Helpful Score: 2
I got to chapter 15 and this book just couldn't hold my attention.
Helpful Score: 2
By the author of Ella Minnow Pea, this novel is imaginative and humorous as well...his characterization is superb. Great read.
Helpful Score: 1
Good story--slow at first, fast at end.
Helpful Score: 1
Great characters you will fall in love with.
Helpful Score: 1
I had first encountered Mark Dunn's writing in Ella Minnow Pea, so I was surprised and disappointed by this book. Apparently Pea is the exception, many of his other books are low humor, sexual jokes, sit-com level writing. That's the case with this. Tiring, unamusing, not a stand out piece of writing.
Dunn misses the point with this pale imitation of a Fanny Flagg novel. Giving small-town southern folks quirky names doesn't give this story any real heart.
It seems like one of those meandering-not-really-going-anywhere books at first, with lots of characters and story lines. But then, the story lines begin to intersect and the characters interact and before you know it, you're hooked. Dunn is a master of understatement and character development. This is a charming and insightful book.
If you're a fan of Dunn's previous book, "Ella Minnow Pea," and you're expecting something equally unique and delightful, you'll be disappointed by "Welcome to Higby." The ordinary adventures of a few small-town folks that take place over the course of about 48 hours make for a quick and fun read, but the story is unlikely to stick with you in the long term.
