Grand Opening
by Jon Hassler
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Description
Twelve-year old Brendan tells the story, set in 1944-45, that begins with his parents' decision to buy a run-down grocery store in a tiny Minnesota town. What they discover about small town idealism, bigotry, and good old American values will change them and the town forever.... "A writer good enough to restore your faith in fiction." THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWTags
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Member Reviews
This is a wonderfully nostalgic glimpse into a small midwestern town in the 1940s - it's Mayberry with an edge. The characters range from poignant to evil with the Foster family at the epicenter. It's an engaging book.
Brilliant characterization, as always with Hassler, but the story itself lacks the appeal of most of his other books.
2894 Grand Opening, by Jon Hassler (read 4 Aug 1996) This 1987 book is the 5th Hassler book I've read. The book has no character or locale from his previous books, which I regretted. The characters are weirdos for the most part, and I did not think they were well or realistically drawn. Lots of false notes, I thought. Small town life is exaggerated--and a town of 1500, which his fictional town is, is not that small. I really believe this is the poorest of Hassler's novels which I have read.
Here's what I wrote after reading in 1994: "Easy to read book, both of them (see A Green Journey). Full of ordinary people characters living their lives as best they can. Full of miswestern values and human experiences.
Hassler's engaging novel about 1940s Midwest town (Plainview, MN) . . . family seeks new life in small town only to find problems in small towns are just as bad (if not worse) than life in the city.
Good book - it ended too soon! I wish that Hassler had continued that storyline in another book!
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194 works; 4 members
Author Information
22+ Works 2,783 Members
Author Jon Hassler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 30, 1933. He received his bachelor's degree from St. John's University in 1955 before going on to the University of North Dakota for his master's degree. After graduating from college, he taught high school English for the next 10 years. In 1970, while teaching at Brainerd Community show more College, he became interested in writing fictional stories. Hassler's first novel, Staggerford, a story of a small-town school teacher, was chosen Novel of the Year in 1978 by the Friends of American Writers. In 1987, Hassler's fifth novel, Grand Opening, a tale told from the point of view of a twelve-year-old boy living in the corrupt town of Plainview, Minnesota, won the Best Fiction Award, given by the Society of Midland Authors. Granted honorary Doctor of Letters degrees by Assumption College, the University of North Dakota, and the University of Notre Dame, he has also received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the Minnesota State Arts Board. He died, after years of suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, on March 20, 2008. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Brendan
- Important places
- Minnesota, USA
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Statistics
- Members
- 244
- Popularity
- 132,843
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.60)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
