Reviews

The Hero of This Book, by Elizabeth McCracken

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bethh13's review

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

jamiewagner5's review

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medium-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

4.0

lazygal's review

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2.0

I had such high hopes for this, but ultimately this is an author coming to grips with the loss of her mother and what her life meant.

ARC provided by publisher.

kaitlinduffy's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

oohsnickers's review

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emotional funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sankitch87's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

apulsoni's review

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funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Despite being interrupted more while reading on vacation than I am at home (where I normally read when most are asleep, I suppose), I finally finished this little gem (it’s only 180 or so pages but it took me TWO DAYS).

It’s unfair to McCracken that I had just come from two exquisite novellas by Claire Keegan—my next read was going to feel sloppy in comparison to her tight prose, no matter what.

But once I understood what McCracken was doing here——writing a bit of a love letter to her larger than life (while actually very tiny) mother and playing with the forms of novel and memoir, with writing in general.

There were so many lines I loved and had to share with others immediately (“There is something wrong with a person who loved ballpoint pens. I believe nothing so deeply as this.”), though there were times I wondered if she succeeded with what she set out to do. I appreciated the walls tumbling down, her mention of her brother and children, and of course, every nod to her brilliant memoir, An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination.