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Built in a Day: A Novel
In acclaimed story writer Steven Rinehart’s darkly funny debut novel, an overeducated underachiever tries to become a responsible father to his twin teenage stepsons and a house full of wounded misfits.
At thirty-two, Andrew is a recovering alcoholic, a poetry workshop dropout, and a failed Starbucks barista. He has an on-again, off-again relationship with Isabel, the single mother of teenage twin sons so protective that when Andrew begins to treat Isabel badly, they offer him $4,000 to end the relationship. But Andrew, lonely, at loose ends, and still unemployed after a brief, unsuccessful stint as a sign painter, manages to work his way back into Isabel’s good graces and gain the tentative acceptance of her sons and the beautiful young orphan, Julie, who lives with them. Isabel and Andrew get married and, for the first time in a long time, things fall into place for Andrew. Isabel gets him a cushy, if slightly shady, job at Teen Scene, a local outreach center, and the teens in his own household come to appreciate his presence. When the unthinkable happens, Andrew finds himself the unlikely force trying to hold the survivors together.
Rinehart brings his strong, simple style and wry humor to the tale of a young man who is thrust, unready, into a position of fearful responsibility. As Andrew struggles to cope with his unusual family and to make sense of his increasingly bizarre job, Rinehart proves himself to be a novelist of extraordinary power and insight, a writer reminiscent of such modern masters as Richard Ford and Raymond Carver.
At thirty-two, Andrew is a recovering alcoholic, a poetry workshop dropout, and a failed Starbucks barista. He has an on-again, off-again relationship with Isabel, the single mother of teenage twin sons so protective that when Andrew begins to treat Isabel badly, they offer him $4,000 to end the relationship. But Andrew, lonely, at loose ends, and still unemployed after a brief, unsuccessful stint as a sign painter, manages to work his way back into Isabel’s good graces and gain the tentative acceptance of her sons and the beautiful young orphan, Julie, who lives with them. Isabel and Andrew get married and, for the first time in a long time, things fall into place for Andrew. Isabel gets him a cushy, if slightly shady, job at Teen Scene, a local outreach center, and the teens in his own household come to appreciate his presence. When the unthinkable happens, Andrew finds himself the unlikely force trying to hold the survivors together.
Rinehart brings his strong, simple style and wry humor to the tale of a young man who is thrust, unready, into a position of fearful responsibility. As Andrew struggles to cope with his unusual family and to make sense of his increasingly bizarre job, Rinehart proves himself to be a novelist of extraordinary power and insight, a writer reminiscent of such modern masters as Richard Ford and Raymond Carver.
- GenresFiction
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2003
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14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 10, 2018
With 20 ratings, you would think that someone would have explained their rating. Nope. 1 star got the same treatment as 5 stars. The only two people who wrote anything don't seem to have read the book. So, I get to pop this cherry.
It's all too often that you find a book with a outstanding beginning and kind of drifts off towards the end. Built In A Day, however, is the opposite. It seems as though Mr. Rinehart had the ending planned and it was a matter of getting to that point where he struggled.
The first two-thirds of a book reminded me of someone who believed they said a lot of things they didn't say. There were holes in the plot that were filled later, for example. It wasn't by design, it just seems like a shitty editor went through and took things out without the foresight to, you know, correct it.
The last third of the book, however, is where this book earned its 4 stars. It was an incredible ending, albeit a bit predictable. After the beginning, where it was like watching a drunken hummingbird try to navigate rush-hour traffic, the last third was like an addict who finally sees through the haze.
I almost gave up on this book more than once, due to the difficulty in following the text and keeping up with everything going on. But, in the end, it was well worth the journey.
It's all too often that you find a book with a outstanding beginning and kind of drifts off towards the end. Built In A Day, however, is the opposite. It seems as though Mr. Rinehart had the ending planned and it was a matter of getting to that point where he struggled.
The first two-thirds of a book reminded me of someone who believed they said a lot of things they didn't say. There were holes in the plot that were filled later, for example. It wasn't by design, it just seems like a shitty editor went through and took things out without the foresight to, you know, correct it.
The last third of the book, however, is where this book earned its 4 stars. It was an incredible ending, albeit a bit predictable. After the beginning, where it was like watching a drunken hummingbird try to navigate rush-hour traffic, the last third was like an addict who finally sees through the haze.
I almost gave up on this book more than once, due to the difficulty in following the text and keeping up with everything going on. But, in the end, it was well worth the journey.
Want to read
August 29, 2007Found it at work. Will get to it at some point. Go Midwest!
Want to read
June 30, 2009Well, I wanted his short stories to be longer, so I guess I should put my money where my mouth etc and read his novel.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews