This Book Will Save Your Life

by A.M. Homes

Since her debut in 1989, A. M. Homes has been among the boldest and most original voices of her generation, acclaimed for the psychological accuracy and unnerving emotional intensity of her storytelling. Her ability to explore how extraordinary the ordinary can be is at the heart of her touching and funny new novel, her first in six years. This Book Will Save Your Life is a vivid, uplifting, and revealing story about compassion, transformation, and what can happen if you are willing to lose yourself and open up to the world around you.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Novels, Literary Fiction, The United States Of America, Literature

372 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

A.M. Homes is the author of the novels, The Unfolding, May We Be Forgiven, which won the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction, This Book Will Save Your Life, Music For Torching, The End of Alice, In a Country of Mothers, and Jack, as well as the short-story collections, Things You Should Know and The Safety of Objects, the travel memoir, Los Angeles: People, Places and The Castle on the Hill, and the artist's book Appendix A: An Elaboration on the Novel the End of Alice.

In April of 2007 Viking published her long awaited memoir, The Mistress's Daughter, the story of the author being "found" by her biological family, and a literary exploration and investigation of identity, adoption and genealogical ties that bind.

Her work has been translated into eighteen languages and appears frequently in Art Forum, Harpers, Granta, McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Zoetrope. She is a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair, Bomb and Blind Spot.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards including Fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, NYFA, and The Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library, along with the Benjamin Franklin Award, and the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis.

In addition she has been active on the Boards of Directors of Yaddo, The Fine Arts Work Center In Provincetown, The Writers Room, and PEN-where she chairs both the membership committee and the Writers Fund. Additionally she serves on the Presidents Council for Poets and Writers.

A.M. Homes was a writer/producer of the hit television show The L Word in 2004-2005 and wrote the adaptation of her first novel JACK, for Showtime. The film aired in 2004 and won an Emmy Award for Stockard Channing. Director Rose Troche's film adaptation of The Safety of Objects was released in 2003, and Troche is currently developing In A Country of Mothers as well. Music For Torching is in development with director Steven Shainberg with a script by Buck Henry, and This Book Will Save Your Life is in Development with Stone Village Pictures.

Born in Washington D.C., she now lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, most days I sit around being angry. I’m in the car, I’m doing dishes, I’m waiting at the dentist (25 minutes after my scheduled appointment time.) and the thing is I’m not really conscious of it. It’s just there. It might present itself in my clenched jaw or that weird stabbing that runs right through my chest and out my back (I’ve been meaning to get that checked out, btw.)

So, I’ve been trying to analyze this. It’s like I’m mad about the ‘what might have beens’, or I’m mad that I’m such a wuss about taking chances. Mostly I’m just mad.
Where’s that whole quality of life thing fit in, anyway?

So, when I picked up this book I wasn’t really sure what I was going to get. I honestly thought it might be one of those self help books, sort of in the vein of Fast Food Nation--something that would try to get me to change my wicked, wicked ways. That’s a pretty cynical outlook---I think I need more help than I originally thought.

Anyway.

I loved this book. I loved every single character in this book. From Anhil, the existentialist donut man, to the overworked ex-wife (she who shall not be named, I guess), to misguided, sweet Ben, to the misunderstood, sweet Nic, to Cynthia---who I can so relate to---but most of all, I love Richard.

Richard is that guy. That person that you sort of hope to be. He’s far, far from perfect, basically a fuckup. After a somewhat traumatic event, he, like most people -- I assume, starts to analyze his life and through a series of incredible events, you start to see his goodness. That thing that people think that they might be capable of, but either because they’re not presented with the situations or because they’re conscious of being ‘good’ then, well, it’s less real, right?

Yeah, I don’t expect you to get it. I’m still sorting it out.

Okay, do you ever get that feeling? That sense of… oh, I can’t find the right words, I can only describe it as a warm fuzzy. It’s this sense of childish hope, that people ARE good---and not good like someone letting you cut in line at the grocery store because you have 2 items to their 20 or someone following the correct etiquette of ‘merging into traffic’, but have you experienced true goodness? I have. I know I have. I’ve remembered coming home and being so excited to retell the story of something that renewed my faith in mankind. I remember grinning, not just smiling or smirking but full on ear-to-ear, pearly whites, make your face hurt, grinning.

Of course I can’t even give you one example of that kind of warm fuzzy.

