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The Line Painter
It’s 1:08 a.m. when Carrie’s car breaks down on the highway somewhere north of Lake Superior. It’s dark, the road is quiet, her cell phone is down, and she is alone. She took off from Toronto that morning, running from grief over the death of her boyfriend, and unable to cope with the truth about the events that led to it. The relief Carrie feels as a truck pulls up soon turns to fear after its driver offers her a lift. Frank, her would-be rescuer, is a line painter, putting lines on the road “to stop people from being killed.” But after Carrie gets in the truck, she starts to realize that this will be the road trip of her life―a trip of terror, transformation and forgiveness. Claire Cameron has created a unique portrait of Carrie, a young woman whose actions are driven by grief and shame, her personality a beguiling combination of naïveté and streetsmarts. Frank is equally sharply drawn, his flashes of humour and tenderness disguising the wreckage within. Written in spare, unvarnished prose that brims with menace against the forbidding backdrop of a northern landscape, The Line Painter takes us on a riveting trip down a twisted road of memory and redemption. “Smoke?” I looked over. He held up two cigarettes. I had quit. It was all part of my campaign of the past few years to try and grow up. Quit smoking, drink less, no drugs, move in with boyfriend and play house, get a real job and wear a suit. I stopped short of wearing nude-coloured hosiery, but only just. It was my own sort of a personal temperance plan. If I could just suppress all my bad urges then . . . um . . . I’d forgotten what, actually. But Frank wasn’t just asking me to smoke. This was quite a different thing. Frank was trying to forge a link. He was calling a truce. He was trying to bond. He was offering me a peace pipe of sorts, though packaged with a few more chemicals and a filter. I took a smoke and accepted Frank’s outstretched lighter. I inhaled deeply. I never have any trouble starting smoking again and I certainly didn’t this time. . . . I sat down on the shoulder a safe distance away from him.―from The Line Painter
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
1 person is currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Claire Cameron
4 books302 followersA new book, March 25, 2025 — HOW TO SURVIVE A BEAR ATTACK: A Memoir
Also, author of The Last Neanderthal, The Bear and The Line Painter.
Also, author of The Last Neanderthal, The Bear and The Line Painter.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 29, 2007
This book moves like a bullet, and the subject matter is a gripping and under-explored one: women's fear and how it intersects with women's deep desire for experience. A road story, with plenty of suprising twists and turns. Plus you'll learn how those white lines really get painted on the road.
June 27, 2007
Written beautifully in minimalistic style. Great style which is often comical (the style as opposed to content). Deep undertones of tragedy and foreboding. Can't wait for the author's next book.
September 1, 2007
I took this book on vacation with me, and while I didn't have a lot of opportunity to get much reading done, I still managed to finish it. When I wasn't reading, the book sort of sat on the edge of my consciousness..I wanted to know what was next for the characters and where the story would lead..
The story is about a young woman who feels her life spiraling out of her control. Rather than sit at home and deal with the consequences, she chooses to hop into her car and take an impromptu road trip.
Not far into her journey, her car leaves her stranded on the side of a desolate road in the late hours of the night. The first person to come along is a line painter named Frank. Frank is in charge of painting the lines on the road, a job which he takes rather seriously. What follows is the story of their getting to know one another..they laugh, they fight and they smoke lots of cigarettes.
Interwoven with the current story of getting to know Frank, are details from both of their pasts. We learn that Frank is a little shady, and we also learn the details that led to the main character fleeing her current life.
The story is a quick one to get into..it hooks you from the start and is full of emotion and pain. Its a story about human existance; about making mistakes and living with the consequences. It's raw and honest, and I enjoyed it from the start.
The story is about a young woman who feels her life spiraling out of her control. Rather than sit at home and deal with the consequences, she chooses to hop into her car and take an impromptu road trip.
Not far into her journey, her car leaves her stranded on the side of a desolate road in the late hours of the night. The first person to come along is a line painter named Frank. Frank is in charge of painting the lines on the road, a job which he takes rather seriously. What follows is the story of their getting to know one another..they laugh, they fight and they smoke lots of cigarettes.
Interwoven with the current story of getting to know Frank, are details from both of their pasts. We learn that Frank is a little shady, and we also learn the details that led to the main character fleeing her current life.
The story is a quick one to get into..it hooks you from the start and is full of emotion and pain. Its a story about human existance; about making mistakes and living with the consequences. It's raw and honest, and I enjoyed it from the start.
September 4, 2008
How I Came To Read This Book: Harper Collins sent me a free advance readers edition.
The Plot: Carrie is reeling after the death of her boyfriend - a death she feels partially at least emotionally responsible for. She takes off on a spur-of-the-moment road trip, and lo and behold gets stranded on some backcountry Ontario highway. Cue the line painter, a man whose job is to work all night to repaint the lines you find on most streets. After blackmailing Carrie into helping him with his job, the two engage in a number of random adventures mostly spurred on by their own bad decisions. Along the way the mystery always remains whether the line painter is in fact a good guy, or truly a scary guy that Carrie was lucky not to be murdered by.
The Good & The Bad: I wasn't a big fan of this book. Although it was supposed to be suspenseful I mostly found it irritating and disturbing, not tense and exciting. I hated the characters and their stupid choices - they seemed out of character even for these weird characters. I like to support Canadian fiction but this book just didn't do it for me...although I will say I liked the fact it was SHORT.
The Bottom Line: A yawner of a thriller (but if you like to read about self-destructive characters, go for it).
Anything Memorable?: No.
50-Book Challenge?: Book #15 in 2007
The Plot: Carrie is reeling after the death of her boyfriend - a death she feels partially at least emotionally responsible for. She takes off on a spur-of-the-moment road trip, and lo and behold gets stranded on some backcountry Ontario highway. Cue the line painter, a man whose job is to work all night to repaint the lines you find on most streets. After blackmailing Carrie into helping him with his job, the two engage in a number of random adventures mostly spurred on by their own bad decisions. Along the way the mystery always remains whether the line painter is in fact a good guy, or truly a scary guy that Carrie was lucky not to be murdered by.
The Good & The Bad: I wasn't a big fan of this book. Although it was supposed to be suspenseful I mostly found it irritating and disturbing, not tense and exciting. I hated the characters and their stupid choices - they seemed out of character even for these weird characters. I like to support Canadian fiction but this book just didn't do it for me...although I will say I liked the fact it was SHORT.
The Bottom Line: A yawner of a thriller (but if you like to read about self-destructive characters, go for it).
Anything Memorable?: No.
50-Book Challenge?: Book #15 in 2007
October 2, 2011
I'd describe The Line Painter as being very movie-like. It's focused: there are just a few key characters, a few settings. Minimalist, in a good way (you’re focused on what’s happening, not keeping track of who's who). It's suspenseful, but not overly plotty. The main story plays out over a few days, but with flashbacks to fill in the backstory. That The Line Painter was able to grab and hold my attention at a time when my brain was being pulled in multiple directions gets it two thumbs up. Definitely look forward to her next novel.
February 11, 2012
Found this at a book and video store in Fergus, Ontario of all places. The novel is fairly gripping, as distant Hearst in Northern Ontario has its time in the sun. The female lead has fled Toronto, only to have her car break down. Then she meets the strange "line painter" who has a job to do (and he's got to get it done before the sun comes up, there, I just quoted from the Five Man Electrical Band!)
May 18, 2014
What a truly strange book. A very fresh take on a pretty well-worn story - a woman driving alone when her car breaks down. Not sure I loved it but I certainly liked it much better than her second effort, "The Bear." She is definitely more of a story teller than a writer - think page-turning prose like John Grisham, rather than lyrical language such as Donna Tartt.
August 23, 2010
I need to write my review for this book and I am still not sure about what I thought. The characters
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May 10, 2016Meh. Never really went anywhere
October 8, 2018
I circled back to read Claire Cameron’s first novel “The Line Painter” after reading, and thoroughly enjoying her third novel “The Last Neanderthal”. In retrospect, it is probably best, where encountering a new author, to read his/her works in chronological order.
My expectations were unrealistically high, so it was predictable that I would be somewhat disappointed at the outset. But the novel did grow on me as I progressed through it.
The central premise feels a bit thein – Carrie’s car breaks down on the highway north of Lake Superior. She is on an impromptu road trip from Toronto to BC, running from the trauma of her boyfriend’s death for which she feels responsible. Carrie reluctantly agrees to be rescued by Frank in his highway line painter truck.
What follows are an alternately frustrating and frightening couple of days during which the backstory of her relationship with her boyfriend is filled in. We also learn of the ghosts that haunt Frank which have lead him to the bleak life he endures.
“The Line Painter” lacks the depth and polish of Cameron’s later work, but it does have its moments as Carrie travels a symbolic road of self-analysis and redemption.
My expectations were unrealistically high, so it was predictable that I would be somewhat disappointed at the outset. But the novel did grow on me as I progressed through it.
The central premise feels a bit thein – Carrie’s car breaks down on the highway north of Lake Superior. She is on an impromptu road trip from Toronto to BC, running from the trauma of her boyfriend’s death for which she feels responsible. Carrie reluctantly agrees to be rescued by Frank in his highway line painter truck.
What follows are an alternately frustrating and frightening couple of days during which the backstory of her relationship with her boyfriend is filled in. We also learn of the ghosts that haunt Frank which have lead him to the bleak life he endures.
“The Line Painter” lacks the depth and polish of Cameron’s later work, but it does have its moments as Carrie travels a symbolic road of self-analysis and redemption.
April 18, 2018
This quick little read is a gripping tale, but I'm left pondering the point. Carrie moves from one bad decision to the next, and the story stumbles along in a disconnected sort of way. I keep looking for deeper meaning or symbolism, but come up shallow.
February 4, 2018
Review pending
April 20, 2018
Was disappointed in the storytelling.
December 7, 2024
I am a big fan of Claire’s writing. The voice is always very clear, and she does pacing better than anybody. Wonderful first novel.
June 11, 2017
A true page-turner. Went a bit awry in the middle, and couldn't help but think Claire was gearing up for "The Bear". Gained new appreciation for the lines!
