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Sex and Sunsets
Soon to be a major motion picture called "The Right Kind of Wrong," starring Ryan Kwanten from True Blood!
"Kelly Palamino's engagingly idiosyncratic voice falls somewhere between On the Road and Bright Lights, Big City. He's the Lone Ranger in love, riding out the rough patches on a Thorazine habit." —People
At twenty-nine, Kelly Palamino's a little off-kilter but settled into his career of professional dishwasher. His big, blond, ex-hippie wife has left him for good.
So it's with no particular purpose that Kelly positions himself on his porch across the street from an Episcopal church in Jackson, Wyoming, to witness a singular a dark-haired bride in full regalia punting a football over the rectory before turning resolutely to walk down the aisle.
It's love at first sight for Kelly, and he'll do absolutely anything and everything to get his girl...
"Kelly is full-tilt Gonzo crazy. But crazy people can make good protagonists, particularly when they narrate in their own uniquely whacked-out voice." —Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Tim Sandlin's first novel is impressive...[He] may be compared to Tom Robbins...but Sandlin appears to be more subtle...a fun read." —San Diego Union-Tribune
"An anarchic novel that is by turns wryly observant and outrageously slapstick...a novel that shows wit and strength and a sweet sensibility toward the loser in everyone." —Kansas City Star
"A potent cocktail mixture of Jack Kerouac, Tom Robbins, and David Lynch topped off with a western twist." —Denver Post
"Kelly Palamino's engagingly idiosyncratic voice falls somewhere between On the Road and Bright Lights, Big City. He's the Lone Ranger in love, riding out the rough patches on a Thorazine habit." —People
At twenty-nine, Kelly Palamino's a little off-kilter but settled into his career of professional dishwasher. His big, blond, ex-hippie wife has left him for good.
So it's with no particular purpose that Kelly positions himself on his porch across the street from an Episcopal church in Jackson, Wyoming, to witness a singular a dark-haired bride in full regalia punting a football over the rectory before turning resolutely to walk down the aisle.
It's love at first sight for Kelly, and he'll do absolutely anything and everything to get his girl...
"Kelly is full-tilt Gonzo crazy. But crazy people can make good protagonists, particularly when they narrate in their own uniquely whacked-out voice." —Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Tim Sandlin's first novel is impressive...[He] may be compared to Tom Robbins...but Sandlin appears to be more subtle...a fun read." —San Diego Union-Tribune
"An anarchic novel that is by turns wryly observant and outrageously slapstick...a novel that shows wit and strength and a sweet sensibility toward the loser in everyone." —Kansas City Star
"A potent cocktail mixture of Jack Kerouac, Tom Robbins, and David Lynch topped off with a western twist." —Denver Post
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1987
22 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
Tim Sandlin
22 books150 followersTim Sandlin has published ten novels and a book of columns. He wrote eleven screenplays for hire; three have been made into movies. He turned forty with no phone, TV, or flush toilet and now he has all that stuff. Tim and his wife adopted a little girl from China. He is now living happily (indoors) with his family in Jackson, Wyoming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 21, 2013
I never considered a professional dishwasher as a viable career option. Although for a brief period of time in my misguided youth, I did practice the art of a sanitation worker, aka garbage man, even going so far as to toss random cans and paper boxes into my mom’s shopping cart when her back was turned at the grocery store. But now I may have to rethink my present career path and the financial stability of my family by turning in my shirt and tie for a white smock and a pair of rubber gloves. In order to complete the picture, though, I will need to become mentally unstable, although given the instability of artists this shouldn’t be particularly difficult. And I will need to relocate my wife to Wyoming, but I’m sure with the right amount of persuasion—and the fact that it’s only a few states away—this shouldn’t be a difficult task to accomplish either. And I may need to seek out the affections of rowdy rodeo girls and prescription popping blondes, but again, that could easily be explained away as well.
Kelly Palamino is my new literary hero, even if he’s mentally unstable, hears voices in water, including streams and toilets and showers, and visits a psychiatrist once a week, because he shot tequila directly into his veins and nearly caused his own cardiac arrest. He may be more than half-crazy, but he’s just so damn loveable. His voice nearly caused me to laughably combust on multiple occasions. He falls in love with a football punting bride, and focuses his varied talents on the singular act of winning her over, taking male focus and drive to a whole new level.
Colette Hart may be nearly as crazy as he is, but that just makes him love her all the more. She’s eccentric and beautiful and just so gosh darn wonderful that I rooted for Kelly every step of the way, even when he had more than a few setbacks and nearly exceeded his expiration date. While he might have had more than a bit of trouble with love in the past, he certainly doesn’t have any trouble with devotion. And he has no trouble categorizing his women: Platonics and Romantic Interests.
Every red-blooded male needs a thrill-seeking best friend like Cora Ann. She’s young and vibrant and perky, and has her own hang-glider. What more could a man ask for?
Even the structure of SEX AND SUNSETS appealed to me, delving into the past and present with nearly equal abandon, and tapping into the tangential thoughts of our expert narrator. I don’t know if I’d give it a ten, but it certainly comes pretty darn close.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
Kelly Palamino is my new literary hero, even if he’s mentally unstable, hears voices in water, including streams and toilets and showers, and visits a psychiatrist once a week, because he shot tequila directly into his veins and nearly caused his own cardiac arrest. He may be more than half-crazy, but he’s just so damn loveable. His voice nearly caused me to laughably combust on multiple occasions. He falls in love with a football punting bride, and focuses his varied talents on the singular act of winning her over, taking male focus and drive to a whole new level.
Colette Hart may be nearly as crazy as he is, but that just makes him love her all the more. She’s eccentric and beautiful and just so gosh darn wonderful that I rooted for Kelly every step of the way, even when he had more than a few setbacks and nearly exceeded his expiration date. While he might have had more than a bit of trouble with love in the past, he certainly doesn’t have any trouble with devotion. And he has no trouble categorizing his women: Platonics and Romantic Interests.
Every red-blooded male needs a thrill-seeking best friend like Cora Ann. She’s young and vibrant and perky, and has her own hang-glider. What more could a man ask for?
Even the structure of SEX AND SUNSETS appealed to me, delving into the past and present with nearly equal abandon, and tapping into the tangential thoughts of our expert narrator. I don’t know if I’d give it a ten, but it certainly comes pretty darn close.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
May 12, 2011
This is basically a romantic comedy satire, in which the Leading Man is batshit crazy, excessively skinny, with almost nothing to offer outside of his pathological obsession with the Leading Lady, who is beautiful, stupid, and easily manipulated. If the book were as succinct as that last sentence, I would have loved it. It’s fucking hilarious at times – hilarious, absurd, and exciting. But the writer likes to stall. He spent over 100 pages stalling until the ridiculous (but rather appropriate) ending. During that time, I started to hate him and the book.
April 11, 2007
This was the book that introduced me to Sandlin. A favorite quote:
"Let's get one thing straight right off the bat. I'm not crazy. Yes, there was a time when that may have been debateable, but the insanity play no longer washes. Everything I've accomplished was done with forethought and a healthy regard for the consequences." - Kelly Palamino
"Let's get one thing straight right off the bat. I'm not crazy. Yes, there was a time when that may have been debateable, but the insanity play no longer washes. Everything I've accomplished was done with forethought and a healthy regard for the consequences." - Kelly Palamino
May 22, 2019
That was nuts! I'm not even sure what to say about this one. I mean, it's about as close to true insanity as I've ever felt, and all I did was read a story about someone who's sanity I'm still very unclear about. That may be half the fun of reading this book though, the other half being that it's a Tim Sandlin book and he is quickly becoming a favorite auther of mine. It's just so easy to get lost in his wild stories and lose a day or two.
For the story itself, I'd say it could be easy to dismiss the whole thing as mediocre because so much of it sounds so preposterous as to come across as a waste of time. But then it all suits the main character so much, and it's written in a way that really plays to the comedy stylings of the author that it just kinda works.
The only gripe I could even kinda throw at the book is how the ending kinda breaks the flow of the story. You're cruising along at a great pace through the entire thing, and then bam! The end. The whole thing takes like 5 pages and that's it. I guess it's mostly just that I want more of these characters, only there isn't a line of sequels to follow like there was with Skipped Parts. Oh well. I'll still just move on to another of his books since I flew through this one so fast.
For the story itself, I'd say it could be easy to dismiss the whole thing as mediocre because so much of it sounds so preposterous as to come across as a waste of time. But then it all suits the main character so much, and it's written in a way that really plays to the comedy stylings of the author that it just kinda works.
The only gripe I could even kinda throw at the book is how the ending kinda breaks the flow of the story. You're cruising along at a great pace through the entire thing, and then bam! The end. The whole thing takes like 5 pages and that's it. I guess it's mostly just that I want more of these characters, only there isn't a line of sequels to follow like there was with Skipped Parts. Oh well. I'll still just move on to another of his books since I flew through this one so fast.
September 30, 2013
I was so thrilled to see that Sex and Sunsets by Tim Sandlin is being made into a movie, I re-read my tattered old copy. Sex and Sunsets is an offbeat, enjoyable read that mainly revolves around thirty-something ex-hippie, dishwasher, Kelly Palomino and his pursuit of newlywed, Collette. Albeit a heartwarming story of love and perseverance, it is in no way a typical love story. It's about chasing your dreams, being persistence, coping with insanity and triumphing over adversity. Sandlin’s distinctive voice offers a peek into the twisted male psyche, which I found hilarious and at the same time a wee bit troubling. Kelly not only experiences auditory psychosis, but occasionally takes advice from these voices arising from running water. In a story with unexpected twists and turns, Sandlin stacks on countless quirky characters, throws in a few raunchy lines, and keeps anyone with half a sense of humor laughing out loud. The premise of Sex and Sunsets is very intriguing, and Sandlin’s witty narrative voice of the insane protagonist is exceptional. But is Kelly Palomino certifiably crazy? Only his therapist knows for sure, but as the story unfolds we learn of his unusual background and begin to understand why he relates to the world in his unique way. Sex and Sunsets should appeal to men and women looking for a page turning novel that’s above and beyond the “ordinary” read.
Tim’s writing captivated me when I first read Sorrow Floats overnight, and got up the following morning and went to The Strand in New York to buy everything he had written. Sandlin has an uncanny ability to integrate thought-provoking and subtle yet startling truths about the human condition in most unexpected places. I don’t understand why Sandlin isn’t one of the most famous writers of our generation since his brilliant writing deviates from the norm and he seems to delight in taking risks. I always want to ride along on his adventures that break literary rules and go against the norm. Tim Sandlin’s stories are varied, and his writing is brilliant, so if you’ve never read him, I encourage you to do so now. With each of his reads so delightfully different, I still find myself trying to discern how much of the author’s true persona bleeds into his peculiar, crazy, annoying, pathetic, focused, brutally honest, likeable, interesting, and endearingly memorable characters.
Tim’s writing captivated me when I first read Sorrow Floats overnight, and got up the following morning and went to The Strand in New York to buy everything he had written. Sandlin has an uncanny ability to integrate thought-provoking and subtle yet startling truths about the human condition in most unexpected places. I don’t understand why Sandlin isn’t one of the most famous writers of our generation since his brilliant writing deviates from the norm and he seems to delight in taking risks. I always want to ride along on his adventures that break literary rules and go against the norm. Tim Sandlin’s stories are varied, and his writing is brilliant, so if you’ve never read him, I encourage you to do so now. With each of his reads so delightfully different, I still find myself trying to discern how much of the author’s true persona bleeds into his peculiar, crazy, annoying, pathetic, focused, brutally honest, likeable, interesting, and endearingly memorable characters.
March 19, 2008
"Craziness" sometimes gets the girl.
March 8, 2008
Too much fun for anyone with an education.
December 22, 2013
A little weird, but very funny and kind of romantic. xD The ending was open though and that I didn't like. :)
August 28, 2017
This book started out strong for me. I think the concept had promise, but our "hero" , Kelly Palamino, who "fell in love" with Collette, a bride on her way to the altar, was just too crazy for me.
Some interesting asides. Maybe attempts to shock the reader.. but this reader is not easily shocked by tawdry sex and crude remarks.
Sad too, that Collette hasn't figured out that happiness has to come from within - we must choose it every day. It's up to us to build our own lives into what makes us happy. Running off with a whack job really won't do that.
Some interesting asides. Maybe attempts to shock the reader.. but this reader is not easily shocked by tawdry sex and crude remarks.