Isn’t that telling? Hmmm…


So, Richard embarks on this crazy, sometimes too surreal to be true, but maybe it can be, sort of journey. And he becomes The Good Samaritan, The Good Neighbor, The Anonymous Benefactor. He’s the kind of guy I would hope to be if money were never an issue.

Yet, through all this you see him struggle with himself. His fear of dying, of not being a better son, brother, husband, father. This is what makes me just want to be in his presence, like maybe I’d catch some of what he is. I’d be tempted to use the word ‘aura’ but it might just be the Californian influence within the book, This is what made me hate to see the book end.

Bittersweet? Does that work? Hell, I’m going to throw it out there.

There’s this great scene towards the end. Richard takes his 17 yr. old estranged son to DisneyLand. You can see that Ben is fighting something, trying to recapture some sense of his lost childhood. He’s fighting with his father, yelling at him while riding the teacups or waiting for Space Mountain and Richard is taking it, feeling like he deserves it. Ben’s trying to work out all these emotions, worried about an expiration date or something---afraid to see this day end. And there’s this scene:

They get in line for the driving ride. You must be at least three years old and so high to go on this ride.

“Aren’t we a little old?”

“How can we be too old? We never did it before,” Ben says.

I love this sentiment. It brings tears to my eyes and gives me that hope that someday that warm fuzzy will be more than a passing flicker. Or at least that I’ll be able to recall it next time.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would rather stick rusty tacs under my fingernails while listening to my mother on speaker phone, in public, as she breaks down just exactly what I'm doing wrong in my life than finish this book.

[Mark Porton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle-aged Richard Novak experiences diffuse intense pain and ends up in an Emergency Department, he also has a massive sinkhole growing next to his well-to-do home in LA.

This is the start of a sequence of events that make Raiders of the Lost Ark look like a walk through your local library.

Richard ends up making friends with a donut maker, a supposedly ‘homeless’ man who lives next door, a mother of a handful of kids to a drongo of a father who decides to leave him, a talking car, Bob Dylan, a dog called Malibu and so, so, so much more.

To the uninitiated this sounds like a soulless romp – how ludicrous!! “A talking car” you say, well how about a horse called lucky at the bottom of said sinkhole? Or a silent meditation retreat - oh my, that made me laugh.

I can honestly say, the first three quarters of this story is nuts. Things just seem to happen to Richard; I know I’m making no sense but when he ends up riding on a stranger’s back down a hill – you realise this is a ride YOU MUST BE ON.

This story isn’t silly – even if it’s bright, funny and a bit mad.

There are some very serious themes here. How does this man (Richard) who’s made a fortune playing the financials – in what is a fairly sensible, structured, disciplined world – become a guy who decides to take on a woman, as a friend, who he meets in a local supermarket sobbing like a baby because of her miserable life. Richard’s new friendship with the owner of a donut shop is equally as unlikely.

Richard seems to have gone through a seismic shift towards acceptance. Life throws stuff at him, it’s dealt with, without him dealing with it. We could all take a leaf out of his book – who knows, we may make a few new friends, or try a new class, or let life go on around us and not try and control outcomes. See what happens perhaps!!!

There are some heavy themes here – such as the relationship Richard has with his son Ben. One or two of those scenes are full on drama and very intense. The pent-up pain and resentment of a child who Richard left when he ran off from his ex-wife (Ben's mum), so many years ago.

This one made me stop and think. It made me seriously reflect about decisions I have made in my life and the impact my actions had on others, such as my kids. Sure, we sometimes think about these things, BUT this book made me REALLY think about it, wallow in it, really think of the consequences of my actions. To be sad in the moment. To be uncomfortable. To not like myself

This was a powerful tonic.

For what seemed like a light-hearted romp, turned out to be a forensic examination and rumination of this reader’s own life. You know, Richard’s experiences in this story, would touch on so many people. I would be surprised if any one reader couldn’t find something to draw on here.

So, this is funny, sad, impactful, bright and exciting. I couldn’t get enough of it, and I am so glad I read it. So many thanks to Clare at work for chucking this one at me one morning – she gave me what I would call a ‘hard’ recommendation. I am so glad she did.

Read it.

