TITLE/AUTHOR: And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer; Fredrik Backman
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Audio
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2016
GENRE: Fiction / Family Life
FORMAT: eAudio / LENGTH: 1 hour and 9 minutes
SOURCE: Library download
SETTING(s): UK
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: A sad story about memories and letting go.
BRIEF REVIEW: A grandfather, son and grandson grapple with the fact that although Grandpa is still doing fairly well physically, his mind and memories are failing him. Grandpa has always had a close relationship with grandson, Noah, it was time treasured by both parties and Grandpa thought of it as a second chance since he wasn't always available when his own son Ted, (Noah's father) was a young boy. The grandfather reflects on his relationship with his wife who has passed on, things about his son but mostly about treasured times he has spent with his grandson Noah. Grandpa's thoughts seemed to ramble and, although the story is brief, I often found myself wondering whose POV was at play and where the conversations were taking place - except maybe at the very end. This is a tender, reflective story which I don't recommend that you read if you are feeling down or if you have a loved one struggling with memory issues.
Fredrik Backman is an author I always seem to enjoy but, this novella didn't work all that well for me. The audio was read by David Morse who did a fine job. It was more that the overall story was a bit of a miss for me even though I loved the special relationship that Noah and his grandfather enjoyed.
RATING: 3/5 stars
I enjoy this author too but this one sounds very different from his other works.
ReplyDeleteYes, I missed it initially but then saw I had the eGalley as well...oh well.
DeleteOh, dear... too sad for me right now.
ReplyDeleteI know and understand.
DeleteI just read Anxious People and enjoyed it so much! This man can do no wrong in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteLoved Anxious People as well.
DeleteI hadn't heard of this Backman novel (novella) before, but will probably give it a miss.
ReplyDeleteI think the print is fewer than 100 pp.
DeleteThis was a bit of a miss for me, too. From my review, "I was just as confused as he, spending too much time trying to sort out whose point of view was being shared. At times it was obviously Grandpa's, but there were other moments when I wasn't sure if I was reading about Noah (the grandson) or Noah's father Ted (as a young boy)."
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it wasn't just me yet, others really loved it.
DeleteIt was a nice story, the POV just had me confused on audio.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm sorry this one wasn't a winner for you. It's always disappointing when a reliable author lets you down. I've only read one book by Backman and he didn't click with me but I know I'm the odd one out with that!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I read this author and I was thinking that this one sounds like a good one to read to return back to the author. Maybe not, but I'll keep it on my radar.
ReplyDelete