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Lost Between Houses
Lost Between Houses is about a turbulent year in the life of Simon Albright, a fifteen-year-old private school boy struggling to be his sophisticated mother's best friend, the rebel his girlfriend adores and the son his father respects. Which is a hard act to pull off when your mother is distracted, your girlfriend too beautiful and your father in and out of a mental institution. Lost Between Houses unfolds with mingled sarcasm, grief and awe, and grips the reader until its startling climax.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
David Gilmour
68 books77 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
David Gilmour is a novelist who has earned critical praise from literary figures as diverse as William Burroughs and Northrop Frye, and from publications as different as the New York Times to People magazine. The author of six novels, he also hosted the award-winning Gilmour on the Arts. In 2005, his novel A Perfect Night to Go to China won the Governor General’s Award for Fiction. His next book, The Film Club, was a finalist for the 2008 Charles Taylor Prize. It became an international bestseller, and has sold over 200,000 copies in Germany and over 100,000 copies in Brazil. He lives in Toronto with his wife.
David Gilmour is a novelist who has earned critical praise from literary figures as diverse as William Burroughs and Northrop Frye, and from publications as different as the New York Times to People magazine. The author of six novels, he also hosted the award-winning Gilmour on the Arts. In 2005, his novel A Perfect Night to Go to China won the Governor General’s Award for Fiction. His next book, The Film Club, was a finalist for the 2008 Charles Taylor Prize. It became an international bestseller, and has sold over 200,000 copies in Germany and over 100,000 copies in Brazil. He lives in Toronto with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 6, 2014
The quick and dirty assessment: This book really wants to be The Catcher in the Rye but lacks the poignancy and substance of that masterwork. Derivative of Salinger's novel in a wide variety of ways, with the addition of a few "earthier" scenes and language, this not-so-subtle version of teenage angst winds up being more like Fifty Shades of Rye.
It’s not that there’s that much outright, blow-by-blow sex in it, mind you, but in terms of the theme, plot points and content, it has a definite fan-slash quality. The lead character is an upper class, teenaged douche, woefully over-estimating his appeal to women, his charm and with an over-inflated sense of entitlement. He even attends a private school and attempts to run away, a la Holden Caufield. (In this case, he tries to run to the U.S. from Canada, apparently under the mistaken impression that Texas is going to be a more authentic experience.) In short, it’s been done before, and done better.
Gilmour does a good job conveying the sense of alienation and isolation of his teenaged protagonist, and it is a quick, approachable read. However, it lacks the profundity that it emulates, and though we get an interesting example of an author maintaining a consistent narrative voice (with a few notable exceptions) that exercise in writing isn’t necessarily something that anyone needs to bother with.
OK, so with that quick and dirty done, it’s time for the long and just-as-dirty:
The first thing we have to talk about is separating the art from the artist. Now, a lot of folks will make the argument that the artist shouldn't be taken into consideration when examining the art, and if someone wants to go about their life like that then I say: less power to ‘em. After all, if one reads a book as if it sprang from the loam like Aphrodite, then one probably hasn’t advanced past the elementary school reading level; and if one wants to read the way a child does, then that's a person's prerogative. Adults realize that artists are not perfect people, and we need not crucify them for their imperfection, but we cannot ignore who they are when reading their work any more than we should ignore the ingredients on a soup can or the labor laws of a country where our shoes are manufactured.
Why mention this for this book? If you’re unaware, Gilmour has gained some notoriety for his comments regarding the authors he teaches as part of his English Literature courses at Victoria College at the University of Toronto:
This is the intellectual equivalent of Brian on Family Guy.
But consistency and intellectual rigor are not going to be by-words here, and Gilmour has since suggested that his comments were “taken out of context,” he was “only kidding” and he was “misinterpreted” so I’m going to link the full transcript of that interview, so you can decide for yourself:
http://www.randomhouse.ca/hazlitt/blo...
As noted, in interviews since he's gone on to defend himself, but inevitably doubles down on his views one way or another, sticking his foot in his mouth with the predictability of an obnoxious uncle at the annual extended family holiday flagellation dinner.
Now, how does this relate to Lost Between Houses? Like this: Even if one is embracing the "separate the art from the artist" motif, then I would suggest that separating the art from the artist in a first-person narrative retrospective story of a teen coming into adulthood that parallels the author’s own life in terms of period, upbringing, country, and circumstance then the idea of separating the art from the artist makes even less sense. This is not an autobiography, but it is the product of the artist’s psyche in a way that the treasured Marcel Proust might embrace.