Sad too, that Collette hasn't figured out that happiness has to come from within - we must choose it every day. It's up to us to build our own lives into what makes us happy. Running off with a whack job really won't do that.
December 18, 2017
This is one of my all-time favorite books; a small town loser is obsessed with winning the girl of his dreams. A dishwasher falls for a woman he spots as she is entering a church to get married to a wealthy trust-fund kid. He does his best to break up the marriage and win the girl.
The only part of the book I did not like was the chapter where the title is referenced. That was totally weird and had no relation to the story line.
The only part of the book I did not like was the chapter where the title is referenced. That was totally weird and had no relation to the story line.
August 14, 2025
A quirky, offbeat romantic comedy that’s equal parts absurd and unexpectedly tender. It follows Kelly Palamino, a man with a knack for self-sabotage, as he chases after a married woman he believes is his soulmate. Sandlin’s humor is sharp, strange, and unapologetically weird, making this a unique ride for readers who enjoy flawed characters and unconventional love stories. Not your typical romance — messy, chaotic, and oddly endearing.
June 28, 2020
This book was stupid. One star is because I really liked the movie that is based on this book and I’d like to thank whoever made the changes for the movie. The other star is because somehow I finished it. Sometimes Kelly was funny and weird but mostly he was a sex obsessed maniac that needed a reality check.
December 28, 2022
What a horrible book. The author seems to be a lecherous old man who is living unrealistic fantasies as he writes. I had to delete it from my e-reader in case it soiled the rest of my good books. It is nothing like the cute story on Netflix. I used to like read the books that movies were based on but this one traumatized me.
December 17, 2024
The whole time I was reading it, I couldn’t decide whether I liked it or not. Bur it was compulsive, and there’s something to be said for that. I could not stop this book and never knew what was going to happen haha. Also, the ending is one of my favourites, so that elevated it from 3 stars to 4.
July 21, 2017
When it comes to books about crazy men in crazy love, this one is a quick entertaining read, but I expect I'll forget I ever read it by tomorrow.
April 29, 2018
What a fun ride this book was! While reading this book, I found myself laughing out loud on a busy train.
January 22, 2019
The author makes an incredibly creepy protagonist that is strangely incredibly relatable.
August 9, 2019
Enjoyed this fun read. Kelly's a likeable nut!
March 3, 2020
Slightly random but in enjoyed it more than I exoected to.
April 24, 2023
This was his first book. Definitely odd, but loved the characters so much. It was like taking a wild ride. Totally rooted for Collette and Kelly. The ending was great.
February 15, 2025
I've reread this book countless times it's literally so good. I want to marry this book like what😭😭😭😭😭 THE ENDING?!??!? IF YOU VOTED ANYTHING BUT A 5 IM GONNA COME GET U AND EAT UR TOES OFF.........
December 25, 2023
this man needs to be cut a break
February 5, 2016
This was Tim Sandlin's first published novel, but it is the seventh book of his I have read. I wonder if I had read it before his others if I would be more impressed than I am at this moment.
I vacillate between liking and disliking "Sex and Sunsets", and I am still on the fence with this one. I guess I'll just document what appealed to me and what didn't and you can decide for yourself.
Some strengths of the text were:
- The narrative voice of the protagonist, Kelly Palamino. In the vein of most of Sandlin's novels, the first person narrator's voice is one of the best assets of the work.
-The premise of this novel is also very intriguing; however, I was not satisfied with how it was explored.
-Mr. Sandlin is undeniably a funny and witty writer, and there are some extremely comedic moments in this text.
-Another trait of Sandlin's is his ability to incorporate some wonderful, and sometimes startling, truths about life and the human condition in the most unexpected of places in his books. This novel is no exception.
Some weaknesses of the text were:
-The horribly contrived ending just deflates the reader. It is extremely disappointing and almost ruins the work. The final line of the novel is one of the most clichéd and trite things I have read in a book.
-There are numerous times in the novel where Sandlin introduces a very interesting premise, but then leaves it underdeveloped or unexplored altogether. It frustrates the reader, as many of these subplots have the whisper of more interesting possibilities then the main plot.
-The object of the narrator's obsession is a very unlikable woman named Colette. It detracts from the wonderful character of Kelly by making this unworthy, and boring, character the object of his undying love.
