point all along.”
Let me start by saying that I absolutely adored both Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow. They remain two of my very favorite books, with copies of both holding special places on my bookshelf designated for such treasures. Amor Towles soared to the top of my author list. However, just as brothers Emmett and Billy’s plans to travel to San Francisco to find their mother (who abandoned them eight years ago) went way off course in The Lincoln Highway, this reading experience derailed for me in a pretty big way, too. That’s as far as I’m going with the clichéd phrases, however, because that was one of the problems I had with this book –lack of subtlety and the too-obvious feeling that the entire story was a parable of sorts. I’m sorry to admit it, and I hate to complain about this novel. I just don’t do well with tales that set out to impart some moral wisdom, especially when I don’t feel as if I’ve learned any lesson by the end. In fact, I was a bit puzzled by the final act.
“This is the Lincoln Highway… It was invented in 1912 and was named for Abraham Lincoln and was the very first road to stretch from one end of America to the other… It starts in Times Square in New York City and it ends three thousand three hundred and ninety miles away in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. And it passes right through Central City, just twenty-five miles from our house.”
If precocious children and adventure stories are your cup of tea, then you will very likely find this book to be rather charming and highly entertaining. It’s not told from just eight-year-old Billy’s point of view, however. The story alternates, quite quickly, between the various characters that Towles has dreamed up. I don’t mind switching from one person to the next, if that allows me to gain a better perspective of each character. In fact, just before this book, I read The Moonflower Vine, which had a similar structure. In that one, however, the reader was allowed to spend a great deal of time with one character before moving along to the next. Each person had more depth as a result. Here, Towles rapidly jumps from one to the next before I had enough time to truly appreciate the company. Again, if you’re in it for the fast-paced action, then this works quite well. As a reflective reader, this didn’t appeal to me personally. I’m also not opposed to precocious children, as a rule, but when they seem too good to be true, well, I get a little bored. Billy is not the only one rather mature for his age. Given the fact that Emmett, Duchess, and Wooly had all been inmates at a working farm for juvenile delinquents, it was safe to assume that they all landed there before the age of eighteen. This story takes place right after Emmett has served his time. Emmett, Duchess and even Sally (Emmett’s next door neighbor, peer and former if not current object of affection) were all wise beyond their years. I realize that hardship and an early dependence on oneself to get by when a parent or two is absent can make for more quick-witted and self-sufficient temperaments, but I couldn’t get past the fact that so many of these young adults were gifted with these qualities. I have to admit, I felt the presence of the author himself while reading.
“Reality was almost certainly going to leave its mark on Billy Watson tonight. And that mark was likely to stay with him for the rest of his life as a helpful reminder that while the heroes in storybooks are usually figments of the imagination, most of the men who write about them are figments of the imagination too.”
Enough about my quibbles for now. There were indeed some satisfying points to The Lincoln Highway, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to ignore them. One thing that I could fully relate to was Billy’s love for reading. His most prized possession is always at hand – a beautifully bound book of adventure stories written by Professor Abernathe. He opens the book and shares the wonders inside with anyone who will listen. Which one of us doesn’t hope for such a captive audience when we want to gush about our favorite stories?! Then there was Ulysses, a man who has consigned himself to a fate much like the fabled Ulysses. He’s been traveling by rail aimlessly and illegally for years to atone for a transgression. He’s in search of a wife and son. I could have happily spent a lot more time in his company. One thing that Towles always does so well is drop the reader smack dab in the middle of his settings. 1950s America, the railways, and New York City were all brought to life with his magical words. The idea that life does not travel a straight path is one that’s examined often in literature. It’s forever winding and changing course. The mention of Zeno’s paradox, the inability to get from point A to point B, is even thrown in for good measure. Towles manages the whole thing in a fun, engaging way. Despite the fact that this novel felt less substantial (not page-wise!) and more young adult-like to me, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll read Towles again. I like it best when Towles sticks to a small cast and a smaller scope. I’m happy to be locked up in a hotel room or just wandering the streets of New York City rather than traversing the United States! You must judge for yourself, however – I’m clearly an outlier!
“But having confessed that I have lived my life through books, I can at least report that I have done so with conviction.”
“How easily we forget—we in the business of storytelling—that life was the point all along.”
December 5, 2021
I feel like I’ve just been tucked in: snug as a bug in a rug, by this masterful storyteller.
Towles has a way of writing that sweeps a reader away to where only the story matters.
A journey of sorts - a new beginning. It’s 1954. What becomes a direct route along the Lincoln highway - which stretches from the east coast to the west- quickly becomes a backward one. Emmett, who has just finished his time in a juvenile detention, goes home for his younger brother, Billy, to begin their trip. Two other boys - Woolly and Duchess- show up the same day having escaped from the farm. And so it begins.
Without going into detail, you can savour this one yourself with a brandy by the fire. The characters are unique, authentic and just as charming as the writing.
If you want an adventure, you’ve arrived at the right spot. Sit back, settle in and enjoy this divine ride.
And If you haven’t read A Gentleman in Moscow, I urge you do so.
There is just something so mesmerizing and hypnotizing about Towles' writing that you’ll pause for a long bit after and realize what a pleasure the journey was.
