The Guncle
Ratings109
Average rating3.9
Enjoyed this. It's Auntie Mame moves to Palm Springs. Thought this was going to be over-the-top silly - but it's not - it's funny and wise. Patrick is a delight. You'll get all the Easter Eggs if you've actually read Auntie Mame, but it's enjoyable without that reference.
This was such a fun book. A gay man takes his brother's kids for the summer after tragedy befalls them and they help each other heal in their own ways. It was well-written and each character had their own distinct voice, which I actually find is rare in books these days. Would love to see it as a series or movie - Andrew Rannells in the lead.
3.5! I thought I'd like this a little more than I did, but it was still cute and had some good “Guncle Rules” and quotes that I enjoyed.
The Guncle was cute, with realistic characters grappling with real issues. But (and maybe this is entirely my fault), I felt detached from the emotional depth of the story. It was a bit like Bojack Horseman but less f-ed up and more saccharine. It felt like the main character was doing a bit, in his own head, the entire time. Amusing at first but somewhat exhausting, and made it hard to identify with him. Additionally, we don't actually witness much of Clara, or Greg, or JED, or the other side characters.
i was shocked at how much i adored this. so heartwarming and funny and charming !!!! i'll miss these characters
I just couldn't get into this one. The main character didn't have enough to him to carry the book.
This book was recommended to me by gemma_bmr for the 12 in 12 challenge. I am so glad she recommended it for me to read because I have been wanting to read it for a while but for some reason I kept putting it off. I loved this book. This is a hard hitting book. I was kind of expecting a cute light read which we do get but it also deals with the loss of loved ones. The way Patrick (GUP Gay Uncle Patrick), to his niece and nephew, talked to the kids kind of threw me at first. But I grew to love it. I loved GUPs snarky humor. I just loved everything about this book.
Closer to a 3 upon reflection but rounded up to a 4. This book really surprised me. It was very sweet.
This was an easy, charming read (actually, I listened).
I thought the characters behaved as expected but in unexpected ways. I was surprised by the read the author did though. He made the protagonist sound angry or overtly frustrated, and the dialogue sounded more maternal. I think I would have preferred to read this instead of listen.
If you are headed to the beach this holiday season, you can't go wrong with this book.
I loved this book! I don't read a lot of comedy or humour, but this one was great. The narrator of the audiobook made it even more funny by bringing grants lisp to life. But the thing that made this book great is Rowley's exploration of the serious themes beneath the superficial wit and humor. His exploration of grief, and how we can use humour as a coping mechanism to deal with it, is insightful and heartwarming. The writing is excellent. I thought this book was really well structured, with nothing extraneous, and some of the turns of phrase were so good that I had to rewind and listen to them again. I have recommended this book to several people, who have also enjoyed it, and it has motivated me to now begin reading The Editor, also by Stephen Rowley.
What a delightful and heart-rending book this is. Do you want a good laugh? Do you also want to cry all over the place? Then this is the book for you. Seriously, it's one of the better books I've read in awhile.
I received a galley of this book from the publisher. I found this book very enjoyable and the characters likeable. The characters are all on their own journeys of grief and work through that grief in many ways, sometimes humorous and sometimes heartbreaking. This was an enjoyable read.
