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Monument Road
Leonard Self has spent a year unwinding his ranch, paying down debts, and fending off the darkening. Just one thing left: taking his wife's ashes to her favorite overlook, where he plans to step off the cliff with her into a stark and beautiful landscape. But Leonard finds he has company on a route that intertwines old wounds and new insights that make him question whether his life is over after all.
Charlie Quimby's writing career has spanned the arts, business and public policy. Now he writes fiction, blogs at Across the Great Divide and volunteers with the homeless in Minneapolis and western Colorado.
�Charlie Quimby’s Monument Road is a fine novel about the New West but also just plain a fine novel. In Quimby’s elegant prose, the character of Leonard Self emerges as endearing and maddening both, and around him Quimby builds an entire community of full-blown and enigmatic and always-original characters. This is a novel with size and scope and generosity, with an acute understanding of human nature and a deep appreciation for the ways people face change and work out their lives in relation to each other.”
—Kent Meyers, author of Twisted Tree and The Work of Wolves
"In prose that might have been chiseled from the magnificent landscape he describes, Charlie Quimby has written a great big American Novel. Full of pathos and humor and sadness, you won't reach the end of this book without feeling fuller and wiser. What a gift Charlie has given us."
—Peter Geye, author of The Lighthouse Road and Safe from the Sea
"Monument Road is a legitimate modern western, complete with an impressively authentic and aging rancher, heartache, ghosts, low-lifes, a rural landscape undergoing radical transformation, a glut of evangelical churches, and the ancient, powerful cliffs and mesas that surround it all, in southwestern Colorado. The narrative is likewise unpredictable and wild! A pleasure to read."
—Bonnie Nadzam, author of Lamb
"The landscape and characters of Monument Road ring true. Charlie Quimby has created a story that is hard to forget. His attention to the details of a fading life and life style are spot on and will be a window to any reader's understanding of the central phenomenon of the New West."
—Dan O'Brien, author of Stolen Horses and Buffalo for the Broken Heart: Restoring Life to a Black Hills Ranch
"Monument Road is a big-hearted novel chock full of memorable characters, a pleasure to read.
—David Rhodes, author of Jewelweed and Driftless
Charlie Quimby's writing career has spanned the arts, business and public policy. Now he writes fiction, blogs at Across the Great Divide and volunteers with the homeless in Minneapolis and western Colorado.
�Charlie Quimby’s Monument Road is a fine novel about the New West but also just plain a fine novel. In Quimby’s elegant prose, the character of Leonard Self emerges as endearing and maddening both, and around him Quimby builds an entire community of full-blown and enigmatic and always-original characters. This is a novel with size and scope and generosity, with an acute understanding of human nature and a deep appreciation for the ways people face change and work out their lives in relation to each other.”
—Kent Meyers, author of Twisted Tree and The Work of Wolves
"In prose that might have been chiseled from the magnificent landscape he describes, Charlie Quimby has written a great big American Novel. Full of pathos and humor and sadness, you won't reach the end of this book without feeling fuller and wiser. What a gift Charlie has given us."
—Peter Geye, author of The Lighthouse Road and Safe from the Sea
"Monument Road is a legitimate modern western, complete with an impressively authentic and aging rancher, heartache, ghosts, low-lifes, a rural landscape undergoing radical transformation, a glut of evangelical churches, and the ancient, powerful cliffs and mesas that surround it all, in southwestern Colorado. The narrative is likewise unpredictable and wild! A pleasure to read."
—Bonnie Nadzam, author of Lamb
"The landscape and characters of Monument Road ring true. Charlie Quimby has created a story that is hard to forget. His attention to the details of a fading life and life style are spot on and will be a window to any reader's understanding of the central phenomenon of the New West."
—Dan O'Brien, author of Stolen Horses and Buffalo for the Broken Heart: Restoring Life to a Black Hills Ranch
"Monument Road is a big-hearted novel chock full of memorable characters, a pleasure to read.
—David Rhodes, author of Jewelweed and Driftless
365 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2013
14 people are currently reading
480 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Quimby
3 books41 followersOvercoming social isolation within communities is Charlie Quimby's primary subject. He is the author of two novels:
Inhabited
and
Monument Road,
and he writes the Substack newsletter Small Ponds, which is a continuation and elaboration on Not So Far from Home, his account of volunteer work in homeless communities in Minneapolis and Western Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 14, 2013
Also interview with Charles Quimby on my blog:
http://wp.me/plqD1-v5
Leonard Self is driving down the snaking road off Colorado National Monument. His wife Inetta’s cremated ashes in the “squat ceramic container” on the seat next to him, down Monument Road. He has just recalled a science lesson about gravity that cues up one of the book’s central themes: gravity. Fallen—and falling—man.
