Wally Lamb's "I Know this Much is True"

Cafe Society
1

I saw some old threads where this book was mentioned, but nothing worth dredging up from the past so I thought I’d start a new one.

I just finished this last night and wow… I truly loved this book. The characters are so well drawn and deep, and Wally Lamb’s storytelling is top notch. A bit long, perhaps - but I couldn’t even begin to imagine cutting a bit of it out.

It’s been a long time since a book engrossed me this much and made me really feel like part of the world it inhabits.

I also smugly thought I had the whole ending figured out to only to have it turn out almost nothing like I’d expected - though it really worked.

Anyone else enjoy this as much as me? I haven’t read “She’s Come Undone,” yet - but I’m about to start on it.

2

Oh, this is one of my favourite novels ever. The first time I read it, I couldn’t put it down, and read and read and read and read. Nearing the end, I was on a marathon of reading it whilst eating popsicles, and simultaneously racing toward the finish and wishing it would never end. I also remember thinking to myself as I finished: don’t even think about trying to write a novel yourself, Savannah. It was so good it made my writing efforts seem like Grade 2 scribbles.

I remember being so upset with Dominick when he got his vasectomy, I almost threw the book across the room, and I burst out sobbing. Talk about being able to make a reader care about the characters!

3

I really loved it, until the end, when I started to hate it for being so pat. If that makes any sense.

4

I loved this book. I had it from the library as an audiobook read by George Guidall, and that was one of the best readings I have ever heard. I was practically running to the car every time I had to go somewhere.

I also read She’s Come Undone, and didn’t like it at all. The writing and plot were fine, but I couldn’t like the main character.

5

I do know what you mean, I think. There were quite a few threads that were tied up a little too nicely in the end, I thought - but after 900 pages of tragedy after tragedy, I welcomed a bit of a happy ending.

6

Ditto on what Dung Beetle said. I loved I Know This Much Is True, but just hated She’s Come Undone. I had no sympathy for the main character at all.

All my books are packed right now, but I’d like to re-read it once I get moved and unpacked. It was a good one.

7

Yeah, but it was so fakey-fake. It wasn’t fair to the rest of the book, which was so great.

8

The ending makes a bit of sense though when you look at it in relation to the Hindu story that Wally Lamb says inspired the book. I think it was about a Hindu king that had to solve puzzles in order to live a prosperous life, or something. I believe Dr. Patel brings up this story near the end of the book as well. Once Dominick is done “renovating” himself on the inside, solving all of his internal “puzzles” - the good stuff starts happening for him.