Some reviewers have complained that the reader never really knows if much of the book is the imagined pining of a feverish and insane man, or actual events, ridiculous though they may be. Frankly, I did not feel strongly one way or the other, and if Mr. Sandlin had explicitly told the reader which it was I am not sure it would have altered my opinion of the text all that much. (Although if the narrator is making up all of the events in his head it does make the ending much easier to swallow.)
So, as stated earlier, I feel rather ambiguous about this one. It is not a waste of time to read, but it is not all that satisfying either. Do what you will with it.
I vacillate between liking and disliking "Sex and Sunsets", and I am still on the fence with this one. I guess I'll just document what appealed to me and what didn't and you can decide for yourself.
Some strengths of the text were:
- The narrative voice of the protagonist, Kelly Palamino. In the vein of most of Sandlin's novels, the first person narrator's voice is one of the best assets of the work.
-The premise of this novel is also very intriguing; however, I was not satisfied with how it was explored.
-Mr. Sandlin is undeniably a funny and witty writer, and there are some extremely comedic moments in this text.
-Another trait of Sandlin's is his ability to incorporate some wonderful, and sometimes startling, truths about life and the human condition in the most unexpected of places in his books. This novel is no exception.
Some weaknesses of the text were:
-The horribly contrived ending just deflates the reader. It is extremely disappointing and almost ruins the work. The final line of the novel is one of the most clichéd and trite things I have read in a book.
-There are numerous times in the novel where Sandlin introduces a very interesting premise, but then leaves it underdeveloped or unexplored altogether. It frustrates the reader, as many of these subplots have the whisper of more interesting possibilities then the main plot.
-The object of the narrator's obsession is a very unlikable woman named Colette. It detracts from the wonderful character of Kelly by making this unworthy, and boring, character the object of his undying love.
Some reviewers have complained that the reader never really knows if much of the book is the imagined pining of a feverish and insane man, or actual events, ridiculous though they may be. Frankly, I did not feel strongly one way or the other, and if Mr. Sandlin had explicitly told the reader which it was I am not sure it would have altered my opinion of the text all that much. (Although if the narrator is making up all of the events in his head it does make the ending much easier to swallow.)
So, as stated earlier, I feel rather ambiguous about this one. It is not a waste of time to read, but it is not all that satisfying either. Do what you will with it.
November 15, 2015
Tim Sandlin has a unique voice and tells a tale of a crazy hopeless romantic. It's hard not to root for the main character, Kelly, when he has everything going against him. He has a mean ex-wife who denies their marriage ever happened. When Kelly falls in love with Colette on her wedding day you know you're in for a ride has he tries to win her over throughout the course of the book. Kelly loses everything for what he believe is his true soul mate. I'll try not to spoil too much of the story but he loses a lot!
While I did enjoy Sex and Sunsets, and thought his use of flash backs were used very well, I felt like there was a lot of questions that were left unanswered to me. With all of Kelly's little corks I started to wonder if Kelly had imagined certain things. I almost needed another person to explain it from a different characters perspective.
I originally watched the movie, The Right Kind of Wrong, which led me to reading this book knowing that the movie was based off of it. You'll learn real quick that the movie takes place in the 2000s and the book takes place a decade or two before when the bankers and loan officers were the most powerful people in town. There's also flashbacks of his hippie days. If you're expecting the book to be similar to the movie it won't be. There is very few similarities when comparing the two. Kelly being a dishwasher, failed writer, and a crazy hopeless romantic is about it. He's way more crazy in the book.
As realistic as I thought the book could be I felt like it tailed off towards the end. Could the ending be anymore outrageous? Then it just ends like that. I feel like the author had no idea how he planned to end the book. As he mentioned earlier in the book, he just came up with the most over the top clique ending because that's what Kelly's agent said was best. It made me think this was an agents ending and not really his. I needed another chapter after that to be fully satisfied.
While I did enjoy Sex and Sunsets, and thought his use of flash backs were used very well, I felt like there was a lot of questions that were left unanswered to me. With all of Kelly's little corks I started to wonder if Kelly had imagined certain things. I almost needed another person to explain it from a different characters perspective.