4.5 Stars

[Sondra Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in the belongings of my best friend who passed away in Nov. of 2006. She kept it around as a joke; she was dying of cancer. I read the book this January, to see what it was all about, noting that it was authored by one of my faves - A.M. Homes. It was ubsurdly unique timing. The book saved my life in a sense, at least saved my spirit. It tells the story of a man lost in the day-to-day routine of his scheduled life, a man who long ago set his feelings aside about things. It is the story of his unraveling and all the people he meets along the way and their unravelings, embracing the beauty and messiness of such a process, reminding us of the power of humanity. Random wayward folk become friends and lovers in this tale of human connection. I found the book to be inspiring, emotional, and funny. I recommend it to anyone who's questioning their existence, the meaning of it all, or who just wants to vicariously live the experience of coming to terms with it all. It was a rockin' book!

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something else... this book. Really good. Recognizable too. Makes you think about how you lead your life. And weird, funny story at the same time. Started out doubting, but... great read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s possible this book is already your life. And it’s a little tiny bit my life too.

This book left me cold. Not indifferent-this-is-failing-to-evoke-a-reaction cold. The good kind of cold. The this-feels-eerily-close-to-reality cold.

Surreal. What if we cut ourselves off from everyone and everything intentionally? What if we are already doing that without even noticing? I think we already are. When was the last time you held someone’s hand? When was the last time you sent out a hand written letter? Called instead of texted? Visited instead of emailed?

When was the last time you ate carbohydrates?

Our world is lonely.

We are all seeking connections. We all yearn. And in this book the world is the Los Angeles landscape of plastic dreamy heartbreak. Are you a good parent? A good Samaritan? Are you even aware of who you are? And who are these characters that weave in and out of your life leaving merely a smudge of an impression?

For every time I started to think this book was just lightly entertaining there would come a scene so real and brutal it would hurt a bit. Broken child-parent relationships. Exes whose scent still lingers. Women sobbing in the produce section of a supermarket.

A horse air lifted out of a sink hole in your backyard by a movie star.

Doughnuts.

You kind of have to read this book to get it. And you should read this book. Because as wildly enjoyable and funny as it is, the core of it is all ache. And we are all aching.

[Petra X · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.

An imagined medical emergency brings on an existential crisis in an over-bred, overwealthy but rather likeable WASP who is brought into contact with people who have little money and discovers they are as real as he is. Those with money in the book seem to be shallow and self-invented and those without have, thinks the protagonist, the secret of life. And donuts.

But wave goodbye as he disappears, perhaps, over the horizon in the ocean, washed there by an earthquake that vomits a sea of sewage and detritus leaving him marooned gaily on a floating table with dog and cell phone. A metaphor for his once-charmed life in Los Angeles.

To paraphrase the protagonist's own words: bye bye, we won't forget you. We'll remember you even when we aren't here...

[Ron Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

No, it won't. A.M. Homes's This Book Will Save Your Life can't even generate enough energy to save itself.

This tepid satire about modern America begins with Richard Novak, a wealthy day trader, having a panic attack and being rushed to the hospital with "incredible pain" all over his body: "He lay there realizing how thoroughly he'd removed himself from the world or obligations, how stupidly independent he'd become: he needed no one, knew no one, was not part of anyone's life. He'd so thoroughly removed himself from the world of dependencies and obligations, he wasn't sure he still existed."

That existential crisis could lead to great pathos or great comedy, but over the next 300 pages, Richard meanders through a series of chance encounters, reaching out with new interest and generosity to strangers who never become much more than their costumes. There's the Middle Eastern owner of a donut shop, the housewife crying in the grocery store, the handsome movie star, the reclusive '60s novelist. Richard befriends them all with low-key good cheer and somehow manages to change his life completely with about as much effort as I've expended switching shampoos.

He gives away new cars, pays for his maid's hip replacement, sends the weary housewife to a spa. "This is the person he wants to be," Homes writes. "He wants to be able to do this for others, strangers, it doesn't matter who, and he wants to be able to do it for himself." His Good Samaritan impulse also inspires a series of impromptu rescue operations: A horse is trapped in a sinkhole, a hostage is trapped in a trunk, a woman is trapped in a bad marriage. These episodes are mildly amusing (for 15 minutes, he's a national celebrity, a punch line on Letterman), but because Richard is so imperturbable and his success so firmly guaranteed, the scenes never develop any real suspense.

The larger problem, though, is the dullness of Homes's satiric edge. She portrays Los Angeles as a city collapsing -- morally and physically -- but it's Apocalypse Lite. Anyone who wants to make fun of bizarre diets, ludicrous luxuries, New Age fads and crippling exercise regimes has to stay ahead of the ever-escalating real-world grotesqueries of modern life. If you're as isolated and disconnected as Richard, you'll find the details here surprising and hilarious, but otherwise, it's yesterday's news.

Only in the last third of the novel, when Richard's 17-year-old son arrives after many years of separation, does the story make an emotional connection that doesn't seem contrived. Richard finally has a chance to save the one person he should have been concerned about from the start, but two-thirds of a novel makes for a long prologue. And when his son finally confronts him with resentments saved up through adolescence, it's a shriek of psychological pain like being awakened by a firecracker: shocking but not very illuminating.

Save yourself.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/...

[merixien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaybolmuş bir adamın hayatını toplama hikayesi. Alttan alta mutlu sonlu değişim hikayeleriyle de alay ediyor. Açıkcası A. M. Homes’un tarzına ve karakterlerine hayranım ama benim favorim hala Bizi Bağışla. Ben galiba onun uçlardaki felaketlerini daha çok sevdim.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually stay away from contemporary fiction, but this one was in the book dumpster so I took it. (Not a good excuse, I know.) Given the combination of male midlife crisis, L.A. strangeness, and present tenseness, it's something of a miracle I was able to get past page 30. But it was actually fairly funny. Richard, the wealthy protagonist whose life feels meaningless until he begins rescuing other people from their problems, is likeable. My favorite character was his movie star next door neighbor who has been through every experience before Richard. Meditation workshop? He has a buckwheat butt cushion to lend. Richard has foot fungus? He's ready to tell Richard how he had to take medicine for a year. Even though he was a movie star and not a rock star, I kept picturing Bret Michaels, who is always ready to help and never shuts up, in that needy way. I probably won't ever pick up another book by this author, but reading this, while I don't think it saved my life, didn't kill me either.

I just have to mention the blurb on the back from blurbwhore Stephen King, one of the most farcical blurbs I have ever read: "I think this brave story of a lost man's reconnection with the world could become a generational touchstone, like Catch-22 or The Catcher in the Rye..." Really? Stephen King really thinks that could happen? What a lying turd.

[Banu Yıldıran Genç · Rating 3 out of 5]

zambra, “okumamak”ta a.m.homes’dan çok bahsediyor. bu kitap benim okumamak sonrası alışveriş listemdendi. ama yanlış kitapla mı başladım bilmiyorum. zaten irem (merixien) de yazmıştı yorumunda. beni de sarmadı.
yani ben amerikan edebiyatını çok severim, özellikle öyküleri. ama para içinde yüzen pembe götlü amerikalıların bu bomboş dertleri ve aile sorunlarıyla yüzleşmeleri beni artık etkilemiyor. sorry.
evet richard novak yahudi ebeveyniyle eh denecek çocukluk geçirmiş, her aile gibi abisiyle sıkıntıları olmuş, severek evlendiği karısından oğlu olmuş, boşanmış, o çocukla ne yapacağını bilemediğinden hiç ilgilenmemiş.
tipik beyaz dertleri özel spor hocaları, beslenme uzmanları, koşu bantlarıyla geçen misler gibi bir hayat, evinin önünde bir yarık (metafora tikel) açılmasıyla sekteye uğruyor.
bundan sonra anca filmlerde olabilecek saçmalıklar silsilesi devam ediyor. richard panik atak geçiriyor, yarık büyüyor, içine at düşüyor, hollywood yıldızı komşu helikopterle kurtarıyor, manavda ağlayan bir kadınla kanka oluyor, kadının kocasıyla yumruklaşıyor, kaçırılan bir kızı kurtarıyor, evden taşınması gerekiyor, arabasını donut’çuya ödünç veriyor, yeni taşındığı evde meğer abd’nin en ünlü senaristiyle komşu oluyor vs.
onun dışından panik atak sonrası yüzleşmesi gereken şeyler olduğunu fark ediyor ve kardeşine gidiyor, oğlunu evine davet ediyor, sessizlik yemini edilen bir kampa gidiyor filan.
burada yazarın dalga geçtiği şey amerikalıların kendileri dışında her şeyde çözüm aramaları. beslenme takıklıkları bizde yeni moda olanlara çok benziyor. sözde sessizlik kampına egolardan arınmaya gidiyorlar minder yerlerini bile paylaşamıyorlar, öteki olmak hakkında hiçbir fikirleri yok, yoksulları anlamıyorlar.
kitapta çok komik bir yer var. ünlü senaristle huzurevine gidip bir adamı bir günlüğüne dışarı çıkarıp gezdiriyorlar. richard’ın senaristin babası sandığı adam meğer kendini iyi hisset projesi gibi huzurevinde seçip baktığın biriymiş. böyle bir sistem bile var. inanılmaz.
neyse sonuçta kahramanın sonsuz yolculuğu misali richard’la oğlu ben’in yolculuklarına, kavgalarına, yüzleşmelerine şahit oluyoruz. baştaki saçmalıklar devam ediyor ve bu kez de yangınla final yapıyoruz.
ben’in babasız çektiği acılar çok dokunaklı açıkçası ama ben artık bu romanları ohoo bizde neler var duygusuyla okuyorum. maalesef 3. dünya gerçekliği :(
sonuç olarak sanırım a.m. homes’a yanlış bir kitapla başladım. ama zambra önermiş bir kere, tabii ki devam. çeviri iyiydi ama klasik “yapıyor olacağım” tarzı yeni kalıplar vardı epey.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. wow. This book sneaks up on you - it starts out really strong, and then only gets better.

