The Romantic

I loved this book, despite (or because of?) the fact that, as others noted, the characters were quite flawed, the story was depressing in many ways, and there was not a lot of action. After all, we are all flawed and we do things that others might question. We often don't seem to learn from our mistakes. Or perhaps that's just me. In any case, this book sent me on a search through the Abeboooks 2nd hand book catalog for more of Barbara Gowdy's work. I reckon she is a perceptive observer of human behaviour.

I love the absurdity of Gowdy's characters and the obsessions that drive them. You can start a book with indifference, but as you work your way through the book, you end up really caring about the outcome, not necessarily the outcome of the plot, but how the characters evolve or diminish.

This novel is well written so I gave it three stars but I did not enjoy this book. I found it depressing and slow moving. I also did not like Abel Richter the main character and I got frustrated with Louise for accepting his behavior. Abel is damaged and I suppose we are to try and understand how he is too sensitive for this world, too helpless, too kind but I think he is self absorbed and weird. When Louise cheats on Troy, a really great guy, by hoping into bed with Abel and , therefore destroys that relationship, I lose my respect for her. I was glad when the novel ended and I didn't have to follow their lives any more.

I found it to be about loneliness, inscrutability of choices we make, very existentialist. Intelligent and observant, non-sentimental, but sentimental, and not evenly good. Great humour in places. Who was the Romantic?

Louise Kirk is abandoned by her beautiful mother but becomes a friend to Abel Richter who is intelligent, musically talented, handsome and loved by his parents, who Louise fantasizes will adopt her. Over the years Louise falls deeply in love with Abel. Abel on the other hand becomes an alchoholic. Not sure who was the romantic in the book - Louise or Abel. Beautifully written and a nice juxapositioning of present and past.

book follows Lousie Kirt back and forth from a small girl to the present. lousie's mother, who to me was the most interesting character takes off and never returns. at the end of the book her situation is resolved but I was sorry not to see her again. Louise has been in love with Abel since a very young girl. Abel is an odd fellow who winds up as an alcholic. he is very itrospective and self destructive. he could have taken Louise down with him but she is a stronger person then she realizes.
I liked parts of this book but got impatient with many parts of it especially Abel.

This book is beautifully written, engaging, sad, funny, and sweet. I loved the character Abel, but I also wanted to shake some sense into him!