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Don't Skip Out on Me
From award-winning author Willy Vlautin, comes this moving novel about a young ranch hand who goes on a quest to become a champion boxer to prove his worth.
Horace Hopper is a half-Paiute, half-Irish ranch hand who wants to be somebody. He’s spent most of his life on the ranch of his kindly guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Reese, herding sheep alone in the mountains. But while the Reeses treat him like a son, Horace can’t shake the shame he feels from being abandoned by his parents. He decides to leave the only loving home he’s known to prove his worth by training to become a boxer.
Mr. Reese is holding on to a way of life that is no longer sustainable. He’s a seventy-two-year-old rancher with a bad back. He’s not sure how he’ll keep things going without Horace but he knows the boy must find his own way.
Coming down from the mountains of Nevada to the unforgiving desert heat of Tucson, Horace finds a trainer and begins to get fights. His journey to become a champion brings him to boxing rings of Mexico and finally, to the seedy streets of Las Vegas, where Horace learns he can’t change who he is or outrun his destiny.
Willy Vlautin writes from America’s soul, chronicling the lives of those who are downtrodden and forgotten with profound tenderness. Don’t Skip Out on Me is a beautiful, wrenching story about one man’s search for identity and belonging that will make you consider those around you differently.
Horace Hopper is a half-Paiute, half-Irish ranch hand who wants to be somebody. He’s spent most of his life on the ranch of his kindly guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Reese, herding sheep alone in the mountains. But while the Reeses treat him like a son, Horace can’t shake the shame he feels from being abandoned by his parents. He decides to leave the only loving home he’s known to prove his worth by training to become a boxer.
Mr. Reese is holding on to a way of life that is no longer sustainable. He’s a seventy-two-year-old rancher with a bad back. He’s not sure how he’ll keep things going without Horace but he knows the boy must find his own way.
Coming down from the mountains of Nevada to the unforgiving desert heat of Tucson, Horace finds a trainer and begins to get fights. His journey to become a champion brings him to boxing rings of Mexico and finally, to the seedy streets of Las Vegas, where Horace learns he can’t change who he is or outrun his destiny.
Willy Vlautin writes from America’s soul, chronicling the lives of those who are downtrodden and forgotten with profound tenderness. Don’t Skip Out on Me is a beautiful, wrenching story about one man’s search for identity and belonging that will make you consider those around you differently.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2018
158 people are currently reading
3971 people want to read
About the author
Willy Vlautin
23 books1,081 followersWilly Vlautin (born 1967) is an American author and the lead singer and songwriter of Portland, Oregon band Richmond Fontaine. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, he has released nine studio albums since the late nineties with his band while he has written four novels: The Motel Life, Northline, Lean on Pete, and The Free.
Published in the US, several European and Asian countries, Vlautin's first book, The Motel Life was well received. It was an editor's choice in the New York Times Book Review and named one of the top 25 books of the year by the Washington Post.
His second, Northline was also critically hailed, and Vlautin was declared an important new American literary realist. Famed writer George Pelecanos stated that Northline was his favorite book of the decade. The first edition of this novel came with an original instrumental soundtrack performed by Vlautin and longtime bandmate Paul Brainard.
Vlautin's third novel, Lean on Pete, is the story of a 15-year-old boy who works and lives on a rundown race track in Portland, Oregon and befriends a failed race horse named Lean on Pete. The novel won two Oregon Book Awards: the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and the Peoples Choice Award.
As a novelist, Vlautin has cited writers such as John Steinbeck, Raymond Carver, Barry Gifford, and William Kennedy as influences. HIs writing is highly evocative of the American West; all three of his novels being set in and around Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico. His books explore the circumstances and relationships of people near the bottom of America's social and economic spectrum, itinerant, and often ailed by alcohol addiction.
Published in the US, several European and Asian countries, Vlautin's first book, The Motel Life was well received. It was an editor's choice in the New York Times Book Review and named one of the top 25 books of the year by the Washington Post.
His second, Northline was also critically hailed, and Vlautin was declared an important new American literary realist. Famed writer George Pelecanos stated that Northline was his favorite book of the decade. The first edition of this novel came with an original instrumental soundtrack performed by Vlautin and longtime bandmate Paul Brainard.
Vlautin's third novel, Lean on Pete, is the story of a 15-year-old boy who works and lives on a rundown race track in Portland, Oregon and befriends a failed race horse named Lean on Pete. The novel won two Oregon Book Awards: the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and the Peoples Choice Award.
As a novelist, Vlautin has cited writers such as John Steinbeck, Raymond Carver, Barry Gifford, and William Kennedy as influences. HIs writing is highly evocative of the American West; all three of his novels being set in and around Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico. His books explore the circumstances and relationships of people near the bottom of America's social and economic spectrum, itinerant, and often ailed by alcohol addiction.
