Henry Hoke (2)

One of the best books I read this year was a novel narrated by a queer mountain lion living in the wildland urban interface above Los Angeles ("ellay" in the lion's parlance). As many other readers will tell you, OPEN THROAT by Henry Hoke will grab you (yes, by the throat) from the very first sentence. This is a story about: loneliness, love, fear, climate change, human cell-phone chatter, acceptance, family dysfunction, wilderness preservation, empathy, the savory taste of flesh, loyalty, show more and two or ten other things--all of it told through the distinct and unforgettable voice of a mountain lion (modeled after the real life "P-22" cat who lived in the Hollywood Hills). I'll admit I was a bit skeptical when I began "Open Throat," wondering how Henry Hoke could convince me of the lion's queerness. Reader, by the time I reached page 62, I was convinced. This book is perfect, first word to last. show less

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Twenty little meditative essays inspired by a ubiquitous part of 1980s and 1990s childhoods: Stickers. (GAWD how I hated the damned things. "Easy release" my lily-white one! I was still finding them on the undersides of chairs and backs of paintings in 2010.)

Author Hoke shines in these quick hits of memory, bringing the reader back into his world as it was and thinking about his various challenges...disabled mother in a show more wheelchair, absent father, being queer in Charlottesville, Virginia...and the roots his white self has in the South, with all the freight that implies.

He reckons with comparatively large parts of his ancestral racism; he states that, with all its contradictions, he intends this read to make his identity "...a little more tangible." Without being acquainted with the gentleman, I feel that I have a picture of him as a person that would never be obtainable through any more rigorous, structured look at what makes a person into the unique self they are. No, it's not autobiography, or even memoir, it's that rare thing : The reflective essay, the thoughtful, loosely organized look into the back corners of the closets and the darker recesses of the attic for the bright, shiny things once delighted in and now gathering patina and dust in unused parts of one's mind

I enjoyed myself as I wandered around with Author Hoke as he showed me his once-prized gewgaws and knick-knacks. Join us for a good old wander. show less

Second Read: June 21 2023

I read this twice this month. Once via the e-arc and once via audio... I love it so much, it's one of my favorites this year. Over time I think this will really stay with me. The themes and the delivery are so well done, poignant and moving. This is so poetic.

original characters
original story
poetic
immersive
enlightening
meaningful
thought-provoking
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First Read: June 1 2023

When I heard that FSG was releasing a book narrated by a queer mountain lion, I was show more intrigued (to say the least) and when Sunnys Book Club announced it as their June pick I was so excited. Imagine my utter joy when the e-ARC for ‘Open Throat’ by Henry Hoke was kindly provided to me via NetGalley and the publisher. I mean— most things might not be going my way, but in regards to this book, tops! LOL

And… without further suspense… it was a literal five star. I can’t. I loved, adored, ate this book up! Sunnys Book Truck you sure can pick ‘em! I couldn’t (and didn’t) put this down.

‘Open Throat’ is a captivating and innovative story, full of impactful writing and musings on people, planet, parenthood, love and connection. I was moved to tears, multiple times, amidst this seemingly sparse prose. The mountain lion (who’s name we cannot know, a detail that touched me) moves through the park, the dark, the outskirts of the city, and interprets - often with grey empathy - the beings around him, he thinks back on his mother and father — the love and violence of that — and his interactions with another mountain lion. There is a deep loneliness in his life, a vulnerability in his fertility. The whole story reads with such intensity and relatability. I can’t stop thinking about it, and I hope I never do.

My father worked at the nature center at a state park when I was a child. They took in a domesticated cougar and in the early days he got into the cage with him, and even I was able to pet him, talk to him. Over time, they didn’t allow anyone to. And he went from loved to lonely. His life in a cage made all the more painful by this change. One of the last times I saw him I stood at the enclosure, alone, and just looked at him, looking at me and I knew he knew me, and I have never felt more regretful that I could not just let him free. That what man had taken and misinterpreted, for its own amusement had cost him his life. I hope he knows he was a “goddess” to me. show less

It's been a day since I wrapped up the book. I basically plowed through it without even taking a bathroom break. So, I figured it was kinda necessary to take some time before I write down my thoughts about it.

The book reads very easy, which makes sense considering it's from the perspective of a mountain lion stuck in the chaos of L.A. His entire vocabulary comes from the words he has overheard from cribbing locals on their hikes.

On the surface, it's kind of absurd and gets a chuckle or show more two. But, if you give it a moment and move past the quirky exterior, it has got charm, wit, and a touch of cynicism that just sneaks up on you.

A mountain lion roaming the streets of LA may not seem like the most relatable character, but after a couple of pages, you'll see bits of his isolation, loneliness, and fears mirroring some of your own.

the bright world below the park at night is a blur to me when I try to look out over it
but if I get close enough to a creature's eye I can see what it sees and in the owl's eye I see ellay clearly

P.s. I loved the dream sequence, it is SO weird! show less