So, in that context, his lead character in Lost Between Houses is a vapid, selfish, jackass with a highly over-inflated sense of his own worth, and is constantly pouring out comments based on his feelings of entitlement that are based on nothing more than the circumstances of his birth: the family he was born into, their relative wealth, the nation in which they live, etc. What's more, he's a sexist little shit, whose attitude towards women is not overtly violent or cruel, but ultimately dismissive and egotistical.
Sound familiar?
When Gilmour writes a female character as sexually precocious and has his lead character shocked at her behavior we have to read that as his own foibles rather than as entirely the product of literary design. When we get the following excerpt in Gilmour's book from the POV of his teenage protagonist, we have to salt it liberally with what we know about the author. During a daydream about cheating on his girlfriend, and feeling guilty for that fantasy:
That excerpt is a pretty pointed expression of character, and it's not alien to those who know anything about teenage boys. However, we have to view it in the context of our author who will teach only "serious heterosexual guys" because he's a middle aged man himself, and those are the only kinds of books he can really love. In that context, a masturbation fantasy guilt scene is as revelatory about the author of the first person narrative as it is the character, and I don't believe that revelation was entirely intentional on the author's part. That is, he was "just telling a story" and didn't realize he was talking about himself to the extent that a careful reader can discern.
Gilmour only truly loves books written by authors who reflect himself back at himself--or, really, that he can imagine are writing TO him when, in fact, that’s certainly not the case for any he listed. Those writers are expressing universal truths, just as any number of other authors regardless of gender have done. He imagines himself into those books as many readers do, but he then projects his own foibles onto them as if they were the authors'. Then he writes a book that is a parallel version of his own childhood splattered with the occasional adult insight, but it is, essentially, a long elaborate fantasy version of himself. Gilmore cannot break through his own ego as a teacher or an artist, and there are any number of people who are actually able to do that. That means there are very few reasons for us to read his work. As readers, we need to see this book for what it is, and that's a tell-all from a mediocre mind reveling in its mediocrity, making this book itself a long, extended masturbation exercise writ large.
There is no “half star” capacity on Goodreads, so my general policy is to round up out of deference to the amount of effort and courage it takes to put something like a novel out into the world. In this particular case, I’m not so sure I should be showing that kind of consideration given the topic and the derivative nature of the work. Further, I don't think it's brave. I think it's exhibitionistic, and that's a very different thing. The consistency of the narration is worth almost a second star (he does break character from time to time) and the fact that he does wrap it up neatly rather than just trail off should be worth about half of one.... Therefore, it earns a “gentleman’s C” or, in this case, 2-stars.
I can’t necessarily recommend it to most folks unless they are specifically looking for an update of the themes described above, or are researching the revelatory nature of art and authorship itself. A reader or writer who wants to see how a contemporary can maintain a distinct narrative voice can also find it in this book. If one is interested in those things then it’s worthwhile.
It’s not that there’s that much outright, blow-by-blow sex in it, mind you, but in terms of the theme, plot points and content, it has a definite fan-slash quality. The lead character is an upper class, teenaged douche, woefully over-estimating his appeal to women, his charm and with an over-inflated sense of entitlement. He even attends a private school and attempts to run away, a la Holden Caufield. (In this case, he tries to run to the U.S. from Canada, apparently under the mistaken impression that Texas is going to be a more authentic experience.) In short, it’s been done before, and done better.
Gilmour does a good job conveying the sense of alienation and isolation of his teenaged protagonist, and it is a quick, approachable read. However, it lacks the profundity that it emulates, and though we get an interesting example of an author maintaining a consistent narrative voice (with a few notable exceptions) that exercise in writing isn’t necessarily something that anyone needs to bother with.
OK, so with that quick and dirty done, it’s time for the long and just-as-dirty:
The first thing we have to talk about is separating the art from the artist. Now, a lot of folks will make the argument that the artist shouldn't be taken into consideration when examining the art, and if someone wants to go about their life like that then I say: less power to ‘em. After all, if one reads a book as if it sprang from the loam like Aphrodite, then one probably hasn’t advanced past the elementary school reading level; and if one wants to read the way a child does, then that's a person's prerogative. Adults realize that artists are not perfect people, and we need not crucify them for their imperfection, but we cannot ignore who they are when reading their work any more than we should ignore the ingredients on a soup can or the labor laws of a country where our shoes are manufactured.
Why mention this for this book? If you’re unaware, Gilmour has gained some notoriety for his comments regarding the authors he teaches as part of his English Literature courses at Victoria College at the University of Toronto:
I’m not interested in teaching books by women. Virginia Woolf is the only writer that interests me as a woman writer, so I do teach one of her short stories. But once again, when I was given this job I said I would only teach the people that I truly, truly love. Unfortunately, none of those happen to be Chinese, or women. Except for Virginia Woolf. And when I tried to teach Virginia Woolf, she’s too sophisticated, even for a third-year class. Usually at the beginning of the semester a hand shoots up and someone asks why there aren’t any women writers in the course. I say I don’t love women writers enough to teach them, if you want women writers go down the hall. What I teach is guys. Serious heterosexual guys. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Chekhov, Tolstoy. Real guy-guys. Henry Miller. Philip Roth.He goes on from there to express a standard range of egoist chauvinism that probably would have been overlooked a generation or three ago, but these days reads like some sort of quasi-intellectual mopery meant to establish the speaker as a jackass in a sitcom.
These are, of course, the treasured Proust, one of my great joys is not only having read Proust but having read him twice, and having listened to the audio CD twice. There’s two versions, one’s 50 hours and one’s 150 hours. They’re both dazzling. I like volume 4, Sodom and Gomorrah, it’s the most entertaining, it’s the funniest. It’s very, very funny about human vanity, particularly gay vanity.Ugh. There's an awful lot of shoddy thinking there. First off, gay vanity is probably not something that one might want to differentiate from standard vanity for an author one treasures, particularly not if one normally says one only relates to “serious heterosexual guys.” Also, he’s “treasured” Proust by reading him twice, and listening to a reading on CD twice? Sure, Remembrance of Things Past is a hefty book (usually in 2-3 volumes) but that accounting just doesn’t strike me as the product of a careful, considerate reader; truly treasured books don’t get notches on the bedpost....
This is the intellectual equivalent of Brian on Family Guy.
But consistency and intellectual rigor are not going to be by-words here, and Gilmour has since suggested that his comments were “taken out of context,” he was “only kidding” and he was “misinterpreted” so I’m going to link the full transcript of that interview, so you can decide for yourself:
http://www.randomhouse.ca/hazlitt/blo...
As noted, in interviews since he's gone on to defend himself, but inevitably doubles down on his views one way or another, sticking his foot in his mouth with the predictability of an obnoxious uncle at the annual extended family holiday flagellation dinner.
Now, how does this relate to Lost Between Houses? Like this: Even if one is embracing the "separate the art from the artist" motif, then I would suggest that separating the art from the artist in a first-person narrative retrospective story of a teen coming into adulthood that parallels the author’s own life in terms of period, upbringing, country, and circumstance then the idea of separating the art from the artist makes even less sense. This is not an autobiography, but it is the product of the artist’s psyche in a way that the treasured Marcel Proust might embrace.
So, in that context, his lead character in Lost Between Houses is a vapid, selfish, jackass with a highly over-inflated sense of his own worth, and is constantly pouring out comments based on his feelings of entitlement that are based on nothing more than the circumstances of his birth: the family he was born into, their relative wealth, the nation in which they live, etc. What's more, he's a sexist little shit, whose attitude towards women is not overtly violent or cruel, but ultimately dismissive and egotistical.
Sound familiar?
When Gilmour writes a female character as sexually precocious and has his lead character shocked at her behavior we have to read that as his own foibles rather than as entirely the product of literary design. When we get the following excerpt in Gilmour's book from the POV of his teenage protagonist, we have to salt it liberally with what we know about the author. During a daydream about cheating on his girlfriend, and feeling guilty for that fantasy:
I looked down beside the log and there was a skinbook there, somebody must have brought it down by the river to jack off. Nice neighbourhood eh? Anyway it was spread open to a picture of this snow-white blond chick with a real rack on her, sort of sitting on a stool in a pair of baby-dolls, but you could see right through them and this rack, just hanging there like something you'd find on a cow. I mean I'd seen girlie pictures before, but this stuff, in view of all the shit I was thinking about, it made the whole world look extremely creepy. Like sex was on everybody's mind and everybody was worth exactly a dollar ninety-eight, including me.I'm confident that the grammatical issues in that paragraph (such as the comma splice in the first sentence and the awkward use of pronouns) are purposeful on the author's part. They help convey his narrative voice, which he maintains well throughout out piece. It's a bit of a double-edged sword, however. It does convey a theme, but can also be grating, so if that sample didn't appeal in terms of style (if not substance) then reading this book might be a long slog for you.