And then comes a wonderful paragraph of prose. I won’t re-type the whole paragraph here, though I'm tempted. Quimby weaves together geology and astronomy, makes a poetic reference to the state of the economy and tells us plenty about Leonard Self and where he sees himself in the great arc of time and life. The paragraph is about descent and decline and history and memory all tumbled together and it comes at you in a fairly effortless fashion.
However, the following paragraph ends with a religious reference (not the first in the first two pages) and, to be honest, I was worried at first that I might be starting a novel with proselytizing on its mind.
Yes, religion is a theme but it’s within the context of a terrifically human series of intertwined stories about the gritty lives of real people in the Grand Valley and around Grand Junction, Colorado.
I’ll say here what I had a chance to say in the blurb I wrote for "Monument Road." (Torrey House Press sent an advance copy to me but I did not know Charlie at the time. I accepted a copy with no promises). What I wrote: "Monument Road will take you on a rewarding climb into the hearts and souls of real people searching for peace and understanding in an unforgiving landscape. This novel is ambitious in scope and as sweeping as the broad skies of Western Colorado, but delivers on all fronts. Fans of Kent Haruf, Ron Carlson, or Wallace Stegner will find a lot to like."
Quimby has his eye is out for small, unheralded lives. A high school girl in choir and theater who is trying to sort out the difference between good acting and bad acting. She’s trying to find hidden truths of herself (as are many of the characters in this book). There’s an awkward foster kid with a board but nowhere to ride it out on the ranch where he’s given a temporary home. There’s a once-idealistic reporter who now searches for the “wretched thread” to demonstrate a cycle of abuse at a day care center. The characters’ lives are loosely interwoven. Quimby doesn’t force the dots to connect; they overlap naturally as they would in any small city.
Ultimately, the focus is on Leonard Self and his role in the community and he takes stock of his many circles of life. The theme could be brittle and overwrought (and it’s certainly been done before) but Monument Road and its interesting cast of characters deliver a solid punch that is powerful without being sentimental and spiritual without being religious. Nothing in "Monument Road" sounds like a “damn greeting card.” Not at all. You will feel the weight and the gravity of what’s going down.
http://wp.me/plqD1-v5
Leonard Self is driving down the snaking road off Colorado National Monument. His wife Inetta’s cremated ashes in the “squat ceramic container” on the seat next to him, down Monument Road. He has just recalled a science lesson about gravity that cues up one of the book’s central themes: gravity. Fallen—and falling—man.
And then comes a wonderful paragraph of prose. I won’t re-type the whole paragraph here, though I'm tempted. Quimby weaves together geology and astronomy, makes a poetic reference to the state of the economy and tells us plenty about Leonard Self and where he sees himself in the great arc of time and life. The paragraph is about descent and decline and history and memory all tumbled together and it comes at you in a fairly effortless fashion.
However, the following paragraph ends with a religious reference (not the first in the first two pages) and, to be honest, I was worried at first that I might be starting a novel with proselytizing on its mind.
Yes, religion is a theme but it’s within the context of a terrifically human series of intertwined stories about the gritty lives of real people in the Grand Valley and around Grand Junction, Colorado.
I’ll say here what I had a chance to say in the blurb I wrote for "Monument Road." (Torrey House Press sent an advance copy to me but I did not know Charlie at the time. I accepted a copy with no promises). What I wrote: "Monument Road will take you on a rewarding climb into the hearts and souls of real people searching for peace and understanding in an unforgiving landscape. This novel is ambitious in scope and as sweeping as the broad skies of Western Colorado, but delivers on all fronts. Fans of Kent Haruf, Ron Carlson, or Wallace Stegner will find a lot to like."
Quimby has his eye is out for small, unheralded lives. A high school girl in choir and theater who is trying to sort out the difference between good acting and bad acting. She’s trying to find hidden truths of herself (as are many of the characters in this book). There’s an awkward foster kid with a board but nowhere to ride it out on the ranch where he’s given a temporary home. There’s a once-idealistic reporter who now searches for the “wretched thread” to demonstrate a cycle of abuse at a day care center. The characters’ lives are loosely interwoven. Quimby doesn’t force the dots to connect; they overlap naturally as they would in any small city.
