September 8, 2016

a mediocre experience

Let Me Be Frank with You (Frank Bascombe #4)Let Me Be Frank with You by Richard Ford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not having read the other three Frank Bascombe novels, i did not start this book with the history of experiences they provide. This novel, actually a collection of short novellas, is set on the Jersey shore in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy, in the context of multi-million dollar houses and the people who can afford them. The story dealt with some universal human issues - destruction resulting from a natural disaster, chronic and terminal illness, the depth or lack thereof in friendships and relationships. On one hand, these are are life experiences we all face to some degree, and as a reader, i could relate. In other ways, however, the context of the characters and story were too distant from the norm for me to connect at more than a casual level. I do feel that i was at a disadvantage, not having read the other novels. Standalone, however, the reading of this collection of novellas was a mediocre experience.

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