We are introducted to Richard Novak, a reclusive, wealthy middle-aged man living in Los Angeles who pretty much doesn't need to leave his house anymore - he has his trainer, his housekeeper and his nutritionist to keep him going. But then he has an attack of pain that causes him to call 911 and to come in contact with a series of people. Next there is a mysterious sink hole in front of his house, and Richard finds himself coming in to contact with yet more people (including his fabulous movie star neighbor in a hilarious scene involing a horse and a helicopter)

This is a great Los Angeles novel and really gives you a beautiful sense of the city - from the Hills, to Malibu, to the highway culture and the natural disasters always looming in LA (mountain lions, floods, earthquakes).

But the really special thing about this book is that a little more than halfway through, it suddenly begins to gain even more depth--as Richard's son tries to connect with him and Richard begins to connect with others. This book captures an LA vibe perfectly, it is also very visual and occasionally funny. The ending is quit excellent and will have you engaged up through the last page. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in LA or who has an appreciation for AM Homes darkly insightful writing style. Really a brilliant book that will surprise you and make you glad you read it - I can see it as a wonderful movie (indie film of course).

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was one of the worst books i'd read in a long time. it was so bad i made myself finish it. as punishment for ever starting it. i boutht the book after seeing her read at B&N.

[Chavelli Sulikowska · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We’re all good when we want to be, otherwise we’re fucking animals. There is no VIP room in reality, and there is no reality in this city. You can’t Google the answers. People talk about being on the ride of your life—THIS IS YOUR LIFE.”

This is the story of Richard, the flawed but loveable protagonist. It is equally the story of the myriad of characters that are similarly finding their way and shaping each other’s lives in the process – memorably, Anhil, the jewish doughnut maker, Cynthia the under appreciated house wife, Nic, the somewhat feral novelist, and Richard’s coming of age son Ben.

It is really the story of all of us. As we fumble and fall through life, and get back up again, only to fall over once more. We hurt each other, we hurt ourselves, wee regret and forgive and we go forward. It is a redemptive story, highlighting how little acts of kindness can infinitely impact the lives of those around us – even perfect strangers, and in doing so, we are enriched and brought together in a common humanity…. “Sometimes you can’t do things for the people you should do things for, including yourself, but you can do them for someone else, a stranger…” Our interactions have a domino effect, there is no real individualism, as even purely selfish actions have consequences on others. Our actions and inactions, whether intended or not, have impact. We are, in essence, perfectly imperfect.

I loved this book. Just loved it. Typical of Homes’ quirky style, another comedic but emotionally touching and immeasurably enjoyable read. By the end, I was so enmeshed in the lives of all the characters it was tragic to close the last page. It all starts with a minor health scare for Richard, the affluent but lonely and set in his ways prematurely retired protagonist, that sets him on a new personal trajectory that sees his usually very routine existence turned on its head and given a good shake. It is all for the better however. And Richard I must say deals with sudden crises and calamities with calm, kindness and a lot of lateral thinking! And while he “feels fragile, broken” he has “stepped so far outside himself that he’s now a little unfamiliar even to himself — "I was no longer the same person, I was a veteran of my own life…..You don’t become a different person—you just learn to live with yourself…”

Despite many laugh out loud moments, the serious undertones in this novel are unmistakeable. Richard, in mending his relationship with his teenage son, “feels the full weight of the years he missed, the gap between how he is and how he wishes he could be…” Homes expertly reveals our common vulnerabilities, unashamedly and candidly puts emotion under the microscope.