I originally watched the movie, The Right Kind of Wrong, which led me to reading this book knowing that the movie was based off of it. You'll learn real quick that the movie takes place in the 2000s and the book takes place a decade or two before when the bankers and loan officers were the most powerful people in town. There's also flashbacks of his hippie days. If you're expecting the book to be similar to the movie it won't be. There is very few similarities when comparing the two. Kelly being a dishwasher, failed writer, and a crazy hopeless romantic is about it. He's way more crazy in the book.
As realistic as I thought the book could be I felt like it tailed off towards the end. Could the ending be anymore outrageous? Then it just ends like that. I feel like the author had no idea how he planned to end the book. As he mentioned earlier in the book, he just came up with the most over the top clique ending because that's what Kelly's agent said was best. It made me think this was an agents ending and not really his. I needed another chapter after that to be fully satisfied.
March 21, 2008
This is neither Sandlin's best book nor for everybody, but for fans off the offbeat, its an enjoyable read.
Kelly Palomino is a 30ish, ex-hippie, suffering from some degree of mental illness. Among his more appealing quirks is the fact that he hears voices in running water--and occasionally acts on their advice. He's definitely delusional in other ways too, although Sandlin leaves it pretty much to the reader to discern how much of the plot (revealed through Kelly's first person narration)is actually happening and how much is a figment of the imagination.
The main plot revolves around Kelly's pursuit of the lovely Collette who he first encounters on her wedding day. Upon seeing her punt a football, he decides they were meant for eachother. The rest of the novel basically consists of Kelly stalking Collette, which, depending on the reader's tolerance is either harmless, Quixotic and often hilarious or more than a little creepy. I tend toward the former, although the latter can't be dismissed and occasionally darkens the fun.
As the plot moves on there are quirky characters, Kelly's amusing stories and Sandlin's distinctive voice. If taken literally, the ending is more than a little contrived and if its all taken as a figment of Kelly's imagination, then the whole story gets more than a little sad.
On the whole though, Sandlin's first book is an enjoyable read and a good introduction to all of the elements that makes him a treasured cult author.
(Note: Kelly's story is picked up in the superior "Western Swing.")
Kelly Palomino is a 30ish, ex-hippie, suffering from some degree of mental illness. Among his more appealing quirks is the fact that he hears voices in running water--and occasionally acts on their advice. He's definitely delusional in other ways too, although Sandlin leaves it pretty much to the reader to discern how much of the plot (revealed through Kelly's first person narration)is actually happening and how much is a figment of the imagination.
The main plot revolves around Kelly's pursuit of the lovely Collette who he first encounters on her wedding day. Upon seeing her punt a football, he decides they were meant for eachother. The rest of the novel basically consists of Kelly stalking Collette, which, depending on the reader's tolerance is either harmless, Quixotic and often hilarious or more than a little creepy. I tend toward the former, although the latter can't be dismissed and occasionally darkens the fun.
As the plot moves on there are quirky characters, Kelly's amusing stories and Sandlin's distinctive voice. If taken literally, the ending is more than a little contrived and if its all taken as a figment of Kelly's imagination, then the whole story gets more than a little sad.
On the whole though, Sandlin's first book is an enjoyable read and a good introduction to all of the elements that makes him a treasured cult author.
(Note: Kelly's story is picked up in the superior "Western Swing.")
November 3, 2013
i wanted to read this book based on 2 things - that it was going to be made into a movie, and that it had a good variety of mixed reviews... people either hated it or loved it.
i fell into the group of the latter.
many suprising times i related to kelly palamino and his quirky thoughts. perhaps it has to do with the way tim sandlin writes... very fluid and personable. his explanation of why he was in the job field that he was, made perfect sense to me, and i admired this character for not giving a shit about what aaanyone thinks.
i always root for the underdog, which kelly is the eptiome of. this book gave me so many laugh out loud moments, and great visuals as i journeyed with kelly on his ridiculous uphill battle for the love of collette. i also loved that the book left readers with an open-ended evaluation of its content... what really happened, and what was made up in his mind?
perhaps people who didn't like this book took it way too seriously.
i fell into the group of the latter.
many suprising times i related to kelly palamino and his quirky thoughts. perhaps it has to do with the way tim sandlin writes... very fluid and personable. his explanation of why he was in the job field that he was, made perfect sense to me, and i admired this character for not giving a shit about what aaanyone thinks.
i always root for the underdog, which kelly is the eptiome of. this book gave me so many laugh out loud moments, and great visuals as i journeyed with kelly on his ridiculous uphill battle for the love of collette. i also loved that the book left readers with an open-ended evaluation of its content... what really happened, and what was made up in his mind?
perhaps people who didn't like this book took it way too seriously.