Ultimately, the focus is on Leonard Self and his role in the community and he takes stock of his many circles of life. The theme could be brittle and overwrought (and it’s certainly been done before) but Monument Road and its interesting cast of characters deliver a solid punch that is powerful without being sentimental and spiritual without being religious. Nothing in "Monument Road" sounds like a “damn greeting card.” Not at all. You will feel the weight and the gravity of what’s going down.
August 11, 2016
My book club chose this, because Charlie used to work for B. Dalton, and we are former employees too. The cover is atrocious, but the comparison to David Rhodes' Driftless reassured me; that was one of my favorite reads of the past several years, and the similarities are strong. The testimonials on the book jacket are justified, as are the very favorable reviews here. It took a little ways to get into the story, since there are so many threads to connect, and the flashbacks threw me off at first. I love the author's perspective on the complexities of the situations the characters get into, and they are all, in a sense, lovable and interesting. This seems to come from his varied experience that includes working in the arts, business and public policy and volunteering with the homeless in Minneapolis and Colorado. There is a generosity of spirit in his writing, a gripping story that gains speed as it progresses, and many paragraphs of beautiful prose. I can't wait to read more from Torrey Press and Charlie Quimby.
November 20, 2013
The western Colorado landscape, “where earth’s time is laid open in vertical autopsy,” takes hold of the characters’ lives in Monument Road, and in some cases, doesn’t let go.
Leonard Self, a widowed rancher, plans to go off his wife’s favorite cliff edge with her ashes. A fearless, high school actress named Helen communes with a strange classmate at a different high point along the road. And, just as he is finding his way in a hard luck life, young Junior Crimmins flees a crisis with an impulsive drive up Monument Road.
How the lives of these deeply imagined characters intersect is the heart of this sad, funny, finely crafted novel. I won’t give away the plot, but do want to say the story moves along, zigzags and all.
Charlie Quimby writes with both scope and precision. Some of his descriptions almost flaunt their particularity, but they’re not overdone, and I never skimmed while reading this book. The dialogue is pitch perfect and never serves as filler.
The author’s unsentimental empathy brings each character into focus, including secondary characters who occasionally threaten to steal the story—like Vaughn Hobart.
Vaughn was “accomplished in the various arts of looking busy and staying out of the way—holding the ladder, banging on stuck threads, looking for tools he hadn’t put away, taking a break, eyeballing and giving an opinion and, best of all, offering help when none was required.”
So why would I give Monument Road only four stars? Mainly because I’m the author’s wife—I knocked one star off for my presumed lack of objectivity. But I can attest this book stands up to repeated readings and independent booksellers who were advance readers are enthusiastically hand selling it.
Leonard Self, a widowed rancher, plans to go off his wife’s favorite cliff edge with her ashes. A fearless, high school actress named Helen communes with a strange classmate at a different high point along the road. And, just as he is finding his way in a hard luck life, young Junior Crimmins flees a crisis with an impulsive drive up Monument Road.
How the lives of these deeply imagined characters intersect is the heart of this sad, funny, finely crafted novel. I won’t give away the plot, but do want to say the story moves along, zigzags and all.
Charlie Quimby writes with both scope and precision. Some of his descriptions almost flaunt their particularity, but they’re not overdone, and I never skimmed while reading this book. The dialogue is pitch perfect and never serves as filler.
The author’s unsentimental empathy brings each character into focus, including secondary characters who occasionally threaten to steal the story—like Vaughn Hobart.
Vaughn was “accomplished in the various arts of looking busy and staying out of the way—holding the ladder, banging on stuck threads, looking for tools he hadn’t put away, taking a break, eyeballing and giving an opinion and, best of all, offering help when none was required.”
So why would I give Monument Road only four stars? Mainly because I’m the author’s wife—I knocked one star off for my presumed lack of objectivity. But I can attest this book stands up to repeated readings and independent booksellers who were advance readers are enthusiastically hand selling it.
September 22, 2018
It's apparently obligatory for an author to award themselves five stars...