However, this book is light-hearted and very funny. Case in point: “I hate broccoli. The only reason I voted for George Bush was because he hated his vegetables as much as I do.” There are so many brilliant examples of Homes’ wit and originality with both plot and language. I.e. “last summer we took a wonderful cruise to Alaska. It was “delicious,” she writes, as though they’d eaten a glacier.”

Homes has the wonderful knack of making the ridiculous and implausible seem totally possible! Like using a helicopter operated by Richard’s movie star neighbour to rescue a horse that became stuck in the sink hole in his front yard! Richard even “raids his sock drawer for what he thinks look like decent horse ear plugs” to make sure the horse can be extricated from its unusual predicament with minimal trauma! And Richard on having a CT scan, “it was like test-driving a coffin, as though they were scanning him to make a 3-D model—a virtual death;” or Cynthia lamenting her unappreciative family: “I’m non-existent, I’m like a floor lamp.”

Ultimately, this is a feel good and ‘readable’ read with nonetheless important messages for our troubled times - where individualism is generally encouraged and pursued over collective goodwill. “They crack their fortune cookies: “Happiness is before you.” Indeed, the capacity for happiness, if we can see past ourselves, is before all of us.

[Tanya Patrice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book will not save your life - in fact, it may hasten the coming of the end of your life as you slowly die from boredom while reading this.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Book Will Save Your Life begins with Richard Novak, a wealthy Los Angeleno, having a health scare that sends him to the emergency room. The trauma causes Richard to look at the world and his outward success differently and he begins to make connections with the people he encounters--the man who sells him donuts, a woman he sees crying in the produce section, a neighbor he had never talked to--and with the people that he has spent a great deal of his adult life trying to avoid--his parents, his brother, his ex-wife, and the son he abandoned. By trying to pay just a bit more attention to what is going on around him, Richard's life changes dramatically. I loved this book. It's quirky, has a weird title, but is unexpectedly uplifting. It makes you believe that small changes of perception can lead to big experiences.

[James Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all I need to admit that this book was written very well. The author has a compelling style and it's very easy to read. I read this book faster than I usually do because the prose just flowed off the page and through my brain. For that reason alone I'm glad I read this book, and it's the reason it has two stars rather than one.

Sadly this book goes nowhere. At all. Things happen. There are even plot resolutions. But they're so artfully hidden, so well-buried under that pile of prose that you only realise that something has happened hours later. And that robs the book of any closure. I've had a few weeks to think about it and figure out the story. And I still feel like someone tore out the last chapter of the copy I read. It's just left me with unresolved frustated feelings for the book. Which is ironic, given the subject matter.

This book didn't save my life. The cover gave me a doughnut craving and the story ended up irritating me. That's a blood sugar spike and a ounce of stress right there.

[Brian Solem · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the latter of her two literary epochs (the first being characterized by gritty, hyper-sexualized works like Jack and The End of Alice), A.M. Homes has written about slightly absurd things that happen to slightly absurd people. This Book Will Save Your Life fits this mold almost too perfectly: a man's nervous breakdown leads to a series of unusual events, each helping him return his life to good 'ol fashioned American normalcy. That This Book Will Save Your Life is one of Homes's most successful ventures speaks in equal parts to the author's departure from truly groundbreaking writing and America's passive, lazy hope that our problems can/will be solved by luck and happenstance alone.

[Auguste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a delightfully weird book. At times it feels like watching this vast nervous breakdown unfold, but it can really get to you, make you experience the narrator's odd, diffuse discomfort. I'm not quite sure it's a book about depression, anxiety disorder or whatnot, though again you do get the distinct sense of malaise a depressive feels. And of course Homes can suddenly become side-splittingly funny. I could see why certain readers would find this particular book tiresome, but I really enjoyed it - perhaps because, suffering from MDD myself, my heart goes out to poor old Richard.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

6⭐️’s
Wow. This book sat on my shelf for YEARS. I was always hesitant to pick it up based on its reviews. I was even dreading the day that this book came up in my tbr lineup.

But holy cow. This book was the most comforting thing I’ve read in a really long time. I absolutely loved each character and couldn’t of been happier to see their growth. I would be done reading for the day and my heart would ache because I missed the characters so much.

Finishing this book hurt. Going to have a book hangover from this one. Can’t wait to read it again one day in the future.