That excerpt is a pretty pointed expression of character, and it's not alien to those who know anything about teenage boys. However, we have to view it in the context of our author who will teach only "serious heterosexual guys" because he's a middle aged man himself, and those are the only kinds of books he can really love. In that context, a masturbation fantasy guilt scene is as revelatory about the author of the first person narrative as it is the character, and I don't believe that revelation was entirely intentional on the author's part. That is, he was "just telling a story" and didn't realize he was talking about himself to the extent that a careful reader can discern.
Gilmour only truly loves books written by authors who reflect himself back at himself--or, really, that he can imagine are writing TO him when, in fact, that’s certainly not the case for any he listed. Those writers are expressing universal truths, just as any number of other authors regardless of gender have done. He imagines himself into those books as many readers do, but he then projects his own foibles onto them as if they were the authors'. Then he writes a book that is a parallel version of his own childhood splattered with the occasional adult insight, but it is, essentially, a long elaborate fantasy version of himself. Gilmore cannot break through his own ego as a teacher or an artist, and there are any number of people who are actually able to do that. That means there are very few reasons for us to read his work. As readers, we need to see this book for what it is, and that's a tell-all from a mediocre mind reveling in its mediocrity, making this book itself a long, extended masturbation exercise writ large.
There is no “half star” capacity on Goodreads, so my general policy is to round up out of deference to the amount of effort and courage it takes to put something like a novel out into the world. In this particular case, I’m not so sure I should be showing that kind of consideration given the topic and the derivative nature of the work. Further, I don't think it's brave. I think it's exhibitionistic, and that's a very different thing. The consistency of the narration is worth almost a second star (he does break character from time to time) and the fact that he does wrap it up neatly rather than just trail off should be worth about half of one.... Therefore, it earns a “gentleman’s C” or, in this case, 2-stars.
I can’t necessarily recommend it to most folks unless they are specifically looking for an update of the themes described above, or are researching the revelatory nature of art and authorship itself. A reader or writer who wants to see how a contemporary can maintain a distinct narrative voice can also find it in this book. If one is interested in those things then it’s worthwhile.
March 10, 2010
Lost between houses isn’t just your typical ‘life of a teenage boy gone wrong’ type of story, rather the disorderly and chaotic lifestyle Simon Albright experiences on a day-to-day basic. This novel was able to subtly establish a connection with the reader, subconsciously reminding you of all the things that you have been through in order to get to where you are today. The upbeat continuations of ever changing scenes and dynamics of the storyline contrasts the slow moving timeline, giving the reader time to reflect on their past experiences in creating a realistic and believable scenario. David Gilmour did a fantastic job in creating the perfect characters for this novel and circumstances for him to endure.
The simply planned out yet complex storyline simply pushed me over the top. On top of Simon’s poised mother and almost-non-existence father, he has to cope with all the drama his new girlfriend Scarlet brings into his life. Beneath it all, we were able to see the problems and issues going on in Simon Albright’s life, seeing the protagonist’s true self. Through mentioning previous memories or flashbacks, this novel repeatedly made my day, bringing more depth and scheme into our character. With Simon’s father never being there for him in his life, I found it very intriguing when the two characters opened up to one another. `Do you really mean that Simon...that I’m a bad father...`. (Page 100). Rather just seeing the image our protagonist puts up, we were able to understand and learn more about his inner self, providing us reasoning when it came to things such as his habits or why he acts a certain way towards his father. `...maybe it`ll make him less of an asshole`( Page 140). It’s also very intelligent of David Gilmour for including these thoughts and experiences of Simon, giving the book a little more depth then simply ‘how a sixteen year-old boy’s life appears to be.
The variety of different relationships Albright has with the different characters in this book revealed how he interacts with different people, depending on their titles to him and what stage of the relationship they were in. Needless to say, the classic love triangle definitely adds interest to the overall storyline. With complications between Simon, his girlfriend Scarlet, and her ex Mitch, the novel takes us on an emotional roller coaster,`Yeah..I want to be with Mitch now...I stared at her blankly` (Page 142). Although Gilmour`s vocabulary was able to successfully portray our character`s traits and personality, I found the excessive profanity distracting at times, taking away from the beautifully constructed story line at times.`...poor little fucks`(Page 157). This novel by David Gilmour had taken me by storm, leaving me endlessly captured by his writing.
