Eight stars
A great fan of discovering new and exciting authors, I eagerly reached for this book by Patrick deWitt. Bob Comet is a librarian and has been for many years. While many would think that this would surely mean a life of boredom and papercuts, Bob actually has lived quite the experience. This book seeks to chronicle those events, though they are surely peppered with some of the more ‘beige’ moments. The story puts deWitt in the hot seat and he delivers a great story for all to enjoy!
Bob Comet has had quite the life as a librarian. Now retired, Bob spends his time surrounded by books and the menial tasks that he has used to fill his time. While out for a walk on the streets of Portland, Oregan one day, Bob comes across an elderly woman whose confusion makes Bob’s helping her back to her seniors’ facility essential. This opens new doors for Bob, who hopes to volunteer at the facility to fill his retirement days with something more concrete. While things begin rather awkwardly, Bob soon finds his groove and is welcomed back to engage with the residents. Bob is eventually sharing stories with others, which opens him up to memories, some of which are painful flashbacks from Bob’s long and detailed past.
As the story progresses, the reader learns of the youth Bob lived, from a mother who had a chance encounter with a man one night, through to the path that led Bob to becoming a librarian. His youth was eventful against the backdrop of post-war America, while also melancholic. Bob refuses to let it get him down as his past melds with the future set out before him. His eagerness to make the most of the cards he is dealt shows that Bob Comet is no one who seeks to whinge.
Exploring many of his adult experiences as well, Bob Comet’s life as a librarian is only one part of the man’s history. As the story weaves through many of his life experiences, Bob shows a more heartfelt journey, filled with peaks and valleys. Detailed and well-paced, Bob offers up his life on a platter for all to see. A great piece by Patrick dewitt that has me interested to explore more of his writing.
Having never read anything by Patrick deWitt, I was eager to see how I would feel about it all. His writing is clear and quite well presented, putting the reader in the middle of the action. The narrative develops well and keeps things on pace as things pick up. Before long, the reader is fully immersed in the situation and left to watch as progression occurs. Characters offer up their various perspectives and help direct things in numerous ways. The plot is clear and while it is not always linear, provides a clear pathway to the novel’s progress as various points. I will likely give another book a shot in the coming months, if only to see if he can match things from this piece.
Kudos, Mr. deWitt, for a good piece of introspection.
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