9 Apr 2005

Independence Day - by Richard Ford

This book is about an ordinary American guy, Frank Bascombe, who is an estate agent in New Jersey. The story is really about his reappraisal of his life and his transition into the next stage, putting various traumatic events behind him.

I found it easy enough to read, even though it's quite long [450 pages]. The language could be hard, as house buying and selling is a very different process in the US. I am also not really very familiar with the geography and the use of various states' nicknames didn't help. There were new words - like "conniption", which means "a fit; a display of bad temper". Also, new concepts: garbage collection three times per week [why?].

The book is a sequel to another and maybe I would have felt more connected to Frank if I'd read that first. But the book has a satisfactory beginning - I didn't feel dropped into it. I like books to have an ending. In this case there is one, but I found it unsatisfying. Instead of moving on to the next stage in his life, we leave Frank ready to do so and speculating upon what it might be.

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