5⭐️
Towles has a way of writing that sweeps a reader away to where only the story matters.
A journey of sorts - a new beginning. It’s 1954. What becomes a direct route along the Lincoln highway - which stretches from the east coast to the west- quickly becomes a backward one. Emmett, who has just finished his time in a juvenile detention, goes home for his younger brother, Billy, to begin their trip. Two other boys - Woolly and Duchess- show up the same day having escaped from the farm. And so it begins.
Without going into detail, you can savour this one yourself with a brandy by the fire. The characters are unique, authentic and just as charming as the writing.
If you want an adventure, you’ve arrived at the right spot. Sit back, settle in and enjoy this divine ride.
And If you haven’t read A Gentleman in Moscow, I urge you do so.
There is just something so mesmerizing and hypnotizing about Towles' writing that you’ll pause for a long bit after and realize what a pleasure the journey was.
5⭐️
November 3, 2021
A madcap adventure story, a fantastical story set in the fifties, a story about retribution, forgiveness missed connections, and peopled with some outstanding characters. An ode to reading, travel and the family we have, the family we make.
Towels has the talent to entertain with his scenarios, to pull a reader into a time period, a situation, to make the unbelievable, believable and to entertain so well that almost 600 pages just flyby. These are characters that one doesn't easily forget, even what one would call minor characters are central to the plot. One in particular is very young, Billy, but at times it seems he has more belief and wisdom than his elders.
I'm not quite sure I understand the ending but I intend soon to go back and re-read, and discussing with Angela and Esil will I'm sure aid in my endeavor. Another unforgettable story from Towles.
Towels has the talent to entertain with his scenarios, to pull a reader into a time period, a situation, to make the unbelievable, believable and to entertain so well that almost 600 pages just flyby. These are characters that one doesn't easily forget, even what one would call minor characters are central to the plot. One in particular is very young, Billy, but at times it seems he has more belief and wisdom than his elders.
I'm not quite sure I understand the ending but I intend soon to go back and re-read, and discussing with Angela and Esil will I'm sure aid in my endeavor. Another unforgettable story from Towles.
November 26, 2021
I know I am in the minority, but perhaps because I am not a fan of quest books, this one didn’t live up to the hype for me. I say that having absolutely loved Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow. So I eagerly awaited receiving my copy, and I read it through to completion. I didn’t find the characters likable or the plot plausible. It meandered through irrelevant and illogical anecdotes. By the end, I didn’t care what happened to any of them. It also made maneuvering across the country and navigating NYC seem extremely uncomplicated and easy for 1954. All you needed was a Howard Johnson’s map. And it was incredibly easy to find people you were looking for. At times I wondered if this really was a myth or fantasy.
The writing, as would be expected, was terrific, but other than for that, I don’t know anyone for whom I could recommend this book. Now that I think about it, people who had read advance copies just told me to read it. They never told me why I would enjoy it.
The writing, as would be expected, was terrific, but other than for that, I don’t know anyone for whom I could recommend this book. Now that I think about it, people who had read advance copies just told me to read it. They never told me why I would enjoy it.
October 21, 2021
5 🎒🎒🎒🎒🎒
592 pages and I miss each and every one of them. I want to start it over again.
592 pages and I miss each and every one of them. I want to start it over again.
August 27, 2021
It’s June 12th 1954 and Warden Williams is taking eighteen year old Emmett Watson home from Salina, a juvenile reform program after which Emmett’s debt to society is paid in full. His father has died, his bank loans against it are called in and the farm is to be sold. His eight year old brother Billy shows him a map of the Lincoln Highway stretching east to west, their intention is to drive Emmett's 1948 Studebaker Land Cruiser westwards to San Francisco. However, best laid plans and all that, when everything is thrown up in the air by the unexpected arrival of Duchess and Woolly from Salina. What transpires over the next ten days is very far from what the Watson brothers imagine especially as it becomes clear that Duchess and Emmett are on a collision course. The story is told from multiple points of view.
What an adventure! It is no surprise that this is brilliantly written, it’s extremely creative, imaginative and so vivid. The characters are superbly crafted, they feel authentic and real and whilst three of them have erred there is an elegant yet simple morality to them , with Emmett being an especially good man. Billy for me is the stand out character, I just fall in love with his thoughtful yet simple approach to life, his sweetness, wisdom and intelligence and particularly how he is inspired and guided by Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers and other Intrepid Travellers. This is a key component of the novel and a great deal mirrors the compendium with a sense of it being prophetic. There ARE heroes, certainly adventurers, they meet intrepid travellers and on more than one occasion the book saves Billy and the rest of them. Their journey deviates, as does the storytelling but it does take you to some magical and fantastical places. At times the book is funny, at others it makes you uneasy and has shocks and surprises along the way. As the story meanders east before heading west
( you’ll have to read the book to find out why 😁) on occasions it feels like a madcap movie like a Chaplin or Keaton silent film caper which incidentally are mentioned in passing(!) with these scenes being especially delicious!! The dialogue is ‘absotively’ brilliant making you want to join in. As it reaches a conclusion it takes a darker turn, which I guess has been in the cards with the signs there for all to see.
Overall, I think this is an excellent and original novel. The storytelling is lively, engaging, takes the reader on a wild ride as it twists and turns away from the brothers original intention and into some lively and unexpected situations. It’s a character driven study with all the facets of humankind on display, the good, the bad and the endearingly wonderful.
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
What an adventure! It is no surprise that this is brilliantly written, it’s extremely creative, imaginative and so vivid. The characters are superbly crafted, they feel authentic and real and whilst three of them have erred there is an elegant yet simple morality to them , with Emmett being an especially good man. Billy for me is the stand out character, I just fall in love with his thoughtful yet simple approach to life, his sweetness, wisdom and intelligence and particularly how he is inspired and guided by Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers and other Intrepid Travellers. This is a key component of the novel and a great deal mirrors the compendium with a sense of it being prophetic. There ARE heroes, certainly adventurers, they meet intrepid travellers and on more than one occasion the book saves Billy and the rest of them. Their journey deviates, as does the storytelling but it does take you to some magical and fantastical places. At times the book is funny, at others it makes you uneasy and has shocks and surprises along the way. As the story meanders east before heading west
( you’ll have to read the book to find out why 😁) on occasions it feels like a madcap movie like a Chaplin or Keaton silent film caper which incidentally are mentioned in passing(!) with these scenes being especially delicious!! The dialogue is ‘absotively’ brilliant making you want to join in. As it reaches a conclusion it takes a darker turn, which I guess has been in the cards with the signs there for all to see.
Overall, I think this is an excellent and original novel. The storytelling is lively, engaging, takes the reader on a wild ride as it twists and turns away from the brothers original intention and into some lively and unexpected situations. It’s a character driven study with all the facets of humankind on display, the good, the bad and the endearingly wonderful.
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
January 26, 2022
2.75 stars
All aboooooooard! There is a love train for this book and it's filling up fast. That train will be leaving the station without me.
Amor Towles is a gifted storyteller. The trouble here was that he couldn't seem to decide which story he wanted to tell. So he told them all. In one novel. What it felt like to me was that he knew a lot of odd and eccentric things about the early to mid-20th century, and he wanted to find a way to include them all in the book. So we get digression after digression as we are introduced to a parade of peripheral characters and their life histories.
This would have been a much better novel if it were more focused, and if Emmett and Billy had actually driven to California as planned.
November 16, 2021
I can’t tell you how excited I was that Amor Towles came out with a new book! And it’s a road trip!!
The historic Lincoln Highway
It's 1954, and 18 year old Emmett Watson has just finished serving time at a Kansas juvenile work farm for accidentally killing a boy who was bullying him. His mother abandoned their family years ago, and his father, a man haunted by his failure at farming, has just died, and the bank is poised to foreclose. Emmett doesn't mind losing his home because he's got a plan: pack up his 8 y.o. brother Billy and start a new life in Texas. But "California," says Billy, certain that's where their long-lost mother is living. They can drive the Lincoln Highway to San Francisco and be there by the 4th of July.
But as it turns out, neither Texas nor California is in their immediate future. Two of Emmett's friend from the work farm, Duchess and Woolly, broke out of the facility early and propose going the opposite way, to New York City, where Woolly's large inheritance is hidden in a family safe. If Emmett takes them there, Woolly will split the cash between the four of them.
Emmett is determined to stay on the right side of the law and wants nothing to do with this plan, but things happen. Well, mostly Duchess — a clever, charming and utterly self-centered young man — happens. Duchess and Woolly take off to New York with Emmett's car (not to mention Emmett's cash hidden in the trunk), and Emmett, now destitute, decides to chase them down the only way he can think of. He and Billy stow away in an empty car of a freight train heading to New York City. Their adventure is just beginning.
The Lincoln Highway is one of those books that got better and better the further I got into it. Amor Towles' (author of A Gentleman in Moscow) take on mid-20th century road trip is given such an original twist here, and Towles' gift for writing shines through and takes this novel to a whole new level. The boys' adventures are related with sympathy and insight.
One of my favorite subplots of the book involves Billy's favorite book, Professor Abacus Abernathe's Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers and Other Intrepid Travelers. When Billy meets a black wanderer named Ulysses, it feels fateful, and Billy's love for literature and faith in Ulysses' story help change the paths of several lives, including that of the book's author.
Bonus material: Towles talks about this book here on his website and gives some fascinating insights into the plot, why he chose this particular time in history for the setting, and the book's structure, including the reason why the book's sections count down for each day rather than usual method of counting up.
Original post: I'm very proud of myself for catching this one on my library's online catalog before it was even on the shelf and putting in a hold. It's now in my hands! Hoping I'll love it as much as I did A Gentleman in Moscow.
The historic Lincoln Highway
It's 1954, and 18 year old Emmett Watson has just finished serving time at a Kansas juvenile work farm for accidentally killing a boy who was bullying him. His mother abandoned their family years ago, and his father, a man haunted by his failure at farming, has just died, and the bank is poised to foreclose. Emmett doesn't mind losing his home because he's got a plan: pack up his 8 y.o. brother Billy and start a new life in Texas. But "California," says Billy, certain that's where their long-lost mother is living. They can drive the Lincoln Highway to San Francisco and be there by the 4th of July.
But as it turns out, neither Texas nor California is in their immediate future. Two of Emmett's friend from the work farm, Duchess and Woolly, broke out of the facility early and propose going the opposite way, to New York City, where Woolly's large inheritance is hidden in a family safe. If Emmett takes them there, Woolly will split the cash between the four of them.
Emmett is determined to stay on the right side of the law and wants nothing to do with this plan, but things happen. Well, mostly Duchess — a clever, charming and utterly self-centered young man — happens. Duchess and Woolly take off to New York with Emmett's car (not to mention Emmett's cash hidden in the trunk), and Emmett, now destitute, decides to chase them down the only way he can think of. He and Billy stow away in an empty car of a freight train heading to New York City. Their adventure is just beginning.
The Lincoln Highway is one of those books that got better and better the further I got into it. Amor Towles' (author of A Gentleman in Moscow) take on mid-20th century road trip is given such an original twist here, and Towles' gift for writing shines through and takes this novel to a whole new level. The boys' adventures are related with sympathy and insight.
- Questions can be so tricky, he said, like forks in the road. You can be having such a nice conversation and someone will raise a question, and the next thing you know you’re headed off in a whole new direction. In all probability, this new road will lead you to places that are perfectly agreeable, but sometimes you just want to go in the direction you were already headed.The characters are also fascinating (with the possible exception of Woolly, who never felt quite real for me). I especially like — and hated — Duchess, an unreliable narrator whose charming exterior hides a darker core, and I loved Billy, a bright and occasionally unworldly boy (I think he may be on the moderate side of the spectrum, though it's never explicitly said).
One of my favorite subplots of the book involves Billy's favorite book, Professor Abacus Abernathe's Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers and Other Intrepid Travelers. When Billy meets a black wanderer named Ulysses, it feels fateful, and Billy's love for literature and faith in Ulysses' story help change the paths of several lives, including that of the book's author.
He too had watched as the outer limits of his life had narrowed from the world at large, to the island of Manhattan, to that book-lined office in which he awaited with a philosophical resignation the closing of the finger and thumb. And then this . . .Highly recommended!
This!
This extraordinary turn of events.
A little boy from Nebraska appears at his doorstep with a gentle demeanor and a fantastical tale. A tale not from a leather-bound tome, mind you . . . But from life itself.
How easily we forget—we in the business of storytelling — that life was the point all along.
Bonus material: Towles talks about this book here on his website and gives some fascinating insights into the plot, why he chose this particular time in history for the setting, and the book's structure, including the reason why the book's sections count down for each day rather than usual method of counting up.
Original post: I'm very proud of myself for catching this one on my library's online catalog before it was even on the shelf and putting in a hold. It's now in my hands! Hoping I'll love it as much as I did A Gentleman in Moscow.
January 4, 2022
"Life is a journey, not a destination." Ralph Waldo Emerson
How many ever reach their destination, their dream of what might be? Life takes us all on side trips, some more enjoyable than others. Would Homer's epic poem have lasted through the ages if Odysseus had gone right home to Penelope? It is a great theme and Towles, mostly, does a terrific job taking us along with the four boys on this meandering trip.
I enjoyed the shared narration. I thought the characters were well-developed, except for Emmett. He just didn't have the charm and charisma of Billy, Duchess, and Wooly. Although Sally played a lesser role in the story, her nascent feminist views as well as her bigheartedness felt real and relatable. Wooly reminded me of Forrest Gump, simple and yet profound. His fascination with Lincoln and his unworldliness were endearing. He was too gentle and pure for this messy world. Duchess, the lovable scoundrel, who due to his horrible childhood and abandonment, needed to learn how to survive, how to thrive in one way or another. And Billy - who wouldn't love a little boy so in love with a book of twenty heroes, each one better known to him than any of his family members.
I loved Towles' beautiful sentences and pearls of wisdom in his first two books, and he didn't disappoint me in this one.
EMMETT "Wasn't it hard enough in the course of life to distinguish between fact and fantasy, be-
tween what one witnessed and what one wanted?"
DUCHESS "When it comes to waiting, has-beens have had plenty of practice. Waiting for their big
break, or the bars to open or the welfare check to arrive."
WOOLY "Questions can be so tricky, like forks in the road. You can be having such a nice
conversation and someone will raise a questions and the next thing you know you're
headed off in a whole new direction."
"The funny thing about a picture is that while it knows everything that's happening
up until the moment its been taken, it knows absolutely nothing about what will
happen next."
SALLY "I do it because it takes time. And I do it because it is unnecessary. For kindness begins
where necessity ends."
Although I prefer lengthy books, those that give me time to become totally immersed in the story and the characters, The Lincoln Highway had too many unnecessary details. Some of the period add-ons seemed "in your face", not well embedded in the narration ( a pet peeve of mine). I thought the vocabulary of Duchess and Sally unrealistically sophisticated for their backgrounds. Lastly, the ending
didn't seem true to Emmett's character. Yet, Towles does describe the best of people and the worst of people, the saints and the sinners and all those in between. Will that long and winding road lead to her door as it does in the Beatles' classic? Maybe not, but it was a fun ride.
October 8, 2021
’...for most people, it doesn’t matter where they live. When they get up in the morning, they’re not looking to change the world. They want to have a cup of coffee and a piece of toast, put in their eight hours, and wrap up the day with a bottle of beer in front of the TV set. More of less, it’s what they’d be doing whether they lived in Atlanta, Georgia, or Nome, Alaska. And if it doesn’t matter for most people where they live, it certainly doesn’t matter where they’re going.
That’s what gave the Lincoln Highway its charm.
When you see the highway on a map, it looks like that Fisher guy Billy was talking about took a ruler and drew a line straight across the country, mountains and rivers be damned. In so doing, he must have imagined it would provide a timely conduit for the movement of goods and ideas from sea to shining sea, in a final fulfillment of manifest destiny. But everyone we passed just seemed to have a satisfied sense of their own lack of purpose.Let the road rise up to meet you, say the Irish, and that’s what was happening to the intrepid travelers on the Lincoln Highway. It was rising up to meet each and every one of them, whether they were headed east, headed west, or going around in circles.’
The Lincoln Highway reads like one of those long Sunday drives wandering here and there without a specific destination in mind, wandering to and fro... Until, that is, all the back roads it follows lead to one road which was your fate. Like The Long and Winding Road which leads to your door, the place where you end up even when it wasn’t your destination, but more like your destiny. It floats along, and we’re glad to be a part of the journey, even if we are only silently observing these characters, and the journeys - both physical and emotional - they are on. It has the adventure of Tom Sawyer, and the charm, as well as the relative innocence associated with the era which makes for a delicious combination. A sense of an almost magical journey that offers a wistfulness that gives a nod to that There’s no place like home essence of Dorothy’s journey, including the flying monkeys, with the wicked witch replaced by other nefarious characters in search of this story’s version of the ruby slippers, with the charm of Dorothy’s crew of the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and the Tin Man being found in the characters in the journey of The Lincoln Highway. Courage, heart and brains make up the ingredients for the magical spell this casts. Throw in a sprinkling of a few Marx brothers type moments for some laughs, as well.
What made this seem both charming and believable was the sense of love, forgiveness and a hopeful confidence that the journey they embark on will come true, that sense of hope is at the heart of it all. A sense of believing in all those seemingly trite sayings that still seem to hold a ring of truth. Most of the characters in this, and there are many, seem imbued with that old school confidence and quirky charm, although there are exceptions. In order to appreciate the goodness of life, and protect it, we have to remember that there are others who would steal it, given the chance.
A tale not from a leather bound tome, mind you. Not from an epic poem written in an unspoken language. Not from an archive or athenaeum. But from life itself.
How easily we forget---we in the business of storytelling---that life was the point all along. A mother who has vanished, a father who has failed, a brother who is determined. A journey from the prairies into the city by means of a boxcar with a vagabond named Ulysses. Then to a railroad track suspended over the city as surely as Valhalla is suspended in the clouds.
February 25, 2023
After his father's demise, Emmett Watson is driven home by the Warden after 15 months in a juvenile detention work farm. He decides to leave Nebraska and drive to California with his younger brother Billy for a fresh start. Billy dreams of traveling the transcontinental Lincoln Highway as their mother had when she left them when they were younger. Old postcards sent in the course of her travels give Billy an idea of where she might be and he tries to convince his brother to follow the same route. The appearance of two of Emmett's friends Woolly and Duchess, who stowed away in the trunk of the Warden's car, results in a change of plans.
Emmett and Billy end up having to travel to New York after Duchess 'borrows' Emmett's car leaving them stranded in Lewis, Nebraska after a visit to an orphanage where Duchess's father had left him for some years before coming to collect him again. Sally, a family friend of Emmett and Billy, eventually joins them in New York.
Through multiple POVs Amor Towles takes us on a journey - not just on a road trip in the 1950s but on an exploration of these different characters , Emmett, Billy and, Woolly, Duchess and Sally - their stories and aspirations, their strengths and their flaws. The internal dialogue of each of these characters is extremely well written. The bond between Emmett and Billy is heartwarming. Emmett is a level headed young man who is trying to do his best for himself and his brother. He has learned from his past mistakes and genuinely looks forward to a better future. Billy, a child who seems wiser than his years with his big red book on heroes, is endearing in that he sees the best in everyone around him. He is a smart child, but unassuming and trusting(not quite discerning between an 'acquaintance' and a 'friend') and how his perspectives are broadened over the course of ten days is beautifully laid out for the reader to see. Duchess, at times, is the street smart one who knows how to fend for himself but at times is as vulnerable as can be and whose take on balancing his rights and wrongs may seem foolhardy and cause friction but the author gives so much dimension to his character that even though you might not like him at times you still want him to get a happy ending. Woolly comes from a privileged background but is all heart. He is quiet and introspective but takes joy in sharing stories with Billy. He revels in adventure and novel experiences with his friends. Sally is depicted as a willful young woman and a true friend to Emmett and Billy.
You feel so invested in these characters and the people they meet over the course of the ten days, that till the very last page and beyond you wonder where their adventures will take them. With its memorable characters and brilliant storytelling The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is hard to put down!
Emmett and Billy end up having to travel to New York after Duchess 'borrows' Emmett's car leaving them stranded in Lewis, Nebraska after a visit to an orphanage where Duchess's father had left him for some years before coming to collect him again. Sally, a family friend of Emmett and Billy, eventually joins them in New York.
