Old King

by Maxim Loskutoff, Francesco Cristaudo (Translator)

Montana, estate 1976. Duane Oshun si ritrova bloccato in una cittadina remota e di recente afflitta da una serie di eventi bizzarri e allarmanti. Accetta un lavoro come taglialegna e si costruisce una baita lungo una stradina isolata. Il suo dirimpettaio è Ted Kaczynski, un eremita. I due uomini legano grazie alla comune fascinazione per la splendida foresta che circonda la valle, un luogo minacciato dallo sviluppo della società, come Kaczynski evidenzia con rancore. Il suo malcontento culminerà in un gesto eclatante che metterà a rischio le vite di tutti gli abitanti del luogo. Old King espone le contraddizioni che hanno accompagnato la nascita dei moderni movimenti ambientalisti e indaga il dominio sempre più totalitario della tecnologia nell'America di oggi. Accompagnandoci in un viaggio lungo vent'anni, Loskutoff si conferma una delle voci più entusiasmanti nella narrazione dell'Ovest americano, un autore - come lo definisce Nickolas Butler - «dotato di un'audacia inscalfibile, di incantevole grazia e di un cuore coraggioso».

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Thriller, Novels, Literary Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2024

About the author

Two-time winner of the High Plains Book Award, Maxim Loskutoff is the author of the novels OLD KING and RUTHIE FEAR and the story collection COME WEST AND SEE. His stories and essays have appeared in numerous periodicals, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Ploughshares, and GQ. Other honors include the Nelson Algren Award and the Montana Innovation Award. A Yaddo and MacDowell fellow, he lives in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana where he was raised.

Reviews

[Dax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I like to go hunting for a diamond in the rough of contemporary fiction. I wasn't familiar with Maxim Loskutoff, but a thoughtful blurb from Philip Meyer on the back of the book caught my attention. I decided to read it before I forgot about it.

I liked it. The multi-perspective construction of the narrative works pretty well and some of the characters, particularly Mason and Hutch, were interesting. Loskutoff is no great writer, but the prose is fine. As I was finishing the book, I tried to summarize to myself the thematic elements of the book when low and behold Loskutoff lays it all out for the reader in the final pages.

In a bit of tongue in cheek, Loskutoff references a fictional article about the Unabomber's closest neighbor.

"The article's author was also a novelist and had added apocalyptic flourishes to the end of each section, using the man's oblivion as a microcosm for America's decline- the evil that creeps in when neighbors stop looking out for each other amid the disconnection of modern life. It was over the top in every way..."

Loskutoff's novel isn't over the top, but there are a couple of moving passages and I thought this was a pleasing reading experience. Good book. Low three stars.

[Nicole D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/3 (barely)

I don't know how I finished this book, but I did, so that has to count for something. At the beginning I wasn't sure. The writing was awful - I suspect there are a number of AI generated sentences. It read like high school creative writing project.

The writing settled in some, but the story was really disjointed. It felt like the author had a number of different ideas, but none of them were enough to make a book of its own so he threw them all into one book. There are also massive gaps in time, like there was a main character who featured in probably 2/3rds of the book ... he has his "moment" then the book forwards to two years later, and he's completely gone from the story.

If you are drawn to this book because of the Ted Kaczynski aspect you may also find yourself disappointed. Ted's story is woven throughout, mostly peripherally until the latter part of the book. Then we have some sections featuring Ted, and then another time lapse of 10 years ....

I get that we aren't supposed to be rooting for Ted, but he and every other character in this book are mostly unlikable and frankly uninteresting. We have a postal inspector who is on Ted's case, and we get to hear a lot about his mother who is at home and not even in the book??

Trigger warning: There is animal cruelty and other animal stuff which a lot of people will find upsetting. Yet, somehow the author managed to strip all emotion from the book.

It somehow kept me reading, but I neither enjoyed nor appreciated it.

[Deanna (she_reads_truth_365) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading fiction books that are based on true events so when I read the description for Old King, I was immediately interested. Old King is centered around the decades long crimes of Ted Kaczynski as the Unabomber, however this novel is so much more than that. It was a slow burn character driven story. The author beautifully wrote the Montana setting so descriptive and captivating that it was a highlight for me throughout the book. This is a compelling literary story about the North American frontier and what it would have been like to live in close proximity to the Unabomber.


I received an advanced physical copy from @thoughtsfromapage Lit Lover Patreon Community (Traveling Galley Program). Thank you to Cindy Burnett and publisher W. W. Norton & Company books. I appreciated the opportunity to preview this book.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts in 1976 from Salt Lake City and quickly moving to Lincoln, Nebraska where most of the book takes place. We follow mainly three men, Duane who had to leave SLC as he was broken from his wife giving him divorce papers. Then there is the hermit Ted Kaczynski, yeah that guy who builds bombs and mails them to people. And there is Nep, a Postal Service inspector trying to catch this bomber.

For most of the book it is told from Duane’s point of view. We get much shorter passages from the other two men. We also get the POV of other characters. Jackie is the lone female voice in this book. She’s divorced and a long time native of this place, while some of the others are more recent transplants, even if they arrived a decade ago. Lincoln is almost like another character, a very small town in the middle of the woods, some of which is being clear cut.

Menace is laced through the book with Ted’s nefarious actions. The book opens with a bomb that goes off when a security guard at a computer lab in a university campus goes off. It doesn’t kill him. Ted is intent in killing someone. It’s eerie. Never does he become a sympathetic character.

The timeline and how things move forward in the book is a bit confusing. It may say years later, then Duane had been here a year…something like that. I just decided to go with the flow and not pay much attention to it closely.

Overall this was a decent read.

[Ray Labbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books of the year so far. It’s a novel that includes the unabomber as one of the main characters - very similar to a movie that opens with “based off of a true story.” I was surprised to find out how little I knew about Ted Kaczynski. For instance he went to Harvard when he was 16 and the unabomber name derives from his first bombing attempts which blew up at universities (Un) and an airplane (A) - the airplane incident did not cause any injuries, but was initially withheld from the public for fear of copycats. The other main characters of this book dominate the first half of the novel and their stories are told with depth and care. The author very effectively recreates the atmosphere of remote Montana in the late 20th century. Ted is portrayed as a clearly troubled and ultimately terrible person, but the themes that drive his madness, technology and industrialization are also visible in the book’s parallel narratives. This is a thoughtful and calmly provocative book.

[Emma Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me, through no fault of its own, why I sometimes struggle with historical fiction. Loskutoff knows Montana—and he wants to make gosh-darn sure you know that he knows Montana. The book feels researched, in a way that I don’t necessarily want novels to feel. I don’t exactly know how to describe it, except that the characters give off the vibes of Disney’s paid influencers always using the full name of an attraction.

That said, I know that for many people, learning new things about a time and a place can be a big draw to a historical fiction novel. And Old King does very much evoke what I imagine it felt like to live in the Mountain West in the ‘70s and ‘80s. I might recommend this one to my grandpa, who lived in a place like that, or to my mom, who likes her fiction grounded in fact.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy.

[Sara Habein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set primarily in Lincoln, Montana, this book does really capture the area's unusual spirit and its weather. The characters are all loners in their own way, not so far removed from the soon-to-be-famous bomber who occasionally crosses their paths, and yet, it is clear that hermit Ted is at the extreme end of that solitude. Loskutoff covers a lot of ground with various points of view — an odd jobs man, a Postal Service investigator, a Forest Service employee, among others — though I wouldn't have minded hearing more from the women.

I was in middle school, living less than two hours from Lincoln when it all kicked off, and I didn't have a clear handle on what all the Unabomber had done until later. My friends and I were mostly amused by the novelty of our state appearing on the news (and an SNL sketch). And from there, Montana kept appearing on others' radar as a place to "get away." We didn't know then that more tourists, even more rich people with money to burn, were coming to upend the access to land, to housing, to general resources. We were privileged not to know, insulated. Reading about how we have crept to our current state, through the lens of these people all searching for some nebulous peace, will certainly be familiar to those from here. I'm glad someone who lives here wrote this book.

