The Great Alone (2 stars)

[Jen]

I think I'm the only one who strongly disliked this book (the reviews are glowing among members of this group) but this is exactly the sort of book I dislike -- commercial/bestseller fiction disguised as literary fiction.

The book was melodramatic for my tastes with the abuse and negative life events piled on one after another in a way I found to be emotionally manipulative. I hate emotionally manipulative books. I also found it predictable and rolled my eyes through much of it.

Perhaps what bothered me the most was the way that the author used PTSD and the Vietnam war trauma to create the family drama -- turning the the father from a wonderful, loving man into a psychopathic abusive monster. I work with Vietnam Veterans (and have worked with POWs) and I specialize in treatment of PTSD and depression. I found it a cheap way to advance the plot to pull on the emotional heartstrings and I found the portrayal of the dad to be simplistic and frustrating.

I could probably rant for paragraphs about how much I disliked this book.

[Tracy]

That seals it for me. This is a big ol’ nope.

[Nicole R]

I am not surprised at all that you didn't like this. I would not have recommended it for you.

I had the same thoughts that it veered into emotional manipulation at times, and am not surprised that it ticked you off with its portrayal of PTSD and depression. I am not overly familiar with those topics like you are so that aspect bothered me less than it did you.

I did rate it higher, but even with the emotional manipulation (which I am not a huge fan of) it is more my type of book than yours.

[Rachel N.]

You're not the only one here who strongly disliked it. I know Nicole D really didn't like it and her review helped reinforce my decision not to read this book.

[Jen]

Rachel N. wrote: "You're not the only one here who strongly disliked it. I know Nicole D really didn't like it and her review helped reinforce my decision not to read this book."

Oh, you are right! I forgot that she didn’t like it.

[Jen]

Nicole R wrote: "I am not surprised at all that you didn't like this. I would not have recommended it for you.

I had the same thoughts that it veered into emotional manipulation at times, and am not surprised tha..."

I think you may have tried to warn me. I wouldn’t have read this if not for book club.

[Jen]

Tracy wrote: "That seals it for me. This is a big ol’ nope."

Definitely wouldn’t recommend it for you. I kept thinking about this book in contrast with Things they Carried. Granted the purpose of each book was different but The things They Carried did a great job
of portraying the emotional impact of the Vietnam war whereas this book used it as a plot device.

This book was a dramatic soap opera ride with shallow characterizations.

[Ladyslott]

Jen wrote: "I think I'm the only one who strongly disliked this book (the reviews are glowing among members of this group) but this is exactly the sort of book I dislike -- commercial/bestseller fiction disgui..."

I rated it higher than you, but that was based on Leni herself, the beautiful descriptions of Alaska and some of the characters (Large Marge). But the emotional manipulation, the violence and the fact that the mother put her husband above her child were what drove this book down for me.

[Jen]

Linda- I did like the setting and description of the landscape

[Amy]

I liked it a lot actually. I didn’t feel emotionally manipulated, and I just went with it. Sometimes you have to know what you’re choosing. I try not to read books about incest and child violence and/or losing a child.

[[deleted user]]

Oh no. I have loved all her books so far. I have this on my TBR. Interesting review. I think I’m still inclined to give it a try. I’ve loved her other work so much.

[Susie]

That a no from me.

[Nicole D.]

I believe I told you to skip this. :)

[Nicole D.]

Linda, I hated Large Marge. Felt like a caricature.

[Jen]

What bothered me about the book wasn't the content being upsetting (abuse) or it being depressing but the complete and utter sense that the author was using plot devices simply for the sake of trying to elicit a reaction or create drama.

In this book, the characters were one sided (either completely good or completely evil), events kept escalating into the realm of the unbelievable -- I mean the main character must have sat next to hospital beds at least three times (as various people were injured or dying). But like I mentioned earlier, the real thing that bothered me was the way the author decided to attribute the plot drama to the fact that the father/husband was a Vietnam Veteran with PTSD and then proceeded to describe him in such a cartoonish way that it was offensive (to me) and as a reader, I felt that was lazy and sloppy writing and shows a lack of understanding about PTSD.

Here's a list of all the awful plot events that made me feel like the author was simply piling on unnecessarily to create drama. DON'T read what follows if you want to read this book because they are all major spoilers...

(view spoiler)[
The family was a perfectly functioning family unit with a loving kind father until he served in the Vietnam war, became a POW, and then returned as a horribly man with no inherent kindness.

Dad is violent, drinks, and is paranoid. so what better decision than to move to the middle of nowhere where winters are long and harsh? Well, they decide to move and here is where the litany of abuse and violence gets crazy.

Here's what you can enjoy in this book...
1. Physical abuse, vandalism, emotional abuse, for 3/4 of the book from dad to entire family and to town members because you know, he has PTSD.
2. Five deaths, 1 coma that leaves a character "like a vegetable" -- not my words.
3. two teen pregnancies - one while the father lies dying.
4. multiple deathbed and/or hospital bed visits.

Then to top it all off, while 98% is horrific in terms of emotional/physical abuse, people dying, leaving, or trying to run away, it's all good b/c in the last five pages the miraculous happens (despite the fact that these kinds of things never happen outside of movies) and everyone can look forward to a happy life.

(hide spoiler)]

[Jen]

Rachel wrote: "Oh no. I have loved all her books so far. I have this on my TBR. Interesting review. I think I’m still inclined to give it a try. I’ve loved her other work so much."

I think if you love her other books, you won't have the same issue with this book that I did. The things that bothered me where issues that are largely stylistic about the way an author writes about dramatic issues. Not my cup of tea but if you've liked her other works, I wouldn't let my review deter you at all. In fact most people loved it.

[Jen]

Nicole D. wrote: "Linda, I hated Large Marge. Felt like a caricature."

Yes! all of them were caricatures though. And I do think both you and Nicole R warned me not to read it. See what happens when I don't listen to you. I've been ranting about this book all day

[Jen]

and here's a fantastic review that made me chuckle:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/bo...

[Nicole R]

I need to get out my computer so I can read all of your spoilers!

[Diane]

Well...I was given this book by a good friend for my birthday. I feel I need to read it especially since she is a good friend. Maybe if I wait awhile I can forget all the criticism.

[Nicole D.]

Jen, I ranted as well.

[Jen]

Nicole D. wrote: "Jen, I ranted as well."

I’m going to go look for your review now!

[Karin]

This definitely sounds like a book I would not like. Now I just have to remember that if I ever read a rave review and start to think about reading it. It's too bad that there is no way to flag a book "DON'T want to read" instead of just "want to read." Of course, that wouldn't help authors sell books or Goodreads to make money, but it would help me.