thefairunknown reviewed on 8/24/2023 + 57 more book reviews

Have you ever wanted to read a 13-year-old schoolboy's diary? Me neither, which is why I didn't find this book enjoyable at all. It's pretty much a record of farm chores, schoolyard fights, and homework. The two characters that are supposed to add interest to the story - Rose and Morrie - are dead weight for most of the book, and then turn into morally bankrupt con-artists in the last twenty or so pages, roping the children in with them. It was an absolute mess.

I have no idea why the narrator kept mentioning his current job sporadically throughout the book. It made no sense and was never tied up. Another reviewer mentioned this book reading like a Botched Version of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and that's a very good comparison.

Also, it seems like the author wrote this just so he could show off as much of his knowledge as possible, quoting famous literature or mentioning Copernicus and Kepler at every turn. It really got old after a while. And if I ever have to read about spit shaking again, I just might start tearing my hair out.

What's funny about all this is Doig is not a bad writer. His prose is descriptive and he's often delightfully witty. The writing isn't the problem - the content is.

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