kurtvolmar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Look, if Noah Hawley writes something I’m going to read / watch it and I’m going to like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
ohheyymjreads's review against another edition
4.0
the way this one surprised me, hurt me, & drew me in… it’s a tough subject, but brilliantly written!
stephh's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that I would never normally pick up based off its cover. However, it was a book club read and one that showed me why perhaps I should give more books the benefit of the doubt.
Set in the US after a man assassinates a prime democrat presidential candidate, this book is told from two points of view: the father of the killer and the killer himself. The father can't quite believe that his son who he has grown distant from but still loves deeply would do something like this, so he set out to prove his innocence despite the fact that the son has never proclaimed he is innocent. The book takes you on the father's increasingly desperate attempts to make sense of what happened, and makes you question it too.
The son's chapters on the other hand show his life in the years leading up to the murder he commits. You see the incidents in his early years that may have affected who he became as an adult, as well as the issues he had in the years preceding the murder.
The book really is as sad tale of regret from a father who never bothered to take the time to try to understand his child until he was forced to. He'd always considered himself to be a good father, despite the split with his ex wife and not living with his son. For me, his attempts to find out what really happened on the day, and rationalise the murder as either not being committed by his son or as his son being radicalised, was not really about his son: it was about the fact that he couldn't face the idea that he hadn't been the father he thought he was. He had to re-evaluate his own identity, rather than his son's.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author included snippets about other high profile US assassinations throughout which I found very interesting as I really didn't know much about any of them. The emotional journey that the father went on was really well done, and I found myself along with him willing the son to not have committed the crime. I liked the fact that the book kept you guessing at the end - there's a segment of the son's life missing that the father cannot find the answers to and is kept from the reader in the son's sections. It means that I came away with different thoughts about what may or may not have happened in that time than other readers and thus a different perception of the book as a whole.
I gave this four stars and would recommend it for fans of Louise Doughty's books.
Set in the US after a man assassinates a prime democrat presidential candidate, this book is told from two points of view: the father of the killer and the killer himself. The father can't quite believe that his son who he has grown distant from but still loves deeply would do something like this, so he set out to prove his innocence despite the fact that the son has never proclaimed he is innocent. The book takes you on the father's increasingly desperate attempts to make sense of what happened, and makes you question it too.
The son's chapters on the other hand show his life in the years leading up to the murder he commits. You see the incidents in his early years that may have affected who he became as an adult, as well as the issues he had in the years preceding the murder.
The book really is as sad tale of regret from a father who never bothered to take the time to try to understand his child until he was forced to. He'd always considered himself to be a good father, despite the split with his ex wife and not living with his son. For me, his attempts to find out what really happened on the day, and rationalise the murder as either not being committed by his son or as his son being radicalised, was not really about his son: it was about the fact that he couldn't face the idea that he hadn't been the father he thought he was. He had to re-evaluate his own identity, rather than his son's.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author included snippets about other high profile US assassinations throughout which I found very interesting as I really didn't know much about any of them. The emotional journey that the father went on was really well done, and I found myself along with him willing the son to not have committed the crime. I liked the fact that the book kept you guessing at the end - there's a segment of the son's life missing that the father cannot find the answers to and is kept from the reader in the son's sections. It means that I came away with different thoughts about what may or may not have happened in that time than other readers and thus a different perception of the book as a whole.
I gave this four stars and would recommend it for fans of Louise Doughty's books.
quinndm's review against another edition
3.0
For a book that tackles this subject matter, I was surprised by how much the epilogue affected me emotionally… and that’s because Noah Hawley does it with genuine emotion, without cliche or melodrama. The story, though severe and heavy, never felt depressing or too dark but, instead, was an engaging and fascinating look at a family, especially a father, trying to understand what happened and why. The book left me a little “unfulfilled,” but I suppose that was the point.
jaynemcmanis's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kimatron's review against another edition
4.0
Hawley tells a story by sucking you in slowly. Like Before The Fall, The Good Father has a major incident happen and then you learn more about the characters through memories or journals or from a third-person POV. Because this is about a political figure's assassination, Hawley includes details from other assassinations and infamous murders. They were interesting reads and added to my analysis of Daniel.
This is not a happy story, no real revelation occurs, and also like BTF, the mystery and thrill of reading leads to a sort-of letdown. That's not necessarily a bad thing; you hold out hope with Daniel's father, Paul, that maybe there is some other reason than the obvious.
This is not a happy story, no real revelation occurs, and also like BTF, the mystery and thrill of reading leads to a sort-of letdown. That's not necessarily a bad thing; you hold out hope with Daniel's father, Paul, that maybe there is some other reason than the obvious.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended by Melissa
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sgood%20father%20hawley__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sgood%20father%20hawley__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
sierrasmith_'s review against another edition
4.0
Had a slow start but once the story line started to grow and the plot thickened, it was a definite page turner. I enjoyed the fact that it was fiction but contained a lot of history of real life events. It really added to the overall tone of the book and what was going on. I definitely recommend!
serenalawless's review against another edition
I got this book in the first place because I love Fargo, and was hoping to get some of that big swell of feelings via book form. suffice it to say: nope. by about halfway through I just skipped to the end, which I never do, because the sexism and misogyny really started to jump out and ruin the story. at one point, there is a sentence about a woman in the car next to them where she is described as "braless". There's nothing else to do with her or this observation in the rest of the chapter. it's just there to remind us that at any given time, these types of men are sneering and looking down at women. honestly, life is too short and there are too many good books to read, skip this one. whoever called it a classic needs their head examined. the only classic thing about it is its old-fashioned view of women.
anitaofplaybooktag's review against another edition
4.0
The Good Father is a story of a father/son relationship that goes awry after a divorce. The son ends up dropping out of college and ends up being accused of a terrible shooting. The story is part psychological portrait, part mystery, and while I wouldn't call it fine literature, it was a very fascinating read. I finished it in a couple of days because it was hard to put down for me.
Most of the story is told through the eyes of the father, and I found this point of view to be very interesting as a parent.
Interwoven into the perspectives of the father is the story of the son and how he gets in such deep trouble. There are many anecdotes of the most famous assassins/shooters of modern day times - - and these serve to illuminate the tale of the son.
All in all, a great read, albeit not an uplifting one. I think parents and/or children of divorce will find it easier to relate to the storyline as a whole. I was quite tempted to give it five stars, but I usually reserve those for books with more literary merit, and there were some elements that weren't totally believable. . .but it was a thoughtful, well crafted, and disturbing story. It would be a strong book club selection.
Most of the story is told through the eyes of the father, and I found this point of view to be very interesting as a parent.
Interwoven into the perspectives of the father is the story of the son and how he gets in such deep trouble. There are many anecdotes of the most famous assassins/shooters of modern day times - - and these serve to illuminate the tale of the son.
All in all, a great read, albeit not an uplifting one. I think parents and/or children of divorce will find it easier to relate to the storyline as a whole. I was quite tempted to give it five stars, but I usually reserve those for books with more literary merit, and there were some elements that weren't totally believable. . .but it was a thoughtful, well crafted, and disturbing story. It would be a strong book club selection.