[Justin Tardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted a light easy read about the American wilderness and how some people find great peace in rural communities. Ended up learning about the Unabomber

[T.A. Par · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of most unique books I have ever read. The author is so descriptive that when he is talking about how cold it is in the book..I felt cold. Historical fiction and a strong appreciation of nature makes this a 5plus!

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I would read a book where the Unabomber is a character. I not only read one, but I also thought it was absorbing.
The author tells the story of the small Montana town where a very eccentric recluse isn't all that unique. The towns people are each introduced individually, and then the author shows how their lives begin to shift. There is an undercurrent building.
I was drawn into the story, and I wasn't sure how all the parts would come together. I didn't know anything about Ted Kaczynski, but his story is intense and sad.
I couldn't see how the author was going to bring it all together at the end, and I must admit the ending was weak.
Now I have to get a non-fiction book out of the library.

[Kate P. from the Bachelor]

This was kinda neat and I liked the emphasis on the people surrounding Ted (we’re a good way into the book before we really meet him at all). But I did wish that the Ted parts were a bit more fleshed out. Like, okay, we don’t need to humanize serial killers irl, so maybe it’s too problematic to humanize fictionalized versions of them… but still it felt like the treatment of him was more surface-level than I would have liked and I wish we’d gotten to know him and his background or motivations better.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another incredibly written work by Maxim Loskutoff. Three years later, I'm still thinking about Ruthie Fear. Odds are good I'll think of this fictional account of Ted Kaczynski for a long time as well. The setting of Montana is its own character as the backdrop for the lives of Ted's neighbors, an eccentric and quirky group of people. Old King is character driven literary fiction. Lyrical prose and absorbing atmosphere. Chapters are told from alternating perspectives including Ted. Imagining what he may have been thinking is fascinating. Oddly enough, Kaczynski died in prison a year ago today while the author was finishing up his work on this novel.

[Drew McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me longer than I wanted to finish, but that has nothing to do with the novel. I really dug it. First book by Loskfutoff, and I'll def read more by him. This is a quiet, slow burn, character driven, character study. Glad I read it.

[Alexandra Spurlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it in two days, on a rec from my dad. I knew nothing about it going in, other than my dad and I both like Montana, and it was a great surprise. I thought the writing was excellent, thoughtful, and kept me engaged. I learned a lot, a great work of fiction based on true events.

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo libro è viaggio tra le paure più profonde di ciascuno di noi, perchè mina i concetti a cui siamo più legati: il luogo sicuro, la possibilità di proteggere le persone che amiamo e la convinzione di conoscere chi abbiamo a fianco.
La lettura è semplice, fluida e per questo rapida, ma alla fine presenta il conto; esigendo di rimettere a posto i pezzi e ridefinire i confini delle proprie paure, accetando, con consapevolezza o consapevole incoscienza, l’esigenza di dare fiducia.

[Evelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot. Engaging! Thank you NPR book concierge!

[Dee Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Names of witnesses and victims have been changed, but the novel tracks true otherwise. Lovely to read a book by a male author who knows the names of wild plants and can detail nature so well. Two main characters who narrate in third person are both really decent, moral men to provide ample contrast. The first, Duane Oshun, will live next to Ted Kascynski for twenty years, even getting gardening advice from the recluse, without ever suspecting a thing. The only other Ivy League grad, Mason—a forest ranger—will dislike him but again, never quite grok why.

Both of these men are connected through Jackie, a lifelong waitress at the Ponderosa Cafe. Married to Mason for seven years, she decides to go her own way when they remain childless and he starts helping a neighbor keep wild animals. Later she’ll meet Duane as a new regular at the cafe; when he begins to bring his son Hutch to Montana for summers, Jackie will get to be mom and they’ll almost feel like family, at least over the Fourth of July, for several years. Jackie is the only woman of any depth in the book, and she is pivotal, its anchor, whether or not the narration is from her point of view. She’s actually the only one who has a true understanding of nature, compared with all of the men.