May 4, 2016
What amazes me about good writers is that they can tackle the same themes I might tackle myself (and in fact have done so in my own first novel), even though their background is so totally unlike my own. I mean those compelling essential themes of love and, especially, loss. To be, or not to be, following a loss so terrible you can't imagine ever caring to live again.
Charles Quimby presents us with a not particularly talkative rancher whose wife has died. I'm not giving away anything here, as the death happens very early on. Flashbacks, smoothly integrated, give us a poignant sense of a marriage that is beautiful in its ordinariness. There's a lot more to the story than adjusting (or not) to such a dramatic change. Every character feels as real as the main one(s).
Let me add that not every indie press comes out with books this excellently written and edited. I found nothing to complain about, in fact. I look forward to Quimby's next book, and Torrey House Press's next selections.
Charles Quimby presents us with a not particularly talkative rancher whose wife has died. I'm not giving away anything here, as the death happens very early on. Flashbacks, smoothly integrated, give us a poignant sense of a marriage that is beautiful in its ordinariness. There's a lot more to the story than adjusting (or not) to such a dramatic change. Every character feels as real as the main one(s).
Let me add that not every indie press comes out with books this excellently written and edited. I found nothing to complain about, in fact. I look forward to Quimby's next book, and Torrey House Press's next selections.
January 17, 2014
This beautiful and haunting novel,set in Western Colorado, tells the story of Leonard Self, grieving his wife's passing and bent on self destruction. With a larger cast of memorable characters and a stark setting in the land around Grand Junction, the author tells a story of love, forgiveness and finally redemption that display writing that is filled with insight and grace. I truly loved this book, the author even manages to incorporate wise words from my favorite Persian mystic, Rumi.
July 5, 2018
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. A story full of so many truths about life and people, a story about what we think we control and how little we actually do, and how to find sweetness in the everyday gifts -- even when life doesn't go according to plan. I fell in love with the amazing characters, expertly developed throughout the story, getting to know them and loving them, better with the passing of each chapter, like getting to know one's neighbors and having them grow on you and work their way into your heart, not only despite, but also because of their foibles and quirks. And at the same time, discovering new gifts you didn't know they had, which is both charming and humbling. Sometimes you get to the end of a book and you're sad it's over because you want to keep reading. And you're actually going to miss the characters you've come to know. Monument Road is that kind of book. Thank you, Charlie Quimby, for a true blessing of a read.
October 31, 2013
This is a work of fiction set in a real place, which means the author has allowed the maps to be wrong on occasion, the characters were granted permission to turn up where they never did in life, and a girl in 1989 may read a poem from the 13th century no matter when it was translated, screams the disclaimer to songwriter, playwright, blogger, essayist, journalist and now author Charlie Quimby's debut novel Monument Road. It is a hilarious start to a novel that is anything but that.
Charlie Quimby is a natural and masterful storyteller which comes through in his debut novel, which is a gem of a beauty. It makes reading pure pleasure as the reader is transported to the world of Leonard Self unwinding his ranch for his tryst with destiny - to take the ashes of his wife, Inetta, up Artists Point and scatter them to the wind. It was a year and a day ago that his wife died of cancer. Before her death she made him promise what he's planning to do today. And he has made up his mind to take his promise a step further - to throw himself off with her ashes. And that day is today!
Since the day of Inetta's cremation, Leonard has been making arrangements for this day. He was withdrawn, reclusive, and secluded which was a far cry from the time he was with his beloved wife. Along their life's journey, they had touched many lives, notable among them being Inetta's brother Elliot and a young alcoholic called Vaughn with lofty dreams, compelling Leonard to think aloud: "If you did your best and persevered, good things might happen, but goals were better left to kids playing games, where the baskets were nailed down and the posts were buried. In real life, things moved on you."
Think of yourself as Leonard trying to explain why he's giving away his dog, you would fumble too. And Inetta's friend becomes suspicious. Though he has withdrawn into a shell of his own, they deeply cared for him. And think of Leonard snaking down Colorado National Monument, with the ashes of his wife in a ceramic container next to him. And the thoughts going through his mind!
Written in simple but beautiful prose which amplifies the mood of the story, Monument Road with its memorable and unforgettable cast of characters, rich landscape and sweeping storyline delivers a powerful tale that will leave readers clamoring for more. It is a must-read for everyone. If you are planning on reading just one book this month, this should be it.