December 7, 2017
This is my second book of 13 for the 11th Annual Canadian Book Challenge hosted by The Indextrious Reader. This year's theme is "highways and byways" and the Line Painter definitely fits into the theme.
This is an excellent book full of pain and regret and I enjoyed it right from the beginning. When I put it down I kept wondering what was going to happen to the main character and if she was in danger. The story is about a young woman who feels her life spiraling out of control and instead of dealing with her issues and the past, she gets into her car and heads north not sure where she is going.
Not far into her journey, her car breaks down on desolate road late at night. The first person to come along is Frank who is in charge of painting the lines on the road. What follows is the story of their getting to know one another which involves painting the highway lines and smoking lots of cigarettes.
Interwoven with the current story of getting to know Frank, are details from both of their pasts. We learn that Frank is a little shady and we also learn the details that led to her leaving home.
I would read the author's next book! Another great Canadian writer.
This is an excellent book full of pain and regret and I enjoyed it right from the beginning. When I put it down I kept wondering what was going to happen to the main character and if she was in danger. The story is about a young woman who feels her life spiraling out of control and instead of dealing with her issues and the past, she gets into her car and heads north not sure where she is going.
Not far into her journey, her car breaks down on desolate road late at night. The first person to come along is Frank who is in charge of painting the lines on the road. What follows is the story of their getting to know one another which involves painting the highway lines and smoking lots of cigarettes.
Interwoven with the current story of getting to know Frank, are details from both of their pasts. We learn that Frank is a little shady and we also learn the details that led to her leaving home.
I would read the author's next book! Another great Canadian writer.
February 12, 2009
Carrie is unable to deal with the tragic death of her boyfriend, battling depression and guilt she quits her job and decides to take a road trip west to clear her head. Her car brakes down north of Lake Superior, in the middle of God's country where there is no cell phone service and humans are rarely seen.
It is dark when a large truck pulls over, her rescuer Frank leaves her with an unfavourable gut feeling but with no other option available she accepts a ride to Hearst that seems never ending. Out of necessity Carrie begins a two day relationship with Frank a man with a dark past, anger and control issues. She soon realizes that this is compounding her problems and her past will always be with her. She must return home in order to face her dilemma head on with the help of family and friends.
Although this novel grabbed me immediately with its captivating suspense I found it lost some of its momentum in the second part when the mood becomes dark and creepy and the story focuses more on internal emotions. It seemed to me that it revolved more around grief, guilt, love and forgiveness and less about terrifying and chilling events found in a mystery. Maybe it was the author's intent.
As for the characters, they are clearly drawn: Carrie is an urban chick lost in the wilderness of her thoughts and Frank is a man of few words and a dry sense of humour. To me they were two very sad cases. The dialogue and narration is mostly one liner or short sentences, a very interesting and effective style of writing making this novel short and sweet. A promising de
It is dark when a large truck pulls over, her rescuer Frank leaves her with an unfavourable gut feeling but with no other option available she accepts a ride to Hearst that seems never ending. Out of necessity Carrie begins a two day relationship with Frank a man with a dark past, anger and control issues. She soon realizes that this is compounding her problems and her past will always be with her. She must return home in order to face her dilemma head on with the help of family and friends.
Although this novel grabbed me immediately with its captivating suspense I found it lost some of its momentum in the second part when the mood becomes dark and creepy and the story focuses more on internal emotions. It seemed to me that it revolved more around grief, guilt, love and forgiveness and less about terrifying and chilling events found in a mystery. Maybe it was the author's intent.
As for the characters, they are clearly drawn: Carrie is an urban chick lost in the wilderness of her thoughts and Frank is a man of few words and a dry sense of humour. To me they were two very sad cases. The dialogue and narration is mostly one liner or short sentences, a very interesting and effective style of writing making this novel short and sweet. A promising de
July 4, 2012
I read a favourable review of this book on a blog. Since Carrie is from Toronto, I thought I'd check it out.
I enjoyed the writing style. It was a quick pace and didn't take me long to get through it.
I didn't like Carrie and I thought the decisions she made, before and after her car broke down, were dumb. I didn't find Frank likeable either.
So I would recommend this book for the writing style.
I enjoyed the writing style. It was a quick pace and didn't take me long to get through it.
I didn't like Carrie and I thought the decisions she made, before and after her car broke down, were dumb. I didn't find Frank likeable either.
So I would recommend this book for the writing style.
April 15, 2008
Dark and twisted - just how I like 'em!
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August 7, 2009hope she writes a second book
February 11, 2010
Not what I expected but I liked it and thought it was impressive for a debut. Read the full review.
April 27, 2015
I flew through this book in two nights. It was not what I expected but was extremely pleased with the storyline and the characters. It is always nice to read a great book by a Canadian Author.
January 13, 2018
Claire Cameron is one of my favourite authors. The Line Painter isn't as good as The Bear but it's still pretty interesting. I like that her books are set in Ontario.
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August 21, 2017-Carrie, Bill/Charlie
-Frank - the line painter
-bear
-interesting
-Frank - the line painter
-bear
-interesting
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews