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East of Denver
by
Gregory Hill
Mixing pathos and humor in equal measure, East of Denver is an unflinching novel of rural America, a poignant, darkly funny tale about a father and son finding their way together as their home and livelihood inexorably disappears.
When Stacey “Shakespeare” Williams arrives at his family’s farm in eastern Colorado to bury a dead cat, he finds his widowed and senile father,...more
When Stacey “Shakespeare” Williams arrives at his family’s farm in eastern Colorado to bury a dead cat, he finds his widowed and senile father,...more
Hardcover, 264 pages
Published
July 5th 2012
by Dutton Adult
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It's easy to see in the first 3,000 words or so why this novel won the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2011. The opening line about the dead cat is a fine hook (that eventually goes nowhere, unless I missed some unusually deep symbolism) and the revelations of the father's impoverished state (both literally and figuratively) are genuinely moving.
Then the wheels start to come off.
Characters visit each other in scenes that seem to serve no purpose. Instead of making secondary characters more...more
Then the wheels start to come off.
Characters visit each other in scenes that seem to serve no purpose. Instead of making secondary characters more...more
I really enjoyed this book. As a (mainly) fiction reader, as a librarian, and as a Colorado transplant who really doesn't know much about the Midwest. (Full disclosure, my husband works at the same organization as the author, but I myself have never met him.)
East of Denver isn't really about one thing. It's about how you can't go home again, and how as our parents age our roles reverse (sometimes suddenly). It's about recognizing the humanity in the people around you. It's about that quality in...more
East of Denver isn't really about one thing. It's about how you can't go home again, and how as our parents age our roles reverse (sometimes suddenly). It's about recognizing the humanity in the people around you. It's about that quality in...more
What a quirky, fun, heartbreaking book this is.
They say you can't go home again, but when his cat dies, Stacey "Shakespeare" "Shakes" Williams decides to bring it back to his small rural hometown, somewhere - you guessed it - east of Denver. Things certainly have changed. Shakes's dad is in the throes of dementia, occasionally forgetting that his wife died some years previously. Conversations are repeated. The home is a fetid bowl of squalor. And when his father's caretaker is discovered dead in...more
They say you can't go home again, but when his cat dies, Stacey "Shakespeare" "Shakes" Williams decides to bring it back to his small rural hometown, somewhere - you guessed it - east of Denver. Things certainly have changed. Shakes's dad is in the throes of dementia, occasionally forgetting that his wife died some years previously. Conversations are repeated. The home is a fetid bowl of squalor. And when his father's caretaker is discovered dead in...more
Shakespeare Williams (SW) (real name Stacey but no one ever calls him that) is on his way home because his cat has been murdered and he must be buried on home ground next to other beloved animals who met their demise earlier. No, there are no tears; SW just puts the dead animal in the car and begins the trek to Colorado. When he gets there, he hope to just visit but discovers, after the burial, that his father is definitely shows signs of senility, including handing over hundred dollar bills for...more
When I first started reading this book, I thought "Brilliant! I'm going to give it five stars! I love character-driven novels and these characters are so compelling! They remind me of people down home in southern Illinois. They're lovely and charming and unique and frustrating and annoying and so heartbreakingly real. Oh, this is going to be such a lovely relaxing read with more depth than action, and a nice break from the suspense and horror I've been reading lately!"
When I got about halfway th...more
When I got about halfway th...more
Sep 19, 2012
Betty
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
humor,
humour,
alzheimer-s,
anosmia,
pathos,
dementia,
dirt-farming,
relationships,
drugs,
small-town,
prairie
Many people will find this book relate to them in some way. Who hasn't lived with or known someone with dementia or alzheimer's and seen all sides of this insidious illness? The protagonist and sometimes narrator, Stacey "Shakespeare" Williams a.k.a. "Shakes," is on his way back from Denver to the old family farm and his father. A quirky cast of old high school friends come back into Shakes' life when he arrives too, both helping and hindering.
His father is living by himself and as Shakes will...more
His father is living by himself and as Shakes will...more
http://www.1morechapter.com/2012/09/0...
4.5 stars
Gregory Hill won the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for East of Denver in 2011.
Disclaimer: I grew up near the area where the story takes place.
