Dinosaurs
By Lydia Millet
W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324021469, October 2022, 240pp.

The Short of It:

Brief but packed with meaning. The kind of read you keep thinking about long after turning that last page.

The Rest of It:

Her exquisite new novel is the story of a man named Gil who walks from New York to Arizona to recover from a failed love. After he arrives, new neighbors move into the glass-walled house next door and his life begins to mesh with theirs. ~ Indiebound

I have high praise for Dinosaurs. Millet tells the simple story of a man suffering from loss, but it’s not at all sad. It’s hopeful. It’s hopeful in the way Gil interacts with other humans. His quiet observations and his easy going manner, allow him to guide and inform those around him, but completely without judgement.

After his long trek from NY to Arizona, the hours spent walking in solitude allowed him to process the past so he could step into the future. He arrives at his new home with no expectations but when he sees that his new neighbors have a glass house, he realizes that he will probably get to know them quite well. Giving full transparency a whole new meaning.

It’s hard to tell you exactly why I loved it so much. Not a lot happens but through Gil’s observations, we see what drives and motivates humans to do what they do. To know someone who can so seamlessly step into your life, offer support and much needed friendship, without judgement, is rare. I throughly enjoyed these characters. They aren’t perfect but they are good people trying to do their best.

Highly recommend.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.