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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Frank Bascombe is old. Apparently Richard Ford wanted to write about getting old. And, sorry, it's just about as dull as some of Philip Roth's last books about getting old. Ford will always be a good writer, but he didn't really have much to say here.
There is only one Frank Bascombe, but I’ve known others like him and wish I’d spent more time with them, or did now.
So I did this backwards, reading the most recent entry, the fourth, in the series before reading the other three. Damn. Now, I'll have to go back and read the other three.
I love hearing from Frank Bascombe again. He's right up there with Harry Angstrom.
Loved it. Terrific look at aging while at the same time being sharp and witty. It’s a look at hurricane Sandy and politics and people. I read this for my Mississippi book club - I will make it a point to read more of his books.
Five stars for the first half and three stars for the second half average out to four stars. While this is not a funny book by a long stretch, there are some marvelous moments of dark humor that are truly impressive--e.g., the imagined conversation between Frank and the dog he has just run over. I haven't read the two (three?) Frank novels, but now I'm tempted to.
A classic Frank Bascombe tale, exquisitely written by Richard Ford. I strongly recommend all of the Bascombe books Ford has written, especially "Independence Day." All are witty, prescient and thoughtfully written. Ford is a master.
The Frank Bascombe novellas. I thought I'd read these but maybe not. They seemed completely unfamiliar to me. In any case, one needs to read the first three FB novels to fully appreciate. Frank is everyone's favorite asshole with a human side. Ford often doesn't get enough credit but it's been said by the NYT he "never writes an unconsidered sentence." I agree. Right up there with Salter.
Like one more drink before last call, Let Me Be Frank with You is not strictly speaking necessary, or the most enjoyable, but it offers a buffer between the now and the cold night air that awaits us after closing time.