Listen to Me

Might have worked as a short story. TRIGGER WARNING

For a quote that pissed me off so much when I read it, I'm putting my own spin on it by saying:
“I had a sudden sinking feeling that this book was a loser.”

Husband is a worthless piece of shit who essentially tortures his wife, mentally/emotionally.

And it's like, I'm all for unlikeable characters but with the husband his sole purpose in the novel was just to be like that guy who says the shittiest things and once you confront them on it, they'll go “it's just a joke...”. That's not what I would consider for “unlikeable”, it's a flat character put in just to add drama and misery. You have to have the ability to create a scene to back up unlikeable people, you have to make it make sense.

That's all my thoughts on this. There was nothing to this. Don't bother.

The book's premise seemed promising but unfortunately it fell apart.

I see now why this book has been rated so poorly by fellow Goodreads users. I'm always happy to give a book a fair chance, but nothing about the plot or characters' actions made sense. I know there's a bit of irrationality involved with strife but this takes it to new levels. The climax of the book hits in the last 15 pages or so, and then collapses fast.

Also, can authors please stop this annoying tendency to cite classics for no real reason? It just feels like a thin ploy to show that they've read the classics.

So. I feel it's almost unfair for me to rate this book so low, as it took me so long to complete it; normally, I'm a fairly fast reader, but that is dependent on two things: 1) I don't have crazy stuff going on in my life, and 2) the book keeps me engaged. I think that's relatively typical of most avid readers, but I felt I should clarify. As I am in the midst of wedding planning and other such things, I felt that I was unable to concentrate on this book.

That being said, this book wasn't what I anticipated, which is fine! I wish it had not been marketed, based on the blurb, as a sort of mystery/suspense/thriller, as that is decidedly not that book. It is more of an introspective look into a couple's life after the wife, Maggie, is mugged, and suffers a dramatic change in personality. There are alternating POVs each chapter, and I must say I found Maggie's voice and struggle much more complicated and compelling. I think it is telling that I had to look up the name of the husband (it's Mark, by the way) almost immediately after finishing, because he was just so blah to me.

I will keep this short as it was not that I didn't like this book, and I certainly wouldn't say no one should ever read it; I loved a lot of the prose and again, Maggie was a great character to me, but I felt myself slogging through each Mark chapter and found that it was much more character-driven than plot-driven. I usually love that, as characters are more important to me than plot nine times out of ten, but when there are only two main characters not including the best character, Gerome, RIP little guy and you don't care for reading the POV of one of them, it makes the book a chore to sit through.

Hannah Pittard's latest, her third novel, is a very quick read with a straightforward story line. On the surface, this novel has many simple components. The setting takes places mostly in the car. There are primarily two characters: Mark and Maggie. Even the language seems toned back compared to Pittard's previous offerings—here sentences convey a simple meaning and are not dressed in the beauty indicative of Pittard's writing style.

Despite being wrapped in a thin layer, Listen to Me is heavier than is immediately evident. A seemingly endless road trip is the catalyst for much reflection by both protagonists. Philosophical questions are raised, particularly about fear, the need for fellowship, and the desensitization of our modern Internet culture. It's easy to rush through this book, walk away with a story about a couple, a floundering marriage, and a road trip; however, with a little care and rumination, one will notice the prickles of thought about their own deep-seated phobias.

For me, the end comes about too quickly. I'd like to have seen more resolution, a more gradual recognition of self-awareness and adaptation at the novel's turning point by the two characters. Aside from these final chapters, I felt the story was paced exceptionally well. Some readers may be hoping to get somewhere faster, but it is the story of a road trip, after all. It's only natural to ask, “are we there yet?,” and be content when the answer is a resounding no. Just sit back, enjoy the ride, and think not only about where you're going, but where you're coming from.