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December 3, 2021
It looks like this review has succumbed to Murphy's law. In posting several reviews on 12/2/2021, the text for one was unintentionally pasted over the text for another. Sadly, the original Word file in which the review was written was lost, among many others, during a move from NY to PA in 2017.
Sorry, my bad.
Vlautin is a great writer. This is a moving tale about a young man with dreams of being a professional boxer, and an elderly couple who try their best to help him. Vlautin shows the vagaries of working class lives, with a lot of rough edges, and humanity. Vlautin is always worth reading. If, by some miracle the review reappears, I will re-post it here.
Sorry, my bad.
Vlautin is a great writer. This is a moving tale about a young man with dreams of being a professional boxer, and an elderly couple who try their best to help him. Vlautin shows the vagaries of working class lives, with a lot of rough edges, and humanity. Vlautin is always worth reading. If, by some miracle the review reappears, I will re-post it here.
December 12, 2021
I liked this story very much. It was short, (maybe too short) and engaging. This is not a "feel good" kind of story. I would recommend it though. Its a fast read and holds the reader's attention. The writer doesn't use prose as a tool and keeps the reader rapt with the action of the story, not necessarily the character's voice. Its told in the point of view of two struggling characters one at the end of his life and one just starting out. The one just starting out Horace, is trying to find his way and is not taking good council from his elder and mentor. The juxtaposition is both intriguing and engaging.
It is an interesting choice of characters and plot line and a risky under taking. Eighty percent of women comprise the reading community. This is the story of a boy's journey and when it comes to women there are no punches pulled. The scene in Mexico with the girl is not mitigated enough with Horace's interior regret and we like him a little less. And there was also the way the relationship with his quasi-girlfriend is handled by the story (not by Horace), I think it is still a huge risk with women readers (subjective call, who am I criticize such a great author.). Although with the number of ratings, the number of reviews, and the overall rating the author is doing quite well with this story.
The overall goal is to have the reader thinking about the characters and the story long after the book ends and with me mission accomplished.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
It is an interesting choice of characters and plot line and a risky under taking. Eighty percent of women comprise the reading community. This is the story of a boy's journey and when it comes to women there are no punches pulled. The scene in Mexico with the girl is not mitigated enough with Horace's interior regret and we like him a little less. And there was also the way the relationship with his quasi-girlfriend is handled by the story (not by Horace), I think it is still a huge risk with women readers (subjective call, who am I criticize such a great author.). Although with the number of ratings, the number of reviews, and the overall rating the author is doing quite well with this story.
The overall goal is to have the reader thinking about the characters and the story long after the book ends and with me mission accomplished.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
September 3, 2017
It would be tempting to characterize Willy Vlautin’s new novel as a contemporary western story or a quintessentially American story or even a salute to Kent Haruf or even John Steinbeck. But at the end of the day, I believe it is a love story—an unconventional love story, perhaps, but at its heart, a love story nonetheless.
Horace Hopper is a half-Palute ranch hand, a young man who may be irreparably broken after being abandoned by his parents and ultimately, left in the care of Mr. and Mrs. Reese, who own a ranch. There is a true love between Horace and Mr. Reese, who loves him like a son and believes in giving him the freedom to find his own way.
When Horace declares that he wants to be a world-renowned lightweight boxer, Mr. Reese lets him go, knowing that the road ahead will be hard and convinced that he will eventually make his way back to the ranching life. What Mr. Reese doesn’t reckon on is Horace’s infinite capacity for self-punishment and his extreme yearning to “be somebody” and prove himself.
Mr. Reese is 72 years old with a bad back and a love for ranching. Horace wants to reach back to him but can’t let himself be perceived as a failure. Don’t Skip Out On Me lays bare this dynamic between surrogate father and son, and draws a powerful picture of a wounded boy running on empty, caught within the seedy world of boxing yet unable to let go of his unrealistic dream. Within this spare, muscular prose, there is poignancy and there is heartbreak. I must add that Willy Vlautin is a member of the Richmond Fontaine band and intermittently while reading this, I played his soundtrack album, which deepened the immersion into Horace’s world. Willy Vlautin is the real deal.
Horace Hopper is a half-Palute ranch hand, a young man who may be irreparably broken after being abandoned by his parents and ultimately, left in the care of Mr. and Mrs. Reese, who own a ranch. There is a true love between Horace and Mr. Reese, who loves him like a son and believes in giving him the freedom to find his own way.
When Horace declares that he wants to be a world-renowned lightweight boxer, Mr. Reese lets him go, knowing that the road ahead will be hard and convinced that he will eventually make his way back to the ranching life. What Mr. Reese doesn’t reckon on is Horace’s infinite capacity for self-punishment and his extreme yearning to “be somebody” and prove himself.