Charlie Quimby is a natural and masterful storyteller which comes through in his debut novel, which is a gem of a beauty. It makes reading pure pleasure as the reader is transported to the world of Leonard Self unwinding his ranch for his tryst with destiny - to take the ashes of his wife, Inetta, up Artists Point and scatter them to the wind. It was a year and a day ago that his wife died of cancer. Before her death she made him promise what he's planning to do today. And he has made up his mind to take his promise a step further - to throw himself off with her ashes. And that day is today!
Since the day of Inetta's cremation, Leonard has been making arrangements for this day. He was withdrawn, reclusive, and secluded which was a far cry from the time he was with his beloved wife. Along their life's journey, they had touched many lives, notable among them being Inetta's brother Elliot and a young alcoholic called Vaughn with lofty dreams, compelling Leonard to think aloud: "If you did your best and persevered, good things might happen, but goals were better left to kids playing games, where the baskets were nailed down and the posts were buried. In real life, things moved on you."
Think of yourself as Leonard trying to explain why he's giving away his dog, you would fumble too. And Inetta's friend becomes suspicious. Though he has withdrawn into a shell of his own, they deeply cared for him. And think of Leonard snaking down Colorado National Monument, with the ashes of his wife in a ceramic container next to him. And the thoughts going through his mind!
Written in simple but beautiful prose which amplifies the mood of the story, Monument Road with its memorable and unforgettable cast of characters, rich landscape and sweeping storyline delivers a powerful tale that will leave readers clamoring for more. It is a must-read for everyone. If you are planning on reading just one book this month, this should be it.
March 28, 2014
If you enjoy well crafted characters, fully developed and knowable, I would recommend this book. So many contemporary writers seem to put little value on character development - not the case here. Monument Road allows the reader to move in with a group of people and understand them - except for the ones that aren't understandable. The setting on the western slope is as important a character as the people. The reader drives the road to the ranch so often and in such detail - both personal, geological and historical - that if I ever end up on this road I believe I will recognize it. The book is beautifully written. Great descriptions. The synopsis on this site and others may lead you to believe it is a depressing story, but that is not the case. It is a beautiful love story, funny in places and ultimately positive. If I have a quibble, it's that the structure is sometimes difficult to follow and there are so many characters to track. I urge the reader to get through the sometimes difficult middle to the last third. Your perseverance will be rewarded.
September 9, 2015
I was drawn to Monument Road partly because I love the author's blog, Across the Great Divide, and partly because as both writer and reader I'm fascinated by how place shapes character and character shapes plot. I've lived most of my life in Massachusetts and don't know western Colorado at all, but Charlie Quimby brought it to life. Most of his characters are trying to do their best with what they've got, which in most cases isn't much. His protagonist, Leonard Self, is a marvel. Do you know how hard it is to get inside the head of a character who isn't in the habit of articulating his thoughts and feelings? Quimby does it, and he brings the reader along for the journey, not only along Monument Road but into Leonard's past. A really wonderful first novel from a thoughtful writer.
July 26, 2014
Rarely do I take the time to write a review of the books I read----I usually just check a rating and move on. But this book deserves an explanation and encouragement to fellow readers to pick up a copy next time you are in your neighborhood independent book store. The characters are worth it---having grown up in a small town, over time you learn to treat others' frailties with compassion. The author doesn't sugar-coat or idealize his characters, a major plus. By the end of the novel I felt that maybe our paths had crossed in the past; they were familiar. I'm an eclectic reader and love it when I am pleasantly surprised by a novel that doesn't fit my Netflix computer-generated "if you liked this, you'll love this" list. Add this book to your list!
September 13, 2016
Terrific novel with memorable characters, sharp descriptions and lots of old-fashioned plot. Protagonist Len Self is a heartbreakingly modest, insecure, laconic fellow with much common sense and a warm heart. I loved this book. I recommend it highly; it's one of the best books I've read in years, and I usually read 100-150 books a year.
October 6, 2013
Memorable characters, but rather drawn out.
Formal review found here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...
Formal review found here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...
August 22, 2018
This is a beautiful read. Separate story strands with great characters come together to create a quilt of gravity, grief, and grace. It deals with the magnitude of consequences--the total harm or benefit derived from a decision or action, intentional or unintentional.
July 20, 2014
Leonard Self is a sixty plus year old rancher outwardly caught in a time warp somewhere between the 1930's and present. His seemingly mismatched wife of many years, Inetta, has died of pancreatic cancer and, on the first anniversary of her death, Leonard is on a mission to fulfill a promise to spread her ashes at one of her favorite spots; and then to do himself in at the same time. As you might expect, things don't work out as he has meticulously planned.