[David Turo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Este libro te salvará la vida" de A. M. Homes nos pone en la piel de Richard, un hombre de 55 años que, en teoría, tiene todo lo que cualquiera desea. Está prácticamente retirado y es rico, con sus principales contactos siendo su criada, su dietista, su masajista y su entrenadora personal. A pesar de todo esto, Richard se siente solo y descubre que el dinero ya no le sirve de nada.

Durante el libro, vemos cómo se va abriendo al mundo, reconciliándose con su familia y, sobre todo, con su viejo yo. Aunque "Este libro te salvará la vida" no es ninguna obra maestra y probablemente no será un libro que recordarás durante siglos, es una buena obra y entretenida. Si te gusta la literatura americana contemporánea, dale una oportunidad. 📚✨

#LecturaRecomendada #EsteLibroTeSalvaráLaVida #AMHomes #LiteraturaContemporánea #AmorPorLaLectura #Bookstagram #LibrosInteresantes #ReseñaLiteraria #BooksOfInstagram

[Roisin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating. 4.5 stars.

A.M Homes is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. In 2013 I read The End of Alice and even though it dealt with a rough topic I was captivated by it and outraged by it all at the same time. What drew me in the most was the voice of the protagonist. He spoke properly and it was old-timey, and yet he was a paedophile who was imprisoned for a heinous crime. When I picked up This Book Will Save Your Life I wondered whether the writing style would be the same, whether the voice of Richard (the protagonist) would be similar and I was surprised (and relieved) to find it was completely different.

This Book Will Save Your Life is about Richard. He’s locked himself away for something like a decade, reduced his life to nothing much more than playing with his stocks and living a healthy lifestyle dictated by his personal trainer and his nutritionist. He has nothing in the way of friends, and spends little time with his family. But then one day Richard suffers terrible pain and ends up in the emergency room. From here, things start to change in his life. He reconnects with himself, with his family and with the world around him. He stops rigidly following the rules of healthy living that he’s adhered to for years and starts actually living his life. He saves a horse from a sinkhole, has lunch with a movie star, befriends a lonely woman in the grocery store, goes on meditation retreat where everyone gets the shits, he gets an internal massage (you’ll have to wait an see what that entails) and he drives John Lennon’s car.

The characters in this book are quirky and utterly hilarious. Set in LA, the people tend to be blunt, if not outright rude. Richard is such a likeable character, despite the fact it’s pretty clear he’s been behaving like a bit of an ass for going on ten years. But the important point is that we can see why. It makes sense, and he’s not behaving that way because he is an asshole, but because he’s afraid, and miserable and he doesn’t know what else to do. In some respects, Richard reminded me of my father. He wants to do well, but he just can’t quite figure out what it is that other people might need.

Throughout the book we see Richard come to life, and there is some nice writing in their about the nature of suffering:

“Suffering is normal. Pain is normal, it is part of life. So why are we here? Why are we afraid of suffering? Why do we try and avoid suffering? We do we think it is wrong to suffer? We medicate, we medicate we are desperate not to suffer”

“If you sit with the discomfort it will change”.

These are things that we would all benefit from learning.

So will this book actually save your life? Probably not. But if you read it, you will learn a few things: That it’s never too late to try again, relationships can be mended, pain can be felt and endured, that the world is full of wonderful people and wonderful experiences if only you open yourself up to the possibilities. These are things we forget when we are suffering. We tend to withdraw, hide ourselves away, retreat into ourselves and allow our pain to engulf us. For me this book was a much needed reminder that life does go on, if only you live it.

Now, go read it!

[Paltia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend that has an uncanny sense of knowing which books I’ll enjoy offered this as a suggestion. I loved it. Laughed like a wild hyena from the first sentence. Richard, the main character, is a man at a crossroads. Life isn’t turning out as he’d hoped. Divorced and lacking any genuine closeness with his son, brother and parents he is facing a huge hole in his life and on the hillside property where he resides. Notice I didn’t say lives as what Richard does is to exist. He goes through life not noticing or feeling much. He behaves out of habit in the same old ways. In other words, he is stuck. What follows is his adventures in transformation land. He encounters a host of amusing and lovable characters who figure, in varying degrees, to his finding a new way to be. If you sometimes find yourself forgetting what it is you really want to do with your life, or what makes you laugh, then read this book and remember Richard. He’ll remind you of how simple and fun it all can be, really. Finished this book with a big smile on my face and wrote a quick thanks to my friend for the suggestion. Don’t ever be afraid of laughing as you trip over your own foolish pride. It may change your life.