There’s the false swagger of thugs like the Carters, assholes we’ve all met—wherever we’ve met them—who own 1,200 acres, hunt without need, post carcasses nailed to doors, and don’t feed their cattle. There’s ranger Mason, whom we like, who’s strayed from his role as forest ranger to become something of a renegade in the belief he knows nature better than most—readers may feel his comeuppance as their own, his wrongheadedness is so well crafted. Dixon, Mason’s buddy the veterinarian, houses in locked cages the injured he and Mason release from traps only to be trapped again by him, guarded from intrusion—or freedom—by two huskies he keeps leashed outside. He will even keep a grizzly, very rare to their area and described as a god, whose leg has been lamed. Then there’s the owl he’ll insist can’t handle summer weather and so must remain in an enormous cage in his living room. Kascynski will feed Dixon’s barking dogs glass-riddled meat, leaving Dixon spirit-damaged for the rest of his life.

I didn’t know that Kascynski suffered excruciating migraines from childhood. I was also unaware that he’d participated in a heinous psychological study during his first two years as an undergrad at Harvard, the intent of which was to break people down, ostensibly as a covert weapon of war. This study gave him an inferiority complex that compelled his hate, while his superior brain allowed him to develop increasingly sophisticated bombs and inventive disguises—at one point as he entered a college campus to deliver a bomb, he’d gone to such lengths he’d glued soles two sizes smaller than his shoes to leave inaccurate, misleading tracks.

But reading his mind was chilling, so utterly devoted was he to murdering people he didn’t even know, victims he’d never even met. He only ever felt good when engrossed in preparing his next bomb. He had no money and carved his bomb boxes from pine that smelled like butterscotch—somehow that made it all so much worse, to my mind—as though he would first wake a victim to the fragrance of forest before ripping their bodies apart. At first glance one might sympathize with the central thesis of his manifesto, that tech was taking over humanity and tearing us away from the ways we should live in nature. His defense of nature was even admirable. He was seeing at first hand the pristine pine forests of Montana subjected to clear cutting, leaving behind deserts coated in sawdust, while cords of wood stacked like toothpicks several stories high were carted off to city building. But the notion that billions, millions, or even thousands of people could simply turn away from cities to live forever in the forests was beyond childish. There aren’t enough forests in the world, and people accustomed to microwaves, central heat and air conditioning could not survive there, even if ample forests existed.

Written well, I found this novel entertaining but also positing a moral code, although it doesn’t preach. Definitely worth the read.

[Bookreporter.com Historical Fiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

The idea of living deep in nature has been alluring for many in the modern age. Back-to-land movements may be based on Transcendentalist romanticism, anti-capitalist ideologies, religious worldviews and everything in between. Maxim Loskutoff’s fiction has previously explored the spaces where society meets natural wilds, and his new novel, OLD KING, is in the same vein. Here, he threads the real-life story of the infamous Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, with the fictional Duane Oshun, a man seeking solace and authenticity amongst the trees of Montana.

Duane moves to the small remote town of Lincoln in 1976. He is both fleeing a failed marriage back in Utah, and searching for meaning and contentment, hoping to build a new life that he and his young son, Hudson, can be proud of. In his first days, he finds himself living in his truck in a church parking lot, chopping wood for the pastor and being confronted by an aggressive cow. He also catches the eye of local waitress Jackie, a beautiful, thoughtful and slightly world-weary woman. Duane eventually becomes friends with a man named Hutch, who secretly rehabilitates injured wild animals and builds his own cabin close to that of Hutch and one belonging to a strange, misanthropic recluse named Ted. Ted is rumored to be a genius and former university professor, but in Lincoln he is known for living lean and not trusting his neighbors.

