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A review by kimberlys
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet
3.0
I don't know...I liked the message at the end of the book a lot. I'm just not sure this character and his life was a compelling illustration of that message for me.
I will say there was a part of the book where I thought we were going to go in a different direction. A man who becomes wealthy when his very rich parents die, who is then literally dressed in a bat costume and chasing down the bad guy? I thought we were getting a batman story here, or maybe we did--if batman ended up hanging with his neighbors in the desert.
Edit to add: the more I think about this book, the more it feels like a miss. I'm in the nonprofit world, and there's a hugely important and robust conversation happening now about the correct role for the uber-wealthy. Trust when I say no one thinks that (sole, at least) role is escorting women to the dollar store. Same with politics...this guy is concerned about Trump's election (or the fictional, unnamed version of Trump), and the best he can do is plan to watch election returns at the neighbors'? Nope--might not make him a bad person (although I think it does), but it sure doesn't make him a good guy who deserves to be understood as part of the web of life. Batman doesn't deserve to be understood as a hero for today and neither does this guy.
I will say there was a part of the book where I thought we were going to go in a different direction. A man who becomes wealthy when his very rich parents die, who is then literally dressed in a bat costume and chasing down the bad guy? I thought we were getting a batman story here, or maybe we did--if batman ended up hanging with his neighbors in the desert.
Edit to add: the more I think about this book, the more it feels like a miss. I'm in the nonprofit world, and there's a hugely important and robust conversation happening now about the correct role for the uber-wealthy. Trust when I say no one thinks that (sole, at least) role is escorting women to the dollar store. Same with politics...this guy is concerned about Trump's election (or the fictional, unnamed version of Trump), and the best he can do is plan to watch election returns at the neighbors'? Nope--might not make him a bad person (although I think it does), but it sure doesn't make him a good guy who deserves to be understood as part of the web of life. Batman doesn't deserve to be understood as a hero for today and neither does this guy.