dcllins's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tessjvl's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
andrew61's review against another edition
5.0
A few months ago I listened to a short story based on this book on the New Yorker magazine's excellent podcast. I'd never heard of the writer but was keen to read the novel. It takes a while to adjust to the writing style at first, the writing is not flowery, events are narrated as they happen with little embellishment but the writer creates a world of characters and their lives so well that the reader is quickly hooked.
So much happens as well and the mundane becomes pivotal to the readers experience , there are also so many fascinating characters who are integral to the story of the main two characters lives.
The book is about Dan the county sheriff who in chapter one arrests Tiny , the rogue husband of Louise. the book then follows Dan and Louise as they meet and develop their relationship whilst around them the world of the small Iowa township carries on.
I don't think I'm doing the book justice in this review as the small events in the book become major to the reader and at the end I could of read another few hundred pages about Dan and Louise and was disappointed to end their tale. Perhaps my best comment is that I loved the book and for lovers of small town American life I would really recommend it as a good read.
So much happens as well and the mundane becomes pivotal to the readers experience , there are also so many fascinating characters who are integral to the story of the main two characters lives.
The book is about Dan the county sheriff who in chapter one arrests Tiny , the rogue husband of Louise. the book then follows Dan and Louise as they meet and develop their relationship whilst around them the world of the small Iowa township carries on.
I don't think I'm doing the book justice in this review as the small events in the book become major to the reader and at the end I could of read another few hundred pages about Dan and Louise and was disappointed to end their tale. Perhaps my best comment is that I loved the book and for lovers of small town American life I would really recommend it as a good read.
lolajoan's review against another edition
4.0
Other reviewers have done a fantastic job of capturing what's so unique about this book; I won't even try. I'll just say that it is an amazing book, but it took me a while to get through it because whenever I put it down I didn't feel a burning urge to pick it back up again (probably because there's no real plot?) but once I picked it up I didn't want to put it down. It's kind of a miserable, depressing book but also somehow touching and heartwarming.
snowdronte's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
screamdogreads's review against another edition
3.0
The beauty of The End of Vandalism lies within its simplicity. You won't find any flashy tricks, or literary gimmicks here, it simply just, is. It's an extremely subtle novel, with some of the most ordinary characters that I have ever read about, and that's not at all a bad thing. It's clear that Drury excels when he's writing about people living their day to day, simply trying to survive. In fact, it's pretty commonplace that as readers, we are left questioning if the characters within a story make believable people, and that's just, not really a worry here.
This book takes a while to get. At first, it seems almost as if it's going to be a whole lot of nothing. But, once you come to terms with what this novel is actually about, it becomes quite wonderful. I can't say that finishing this book left me feeling some profound level of emotion, or that it's a book that I'd ever read again. But, I also can't say that I'm not happy that I read it. And maybe, that's the point. Maybe it's not meant to be anything extraordinary, maybe it's meant to reflect the average human experience, with all the blessings and pitfalls that come with it.
This book takes a while to get. At first, it seems almost as if it's going to be a whole lot of nothing. But, once you come to terms with what this novel is actually about, it becomes quite wonderful. I can't say that finishing this book left me feeling some profound level of emotion, or that it's a book that I'd ever read again. But, I also can't say that I'm not happy that I read it. And maybe, that's the point. Maybe it's not meant to be anything extraordinary, maybe it's meant to reflect the average human experience, with all the blessings and pitfalls that come with it.
andes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lucasmiller's review against another edition
5.0
I first heard a selection of this book on the New Yorker Fiction podcast. Despite only listening to a handful of episodes, the New Yorker Fiction Podcast has cast a long shadow over my interests in contemporary fiction.
I was enchanted by this book. I enjoyed it throughly. It takes a dark turn about two thirds of the way through, but recovers the best it can ending on an ambiguous note that still supplies some closure.
These is a plot, but it meanders through the book. I couldn't say what the climax of the novel was. I've seen a few comparisons to Sherwood Anderson. This is apt, but The End of Vandalism doesn't have the structure that Winesburg, Ohio does. This feels more like a novel than linked short stories, but mostly it feels like distinct scenes, sometimes barely a page long that focus on describe a place as much as develop an characters. A lot is made of the midwestern character, the regional humor, of the novel. I've never been to Iowa, but felt a surprising amount of connection to the characters and landscape. It made me wish I'd lived somewhere with hard winters, at least for a few years. Highly Recommended.
I was enchanted by this book. I enjoyed it throughly. It takes a dark turn about two thirds of the way through, but recovers the best it can ending on an ambiguous note that still supplies some closure.
These is a plot, but it meanders through the book. I couldn't say what the climax of the novel was. I've seen a few comparisons to Sherwood Anderson. This is apt, but The End of Vandalism doesn't have the structure that Winesburg, Ohio does. This feels more like a novel than linked short stories, but mostly it feels like distinct scenes, sometimes barely a page long that focus on describe a place as much as develop an characters. A lot is made of the midwestern character, the regional humor, of the novel. I've never been to Iowa, but felt a surprising amount of connection to the characters and landscape. It made me wish I'd lived somewhere with hard winters, at least for a few years. Highly Recommended.
busyenjoyinglife's review against another edition
4.0
What's weirdest about the book is that I loved it. It's very well written and the characters are interesting. However, there isn't really a plot, nothing really ever happens, the characters are sometimes mere sketches (with odd, but telling details), and it's about a small town in the middle of nowhere. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
odd_duck's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Totally related to the characters in this book. Even the shady ones; especially the shady ones. Drury can write. It's funny (to my sense of humor) and of a time I know and remember fondly. The music references were icing on the cake. I cared about these people and rooted for them to overcome the hardships Drury and life threw at them. Not a page-turner, yet I couldn't put it down, cept when I had to. I plan on reading the rest of the trilogy, even though this is said to be the best. Seems to be a love or hate author. I'm definitely in the first camp.