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Yulia's Reviews > Run
Run
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how can i put this? this was a horrendous book, painfully targeted to the oprah book club readers of the world and oh so politically-correct, with one-sided characters that can be summed up with one adjective (tip was the serious one, teddy the sweet one) and who are allowed to express contrary thoughts only once to show there may be more to them than is shown by patchett ("shut the fuck up about the coffee," as kenya thinks out of the blue, to show she is a human after all). after reading "bel canto" slowly and being brought to tears by the ending, i was left after "run" by thinking of patchett's endings as mere devices used to explain the sacrifice we make for the people we love. if only we could understand this love for the mother-saint figure in the first place and the cost of the sacrifice (teddy's passion for ichthyology was far from convincingly evoked). where's the victory in choosing one unsubstantiated passion for another unsubstantiated one? reading patchett, you'd think it impossible to portray real individuals with dark thoughts, who don't always want to do as their parents teach them. the only real character in this novel, sullivan, is dismissed as a killer, thief, and all-around loser. is that how patchett views the real people in her life?
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
October 1, 2007
–
Finished Reading
October 13, 2007
– Shelved
April 21, 2008
– Shelved as:
read-to-me-by-frank
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Sally
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rated it 1 star
Feb 18, 2008 01:36PM
Thanks for summarizing my feelings exactly!
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i'm so glad you agree! the only reason i finished it, i think, was to write a review explaining just how frustrating it was to read.
Thanks for being honest. I wanted to like this book but just couldn't, for the same reasons you listed.
I don't think the characters are one-sided at all. I think they're understated due to the scope of the book-- but not one-sided. I think there are many times you feel the tensions and complexities of the characters. Tip and Teddy have been dutiful and loyal to their father for so long, yet you can see they are getting tired of pretending for him. Doyle has done everything a father can do for his children, but still doesn't really understand them. I think we see character flaws throughout: Tip insisting on walking on his ankle-- consequently dislocating his shoulder, Teddy insisting on taking his Uncle to the hospital, Doyle not seeing the SUV to begin with. But these characters might seem one-sided and PC and not "real" because they're actually just good, well-adjusted characters with strong morals and values. Isn't it nice to read a book with nice characters?It also might seem PC because though the main characters are black, they don't confront typical racial prejudice or stereotypes. But I think it's refreshing to read a book about people of different races-- yet not be constantly hit over the head with racial issues.
I don't think Sullivan is portrayed only as a loser. He's the one who can interact with Kenya and Tennessee in a normal way. And though he is the black sheep of the family, we see the true affection he has for his brothers and father. And in some ways, Patchett portrays him as the most self-aware and reflective character.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "the victory of one unsubstantiated passion for another one." It's true that it's not entirely clear that Tip, Teddy, Sullivan find what they're looking for (fish, medicine, God, politics, whatever), but that further shows their complexities. The one true victory, and the one substantiated passion, is everyone's passion for Kenya. That's the one thing everyone agrees on. And Kenya's one substantiated passion is to run.
I can appreciate your reading of the book, especially as regards race and Sullivan (separately), but it can't change the fact I experienced the book as unremittingly forced.
To be absolutely frank: the book sucked. So contrived, so improbable, such a ridiculous ending: After I read the ending, I told my wife I may have to upchuck due to way too much sweetness; I mean that if this book was something to eat, a stomach ache would soon follow
It was difficult to get into. I enjoyed some parts of the book. Simple characters.
Not one I would recommend.