Due to that fact, I was especially interested in reading this novel. I’d been disappointed in the past by books set in northeastern Colorado — most notably, Kent Haruf’s Plainsong (though I’m still willing to give his other books a chance.)
I was impressed, though, by East of Denver. There were still a few...more
4.5 stars
Gregory Hill won the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for East of Denver in 2011.
Disclaimer: I grew up near the area where the story takes place.
Due to that fact, I was especially interested in reading this novel. I’d been disappointed in the past by books set in northeastern Colorado — most notably, Kent Haruf’s Plainsong (though I’m still willing to give his other books a chance.)
I was impressed, though, by East of Denver. There were still a few...more
Grade: A-
L/C Ratio: 70/30
(This means I estimate the author devoted 70% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 30% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown:
35% - Senility
30% - Small town culture
20% - Farming
15% - Humor
East of Denver won the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and after 12 months in the publishing carousel, Gregory Hill's debut novel was released into the wild. It's a simple story with a small cast that hits alternating notes of hilarit...more
L/C Ratio: 70/30
(This means I estimate the author devoted 70% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 30% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown:
35% - Senility
30% - Small town culture
20% - Farming
15% - Humor
East of Denver won the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and after 12 months in the publishing carousel, Gregory Hill's debut novel was released into the wild. It's a simple story with a small cast that hits alternating notes of hilarit...more
On the surface, this is a simple book. A 40something Denver man, Stacey "Shakespeare" Williams takes an unscheduled trip to his boyhood home in Dorsey, CO only to find his father living in deep dementia and profound squalor. Shakes finds his caretaker dead in the bathroom (a week ago, from natural causes) and quits his job and moves back in with his father to see what he can do to literally save the farm. Over the next several months the bills pile up, the groceries go down, old friends are some...more
I never met so many doofuses in between the pages of a book before. The only character I really took a shine to was Emmett, a famer/inventor who is the victim of early onset dementia. When his son, "Shakes" moves back to the family farm to eastern Colorado to take care of his father, he learns that his father has been swindled by the local bank owner and is near penniless. Shakes comes up with some half-assed schemes to remedy the situation, but don't get your hopes up. When he reconnects with f...more
Author, Gregory Hill, delivers a fine example of first person writing, within the pages of “East of Denver.” The story flows with a steady pace from beginning to end.
This is definitely a black comedy. Despite the harsh landscape and all encompassing family turmoil, “Shakespeare” and “Emmett Williams” bring levity and heart to a story that could potentially be a huge downer. I found the cast of characters very believable, in a climate where complacency is better than giving up. The scenes betwee...more
This is definitely a black comedy. Despite the harsh landscape and all encompassing family turmoil, “Shakespeare” and “Emmett Williams” bring levity and heart to a story that could potentially be a huge downer. I found the cast of characters very believable, in a climate where complacency is better than giving up. The scenes betwee...more
"East of Denver" is evocative, moody, funny, bleak, desperate and, somehow, optimistic all at the same time. The story is chock full humanity and the images are chiseled with sharp, clean strokes.
Hill had me from the opening paragraph, an 11-sentence beauty that packs the kind of energy and forward momentum that carries the book along. We are with Stacey “Shakespeare” Williams on his way out to the family farm in eastern Colorado to bury a dead cat and also to discover a major challenge with hi...more
Hill had me from the opening paragraph, an 11-sentence beauty that packs the kind of energy and forward momentum that carries the book along. We are with Stacey “Shakespeare” Williams on his way out to the family farm in eastern Colorado to bury a dead cat and also to discover a major challenge with hi...more
Jul 09, 2012
Chelsey
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Dark Humour Enthusiasts
Shelves:
first-reads
My thanks go out to First Reads and the publisher for sending me this novel.
I did not enjoy this book as much as other people did. I felt that the main character's anosmia was an after-thought and had no real impact on the novel. I think the secondary character of Vaughn was completely unnecessary and I didn't think there was a point to having him in the book. The plot of the book lacked detail and was confusing at points.
The transitions between paragraphs were sometimes confusing as they would...more
I did not enjoy this book as much as other people did. I felt that the main character's anosmia was an after-thought and had no real impact on the novel. I think the secondary character of Vaughn was completely unnecessary and I didn't think there was a point to having him in the book. The plot of the book lacked detail and was confusing at points.