Through multiple POVs Amor Towles takes us on a journey - not just on a road trip in the 1950s but on an exploration of these different characters , Emmett, Billy and, Woolly, Duchess and Sally - their stories and aspirations, their strengths and their flaws. The internal dialogue of each of these characters is extremely well written. The bond between Emmett and Billy is heartwarming. Emmett is a level headed young man who is trying to do his best for himself and his brother. He has learned from his past mistakes and genuinely looks forward to a better future. Billy, a child who seems wiser than his years with his big red book on heroes, is endearing in that he sees the best in everyone around him. He is a smart child, but unassuming and trusting(not quite discerning between an 'acquaintance' and a 'friend') and how his perspectives are broadened over the course of ten days is beautifully laid out for the reader to see. Duchess, at times, is the street smart one who knows how to fend for himself but at times is as vulnerable as can be and whose take on balancing his rights and wrongs may seem foolhardy and cause friction but the author gives so much dimension to his character that even though you might not like him at times you still want him to get a happy ending. Woolly comes from a privileged background but is all heart. He is quiet and introspective but takes joy in sharing stories with Billy. He revels in adventure and novel experiences with his friends. Sally is depicted as a willful young woman and a true friend to Emmett and Billy.
You feel so invested in these characters and the people they meet over the course of the ten days, that till the very last page and beyond you wonder where their adventures will take them. With its memorable characters and brilliant storytelling The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is hard to put down!
February 23, 2022
I was hooked on this tale of adventure featuring two brothers, Emmett, just out of a prison/work camp, and Billy, his younger brother. Immediately I was endeared to each of them, and then the story widens with other narrators who are part, or become part, of Emmett and Billy’s world as they travel the country.
That’s another thing I loved- the adventure story within this novel. It takes place across just ten days and goes in directions I never expected. The layering of the two main characters’ lives is complex and provides a deep understanding of their feelings and perspectives. I’m an emotional reader, and for 95% of this book, I was completely invested and could not imagine loving the story more.
The last 5% lost me a little, and for personal reasons, one of the happenings and how it was portrayed did not suit me. I can’t tell you why without risking a spoiler, but I found it insensitive. I also would have liked to have learned more about Sally and why she was part of the story. Ulysses, too. More closure and follow-up with them would have added to the story for me, but I know; it was already a longer book.
All that said, revisiting the fact that I’m an emotional reader, due to my investment in these characters and the vast majority of the book, my overall feeling is that I enjoyed it even if there are things I would tweak about the ending. I read this pretty fast, especially for a chunk, and I think that may be the way to go if you can carve out the time. The quick chapters and pacing keep the plot moving exceptionally well. Now to visit Towles’ other two books! I can’t wait!
I received a gifted copy and also bought a copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
That’s another thing I loved- the adventure story within this novel. It takes place across just ten days and goes in directions I never expected. The layering of the two main characters’ lives is complex and provides a deep understanding of their feelings and perspectives. I’m an emotional reader, and for 95% of this book, I was completely invested and could not imagine loving the story more.
The last 5% lost me a little, and for personal reasons, one of the happenings and how it was portrayed did not suit me. I can’t tell you why without risking a spoiler, but I found it insensitive. I also would have liked to have learned more about Sally and why she was part of the story. Ulysses, too. More closure and follow-up with them would have added to the story for me, but I know; it was already a longer book.
All that said, revisiting the fact that I’m an emotional reader, due to my investment in these characters and the vast majority of the book, my overall feeling is that I enjoyed it even if there are things I would tweak about the ending. I read this pretty fast, especially for a chunk, and I think that may be the way to go if you can carve out the time. The quick chapters and pacing keep the plot moving exceptionally well. Now to visit Towles’ other two books! I can’t wait!
I received a gifted copy and also bought a copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
June 17, 2022
This is another beautiful and well-written tale by Amor Towles, almost as heart-warming and addictive as A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved each of the characters, their story arcs, the intersections, the bit players, the Shakespearean and Homeric references, the nostalgic atmosphere. I loved the moral lesson about too much of a particular virtue can become a disservice and even occasionally a vice that was poignantly demonstrated throughout.
What surprises the reader is that we are expecting things to move in a certain direction, but it turns out to be a road trip in the opposite direction than we expect. The US of the 50s is described with beautiful nostalgia and with many interesting anecdotes and diversions. Each of the characters is fully fleshed out and the dialogs are highly realistic. It has a light tone like Gentleman, but I think that the latter has even more charming characters than this one. It really is up to you, the reader to decide.
When he was halfway to the church, the twister appeared in the distance at two o'clock,
dark black finger reaching down from the sky-the inversion of the steeple both in color and intent.
With every step now, Ulysses's progress was slowing. There was so much debris kicking
up from the ground that he had to advance with a hand in front of his face to protect his eyes.
Then he was holding up both hands with his gaze partly averted, as he stumbled onward
toward the upward and downward spires.
Through the gaps in his fingers and the veil of the unsettled dust, Ulysses became aware of
rectangular shadows rising from the ground around him, shadows that looked at once orderly
and in disarray. Dropping his hands for a second, he realized he had entered a graveyard and
he could hear the bell in the steeple beginning to toll, as if rung by an invisible hand. He
couldn't have been more than fifty yards from the church.
But in all likelihood, it was fifty yards too far.
For the twister was turning counterclockwise and its winds were pushing Ulysses away
from his goal rather than toward it. As hail began raining down upon him, he prepared for one
final push. I can make it, he told himself. Then running with all his might, he began closing
the distance between himself and the sanctuary-only to stumble over a low-lying gravestone
and come crashing to the ground with the bitter resignation of the abandoned. (p. 282)
As the old gent shuffled his way to the bureau,
I scanned the room, curious as to his
weakness. At the Sunshine Hotel, for everv room there was a weakness, and for everv
weakness an artifact bearing witness.
ike an empty bottle that has rolled under the bed, or a
feathered deck of cards on the nightstand, or a bright pink kimono on a hook. Some evidence
of that one desire so delectable, so insatiable that it overshadowed all others, eclipsing even
the desires for a home, a family, or a sense of human dignity.
Given how slow the old man moved I had plenty of time to look, and the room was only
ten by ten, but if evidence of his weakness was present, for the life of me I couldn't spot it. (p. 520)
Definitely up there as a 2022 Pulitzer contender in this reader’s opinion!
Here is my 2022 Pulitzer list - please come and vote for your favorite!
What surprises the reader is that we are expecting things to move in a certain direction, but it turns out to be a road trip in the opposite direction than we expect. The US of the 50s is described with beautiful nostalgia and with many interesting anecdotes and diversions. Each of the characters is fully fleshed out and the dialogs are highly realistic. It has a light tone like Gentleman, but I think that the latter has even more charming characters than this one. It really is up to you, the reader to decide.
When he was halfway to the church, the twister appeared in the distance at two o'clock,
dark black finger reaching down from the sky-the inversion of the steeple both in color and intent.
With every step now, Ulysses's progress was slowing. There was so much debris kicking
up from the ground that he had to advance with a hand in front of his face to protect his eyes.
Then he was holding up both hands with his gaze partly averted, as he stumbled onward
toward the upward and downward spires.
Through the gaps in his fingers and the veil of the unsettled dust, Ulysses became aware of
rectangular shadows rising from the ground around him, shadows that looked at once orderly
and in disarray. Dropping his hands for a second, he realized he had entered a graveyard and
he could hear the bell in the steeple beginning to toll, as if rung by an invisible hand. He
couldn't have been more than fifty yards from the church.
But in all likelihood, it was fifty yards too far.
For the twister was turning counterclockwise and its winds were pushing Ulysses away
from his goal rather than toward it. As hail began raining down upon him, he prepared for one
final push. I can make it, he told himself. Then running with all his might, he began closing
the distance between himself and the sanctuary-only to stumble over a low-lying gravestone
and come crashing to the ground with the bitter resignation of the abandoned. (p. 282)
As the old gent shuffled his way to the bureau,
I scanned the room, curious as to his
weakness. At the Sunshine Hotel, for everv room there was a weakness, and for everv
weakness an artifact bearing witness.
ike an empty bottle that has rolled under the bed, or a
feathered deck of cards on the nightstand, or a bright pink kimono on a hook. Some evidence
of that one desire so delectable, so insatiable that it overshadowed all others, eclipsing even
the desires for a home, a family, or a sense of human dignity.
Given how slow the old man moved I had plenty of time to look, and the room was only
ten by ten, but if evidence of his weakness was present, for the life of me I couldn't spot it. (p. 520)
Definitely up there as a 2022 Pulitzer contender in this reader’s opinion!
Here is my 2022 Pulitzer list - please come and vote for your favorite!
September 7, 2021
I was really looking forward to this one following the excellent ‘Gentleman in Moscow’ but unfortunately it failed to grip me in the same way. Undoubtedly well written but I felt it generally dragged and failed to engage me. I have read many reviews that contradict my review but at the end of the day it is my personal opinion and nothing else.
In June 1954, eighteen year old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His father has recently died and his mother left a long time ago so the family farm is about to be taken over by the bank. Emmett plans to head for California to start a new life with his eight year old brother Billy. Once the warden drives off, Emmett discovers that two friends from the farm have stowed away in the warden’s car and have very different plans regarding Emmett’s future. Together the four travel in the opposite direction and head for New York.
Well written but too slow and unengaging.
I would like to thank both Net Galey and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
In June 1954, eighteen year old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His father has recently died and his mother left a long time ago so the family farm is about to be taken over by the bank. Emmett plans to head for California to start a new life with his eight year old brother Billy. Once the warden drives off, Emmett discovers that two friends from the farm have stowed away in the warden’s car and have very different plans regarding Emmett’s future. Together the four travel in the opposite direction and head for New York.
Well written but too slow and unengaging.
I would like to thank both Net Galey and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2022
I know the year is still young but I won’t be surprised this masterful novel will be my fave 2022 read. I finished it last night on audio – no wonder it was nominated for an Audie award - at midnight and had to wait until this morning to talk about the ending with my husband who was reading the print version (he finished it at 5:30 this morning having to also wait until I awoke at seven to talk about it).
This, friends, is the best book club kind of book. The kind of book whose prose is so beautiful and whose characters are so deeply drawn (Woolly!! 💕💕) and where the reader’s journey is so satisfying and multifaceted you just cannot wait to talk about it with someone when you’re done.
It’s the kind of book that I am sad I won’t be able to ever read again for the first time.
I’m strugglng to think of how to give you a brief synopsis of what it is about because somehow I think any attempt at that will spoil the read for you and that would be cruel. Suffice it to say that it is about a journey, as the title and cover art suggests, but not the journey you’re expecting.
I am in awe of the talent that gave the world this story.
This, friends, is the best book club kind of book. The kind of book whose prose is so beautiful and whose characters are so deeply drawn (Woolly!! 💕💕) and where the reader’s journey is so satisfying and multifaceted you just cannot wait to talk about it with someone when you’re done.
It’s the kind of book that I am sad I won’t be able to ever read again for the first time.
I’m strugglng to think of how to give you a brief synopsis of what it is about because somehow I think any attempt at that will spoil the read for you and that would be cruel. Suffice it to say that it is about a journey, as the title and cover art suggests, but not the journey you’re expecting.
I am in awe of the talent that gave the world this story.
November 24, 2021
What do I say about this book? It contains a little bit of everything; drama, comedy, irony, mythology, red herrings, mystery, throw in a little bit of magic, and a large and very wonderful cast of characters. The four main ones: Emmett, the dependable guy everyone can depend on.
Duchess, a wild card capable of anything. Wooley, the wisest slow-witted fellow you've ever met. And 8 year old Billy, no words to describe how intelligent and intuitive and kind he was, and in my opinion, the originator of all the action in this novel.
Then there were the special peripheral characters. Sally, Ulysses, Professor Abacus Abernathe
and his Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers, and Other Intrepid Travelers, and many others too numerous to mention.
This is a road trip novel, and veers off into detours and side trips and takes us all over the place and into all sorts of situations. A lot of reviews complain about this fact and some readers give up entirely. All I can say is just put yourself in the capable hands of Amor Towles, ride along, and trust him to take you on a one-of-a-kind adventure. You'll be glad you persevered.
Duchess, a wild card capable of anything. Wooley, the wisest slow-witted fellow you've ever met. And 8 year old Billy, no words to describe how intelligent and intuitive and kind he was, and in my opinion, the originator of all the action in this novel.
Then there were the special peripheral characters. Sally, Ulysses, Professor Abacus Abernathe
and his Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers, and Other Intrepid Travelers, and many others too numerous to mention.
This is a road trip novel, and veers off into detours and side trips and takes us all over the place and into all sorts of situations. A lot of reviews complain about this fact and some readers give up entirely. All I can say is just put yourself in the capable hands of Amor Towles, ride along, and trust him to take you on a one-of-a-kind adventure. You'll be glad you persevered.
October 19, 2021
This book had a promising beginning when 18 year old Emmett Watson returns from serving time for involuntary manslaughter. His parents are dead and the family farm is lost, so Emmett and his 8 year old brother Billy decide to set off to California to start new lives. That promising beginning crashed and burned a few chapters later when Duchess and Woolly, 2 friends from the work farm, turned up to complicate Emmett’s plans.
The book devolved into a picaresque tale without a single believable character. Everyone acted and sounded older than their age. Sally, the only significant female character, was added to the book for no reason that I could discern. The story changed point of view in each chapter so that each character, including a few who appeared only briefly, got to explain his or her story. It felt disjointed. The book was 300 pages too long. Maybe the author was aiming for a fable and he tacked on a serious ending, which I hated. I can’t believe Towles wrote this. Very disappointing.
The book devolved into a picaresque tale without a single believable character. Everyone acted and sounded older than their age. Sally, the only significant female character, was added to the book for no reason that I could discern. The story changed point of view in each chapter so that each character, including a few who appeared only briefly, got to explain his or her story. It felt disjointed. The book was 300 pages too long. Maybe the author was aiming for a fable and he tacked on a serious ending, which I hated. I can’t believe Towles wrote this. Very disappointing.
February 23, 2022
I have taken a very long time to read this book, partly because it was the audio version and Christmas and family got in the way of listening time! Also I took a long while to attach to any of the characters and have to admit that I actively disliked Duchess to the point where I often had to turn the book off when he became too much for me!
So why have I ended up giving it four stars. Firstly it is because I love the way Towles writes and this carried me through the whole book. Secondly I grew to love Emmet and Billy and Woolly and Sally. (If I have any spellings wrong it is because I listened to the book and have not seen them in print).
Lastly it was the way the story finally wound up to that perfect ending. It was very sad, a little brutal, but realistic. All the ends were tied up and the people I had grown to love the most seemed assured of a happy future.
Not my favourite of this author's books but still a very worthwhile read.
So why have I ended up giving it four stars. Firstly it is because I love the way Towles writes and this carried me through the whole book. Secondly I grew to love Emmet and Billy and Woolly and Sally. (If I have any spellings wrong it is because I listened to the book and have not seen them in print).
Lastly it was the way the story finally wound up to that perfect ending. It was very sad, a little brutal, but realistic. All the ends were tied up and the people I had grown to love the most seemed assured of a happy future.
Not my favourite of this author's books but still a very worthwhile read.
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