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The Last Chairlift
By John Irving
Simon & Schuster, 9781501189272, October 2022, 912pp.

The Short of It:

It’s been a long time I’ve read Irving but his new book does not disappoint.

The Rest of It:

Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill and Slalom Championships in 1941. Due to her slight stature, she’s known as Little Ray. Although she’s well-known for her skill on the slopes, she doesn’t come close to winning a medal. Back home in New England, she becomes a ski instructor and has a son named Adam. The son who was conceived while at the Championship.

Little Ray and Adam are part of a very unique family. Although Little Ray had relations which resulted in her pregnancy, Little Ray’s partner is actually her long-time friend Molly. Another friend, Elliot, who happens to be small like Little Ray, is a cross-dresser that is near and dear to everyone, including Adam. In fact, Adam goes out of his way to protect Elliot when his secret is discovered.

If you think this is quite the cast of characters, then you’d be right and that’s not even the half of it! There is also Em, who doesn’t speak but pantomimes what she wants to say, nosy Aunts who are obsessed with Adam’s sexual preferences, oh, and ghosts. Ghosts.

Adam is a writer so some of the story is left up to the reader. Is it fiction that Adam created or is it actually part of his story? The ghosts he sees at the Jerome Hotel could be real, or they could be part of his plot. You see what I mean?

This is a wild ride of a story. At 900 pages, I really couldn’t predict how the story would end or where these characters would end up. What I can tell you is that Irving’s knack for character development is very strong and he continues to use his platform to make some political statements. The entire last part of the book was political. That said, this was probably one of the most unique stories I’ve read in a really long time.

I can’t emphasize enough how unique this story is. It’s a love story, a ghost story, and ripe with sexual politics. These characters will stay with me for a very long time.

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

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.

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