Leonard's isolated ranch is located adjacent to the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction. Inetta is a deeply religious woman while Leonard, although a man of high moral and ethical standards, is not. As a child, Leonard is witness to his father's murder of his mother and sister. This event shapes his moods and character the remainder of his life.
The author spends a great deal of time laying the groundwork for the story by delving into Leonard and Inetta's past as well as into the lives of other important characters and their stories. At times, I found it difficult to determine where I was on the space-time continuum with the many flashbacks. In the end, however, everything was tied together nicely although unexpectedly.
I found it interesting that the author gave his main character the surname "Self." As I read the book, I found myself wondering how I would respond to the situations Leonard deals with. I think most readers will do the same and learn some things about their inner "self."
Leonard's isolated ranch is located adjacent to the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction. Inetta is a deeply religious woman while Leonard, although a man of high moral and ethical standards, is not. As a child, Leonard is witness to his father's murder of his mother and sister. This event shapes his moods and character the remainder of his life.
The author spends a great deal of time laying the groundwork for the story by delving into Leonard and Inetta's past as well as into the lives of other important characters and their stories. At times, I found it difficult to determine where I was on the space-time continuum with the many flashbacks. In the end, however, everything was tied together nicely although unexpectedly.
I found it interesting that the author gave his main character the surname "Self." As I read the book, I found myself wondering how I would respond to the situations Leonard deals with. I think most readers will do the same and learn some things about their inner "self."
December 27, 2013
Monument Road by Charlie Quimby is published by Torrey House Press, "an independent book publisher of fiction and nonfiction about the environment, people, cultures, and resource management issues relating to America's wild places." The wild place vividly rendered in this novel is the Colorado National Monument on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains. Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, and Glade Park are small towns in the shadow of the Monument whose harsh beauty looms over ranch land, orchards, oil fields, and failed businesses. Leonard Self is a taciturn, no-nonsense man, emotionally wounded in his early life. Against all odds he marries a woman who brings him quiet joy. When she loses her battle with cancer, he loses his will to live. He plans to fulfill his promise to scatter her ashes from a precipice on the Monument on the first anniversary of her death. He also plans to end his own now meaningless existence at this cliff. This is not a lighthearted story. The events leading to this moment are mostly sad commentaries on human foibles, frailties, and failures. But there is also power in redemption and hope for humanity.
June 24, 2014
Leonard Self, an aging Colorado rancher, sets out to fulfill the promise he made to his dying wife, Inetta: to toss her ashes over the highest overlook on Monument Road one year after her passing. Having made preparations, he plans to fling himself over the edge as well. As he makes his way in his truck, Leonard ties up a few loose ends and meanders through his memories. We see his fateful meeting with Inetta, the coming together of this stoic man and optimistic woman of faith, and their years of weathering life as a solid unit. We see Len struggle to tamp down a dark energy from his past, and eventually learn the meaning of love. Within the novel, two powerful subplots rear up seemingly from nowhere, but trust the author, he blends the stories masterfully in the climax. Part modern day western, part mystery, part love story, this debut novel is a joy to read. - excerpted from my review for Booklist
April 28, 2014
A beautiful, haunting book about gravity and separation and change. It's a beautiful conceit, the language is excellent, and the two main characters compelling. It took me a while to settle on the fact that this book does appear to be about gravity, about sheer cliffs and falling and the ways we fall into and out of each other's orbits. I'd been wanting something in the vein of Ivan Doig, and--without quite as much of the lyrical connection to Two Medicine that you find in Doig--I found precisely what I was looking for. In terms of new Western fiction that is beautiful and a little sad and not too precious, Quimby has a wonderful offering in this readable novel. With a little more practice, I think he'll be producing 5-star novels.
April 4, 2014
"Monument Road" is divided into six nonlinear sections, the first two slow and unknowing, offering introductions to disparate characters and background. It wasn't until the third section that I began to truly enjoy, and savor, the novel. It is within these later sections that characters and story lines begin to connect, mysteries rise to the surface, and we begin to more deeply understand the path on which we are being led. Moments of questioning perception, prejudice, and commonly held belief were especially appreciated. A beautiful, challenging novel encompassing place, time, and community.
