Briant's comments (member since Mar 16, 2009)

Briant's comments from the All Ears Audiobooks group.

I just finished The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. It seems to be an attempt at a grand-scale Bildungsroman with several major characters; however, due to the number of subplots it is challenging to follow the characters' development. The subject is ostensibly the Columbine shootings; however, this is simply a passing event that informs the development of some of the major characters. The idea is that our ancestors, once buried, continue dynamic as an underground stream that bubbles up to shape the lives of the living descendants. Lamb does very carefully weave a tapestry connecting past, present, and future; however, some of the details/subplots seem superfluous and confusing. The idea of belief is touched upon in a dismissive manner until the end of the novel, where the main character discovers faith in the last sentence. Quite an anticlimax.

Overall, the book is quite engaging, as all of the subplots are of interest, but I do not recommend it for someone who is particularly interested in the Columbine tragedy or who is expecting an epiphany. It doesn't come.

Julie at All Ears wrote: "Wayne wrote: "Is there a way to get a list of the books I have listened to? I have already forgot the name of the book I just listened to but I would like to comment on it."

I need a printout, too. Just curious, how many do I have on my list?