Over time, Duane settles into a quiet but meaningful life in Lincoln. Hudson visits every summer, and his relationship with Jackie deepens. He finds more steady work and comes to know and respect the land he lives on, even though it remains powerful, dangerous and mysterious. Local logging operations are threatened by environmentalists and big corporate operations, and Lincoln residents have to deal with the random violence and crimes of the Carter family from time to time. Yet the real menace in Lincoln turns out to be Ted. As the book goes on, readers get more chapters revolving around Ted, detailing his grievances, his history, his emotions and his bombs. Loskutoff threads much of Kaczynski’s actual biography in the novel but fills in gaps with a frightening and imaginative view of his mind and motivations.

Duane, Ted and others feel various kinds of kinship with the trees, animals and people of Lincoln. Many of Loskutoff’s characters are heartbroken and heart-aching, tired and cynical. Duane is almost singular in his wide-eyed openness to the possibility of a life of simple significance and straightforward love. Peril lurks in this novel, often resulting in terrible harm. Duane’s innocence and Ted’s destructive anger seem to be on a collision course. Loskutoff handles the tension deftly and embeds it in a well-paced tale with strong and exquisite prose.

OLD KING is a compelling, sometimes harrowing and occasionally sweet novel confronting emotional disconnect, the relationship between humanity and nature, and modern fears about technology, all the while giving readers characters who care deeply about each other and the world around them. This smart, captivating and provocative book is highly recommended.

Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

[Kat Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Haunting Tale of Wilderness and Humanity

Maxim Loskutoff's "Old King" is a novel that dives deep into the heart of rural America, intertwining the lives of its characters with the landscape they inhabit. Set against the backdrop of Lincoln, Montana, the story is inspired by events in the life of Theodore Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, which adds a layer of historical intrigue to the narrative.

The novel opens with a security officer at the University of Illinois receiving a misaddressed package in May 1976. This package, a small bomb, sets the tone for the story's exploration of the Unabomber's life. The town of Lincoln, with its tall pines dwarfing the buildings and its single traffic light, becomes a character in its own right, embodying the isolation and ruggedness of the landscape.

Duane Oshun, a man in his late twenties, arrives in Lincoln after leaving his life in Salt Lake City behind. His journey is one of escape and search for a new beginning. The novel follows Duane as he navigates his new life, from working for a preacher to falling in love with Jackie, a woman with a deep connection to the valley's history. Their relationship, marked by age differences and past experiences, adds depth to the story.

Ted Kaczynski, another central character, is portrayed with a complexity that goes beyond his infamous legacy. His connection to the land, his disdain for modern technology, and his interactions with the other characters provide a nuanced look into his psyche. The novel does not shy away from exploring the darker aspects of Ted's actions, including his bombings and his impact on the community.

The Old King, an ancient Douglas fir, symbolizes the valley's endangered old-growth forest and serves as a silent witness to the unfolding human dramas. The tree's presence is a constant reminder of the natural world's beauty and fragility.

Loskutoff's writing is rich in detail, capturing the essence of the Montana landscape and the lives of those who inhabit it. The novel's pacing allows for a deep dive into the characters' inner worlds, making their struggles and triumphs resonate with the reader.

"Old King" is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that offers a window into the lives of those living on the fringes of society and the wilderness. Maxim Loskutoff's ability to weave historical events with fictional characters creates a story that is both engaging and profoundly moving,

As a child of the '70s, I found "Old King" to be a deeply resonant story. The novel's ending, while rooted in history, leaves a lasting impression and prompts reflection on our relationship with the natural world.

This was a really good read...

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opens with a scene of one interloping of previous trodden ground, a home of past living in search of a microwave, a Duane Oshun in his ex-wife’s home uninvited, one May in Utah.
From Utah to Montana 29 year old Duane, a newly divorced man with a son of 13, with things he leaves behind and heart at battle with trying to forge a new life, a new chapter of ones life commences as a new denizen of a town will arrive wandering and inquisitive in a small town and a drive to a church may deliver some gifts of employment, friendships and social connections as one tries to start a new life.
With the new territory and chapter of life in the small town he questions if he may be happy in solace in a cabin built by ones own hands who’s new job entails cutting wood, logging, seeking happiness and solace in a cabin in the wilderness recovering from fall out of divorce would be splendid and with son to visit and live amongst beauty of the earth.
There is one interloper that also has a cabin one that paths will inevitably intersect each other and these sentences lead you with grace and a great anticipation on the how of these fates cross path one strain true and straight from the pages of dark history of the evil that men do.