The transitions between paragraphs were sometimes confusing as they would...more
It sounds crazy when you hear that Hill originally sat down to write a zombie book when he wrote "East of Denver" but that didn't end up happening. It also sounds crazy when you hear that Hill wanted to write about Alzheimer's without all the horrible things that are always part of that terrible disease. But, none of that mattered when I actually read this book. The book is certainly crazy, but in a landmark kind of good way. Stacey "Shakespeare" Williams' plan to rob the bank that cheated his s...more
I think I'd give it 3 1/2 stars (why doesn't good reads allow 1/2stars anyway). It is a wondering tale of the disintegration of a man's life as his father's senility advances. The book jacket almost makes it sound like a caper -there's a plot to rob the bank that was swindling his addled father's farm, airplane, and farm tools- but it's really the tale of a character who is lost and tries the easiest way out. Do nothing. Quirky (as described in another review) is probably apt. As a side note the...more
EAST OF DENVER
By Gregory Hill
Shakespeare Williams returns home to the family farm in eastern Colorado and finds his widowed father broke and senile. He suddenly finds himself as caretaker of the farm and his father.
He drifts back to high school acquaintances and comes up with a fairy tale revenge scheme.He decides to rob the bank that took advantage of his fathers condition.
Shakespeare is a paralyzed individual, totally without survival skills.
This is a dark and sometimes humorous tale of fath...more
By Gregory Hill
Shakespeare Williams returns home to the family farm in eastern Colorado and finds his widowed father broke and senile. He suddenly finds himself as caretaker of the farm and his father.
He drifts back to high school acquaintances and comes up with a fairy tale revenge scheme.He decides to rob the bank that took advantage of his fathers condition.
Shakespeare is a paralyzed individual, totally without survival skills.
This is a dark and sometimes humorous tale of fath...more
I won this book from a first reads giveaway here on goodreads!
Wow. This book took me by surprise! I really enjoyed reading this one. It's definitely not my typical read; I couldn't tell you the last time I read a book where the main character was a male in his 40's or somewhere around there. Yet, something about this book is so compelling that it completely drew me in despite not being what I would typically pick up from a library or book store.
At first I thought it was Gregory Hill's writing....more
Wow. This book took me by surprise! I really enjoyed reading this one. It's definitely not my typical read; I couldn't tell you the last time I read a book where the main character was a male in his 40's or somewhere around there. Yet, something about this book is so compelling that it completely drew me in despite not being what I would typically pick up from a library or book store.
At first I thought it was Gregory Hill's writing....more
Disclosure: Gregory is a friend and former colleague. I am thrilled for him and his achievement as the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winner. And Gregory is the only other Denverite I know who shares my love of the eastern plains of Colorado.
Terse like a prairie landscape. Written with a flat affect, East of Denver is replete with emotion. Gallows humor in the face of tragedy and loss. A set of characters as lovable as the Monkey Wrench Gang, but more painfully human. A celebration of taki...more
Terse like a prairie landscape. Written with a flat affect, East of Denver is replete with emotion. Gallows humor in the face of tragedy and loss. A set of characters as lovable as the Monkey Wrench Gang, but more painfully human. A celebration of taki...more
This is a story set in dying rural America, in this case on a non-working farm in eastern Colorado, about a son who has come home to care for his father with dementia. Stories dealing with Alzheimer's seem to be increasingly common, and I doubt that will go away. In this case the father is quite young to have these problems, only 62, which seems surprising, further he is portrayed as a sort of idiot savant. Other details also seem to not be there - was the son working before he came from Denver...more
This book left me feeling conflicted.
I picked it up because it's a book about Denver (kind of) by a local author, and it won an Amazon award.
I kept reading it because the first half was beautiful, and then the later plot elements were too fantastical and weird to ignore.
I chuckled and smirked at parts, and became morose and sullen after reading other parts.
The reader of the audio book sounded physically taxed by the act of reading the book; chapters began in a clear voice and ended in a grav...more
I picked it up because it's a book about Denver (kind of) by a local author, and it won an Amazon award.
I kept reading it because the first half was beautiful, and then the later plot elements were too fantastical and weird to ignore.
I chuckled and smirked at parts, and became morose and sullen after reading other parts.
