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A review by earlyandalone
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
4.0
When I started this book, I thought it was going to be a feel-good book about a wholesome family--the baseball player father, the sweet homemaker mother, the rambunctious but well-meaning passel of boys, and the twin daughters bringing up the rear. I presumed it was going to be a coming-of-age story set in the tumult of the 60s in small town Washington.
Some of that was true, but over the span of over 600 pages (this book is not for the fickle) the story changed shape, until by the end it was something much, much darker than it had started out as. Which, I guess, is the most true of any coming-of-age story--innocence twists into something darker and more formidable than you planned for.
Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read--entertaining and quirky. Each of the family members becomes rounded out and textured and complicated--much, much more than the flat stereotypes they appeared to be at the beginning. In fact, the only character who didn't really come to life as much, ironically, was the narrator, Kincaid. He's so busy telling the story of his family that he never tells his own story. It's a device that works, but I did find myself wondering why the author didn't delve more into Kincaid's story.
This book is a commitment, but one worth making if you're interesting in sprawling American family epics or baseball.
Some of that was true, but over the span of over 600 pages (this book is not for the fickle) the story changed shape, until by the end it was something much, much darker than it had started out as. Which, I guess, is the most true of any coming-of-age story--innocence twists into something darker and more formidable than you planned for.
Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read--entertaining and quirky. Each of the family members becomes rounded out and textured and complicated--much, much more than the flat stereotypes they appeared to be at the beginning. In fact, the only character who didn't really come to life as much, ironically, was the narrator, Kincaid. He's so busy telling the story of his family that he never tells his own story. It's a device that works, but I did find myself wondering why the author didn't delve more into Kincaid's story.
This book is a commitment, but one worth making if you're interesting in sprawling American family epics or baseball.