October 6, 2014
I debated between giving this three or four stars. Eventually I concluded I enjoyed reading it for the most part so it scored four.
Kelly Palomino is a bit of a nut, though in one of my favourite lines he argues "the insanity plea no longer washes. Every decision I made was with forethought and a healthy regard for the consequences." And as such, he's very much a blind optimist, viewing the world through a bizarrely positive spectrum despite the circumstances of his life not really warranting it.
One day he witnesses a bride on her wedding day and immediately falls in love with her. Slowly but surely you find yourself rooting for him getting the girl despite the fact the new husband is not really portrayed in a negative light (though her father is).
The ending comes almost unexpectedly with the western style of 'riding off into the sunset', but hey it was happy one and brought a smile to myself.
Kelly Palomino is a bit of a nut, though in one of my favourite lines he argues "the insanity plea no longer washes. Every decision I made was with forethought and a healthy regard for the consequences." And as such, he's very much a blind optimist, viewing the world through a bizarrely positive spectrum despite the circumstances of his life not really warranting it.
One day he witnesses a bride on her wedding day and immediately falls in love with her. Slowly but surely you find yourself rooting for him getting the girl despite the fact the new husband is not really portrayed in a negative light (though her father is).
The ending comes almost unexpectedly with the western style of 'riding off into the sunset', but hey it was happy one and brought a smile to myself.
June 22, 2008
I just finished this book a few days ago. My good friend Collin suggested it while I was still trying to read Foucault. As a side note, I've given up a little bit on reading Foucault at work; it's pretty impossible. This sort of means giving up on reading it at all, especially because it's summertime and fiction is always less intimidating, while still being stimulating. Anyway, I liked this book quite a bit-- it reminded me a little of Tom Robbins. My biggest issue with it was that I find the whole concept of a book written from the perspective of a semi (or totally) "crazy" person to be pretty tiresome, and definitely weak as a point to revolve around. I don't think that was neccessarily the focus of the novel, but it was enough to make me roll my eyes a few times. Otherwise, the writing is very smart and there are some stellar one-liners.
August 17, 2013
I got this in a box of used books and was so pleasantly surprised. The protagonist is unlike any other I've read and is strange but relatable. Sandlin did a great job of making the reader see himself in the characters and believe a plot that would otherwise be difficult. I loved the way this book played with reality and perception - what's actually happening at certain times is up to the reader.
This definitely has sad points, but it will make you think and laugh throughout too. It was easy to read but definitely not in the beach-trash way, and it was written for a purpose. I plan to read more of Sandlin.
August 16, 2011
___
Reread August 10-12, 2013.
It wasn't everything I remembered, but maybe this is one of those books that is best the first time because of the magical elements. Still glad I reread, and am keeping this one on my shelf.
This definitely has sad points, but it will make you think and laugh throughout too. It was easy to read but definitely not in the beach-trash way, and it was written for a purpose. I plan to read more of Sandlin.
August 16, 2011
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Reread August 10-12, 2013.
It wasn't everything I remembered, but maybe this is one of those books that is best the first time because of the magical elements. Still glad I reread, and am keeping this one on my shelf.
July 11, 2015
One of the rarest situations where I liked the movie version way better. Now I'm usually into cutesy romance short reads, but this just simply wasn't my cup of tea. I felt like the main character was way to on the verge of being a stalker for him to be likeable. He wouldn't listen to his love interest when she declined and rejected him multiple times. Of course he knew better and even though she said no, he knew she really liked him and continued to pursue her. I think it's perpetuating a lot of negative thoughts like that. All of this being said, it was incredibly well written. I loved the style of going back in forth between Kelly's future with his new love interest and his past with his ex wife. I think Tim Sandlin is a very talented writer and I definitely want to try some of his other works!
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