Reviews

Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III

andingj's review

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Some good nuggets and life lessons here that can border on being a bit too much at times.  Enjoyed reading it.  

mbfox's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

kooky_kayla's review

lost interest 

rachelparaski's review

challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

hayleybeale's review

4.0

After a pretty grim first half-ish, in which everything that could go wrong for Tom Lowe Jr. does or has gone wrong, I was about ready to give up. But, as it's my book club book, I felt obliged to stick with it and was richly rewarded with a lovely turnaround that is full of grace and, yes, kindness.

noelle88's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Although a sad story, it isn’t one that’s overwhelming so I almost didn’t describe it that way. Just SUCH a great book. These characters will stay with me for a long, long time. 

beefmaster's review

3.0

I'd like to give this 3.5 but Goodreads, you know what I mean. Anyway, a pretty good novel about pain and disability and fatherhood and responsibility. I thought the prose was okay, maybe a little too sleek considering it's a first person narrator who, by his own admission, isn't a thinker, but a doer. I read the transcript of the NPR interview with Dubus and this gave me some welcome insight into the book: Dubus is himself a carpenter, and his famous father lost his leg trying to be a Good Samaritan, two facts I didn't know. There's something about both Dubus writers and their obsession with random acts of violence/trauma/meetings which become the primum movens of the plot. Often, idle story ideas pop into my head and after thinking on them for more than a minute, I realize they're just rehashes of "Killings," the standout Dubus II story or House of Sand and Fog, the outstanding Dubus III novel. They're both haunted by the crashing of different, flawed people stuck on their trajectories. The same thing applies here: different, well drawn people are crashing into each other, for good and for bad.

rmarcin's review

5.0

What a beautiful book!
Tom is disabled from a fall he took when he owned his own construction company. That fall began a fall of everything in his life. His marriage failed, he became addicted to painkillers, and his son became distant.
Now, his son, Drew, is turning 20, and Tom is trying to do everything he can to reach him to tell Drew that he loves him. But, life's circumstances keep getting in the way. Not until someone shows Tom some kindness does Tom realize that he needs to start opening up and letting kindness take over his life. He begins to accept his mistakes and make amends.
There was a bit of abuse and language in the book, but it seemed realistic and genuine. I will think about this book for some time.

kimbui's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A good book if you’re trying to find hope. A man finds his way through darkness. 

jennyjylee's review

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

The main character seems like a loser in the beginning, but he develops into someone who is admirable, and this change alters the way you see his neighbors. Powerful story of such kindness.