The simply planned out yet complex storyline simply pushed me over the top. On top of Simon’s poised mother and almost-non-existence father, he has to cope with all the drama his new girlfriend Scarlet brings into his life. Beneath it all, we were able to see the problems and issues going on in Simon Albright’s life, seeing the protagonist’s true self. Through mentioning previous memories or flashbacks, this novel repeatedly made my day, bringing more depth and scheme into our character. With Simon’s father never being there for him in his life, I found it very intriguing when the two characters opened up to one another. `Do you really mean that Simon...that I’m a bad father...`. (Page 100). Rather just seeing the image our protagonist puts up, we were able to understand and learn more about his inner self, providing us reasoning when it came to things such as his habits or why he acts a certain way towards his father. `...maybe it`ll make him less of an asshole`( Page 140). It’s also very intelligent of David Gilmour for including these thoughts and experiences of Simon, giving the book a little more depth then simply ‘how a sixteen year-old boy’s life appears to be.
The variety of different relationships Albright has with the different characters in this book revealed how he interacts with different people, depending on their titles to him and what stage of the relationship they were in. Needless to say, the classic love triangle definitely adds interest to the overall storyline. With complications between Simon, his girlfriend Scarlet, and her ex Mitch, the novel takes us on an emotional roller coaster,`Yeah..I want to be with Mitch now...I stared at her blankly` (Page 142). Although Gilmour`s vocabulary was able to successfully portray our character`s traits and personality, I found the excessive profanity distracting at times, taking away from the beautifully constructed story line at times.`...poor little fucks`(Page 157). This novel by David Gilmour had taken me by storm, leaving me endlessly captured by his writing.
March 10, 2010
Lost between Houses by David Gilmour was definitely one of the best books I have read all year. It was humorous but also contained a slightly darker side to it. The story was about Simon, our protagonist, dealing with relationship problems with not only his family but also his girlfriend and other teenage problems that we all go through. His father has been going through health and mental issues, and has also tried to commit suicide several times before. Simon and his brother had to hide all possible weapons in their house up North in their cottage, but claiming how he hates his own father, calling him an “ass hole” several times in the novel. Simon was also going through some relationship problems with his new girlfriend who he met at his own party. In fact, their values were quite different – his girlfriend was quite dirty-minded and did not care about any laws or rules. Simon was not quite confident in himself about her because of her lack of loyalty, until their relationship finally suffered a major blow when she reunited with her previous boyfriend. He was later sent to a boarding school due to some financial problems in his family.
One of the book’s best attributes was definitely being so realistic – how Simon dealt with the relationship between his father, mother, brother, his friends and himself. His own feeling about each and everyone of them, his reaction to his mother when he was told that he was going to a boarding school, and even his own experience before exams were all very similar to teenagers these days. The best part of the book was how readers can relate the protagonist to themselves, as if they were going through the same problems Simon faces, and asking themselves “what would I do in this situation?” If we think about it, some of the problems in the book could very well happen in reality. I think it is exceptionally important if one was trying to write a teenage novel. In conclusion, this book has been quite a pleasurable read and I would definitely recommend it if one is interested in school and teenage lives.
One of the book’s best attributes was definitely being so realistic – how Simon dealt with the relationship between his father, mother, brother, his friends and himself. His own feeling about each and everyone of them, his reaction to his mother when he was told that he was going to a boarding school, and even his own experience before exams were all very similar to teenagers these days. The best part of the book was how readers can relate the protagonist to themselves, as if they were going through the same problems Simon faces, and asking themselves “what would I do in this situation?” If we think about it, some of the problems in the book could very well happen in reality. I think it is exceptionally important if one was trying to write a teenage novel. In conclusion, this book has been quite a pleasurable read and I would definitely recommend it if one is interested in school and teenage lives.
August 17, 2018
Kinda familiar, kinda pathetic, and what a sad ending...
November 18, 2021
This one is reminiscent of Holden Caufield. But also the second book in a row where a parent does of suicide. Too much heavy for a November read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2024
A story about the life of a teenage boy in Toronto. About halfway through the book when there was mention of the President, I realized the story takes place in the 1960s. Could have been any generation.