The reader of the audio book sounded physically taxed by the act of reading the book; chapters began in a clear voice and ended in a grav...more
Hard to describe this book. It's like Christopher Moore meet Quentin Tarantino. It should be a movie and has indie film written all over it. Scott Glenn would play the father. Joseph Gordon-Levitt would play the son. This story has an air of tragedy that is totally usurped by dark humor. The return of the prodigal son or should I say the only son from the big city back to his rural roots-all to bury a cat, sets off an improbable chain of events that has you in awe of the author's gift for captur...more
3.5 Another one of those funky little off-beat books where nothing much happens, if you don’t count the stolen airplane, the wheelchair guy falling down the stairs, the furniture burning, the tomatoes, the snake bite, the bank robbery . . . oh well. But it is an oddly funny heartwarming/breaking story about a semi-shiftless son bonding with his dad on the plains East of Denver as he watches him sink further into dementia – in a funny way. The ending may not solve anyone’s problems but it certain...more
I won this book on a first-reads giveaway and I am quite glad I did!! I really enjoyed reading East of Denver and had a difficult time putting it down. The main characater, 'Shakes' has the worst stream of bad luck happen and despite that, he just keeps on rolling on with life while everything seems to crumble around him. His father, Emmett, is quite senile and absolutely hilarious. The rest of the support characters are all a bunch of quirky members of a small town who you cannot help but laugh...more
Kind of off-beat story about a man who goes back to the eastern plains of Colorado to take care of his dad. His dad has dementia problems and cannot cope with life because of that. While connecting with old friends and enemies from school Shakespeare Williams comes up with a crazy plan to get back at someone who has taken advantage of his dad. It doesn't work. He finds stuff out about himself and grows in the process.
Shakes returns to the farm where he grew up and where his father still lives, to bury his dead cat. When he arrives, he discovers that his dad can no longer live alone and he decides he must stay. While there is a villainous bank president, dysfunctional high school friends to move the story along, the pleasure is in the voice: Shakes knows the joy, fear, frustration, and love that comes from caring for a failing parent.
Got a kick out of the sad situation a son, Shakespeare Williams, finds his dad in upon returning to the family home in Eastern Colorado from Denver. His pa is a genius at fixing things, but the loss of his wife made the old guy also lose his mind. Shakes is determined to help his pa only to find that a greedy banker has stolen everything. Kinda wild, but not really that unlikely. I became quite fond of these characters.
I think this for me was the way Catcher in the Rye was for a lot of people I know.
It was just the right book at the right time and it has no answers; none at all -- in fact, it has less than none. You can't say the characters are better off in the end than they were in the beginning, and if you don't think about it, you can't really see much in way of character development.
But if there was a book to read on a sad and lonely day, it would be this one.
It was just the right book at the right time and it has no answers; none at all -- in fact, it has less than none. You can't say the characters are better off in the end than they were in the beginning, and if you don't think about it, you can't really see much in way of character development.
But if there was a book to read on a sad and lonely day, it would be this one.
Hemingway for slackers ... with a dark, dark sense of humor. Read this book when you're happy, and you'll end up a little sad. Read it when you're sad ... and make sure there are no sharp objects around. Very funny and an excellent style of prose--simple, sparse, yet powerful (thus the reference to Hemingway but without the big fish or battle scenes)
My husband suggested several times that I should read this book. I wasn't sure about it at first. The style of writing is very simplistic, but brings strong visuals to mind. I wasn't sure about the topic for the first few chapters, but I just couldn't put the book down by half way through and was dying to see how it ended. Nicely done.
Gregory Hill’s novel East of Denver beat out 5,000 entrants to win the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Hill (right), a library assistant at the University of Denver Penrose Library, wrote his novel to capture a less depressing side of Alzheimer’s disease through dark humor after his father was diagnosed several years ago....
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“All photo albums are the same. Just like all dreams are the same. They mean the world to the person who owns them and they're boring as dirt to everybody else.”
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“Sometimes it's necessary to leave the room. Come back a few minutes later with a handkerchief and a runny nose. He didn't notice that kind of thing.”
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That's exactly how I felt. I was so ready to give this book 5 stars at the beginning because like you I really en...more
updated Jul 31, 2012 08:08pm