BEMBRIDGE WINDMILL WI BOOK CLUB
SEPTEMBER 2024 BOOK CHOICE
The Lincoln Highway By Amor Towles
The Book Club Meeting welcomed 10 Members, with apologies received from those unable to attend. The discussion began with everyone agreeing this had been a book that everyone enjoyed and liked with a few saying they actually loved it, with one Member saying for them it was magic!!
All agreed it was a well-written, albeit a rather long drawn out book, which flowed easily. It began unusually with a heading labelled Chapter 10 finishing on one titled Chapter 1 and proved to be an interesting and easy read with a large cast. The author with his creative writing style was able to absorb and keep Members attention with the uniqueness and originality of the characterisations without real descriptions of them. Several Members said even with the unusual lack of character descriptions they did not find this as challenging as they would have imagined because of the way each of the characters evolved, they just felt they knew them so well. It was felt the book was not really a page turner as such, but was well-paced in the way it unfolded.
A lengthy discussion then took place on the way each of the characters slotted into the storyline. Emmett’s “life -journey” was portrayed brilliantly; Billy was a lovely mature lad, very intelligent for his age but very trusting in Emmett (Members thought it likely that Autism possibly played its part in this). The character Ulysses struck a note with a few Members with the revelation from Billy that he was destined to live the nomad life he had been living. Woolly was definitely a tortured soul and it was difficult to get to the bottom of his character – and what was in that brown bottle?? Several thought that maybe it was related to drug-addiction? Then there was his caring and kindness sorting out his inheritance in an orderly way before culminating in a sad twist with his suicide. The two women characters were both strong in their own different ways with Sally whose determination was her forte; she knew she wanted to be with Emmett and she went for it. With Sarah, it was with her caring and protectiveness for her brother, Woolly, whom she really loved dearly never turning her back on him, just loving him for who he was.
Everyone had similar thoughts on Duchess and his life as it unfurled throughout the book, due to his early troubled, but well travelled experiences growing up. A few wanted to like him and turn out well but it wasn’t to be. Emmett was thought to be quite masterful, as the story started to close in around everyone, with his actions involving Duchess’s final end. There were several quotes from the book that members found quite profound:
Woolly’s notion – jigsaw thoughts – “Wouldn’t it be just wonderful if everybody’s life was like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Then no-one person’s life would ever be an inconvenience to anyone else’s. It would just fit snugly in its very own, specially designed spot, and in doing so would enable the whole intricate picture to become complete”
So to sum up, a book liked by everyone, loved by a few and magic for one. Well-written, well-paced (albeit a rather long book!!) and interesting to the end (which one or two found a bit of a disappointment). Several Members saying it would make a good series or film. Very readable and recommended.