August 17, 2015
Maybe it's because I watched 'Trading Places' shortly before I finished this book, but I was troubled by how the foster boy fell into petty crime and then suspected crimes. There was no criminal element with this boy. Just bad luck.
Another favorite of mine was the actress channeling Joan of Arc and testing to see how a modern world would react to the same claims.
So many sections and quotes that stuck with me. I'll continue to think about this book for a long time.
Thank you Quimby!
Another favorite of mine was the actress channeling Joan of Arc and testing to see how a modern world would react to the same claims.
So many sections and quotes that stuck with me. I'll continue to think about this book for a long time.
Thank you Quimby!
December 24, 2013
Exquisite and powerful. Despite its awful cover :-) I found myself pulled into the story of Leonard Self and the single day stretched across the arc of Quimby's finely-braided plot. There's heartbreak here, but also quiet beauty; the writing itself pinned me to my seat.
I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but I suspect that the humble publisher is one reason there isn't more acclaim for what is, in my view, one of the most enjoyable novels of the year.
I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but I suspect that the humble publisher is one reason there isn't more acclaim for what is, in my view, one of the most enjoyable novels of the year.
July 10, 2014
This author's debut novel reminds me of Larry McMurtry's stuff. It's character-driven,with a nice, easy, rural pace.
The main character is also very reminiscent McMurtry's Duane, the protagonist in Last Picture Show, Texasville, and Duane's Depressed.
The themes of love, loss, guilt and redemption are warn, but expertly and compassionately delivered in this book.
December 27, 2014
I absolutely loved the meandering of Leonard Self, on the road after his wife's death to throw her ashes - and his body - off the mountain cliff a year after her passing.
Leonard's life with her, his past life, his encounters resound with truth.
Quimby captures the walk and talk of Self, literally and figuratively.
The Self on a journey of sadness, redemption, truth-finding.
A wonderful book.
Leonard's life with her, his past life, his encounters resound with truth.
Quimby captures the walk and talk of Self, literally and figuratively.
The Self on a journey of sadness, redemption, truth-finding.
A wonderful book.
October 19, 2015
One of my top favorite books for 2014. It is also my favorite book to hand sell when a customer comes in and says that they need a gift book "for a man." It is a wonderful book club selection - full of richly detailed material that will provide plenty of discussion topics. Truly a 5 star read.
April 11, 2020
Chuck Quimby brings the characters and setting in Monument Road to life in such a humorous, poignant, and human way, that if I replay passages in my head, they have Garrison Keillor's voice. Hard to believe this is Quimby's first novel; I think this has to be one of my favorite novels ever.
December 6, 2016
In the first paragraph of Monument Road, author Charlie Quimby lets us know that Inetta, Leonard Self's beloved wife, is dead, but her spiritual presence is alive and well throughout the book. Inetta wants her husband to throw her ashes off of the cliff edge at Artists Point, exactly one year after she dies: "I want to be good and dry. Me and Jesus'll be watching and I want to float awhile."
Leonard does not believe in Jesus - or God. Will he throw himself off Artists Point with his wife's ashes? Why go on living when your loved one has died and you are left in a broken world? Why travel Monument Road with Leonard Self?
First, you get a trip to Colorado without flying United or driving through prairies or deserts. You will share the adventure with Leonard as he experiences the stunning scenery near Grand Junction, Colorado: "a thousand sheer feet of sandstone and granite where all of earth's time is laid open in vertical autopsy."
Second, you will meet memorable characters along the road: Elliott (Inetta's younger brother), Vaughn Hobart, Junior Crimmins,Winnie Bonniver, Inetta's friend from book club who has been bringing meals and finding ways to "help" Leonard in this year of mourning. As I read the book for the second time, I realized that I had met many of these people before. Some of Leonard's characteristics remind me of my uncles who were Kansas farmers, Inetta reminds me of a special, ethereal friend of mine, Helen reminds me of myself at age 18, Neulan Kornhauer reminds me of the teenagers who perpetuated the Columbine tragedy. Leonard Self is faced with the same reality that you and I are faced with: how to live an authentic life in a complex and difficult world. Throughout the book, Inetta's beauty, humor and strength lift us up.
