tobyyy's review
1.0
Described as “deliciously funny,” this novel fell far short of the mark for me. Humor is a delicate & fairly unique thing, and this was just not my cup of tea. The nursing home peccadilloes and hijinx may be funny to some, but to me it was just heartbreaking. All I could think about was how elderly folk are treated so poorly, there’s none of the respect that they are due, and getting old and having your body fail you is just horribly sad & very humiliating — at least in Western culture. And that breaks my heart.
jcbmathcat's review
3.0
My mom is living in the memory unit of a retirement community, and she has stroke-related dementia. I liked this book because I felt that the conversations and events have occurred at retirement centers everywhere. The story is bittersweet, and while I laughed at many incidents, I also teared up several times. Whether or not you enjoy this book will depend on your age and your interactions with your own family, especially older members.
The story is set in North Carolina, and that is where I was born and raised. While the setting wasn't important enough to count as a character, I could relate to references made about the various religious groups in the South.
Lyrics to Carl's and L.Ray's country gospel songs are in the back. My favorite title is "How Come I Miss You When You're with Me All the Time?"
The story is set in North Carolina, and that is where I was born and raised. While the setting wasn't important enough to count as a character, I could relate to references made about the various religious groups in the South.
Lyrics to Carl's and L.Ray's country gospel songs are in the back. My favorite title is "How Come I Miss You When You're with Me All the Time?"
jcbmathcat's review against another edition
3.0
My mom is living in the memory unit of a retirement community, and she has stroke-related dementia. I liked this book because I felt that the conversations and events have occurred at retirement centers everywhere. The story is bittersweet, and while I laughed at many incidents, I also teared up several times. Whether or not you enjoy this book will depend on your age and your interactions with your own family, especially older members.
The story is set in North Carolina, and that is where I was born and raised. While the setting wasn't important enough to count as a character, I could relate to references made about the various religious groups in the South.
Lyrics to Carl's and L.Ray's country gospel songs are in the back. My favorite title is "How Come I Miss You When You're with Me All the Time?"
The story is set in North Carolina, and that is where I was born and raised. While the setting wasn't important enough to count as a character, I could relate to references made about the various religious groups in the South.
Lyrics to Carl's and L.Ray's country gospel songs are in the back. My favorite title is "How Come I Miss You When You're with Me All the Time?"
cindywindy_blogs's review
3.0
Really I give it a 3 1/2
What I enjoyed about this novel were all the funny, quirky (many true)comments from Aunt Lil, Maudie, Mr. Flowers, Beatrice, and Clara. The tangents and the out of no where questions kept the topics (aging, nursing homes, and loss of independence and functions) from being too depressing. Some of my favorite moments was the initial driving scene (why are my feet outside?), stealing the car and wanting to buy a flag for Mr. Flower's movement, the escalator, William and Lee, and the crow tattos.
Altough at some points these comments/scenes crossed the humor side and sadded me b/c they showed readers instances of dementia. Like when Lil did not know who Carl was and when she insisted she was in a jail in South Carolina that looked exactly like her room at Rosehaven. Carl handled this situation so beautifully and sweetly. He never belittled her, always made time for her, and treated her with respect and kindness. At times Carl did feel burdened and felt guilty for thinking these thoughts, but the author and readers understand these are natural feelings.
What I did not like about this novel was there were too many loose ends and characters. I didn't really understand Mr. Flower's mysterious and criminal past, what was true, especially with Mr. Flowers and Darla as a young teenagers. And I didn't understand how eventually he was kicked out. I also did not understand what was the point of bringing up conversations with Carrie and Latricia. I saw some interactions with Carrie and the residents but not enough for me to care about her. Same with the physical therapist and Darla. I felt like these extra scenes distracted from the main part of the novel. I would have preferred it if the author had dropped these characters and focused more on the main group of characters in the novel.
What I found uplifting about this book is this strong desire for these women to live life. All wanted adventure. As soon as Carl let Aunt Lil drive in the initial scene, she said "Where's the exit?.....I've got to get on the highway." She didn't want to play it safe and just drive around the parking deck. That's boring and it leads nowhere. She wanted adventure. When the women and Mr. Flowers were talking on the porch about his movement, the women all wanted to know when they would be traveling. Aunt Lil pictured herself going on an adventure to the Everglades. What I found thought provoking was these women wanted this excitement and adventure but were physcially unable to go, yet characters like Carl and Annie could go on these adventures yet were too scared to try and led these unfulfilled lives.
What I enjoyed about this novel were all the funny, quirky (many true)comments from Aunt Lil, Maudie, Mr. Flowers, Beatrice, and Clara. The tangents and the out of no where questions kept the topics (aging, nursing homes, and loss of independence and functions) from being too depressing. Some of my favorite moments was the initial driving scene (why are my feet outside?), stealing the car and wanting to buy a flag for Mr. Flower's movement, the escalator, William and Lee, and the crow tattos.
Altough at some points these comments/scenes crossed the humor side and sadded me b/c they showed readers instances of dementia. Like when Lil did not know who Carl was and when she insisted she was in a jail in South Carolina that looked exactly like her room at Rosehaven. Carl handled this situation so beautifully and sweetly. He never belittled her, always made time for her, and treated her with respect and kindness. At times Carl did feel burdened and felt guilty for thinking these thoughts, but the author and readers understand these are natural feelings.
What I did not like about this novel was there were too many loose ends and characters. I didn't really understand Mr. Flower's mysterious and criminal past, what was true, especially with Mr. Flowers and Darla as a young teenagers. And I didn't understand how eventually he was kicked out. I also did not understand what was the point of bringing up conversations with Carrie and Latricia. I saw some interactions with Carrie and the residents but not enough for me to care about her. Same with the physical therapist and Darla. I felt like these extra scenes distracted from the main part of the novel. I would have preferred it if the author had dropped these characters and focused more on the main group of characters in the novel.
What I found uplifting about this book is this strong desire for these women to live life. All wanted adventure. As soon as Carl let Aunt Lil drive in the initial scene, she said "Where's the exit?.....I've got to get on the highway." She didn't want to play it safe and just drive around the parking deck. That's boring and it leads nowhere. She wanted adventure. When the women and Mr. Flowers were talking on the porch about his movement, the women all wanted to know when they would be traveling. Aunt Lil pictured herself going on an adventure to the Everglades. What I found thought provoking was these women wanted this excitement and adventure but were physcially unable to go, yet characters like Carl and Annie could go on these adventures yet were too scared to try and led these unfulfilled lives.
tome15's review
4.0
Clyde Edgerton is a national treasure. He can make you laugh and make you cry and at the same time tell you something about North Carolina culture and the people who live there. Put him on your bucket list.
lindsay564's review
2.0
Ugh. I need to remember to check ratings before I start reading a book and not read it if the average rating is less than 3.5. That rule has proved to be remarkably dependable.
pattydsf's review
2.0
This was not Edgerton's best. I think his older characters in Walking Across Egypt were much more fun and more sympathic.
samhouston's review
4.0
Many baby boomers, especially those of us who are closer to 70 years of age now than we are to 60, are caretakers of our parents. Some of those eighty-and-ninety-something-year-olds live with one of their children and some of them are living in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Clyde Edgerton’s Lunch at the Piccadilly focuses on the group dynamic of life in one of these facilities, the Rosehaven Convalescence Center in little Listre, North Carolina.
Carl Turnage became a regular at Rosehaven Convalescence when Lil Olive, his favorite aunt, took up residence there. When, as a still relatively young woman, Lil realized she would never have children of her own, she decided to pour all of her affection for children Carl’s way. And Carl, who considered Lil more a second mother than an aunt, reciprocated. Now that his mother is dead, there is no one in the world closer to Carl than Aunt Lil, and he is determined to ease her through her final years.
What Carl finds in Rosehaven will make him laugh, make him cry, and change him in ways he never bargained for. As often happens in assisted living facilities, the residents travel in packs of three or four like-minded souls who live primarily to speculate and gossip about everyone else in the building, including occasional visitors. Come to think of it, life in an assisted living facility is a lot like eating in the Junior High lunchroom we all, perhaps not so fondly, remember.
Carl has the usual concerns about Lil: how to convince her to hang up her car keys for good, making sure that she takes her medication correctly, making sure that her bills are paid, how to add a little variety to her day, how to find enough time to visit her the way she deserves to be visited, etc. And then L. Ray Flowers, a charismatic, guitar-playing, part-time preacher comes to Rosehaven for physical therapy. Soon, L. Ray and Lil’s group of four have hatched up plans to form a national movement that would do away with nursing homes by moving the elderly residents into churches where they would be cared for by church members. L. Ray likes to call these new facilities “nurches.”
But life goes on. And minds slip. And people come and go. And when they go, they go for good.
Lunch at the Piccadilly, despite its setting, is not a sad novel. Assisted living facilities are filled with humor and good times, and with people who are content with this stage of their lives. Of course, there are a few chronically unhappy residents and others whose minds have slipped beyond the point of knowing exactly where they are most days. But the beautiful thing is that they have each other for support and how much happier they all are as a result.
Clyde Edgerton has largely captured the atmosphere that I see most every time that I visit my 93-year-old father. He has been in a facility for over six years, and I have come to know many of his friends during that time. Yes, it is an ever-changing cast of friends, but they are teaching me what to expect for myself later on -and reminding me to live life to the fullest while I can. This is a beautiful little book.
Carl Turnage became a regular at Rosehaven Convalescence when Lil Olive, his favorite aunt, took up residence there. When, as a still relatively young woman, Lil realized she would never have children of her own, she decided to pour all of her affection for children Carl’s way. And Carl, who considered Lil more a second mother than an aunt, reciprocated. Now that his mother is dead, there is no one in the world closer to Carl than Aunt Lil, and he is determined to ease her through her final years.
What Carl finds in Rosehaven will make him laugh, make him cry, and change him in ways he never bargained for. As often happens in assisted living facilities, the residents travel in packs of three or four like-minded souls who live primarily to speculate and gossip about everyone else in the building, including occasional visitors. Come to think of it, life in an assisted living facility is a lot like eating in the Junior High lunchroom we all, perhaps not so fondly, remember.
Carl has the usual concerns about Lil: how to convince her to hang up her car keys for good, making sure that she takes her medication correctly, making sure that her bills are paid, how to add a little variety to her day, how to find enough time to visit her the way she deserves to be visited, etc. And then L. Ray Flowers, a charismatic, guitar-playing, part-time preacher comes to Rosehaven for physical therapy. Soon, L. Ray and Lil’s group of four have hatched up plans to form a national movement that would do away with nursing homes by moving the elderly residents into churches where they would be cared for by church members. L. Ray likes to call these new facilities “nurches.”
But life goes on. And minds slip. And people come and go. And when they go, they go for good.
Lunch at the Piccadilly, despite its setting, is not a sad novel. Assisted living facilities are filled with humor and good times, and with people who are content with this stage of their lives. Of course, there are a few chronically unhappy residents and others whose minds have slipped beyond the point of knowing exactly where they are most days. But the beautiful thing is that they have each other for support and how much happier they all are as a result.
Clyde Edgerton has largely captured the atmosphere that I see most every time that I visit my 93-year-old father. He has been in a facility for over six years, and I have come to know many of his friends during that time. Yes, it is an ever-changing cast of friends, but they are teaching me what to expect for myself later on -and reminding me to live life to the fullest while I can. This is a beautiful little book.
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