losco's review against another edition
5.0
Work Like Any Other is my new favorite novel. As the story unfolded, I found myself slowing down so that I could savor it. At the end I could not put it down and had to finish it, though it was late. I want to read it again. The author is brilliant; so many deep, of-the-soul questions are explored, but of course, cannot be answered. Good intentions and idealistic dreams go awry in the face of real world circumstances and complicated relationships...and who doesn't relate to that? Virginia Reeves even throws in a lovable hound dog. You absolutely must read this amazing story.
carmenere's review against another edition
3.0
My third Booker read which o place 2nd behind Hot Milk. More like 3.6/5.
Roscoe Martin chose a profession which he loved. He broke from his father's mining business to work with electricity, an emerging field in 1922 Alabama. As an electrician, he and his wife, Marie, were content as they waited for their family to expand. Life changed rather suddenly and unpleasantly for Roscoe when his father in law died unexpectedly leaving his farm to his daughter, Marie. Roscoe is not a farmer and life becomes difficult until he gets an idea to turn the farm around. His idea has life changing effects for himself, his family and the young family who helps work the farm.
The characters were well drawn and I enjoyed the camaraderie between the Martin and Grice family. As historical fiction, it was enlightening.
Roscoe Martin chose a profession which he loved. He broke from his father's mining business to work with electricity, an emerging field in 1922 Alabama. As an electrician, he and his wife, Marie, were content as they waited for their family to expand. Life changed rather suddenly and unpleasantly for Roscoe when his father in law died unexpectedly leaving his farm to his daughter, Marie. Roscoe is not a farmer and life becomes difficult until he gets an idea to turn the farm around. His idea has life changing effects for himself, his family and the young family who helps work the farm.
The characters were well drawn and I enjoyed the camaraderie between the Martin and Grice family. As historical fiction, it was enlightening.
Spoiler
It was very easy to dislike Marie Martin, she did not stand by her man when he needed her. However, it's her art collection of Eilleen Agar, which we learn about late in the story, which shed some light into her personality. Perhaps the farm, her life was too conventional for her.mjsteimle's review against another edition
3.0
Roscoe Martin is an electrician in the 1920s; it's what he's passionate about and it's part of his identity. So when, at his wife's insistence, they move to her father's land in rural Alabama, Roscoe is miserable. Then he decides to illegally build transformers and route wires to bring electricity to the farm. Things go well for a while - the farm is prospering - but then a power company worker is electrocuted when he comes upon Roscoe's power lines. The book is told from the point of view of Roscoe in prison, Roscoe before his imprisonment, and Roscoe after getting out of prison nine years later.
This is an interesting book with solid writing, but not one I feel the need to recommend to all of my friends.
This is an interesting book with solid writing, but not one I feel the need to recommend to all of my friends.
beth_menendez's review against another edition
4.0
Reading is something that definitely takes you out of yourself. When one connects with a character, it is similar to making friends - when you are attracted to a character it is often because you have similar characteristics or a character has traits you admire in others. This affinity for people who are like you (or who you want to be) is often carried over into my reading. As I read Work Like Any Other, I quickly began to realize that the two main characters in the book were NOT like me, nor were they people I would want to hang out on the weekend with. Roscoe is one of the main characters and as the book progresses, you do end up liking him a bit more but he's a pretty self absorbed man. He wants to string electric wires, world without end, Amen. He does not get to and he pouts. I find pouting ridiculous in children, let along grown men. When he and his wife inherit her fathers substantial land Roscoe pouts he cannot work for Alabama Power any more. Boo hoo buddy! Some of his disdain for farming is likely engrained as his own father clearly had a dislike for those in the farming field ("We are not farmers" his children would chant) however he liked eating so I have no idea where this disregard comes from. Again, this is so opposite my thinking it's hard not to hold it against Roscoe for being such an idiot. It is not the author's job to write characters who are going to be well liked all of the time and are exactly like me. That would be rather boring if she did.
Marie. I don't even know where to start with her. She is so the opposite of me, I almost cannot concede she is a married mother of a child. She's *horrible* to the people she is supposed to love. She's cold. She's distant. She's hateful. She is so self absorbed she deserves an award for being so. Not only does she blame ridiculous things on her husband, she abandons him in his time of need, attempts to turn her child from him, Ugh. She was good to Wilson and Moa, I'll grant you that. But even then she was pretty cold - who asks a man just released from hard time "how was it down in the mines"? Really? Sensitive much? She returns only in the end because she senses a threat to her money, to her new way of life that she decided on without her husband.
But was this book good? This was a tricky one to rate. Honestly, I disliked the characters. I wanted Roscoe to have more of a spine and to stop whining ("I don't wanna work with dogs, I don't wanna work the farm"). I wanted Marie to have the book thrown at her because of how she sneakily divorces Roscoe and distributes the family money. I even dislike Gerald, the Pablum faced dough boy that grows into a dough man. Get in or get out man. However none of what I wanted to happen did (with the exception of Ed getting away). But it was still a compelling book. It was interesting in that you wanted to know does it get better? The writing kept you reading, and it was not a long tome (which is good since I'd have chucked it at Marie). I liked that the importance of reading was a subtle element in the book as there were libraries all around Roscoe and he was bright enough to appreciate them. I liked that as hateful as Taylor was, he did recognize that Maggie the dog was never going to be a good one for having lots of puppies and would have a better life outside the prison walls. I liked the concept of thinking about what the world was like when electricity was new (and how it was not met with the open arms of today, where we cannot imagine life without it).
Overall it was a good book, and I did give it 4 stars but I wanted to give it 3.5. However it definitely got a reaction out of me, and that deserves more than 3 stars. It's a book you'll read and think about for quite a while because you wish life was different because you wish the people in the book are different but not for the reasons that they evolve in the book. If you were looking for a Pollyanna ending this won't be it, but it does not leave you wondering what happened to Roscoe, Moa, Wilson and Marie. Thanks goodness.
Marie. I don't even know where to start with her. She is so the opposite of me, I almost cannot concede she is a married mother of a child. She's *horrible* to the people she is supposed to love. She's cold. She's distant. She's hateful. She is so self absorbed she deserves an award for being so. Not only does she blame ridiculous things on her husband, she abandons him in his time of need, attempts to turn her child from him, Ugh. She was good to Wilson and Moa, I'll grant you that. But even then she was pretty cold - who asks a man just released from hard time "how was it down in the mines"? Really? Sensitive much? She returns only in the end because she senses a threat to her money, to her new way of life that she decided on without her husband.
But was this book good? This was a tricky one to rate. Honestly, I disliked the characters. I wanted Roscoe to have more of a spine and to stop whining ("I don't wanna work with dogs, I don't wanna work the farm"). I wanted Marie to have the book thrown at her because of how she sneakily divorces Roscoe and distributes the family money. I even dislike Gerald, the Pablum faced dough boy that grows into a dough man. Get in or get out man. However none of what I wanted to happen did (with the exception of Ed getting away). But it was still a compelling book. It was interesting in that you wanted to know does it get better? The writing kept you reading, and it was not a long tome (which is good since I'd have chucked it at Marie). I liked that the importance of reading was a subtle element in the book as there were libraries all around Roscoe and he was bright enough to appreciate them. I liked that as hateful as Taylor was, he did recognize that Maggie the dog was never going to be a good one for having lots of puppies and would have a better life outside the prison walls. I liked the concept of thinking about what the world was like when electricity was new (and how it was not met with the open arms of today, where we cannot imagine life without it).
Overall it was a good book, and I did give it 4 stars but I wanted to give it 3.5. However it definitely got a reaction out of me, and that deserves more than 3 stars. It's a book you'll read and think about for quite a while because you wish life was different because you wish the people in the book are different but not for the reasons that they evolve in the book. If you were looking for a Pollyanna ending this won't be it, but it does not leave you wondering what happened to Roscoe, Moa, Wilson and Marie. Thanks goodness.
booksinbedinthornhill's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful book. I can't believe this was a debut novel. I look forward to reading Reeves' upcoming work.
bleary's review against another edition
5.0
What a joy this book was. I started it right after Deborah Levy's deeply allegorical [b:Hot Milk|26883528|Hot Milk|Deborah Levy|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1461535043s/26883528.jpg|46932640] and it was kind of a culture shock to read something that had an actual story and characters and naturalistic dialogue.
Work Like Any Other is set in 1920s and draws on the great American tradition, with a big lead character fascinated by grand ideas (electricity, in this case), and lots of Steinbeckian minor rural tragedy. In many ways I found it just as rich in allegory as Levy's novel, but there's also a riveting story that holds everything together. It's a real treat and I'm quite surprised that it didn't progress beyond the Booker longlist.
Work Like Any Other is set in 1920s and draws on the great American tradition, with a big lead character fascinated by grand ideas (electricity, in this case), and lots of Steinbeckian minor rural tragedy. In many ways I found it just as rich in allegory as Levy's novel, but there's also a riveting story that holds everything together. It's a real treat and I'm quite surprised that it didn't progress beyond the Booker longlist.
ggrayling's review against another edition
3.0
This book was well-written and a good history lesson of sorts but I felt the plot meandered along pointlessly. I kept waiting for the story to start and something to happen but It never really did. The characters had good depth and it was touching at times.
taralpittman's review against another edition
2.0
As with the aforementioned title, I was excited by the premise behind this debut: a prideful electrician in 1920s rural Alabama struggles to overcome past sins and find peace after being sent to prison for manslaughter. This could easily have been a win for me because it includes several elements that I really love! I know, I know, I can be a really picky reader. There's nothing wrong with conversation back and forth between characters in a novel...as long as it propels the story forward. After reading along through 20% of this one, I was really trying to make it work; by 25%, I was done. When I'm only a fourth of the way through a novel, and I see no light at the end of the tunnel, it's tough for me to continue on if I have not experienced any connection to keep me interested. The issues covered in this novel are definitely significant and deserve more attention; hopefully, it will work out for other readers.
orangesloth1's review against another edition
3.0
I rather enjoyed the POVs Reeves used in this novel.
nobodyatall's review against another edition
4.0
Really nice and savouring to read.
A poignant exploration of people's development over ~20 years of life. great to see the characters change, refusing to change and reacting to the changes thrust upon them.
A poignant exploration of people's development over ~20 years of life. great to see the characters change, refusing to change and reacting to the changes thrust upon them.