David Schwinghammer's Blog - Posts Tagged "larry-watson"
As Good As Gone
AS GOOD AS GONE is set in 1963. Calvin Sidey, who's been pretty much a hermit since his French wife died has been called home to take care of his grandchildren while his son Bill accompanies his wife to Missoula for an operation.
It's surprising that Calvin agrees since he left his family when his wife died, but he's in his seventies and thinks it wouldn't be so bad to reenter civilization in his declining years. Meanwhile his grandson Will is having trouble with his so-called friends who want to get a look at his sister naked through her bedroom window. They've got a plan, and he has one to stop them. The other grandchild is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend who was an ideal mannerly boyfriend until he wouldn't take “no” for an answer.
Calvin also establishes an intimate relationship with the woman next door, Beverly, who doesn't entirely understand why she's acting the way she is. She's been celibate since her husband died in the thirties, but she's thrilled that a man finds her attractive in that way, despite the age difference.
One day an Indian shows up and threatens the family if they won't leave his wife alone. Calvin's son, Bill, is a real estate agent and she's not paying her rent. He wants her out, but he's in Missoula.
Let's back up to Calvin. He's a WWI vet. That's where he met his wife Pauline. He wanted to stay in France; her family was thrilled that she had a chance to go to America, and she agreed. He's also a hard-nosed cowboy who doesn't think twice about a physical confrontation. But he's not good with personal relationships. Hell hath knows no such fury when he finds out Ann, his granddaughter, is being stalked. He tells her she's the spitting image of her grandmother.
Cal jumps to a terrible conclusion, tied to the peeping dilemma and the eviction threat, and he's got a gun. He'll use it if he can't handle it in hand to hand combat. So a bunch of the people above have to save Calvin from himself. Will they be able to? What are the odds?
Larry Watson is the Western version of Richard Russo of “Nobody's Fool”, “Empire Falls” fame. Most of this is about a stubborn old man and people trying to change him, but there are some action scenes that you won't be able to read fast enough, and you're going to need a translator at the end. So am I. Did I forget to mention that Calvin reads Latin like other people read mysteries?
It's surprising that Calvin agrees since he left his family when his wife died, but he's in his seventies and thinks it wouldn't be so bad to reenter civilization in his declining years. Meanwhile his grandson Will is having trouble with his so-called friends who want to get a look at his sister naked through her bedroom window. They've got a plan, and he has one to stop them. The other grandchild is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend who was an ideal mannerly boyfriend until he wouldn't take “no” for an answer.
Calvin also establishes an intimate relationship with the woman next door, Beverly, who doesn't entirely understand why she's acting the way she is. She's been celibate since her husband died in the thirties, but she's thrilled that a man finds her attractive in that way, despite the age difference.
One day an Indian shows up and threatens the family if they won't leave his wife alone. Calvin's son, Bill, is a real estate agent and she's not paying her rent. He wants her out, but he's in Missoula.
Let's back up to Calvin. He's a WWI vet. That's where he met his wife Pauline. He wanted to stay in France; her family was thrilled that she had a chance to go to America, and she agreed. He's also a hard-nosed cowboy who doesn't think twice about a physical confrontation. But he's not good with personal relationships. Hell hath knows no such fury when he finds out Ann, his granddaughter, is being stalked. He tells her she's the spitting image of her grandmother.
Cal jumps to a terrible conclusion, tied to the peeping dilemma and the eviction threat, and he's got a gun. He'll use it if he can't handle it in hand to hand combat. So a bunch of the people above have to save Calvin from himself. Will they be able to? What are the odds?
Larry Watson is the Western version of Richard Russo of “Nobody's Fool”, “Empire Falls” fame. Most of this is about a stubborn old man and people trying to change him, but there are some action scenes that you won't be able to read fast enough, and you're going to need a translator at the end. So am I. Did I forget to mention that Calvin reads Latin like other people read mysteries?
