As it has been awhile since I read the last Frank Bascombe novel, I don't remember disliiking Frank as much as I did in this final novel in the series. The author does a masterful job of revealing what has become of Bascombe's character in this later stage of his own life, while dealing with the pressures of caring for his terminally-ill son and strained relationships with both his son and daughter. Still, Bascombe remains committed to the course, and the final chapters describing the trip to Mount Rushmore, and the aftermath of Paul's death, are tender indeed. A must-read for readers of the past Bascombe novels. ( )

Oddly, the book isn't as troubling as I expected, for the complexity and seriousness of the subject of a son dying of ALS. There is humor, and clever conversations. Frank Bascombe, and his son Paul, are compelling characters. Having just lost my brother to ALS, my heart went out to both of them. ( )

Ford deftly portrays the randomness of being human and how we muddle through. Frank and his son Paul find themselves in uncharted territory and Ford shows how even profound life changes don't make us other than who we are. They each rise to the occasion, so to speak, but are still at heart flawed human beings, like all of us, trying to make the best of a rotten situation. ( )

A story that will ring true for many who have been care givers: tragic, sweet, heartwarming, funny and sad. Well done. ( )

This is my 9th Richard Ford novel. I see him in the same light as John Updike and Phillip Roth. They all wrote about white males and how they deal with the world. Be Mine is Ford's 5th and presumably last novel about Frank Bascombe. This. was a tough book because it deals with 74 year old Bascombe's 47 year old son Paul who is dying from ALS. Frank is his caretaker and their relationship is caustic at best, but Ford's writing is so good that it makes this. subject matter tolerable. As with all the Bascombe novels, this one is entirely in the 1st person of Frank and his take on so many different subjects. For me this was a worthwhile read of one of my favorite authors. If you have never read Ford then I suggest you start with the first Bascombe novel "The Sprortswriter". If you like it then you are in for a great treat in reading the other 4 novels . As with Updike with the Rabbit books and Roth with Nathan Zuckerman you get great writing and the inner working of. the white male angst in the late 20th and early 21st centuries These characters are a dying breed and newer writers both male and female deal with more expansive subjects and characters that reflect the multi-cultural world we live in. ( )