[Dera Weaver · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in a couple of sittings, but I'm on some kind of mad reading binge right now, about a book a day, so that may not mean much.

I liked it and it kept my interest for a good while, but only because I could almost never imagine what was coming next, certainly not because what came next was in any way organic or a necessary outcome of anything previous. The book seemed to become more frenetic and random as it neared the end, and I got a little impatient with it--I had realized by then that nothing was going to be wrapped up, we'd just keep lurching from event to event--by the time we came to the SOS from the car trunk, I was pretty much done.

If you have any ideas about the ending and what was going on there, I'd love to hear from you. I am so over the ambiguous ending, especially in a book that's not really good enough on its own for me to care. But I do want to know what happened to the dog.

I think A.M. Homes is laughing at me for hoping that this book might have been more than it was.

And what was up with the saber-tooth cat? I mean, really. . .

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok. I finished this book. I started out excited about it. I liked the charachter and wondered what was going to happen. It was very easy to read and had a variety of characters. I get the everyday stuff that people go through.....and the feeling that each of them had of just wanting to be normal. But what is normal anyway?? I guess what ruined this book for me was the realationship and character of the son. I was so disappointed at what the author made him out to be that it ruined the book for me. Also, I thought the ending was really "cheezy," almost like the author couldn't come up with anyway better to end the book. In my opinion the book turned weird. I'm anxioux to hear everyone elses review.

[Elusively Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the normal genre I read but a friend recommended it, so I branched out. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but what a talented author A.M. Homes is!!!

Richard Novak is distant and closed off from his family and friends. He's been floating through his work driven life until one day he simply can't ignore life anymore. His journey is both eye-opening and hilarious. This book is written from Richard's very unique perspective and might indeed save your life. I was so wrapped up in the story, I actually didn't want it to end! I'll definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was really impressive: your meaningless existence, the sinkhole that steals your home, and the donuts that offer salvation. It's theological fiction.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming book filled with odd but believable characters. It made me smile. Be open to what comes your way, help people, put yourself out there then roll with the punches.

[Shannen Chin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ster. Ik heb er echt lang over gedaan om door dit boek heen te komen, en ‘m meerdere malen in het afgelopen jaar zelfs ook weer weggelegd na eraan gestart te zijn. Het begin is namelijk vaag en het verhaal komt langzaam op gang. Ongeveer op de helft van het verhaal komt er wel eindelijk meer context en diepgang in en leer je hoofdpersoon Richard veel beter kennen. Richard is een complexe man in het midden van z’n midlife-crisis die, ondanks zijn succesvolle bestaan, een eenzaam leven leeft waarin hij de verbinding met de wereld om zich heen kwijt is geraakt. Na een lichamelijk obstakel forceert hij zichzelf op zoek te gaan naar een betere versie van zichzelf. Hij reflecteert op eerder gemaakte keuzes, en probeert vooral ook de connectie (opnieuw) aan te gaan met de mensen om zich heen & met zijn verlaten zoon in het bijzonder. Het is pijnlijk om te lezen over de band tussen vader en zoon en de (effecten van) trauma’s die tussen hen instaan. Tegelijkertijd is het ook bijzonder om het proces naar vergeving en verbinding te volgen door het boek heen, wat op een hele luchtige en bijna kinderachtige manier beschreven wordt (niet op een negatieve manier tho, het kneuzige maakt het juist wel makkelijk om te volgen en er empathie voor op te brengen).

Het boek heeft niet zo zeer mijn leven gered, zoals de titel doet suggereren, maar de moraal van het verhaal is wel mooi; stel je meer open voor de medemens, stop met zo veel met jezelf bezig zijn en doe een keer iets voor een ander. Want het leven is te kort om constant met jezelf bezig te zijn en niet te verbinden met de wereld om je heen. En: nobody’s perfect, dus het is ook oké als je soms even zoekende bent. Geef jezelf de ruimte om te herdefiniëren wie je bent en waar je heen wilt.

Last but not least, lil shoutout naar de man in de Donner die me heeft overgehaald dit boek te kopen toen ik twijfelachtig naar de kaft zat te kijken. 🤪

[Lily Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this. I never reach for comedy books but I’m working through some donated books and this had me honestly chuckling! Very heart warming, I tore through this and looked forward to getting back to it every time I put it down. I’ve already passed it on to my sister to read which is the sign of a truly loved book!