Plight of men and women separated and new love to be found, old beef, grudges and enemies, the protecting of the forest and stopping of poachers, and other dangers lay in wait. A Bear dangerous enough too, that does appear in this small town and tale but also a far more dangerous being to society one with rage and anger about to show its ugly head in the wilderness.
Incorporated alongside the characters pursuit of a life and meaning and other trials there be a nicely crafted twisted portrait, the complexities and frailties and the wickedness of this man once whom terrorised the population, all embedding within the reader a memorable historical literary treat.
The author successfully juxtaposing the reader amidst wilderness and tragedy and vividly evoking the duality of nature and man with the beauty and ugliness, good and evil.

There be various greatly formulated sentences, words in line to describe various environments, emotions and scenes unfolding.
A few examples are in the excerpts i have selected @ more2read

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unabomber, or Ted Kaczynski was a loner, and considered a tad strange. Coming out of Montana, where there are quite a few that want to just be left alone, he still strikes the townsfolk as a bit odd. They shrug it off, not putting too much thought into it.
One neighbor, however, Duane Oshun, tries to find out a bit more about this loner neighbor of his, and while he has some feelings that something is not right, he doesn't push to far, or do too much about it.

Through this book, we get a historical fiction view of Ted Kaczynski, and what he might have been like, and those around him. This book really focuses more on those around Ted, and it feels like forever into the book before he is finally introduced.
I will admit that I was hoping for a bit more about this man who became one of the most notorious serial bombers and killers of my youth. While we will never forget what he did, it is hard to sometimes align the man with the deeds, and the huge question of why.
Okay, he hated people. He wanted quiet and peace. But instead of just working toward moving deeper into the forest to get away from people, he decided to lash out and use several different methods to get rid of folks - to include a teenage boy.

This was a really interesting read, and gives a great view into the area of Montana that Ted Kaczynski retreated into, and tried to make his home.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up because he gets Lincoln, MT. SO right! I live 50 miles from there & can't say I have extensive first-hand knowledge of Lincoln, but from what I've seen of it in the past 36 years, Loskutoff nails it, as well as the distinctive Montana mindset of that kind of town.
Others have summarized the plot, the characters, and the setting; I was particularly struck by how well Loskutoff captures all the ambivalence, fragility, & discomfort of coming to a place you want so much to belong, yet learn that your idea of what it is, & the reality of what it is, just don't & won’t fully align. This is probably true of many places, but Old King does a particularly good job of revealing all the nuances & ways this plays out in the particular culture of a town such as Lincoln. And how someone as damaged as Ted Kaczynski can live unremarkably & under the radar in such a place -- indeed, almost be nurtured by it. It was a good read, & I thank the author & Norton for an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

[Mike C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. The premise sounded interesting, but if you’re going to write a fiction book with Ted Kaczynski as a main character, the story needs to earn it. Otherwise, it just seems cheap and pretentious, and it unfortunately just wasn’t well-written enough to earn it.

The first part (“Duane”) is so poorly written as to be almost unreadable. Every single noun had an adjective in front of it, the overly descriptive text of someone trying too hard, and simply, the writing (and Duane the character) was boring. Almost DNF’d. The book does improve after that - so Loskutoff *can* write; it’s almost like someone else wrote “Duane.”

I saw another review that said that section came off as AI-generated, which would be a very meta way to write a book about characters fleeing modern technology.

One star for the first 100 pages. Four stars for the rest of the book. Three it is.

[Lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old King is a charming historical general fiction novel, following the small town that, unbeknownst to them, houses the Unabomber. Ted isn’t particularly present in the first half, though, more a spectre in the background. I’m surprised, because the book revolving around him is what initially got me interested in picking it up, but I far and away preferred the first half. I liked following the denizens of the town, quiet and eccentric as they all were. The pace was so pleasant, and the shadow of the strange little man at the end of the lane was the perfect amount of Ted.

The ending was pretty unsatisfactory too; it felt rather rushed, skipping over emotional beats that I really wanted to actually see. Quite disappointing.

However, loved the writing, loved Duane, loved the pacing of the first two parts, and loved the audiobook narrator for this. I definitely will be checking more out by Loskutoff.

[RxReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Old King" takes you on a journey through the wilds of rural America, mixing real history with made-up characters for a gripping story. It's all set in Lincoln, Montana, a place full of tough folks and tough terrain. The author's detailed descriptions make you feel like you're right there in Lincoln, living its rugged life.

The characters, like Duane Oshun and Ted Kaczynski, are well-drawn and real-feeling. You get a sense of what it's like to try and fit into a place that might not want you, and how nature and people can clash. Even though it's set in the past, "Old King" has a lot to say about today's world too. It's a deep and moving book that makes you think about our connection to the land and each other. Overall, "Old King" is a great read that sticks with you long after you've finished it.

[Bill Koch · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are four strengths to this historical novel. First, it provides a sense of the history of the 1970's - social chaos, and some people's search for a life away from urban society. Second, it portrays the tortured psychology of Ted Kaczynski - part bullied child grown up into resentful adult, part brilliant mathematician/social commentator, part violent coward. Third, it provides a close up of the majestic scenery of Western Montana. Fourth, it cycles through several characters (Duane, Mason, Jackie) who find something that draws them to the edge of the civilized world but are tortured by their doubts and regrets, leaving the reader to understand that one can escape the formal trappings of civilization but not one's personal regrets. It is a page turner, made more convincing because the characters are recognizably real, if not the usual urban/suburban images of modern life.

[JERRY WEBB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I did enjoy the book. I confess I was drawn to it due to the fact I am a retired Special Agent of the FBI and spent the month prior to the service of the search warrant living in a cabin just down the draw from Ted's. I enjoyed the fact that the geography of Lincoln was correct, but of course, names were changed. The spirit of the people in Lincoln was captured perfectly. I passed through several years ago on my way home from visiting the Battlefield of the Little Bighorn. I stopped at the Forest Service Headquarters and mentioned my connection to Lincoln. The look on the ladies' face would have been the same if I mentioned I came to town to murder all of your children. The book captured the spirit of Montana well. Enjoyable read.

[JennanneJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel started out as a story about a somewhat dimwitted young man Duane, who, without even thinking, leaves Salt Lake City and ends up in rural Montana. We follow Duane and a small cast of town members for quite some time until suddenly we meet Ted Kazinski.

From then on, the book is all over the place. Little snippets of stories from varying perspectives, including a postal service investigator. Skipping over years or decades. And in the end, we miss many of the potential big moments of what you would expect a Unabomber story to cover.

I finished the story confused as well as unsure of what the point of these little vignettes was.

[Lexi Denee · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Co. for the eARC of this title.**

While I found the writing of this book to be really good, I kept waiting for something to happen. The descriptions of both place and people felt like they went on forever. I am all about painting a beautiful picture in a book, but I struggled to get through this one.

The subject matter was also not my scene, as it was mostly talking about the old west. Fans of historical fiction with emphasis on the "historical" part will really enjoy this book. I am chalking this one up to me selecting a read outside of my normal genres, I definitely think this author is talented and knows their stuff!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

M any years ago when I was a postal employee, I pondered the fate of not only Ted Kaczynski, but that of his family. As I remember the story, it was his brother that ultimately connected the dots and turned him in. That seemed like a tragic stain on a family and I always wanted to know more about all of them.

This book is not that story, exactly. But it is a similar story that is told through the eyes of an outsider who rather reluctantly befriends Ted, who is himself a major outsider to the community. Loskutoff does an admirable job of peeling back the layers on both of these men and the community in which they live.