Read
October 21, 2010In the novel Lost Between Houses by David Gilmour, there are various pleasurable and interesting elements in the novel that make the novel enjoyable. Simon's relationship with his girlfriend, Scarlett, is intriguing because it mirrors a typical teenage relationship. Although there is a lot of realism depicted in their relationship, Scarlett is an extreme stereotype of a fickle teenage girlfriend. Nevertheless, their relationship clearly demonstrates the temperamental and unreliable nature of many teenage romances. It also portrays the intense emotional upset of a break-up through Simon's thoughts and actions. "I sobbed away, bubbles coming out of my mouth like I was a little baby.’ ‘I'm going to kill myself, I said, I'm going to take a piece of glass and cut my throat with it' (Gilmour 171)." Teenagers in Simon's position can easily go through deep depression, and it is almost as if the author knows teenagers better than they know themselves. Not only does the reader feel sympathetic of Simon's despair, but the emotions that Simon expresses can easily be related to by the reader.
Outside of Simon's relationship with Scarlett, he also has common experiences that teenagers can find relevant to their daily lives. For instance, Simon's anxiety and stress towards his school exams is authentic to teenagers' thoughts as they prepare for their exams. "I turn the page, I look at it, but my attention just slides off like an egg slipping off a plate. Same for the next page. I can't read any more. I can't read another word or think about anything more and if it's on the exam, well, that's too bad for me (Gilmour 24)." Likewise, Simon's initial thoughts in planning a party could be relevant to an individual as he is concerned about it failing. "It was like the worst idea in the world, nobody would come...I'd be left standing there, the laughing stock of my school. The party that nobody went to (Gilmour 7)." However, Simon also finds out that having a party gave him a unique position with his acquaintances. Teenagers have a natural tendency to want to be included and the author uses the example of a party to show this behaviour which is true to life. Again, more to relate to. The less notable experiences of Simon are strategically implemented and allow the reader to subconsciously build a connection with the protagonist.
Although suicide is a more extreme situation, it is not unseen especially regarding the lives of teenagers. Therefore, Simon's father's suicide captures the reader's attention as he or she witnesses his mental deterioration. Often, teenagers may not be as observant as their elders of emotional problems and Simon seemed oblivious of his father's mental state. The novel takes the readers through ups and downs to the level of extreme on both ends. Lost Between Houses is simple, yet complex and effective. Dark, but beautifully crafted. A easy recommendation for sure.
Outside of Simon's relationship with Scarlett, he also has common experiences that teenagers can find relevant to their daily lives. For instance, Simon's anxiety and stress towards his school exams is authentic to teenagers' thoughts as they prepare for their exams. "I turn the page, I look at it, but my attention just slides off like an egg slipping off a plate. Same for the next page. I can't read any more. I can't read another word or think about anything more and if it's on the exam, well, that's too bad for me (Gilmour 24)." Likewise, Simon's initial thoughts in planning a party could be relevant to an individual as he is concerned about it failing. "It was like the worst idea in the world, nobody would come...I'd be left standing there, the laughing stock of my school. The party that nobody went to (Gilmour 7)." However, Simon also finds out that having a party gave him a unique position with his acquaintances. Teenagers have a natural tendency to want to be included and the author uses the example of a party to show this behaviour which is true to life. Again, more to relate to. The less notable experiences of Simon are strategically implemented and allow the reader to subconsciously build a connection with the protagonist.
Although suicide is a more extreme situation, it is not unseen especially regarding the lives of teenagers. Therefore, Simon's father's suicide captures the reader's attention as he or she witnesses his mental deterioration. Often, teenagers may not be as observant as their elders of emotional problems and Simon seemed oblivious of his father's mental state. The novel takes the readers through ups and downs to the level of extreme on both ends. Lost Between Houses is simple, yet complex and effective. Dark, but beautifully crafted. A easy recommendation for sure.
Read
October 22, 2010 Lost Between Houses was a an absolute pleasure to read. Not only was it a fun and quirky book, but it yields quite dark and emotional moments as well. The story is average, but executed in such a way that it feels like a whole new subject altogether. The plot twists kept this book in my hands from start until finish. Just when one problem is solved, another issue arises to take its place, much like a hydra from Greek mythology.