My favorite part of the book, however, is Charlie Quimby's portrayal of a good marriage. Leonard is an intelligent, taciturn, hard-working rancher who does not believe in God and is very different from his wife. Inetta is also hard-working and strong, but she is an artist at heart and deeply devoted to her conservative Christian religion. They accept their differences. Inetta says, "All I ask is for you to let me be who I am, as I will let you be who you are. It was a heathen I fell in love with and so it'll be a heathen I marry." There are many books that focus on the fairy tale of courtship, but very few that portray a good marriage.
So - do yourself a favor. Take a drive on Monument Road. Will Inetta's ethereal presence keep Leonard from giving in to "the darkening"?
Leonard does not believe in Jesus - or God. Will he throw himself off Artists Point with his wife's ashes? Why go on living when your loved one has died and you are left in a broken world? Why travel Monument Road with Leonard Self?
First, you get a trip to Colorado without flying United or driving through prairies or deserts. You will share the adventure with Leonard as he experiences the stunning scenery near Grand Junction, Colorado: "a thousand sheer feet of sandstone and granite where all of earth's time is laid open in vertical autopsy."
Second, you will meet memorable characters along the road: Elliott (Inetta's younger brother), Vaughn Hobart, Junior Crimmins,Winnie Bonniver, Inetta's friend from book club who has been bringing meals and finding ways to "help" Leonard in this year of mourning. As I read the book for the second time, I realized that I had met many of these people before. Some of Leonard's characteristics remind me of my uncles who were Kansas farmers, Inetta reminds me of a special, ethereal friend of mine, Helen reminds me of myself at age 18, Neulan Kornhauer reminds me of the teenagers who perpetuated the Columbine tragedy. Leonard Self is faced with the same reality that you and I are faced with: how to live an authentic life in a complex and difficult world. Throughout the book, Inetta's beauty, humor and strength lift us up.
My favorite part of the book, however, is Charlie Quimby's portrayal of a good marriage. Leonard is an intelligent, taciturn, hard-working rancher who does not believe in God and is very different from his wife. Inetta is also hard-working and strong, but she is an artist at heart and deeply devoted to her conservative Christian religion. They accept their differences. Inetta says, "All I ask is for you to let me be who I am, as I will let you be who you are. It was a heathen I fell in love with and so it'll be a heathen I marry." There are many books that focus on the fairy tale of courtship, but very few that portray a good marriage.
So - do yourself a favor. Take a drive on Monument Road. Will Inetta's ethereal presence keep Leonard from giving in to "the darkening"?
October 18, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Charlie Quimby is an impressive writer. His plotting decisions show a lot of respect for what makes up a credible premise. (That is, while he managed to surprise me and keep me guessing both, where we ended up never felt contrived.) This book's dialogue is utterly believable and his characters possess both personal power and charming quirks that engaged me: I came to care about the main characters. The protagonist is a man of very few words and so he, and coincidentally the other folks we come to know, flesh out their traits through actions. This is delicate work. I admire Mr. Quimby as much for what he writes and the story he tells as for what he leaves out so that we may fill in the vacant spaces according to what has already occurred and thus is based on the earlier plot and characterizations. This subtle and quiet approach to spinning an emotionally charged yarn nicely complements the vivid descriptions of rugged mountainous terrain of the west.
I suppose the ultimate compliment I can give this book is that upon finishing it I wanted to hop in my car and go out to Colorado!
I suppose the ultimate compliment I can give this book is that upon finishing it I wanted to hop in my car and go out to Colorado!
December 11, 2018
I enjoyed this book because it was set in Colorado, and it took a famous site where several suicides have taken place and used it for the basis of this book. The main characters were excellent, and the minor characters intriguing, but the author could have made better connections between them for the readers than just their experiences on Monument Road and given them more plausibility. The character of Neulan Kornhauer, the "psychotic choirmaster," sort of fizzles out, and the connection between Helen, who may or may not have committed suicide on Cold Shivers Point, Joe, the cycling journalist, and the rest of the novel need better development. The endng, too, was rushed as if the author just wanted to get it over with. This could have been a great novel.
July 20, 2018
It's been awhile since I read something that I couldn't put down. I loved this story. Len & Inetta, opposites who understood each other, despite their differences. I like how the author brought other characters into the story to give me an ending that made me cry.
October 25, 2022
I love this book. I grew up in Grand Junction, which is the setting of this book, and was a teen during the 80s and 90s. Reading this book felt nostalgic and bittersweet and comforting in a way. Beautiful writing and multi-dimensional characters.
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