Just Finished The Lincoln HIghway SPOILERS

Cafe Society
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I rarely ever read fiction, but this one caught my eye when I glanced at my local library’s recommendations. , my interested perked up since folks mentioned a shocking ending. I did enjoy it so I was surprised at folks going what? at the ending. I"m also ok with the “non” ending for some of the characters that it was left open-ended.

Imagine my surprise that there would be no chapters about going to California, the boys’ intended destination. Other surprises: we didn’t get to see Emmett and Billy’s mom or it was just most likely
she didn’t want to be found otherwise she’d return to Nebraska. That we never got to see Duchess’ dad .

That life was harder in the 50s trying to find folks in the U.S., thinking if this was today’s setting, we’d just quickly look online and try to find folks that way haha and no spell-binding journeys.

I was trying for the longest time what was wrong with Wooly other than the drugs. Autism spectrum? Just really loopy ? And Duchess who I think was just a psychopath with a me syndrome/main character syndrome.

I know folks had a hard time with the ending, But I didn’t think Emmett was intentionally leaving Duchess to die, just to buy time to get a headstart. I figured Duchess was just try to row the boat slowly with his hand.

I did like Sally a whole lot. I didn’t think it was a flaw that she liked homemakering and cooking/baking. Just that she didn’t want do it for others (and the lack of gratitude) . That if she did for others it was for her decision and gratefulness. I know she said insisted she wanted to go to SF for herself, but I like to think she would eventually just stay with Emmett and Billy , figuring she was already taking care of Billy. ALso folks online thought she was a total love interest for Emmett, I didn’t see this until she said she wanted to go to San Francisco towards the end of the novel! Guess cuz if she was an old-maid persona I really thought she was ahem, in her late 20s. Then I saw she was just a year older than Emmett and I was like what?

The author said the whole hero of the novel is Emmett, and I was stunned because I felt it was Billy. Billys whole book of reading about heroes, and “saving” the two teens at the end from killing each other by his brains with the safe, and reading the will.

OK more thoughts if I can think of later.

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I loved A Gentleman in Moscow. Not too crazy about Rules of Civility. But I had high hopes for this one. It started out okay, and I was really wanting a Road Trip Out West. Like you:

I wanted them to trace Mom’s steps and see the places in the postcards. Would they find her or not? I was willing for either eventuality to be the outcome. But then they went EAST?? Fooey.

I agree with your comments.

I found the book a huge disappointment. Everyone else in my book club liked it. I guess I’m just a contrarian.

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I read it a while back. Seemed like everyone I knew loved it. And I REALLY enjoyed Gentleman in Moscow.

LH - didn’t really care for it. Mainly b/c I didn’t really care about any of the characters. Thought they all acted foolishly, selfishly, etc. at various points, such that I didn’t care what happened to them.

In fact - tho I probably read this only a year ago or so, I can’t remember any of the characters’ names to discuss them. There was the “noble” guy released from juvie, the asshole who stole the car, and the goofy rich kid.

IIRC, the ending took place at the rich kid’s vacant ancestral summer mansion. I thought it even more contrived than everything leading up to it, and didn’t really care.

But I’m clearly in the minority. (On edit - alongside ThelmaLou! :D)

Personally, I enjoyed David Rhodes’ Rock Island Line far better. A couple of decades earlier, but similar tale involving midwestern youth traveling to NYC.

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Sit right down here by me! <pats sofa>

A Gentleman in Moscow is one of the three best books we ever read in my book club.

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At the risk of a hijack, what are the other 2?

Give Rhodes a try. I really liked Jewelweed. If you like Rock Island Line, it/Drifltess/Jewelweed can be read as a trilogy.

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The Water Dancer (If you decide to read that, don’t read it, LISTEN to the audiobook instead. It is a profound experience.)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

I’ll look for Rhodes, Jewelweed.

[/hijack]