The story revolves around sunny Simon Albright. He is a normal teen male, made abnormal because of the multitude of problems that he faces. Supporting him are his loving parents: a loving and lady-like mother, and a mentally unstable father that he detests. He also gets a girlfriend, but they relationship is dysfunctional, as his girlfriend, Scarlet, being dirty-minded, and improper, in contrast to Simon, a somewhat dirty-minded person who strives to be a better person. This relationship reflects how a normal teen relationship is like, as there are always problems. What is different though, is that the role is reversed. Usually, the male is the person that is more obnoxious, but in this novel, Scarlet is the one that is usually fooling around, with Simon getting dragged around.
The main highlight of the book is the fact that it felt like it could happen in real life. It was so real that I was able to sympathize with Simon as I understood the feeling of all the problems in life accumulating, then attempting to crush and break my mind. While a majority of teens face one or a few of the problems the protagonist faces, not many experience the weight of all the problems Simon encounters in the story. The problems that Simon faces, his actions and his attitude on life were all realistic, causing me to be able to reflect on his actions. His reactions showed traits of being human: driven not with logic, but emotions, even when emotions make him take a turn for the worse.
With the realism of the characters and the plot driving the novel, accompanied by a pace that I found enjoyable, I was able to enjoy the novel, and reflect on the deeper values of ethics driving Simon. This novel will surely appeal to readers that would like to see the more ‘human’ side of fiction.
The story revolves around sunny Simon Albright. He is a normal teen male, made abnormal because of the multitude of problems that he faces. Supporting him are his loving parents: a loving and lady-like mother, and a mentally unstable father that he detests. He also gets a girlfriend, but they relationship is dysfunctional, as his girlfriend, Scarlet, being dirty-minded, and improper, in contrast to Simon, a somewhat dirty-minded person who strives to be a better person. This relationship reflects how a normal teen relationship is like, as there are always problems. What is different though, is that the role is reversed. Usually, the male is the person that is more obnoxious, but in this novel, Scarlet is the one that is usually fooling around, with Simon getting dragged around.
The main highlight of the book is the fact that it felt like it could happen in real life. It was so real that I was able to sympathize with Simon as I understood the feeling of all the problems in life accumulating, then attempting to crush and break my mind. While a majority of teens face one or a few of the problems the protagonist faces, not many experience the weight of all the problems Simon encounters in the story. The problems that Simon faces, his actions and his attitude on life were all realistic, causing me to be able to reflect on his actions. His reactions showed traits of being human: driven not with logic, but emotions, even when emotions make him take a turn for the worse.
With the realism of the characters and the plot driving the novel, accompanied by a pace that I found enjoyable, I was able to enjoy the novel, and reflect on the deeper values of ethics driving Simon. This novel will surely appeal to readers that would like to see the more ‘human’ side of fiction.
January 23, 2016
Lyrical, fresh, reminiscent of (but a step up from) David Eggers' memoir, "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," and something like a contemporary, Canadian version of "Catcher in the Rye." Recommended to anyone, especially if you enjoyed Gilmour's more recent award-winning novel, "A Perfect Night to Go to China."
November 3, 2014
loved this book. the tory of Simon's life is wonderful. there's always something happening to keep you turning the page. some of the things that happen with Simon, I could easily relate to. especially when it came to the relationships between people. through out the book he has to overcome many obstacles, but I never expected the ending of the book. this is a must read!!!!
December 22, 2015
Anyone familiar with Toronto and Ontario cottage life will appreciate this book by David Gilmour, which explores adolescent Simon's life at school and dealing with family demons and relationships with girls. The contrast between city and country life is interesting, and Gilmour's descriptions are vivid.
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August 4, 2011I think this boook was written for an age group younger than me and that may be why I did not find this book very good. It was very drab and the ending was harrible. i did like how the auhtor mentioned many Canadian cities.
August 28, 2007
SNORE. Overdone, trying VERY hard to be To Kill A Mockingbird-ish, and NOT doing it. Not this author's best.
December 9, 2008
An interesting read about a 16 year old in Toronto who gets his life severely messed up by his parents who have issues. A very strange ending as well that was a complete surprise.
June 25, 2011
Again ... anticlimatic.... I really need a good read!
Typical teenage angst, with the typical "friends" we all had in ourlives.
Can't say I would recommend anyone run out and pick this one up.
Typical teenage angst, with the typical "friends" we all had in ourlives.
Can't say I would recommend anyone run out and pick this one up.
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December 3, 2014what the hell happened
April 20, 2017
One of my favourite reads. Although the similarity to Catcher in the Rye has been mentioned, I liked this book far better than Salinger's. I related much better to Simon Albright than with Holden Caulfield.
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