Mr. Reese is 72 years old with a bad back and a love for ranching. Horace wants to reach back to him but can’t let himself be perceived as a failure. Don’t Skip Out On Me lays bare this dynamic between surrogate father and son, and draws a powerful picture of a wounded boy running on empty, caught within the seedy world of boxing yet unable to let go of his unrealistic dream. Within this spare, muscular prose, there is poignancy and there is heartbreak. I must add that Willy Vlautin is a member of the Richmond Fontaine band and intermittently while reading this, I played his soundtrack album, which deepened the immersion into Horace’s world. Willy Vlautin is the real deal.
February 12, 2022
”You have to build your own boat,” Horace whispered to her. “You have to build it so you can move the next level, away from here. So you can become the best person you can be. So you can be a champion.”
Near the end of this book, Horace speaks these words to a fellow Indian woman. The words are not new, but they are ones he has not, and could not express in many months, their meaning lost since leaving Tonopah, Nevada. But it is in this moment, at his lowest, when Horace would put another before himself, when you'd believe a person could not be there for another.
It's been a weird week for me. Busy with work, a dying cell phone and a fiasco with its replacement. The highlight of it has probably been this story about Horace and the Reeses who care about him. He doesn't feel worth the caring, nor believe anyone possibly could. Horace has chased his dream, with the mantra above his guide at the start. In the midst of the chase he makes mistakes and then berates himself for doing them. I questioned why to both. The book leaves the impression of why, and the reasons are very much what we may find in our own lives: a broken past never fully mended, or understood. He carries it inside, despite the love received from two who would call him home. This story crushed me, but ultimately I can also use the word fulfilling.
March 25, 2018
“There are so many fragile things, after all. People break so easily, and so do dreams and hearts.” – Neil Gaiman
This is sweet heart-breaker of a book. The casual harm done to an inconvenient child is sown before the story starts. It’s paced the way seasons pass on the ranch. The prose matches the stark beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Horace Hopper the no longer wanted child from a failed relationship was left with his Grandma.
Grandma loved him and provided care until the Reece’s accepted guardianship for fourteen-year-old Horace when she was dying. The Reece’s needed help on their ranch. She also hated Horace for being an Indian and a half-breed. Feelings that Horace shared by the time Mr. Reece picked up his things for him to move to the ranch.
The Reece’s love him like their own. There are a home and a place for him on the ranch. Horace s dream is to be a famous champion Mexican boxer. He’ll just have to call himself Hector Hidalgo and pretend to be Mexican this has the added appeal of not being Horace Hopper. He doesn’t look white and doesn’t want to be Indian. “Paiutes aren’t good for anything.” They let him try. It’s his story.
Here is a longish quote to give you a sense of Horace and a couple of other reviews.
**********************************************
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/bo...
This is sweet heart-breaker of a book. The casual harm done to an inconvenient child is sown before the story starts. It’s paced the way seasons pass on the ranch. The prose matches the stark beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Horace Hopper the no longer wanted child from a failed relationship was left with his Grandma.
It’s only for the summer,” she had promised. “Your father said he could take you but then, as you know, things came up. But you’ve always like Grandma. It’ll be fun.”
Two large suitcases were in the trunk and his bike and four cardboard boxes were in the backseat of the small car.
“I want you to remember this is not because of Larry or the baby. I don’t want you to think they’re the reason you’re spending the summer with Grandma. I’m just so tired all the time, and going back to work’s been harder than I thought. And you have to admit you were a handful all year. Leaving school, running away at recess, and you didn’t try even a little in class.
Grandma loved him and provided care until the Reece’s accepted guardianship for fourteen-year-old Horace when she was dying. The Reece’s needed help on their ranch. She also hated Horace for being an Indian and a half-breed. Feelings that Horace shared by the time Mr. Reece picked up his things for him to move to the ranch.
The TV was now on. She took her eyes off it. “I don’t let him use the bathroom in the house. The one he uses is in the shop. That’s where he does his hygiene.”
Mr. Reese nodded and walked out the back door to a metal pole barn. Inside, in the corner, was a toilet, a shop sink, and two shower curtains that hung by a badly built wood-and-wire frame. A garden hose was hooked from the shop sink and ran from it to the makeshift shower. He saw the canvas shaving kit, grabbed it, and left.
The Reece’s love him like their own. There are a home and a place for him on the ranch. Horace s dream is to be a famous champion Mexican boxer. He’ll just have to call himself Hector Hidalgo and pretend to be Mexican this has the added appeal of not being Horace Hopper. He doesn’t look white and doesn’t want to be Indian. “Paiutes aren’t good for anything.” They let him try. It’s his story.
Here is a longish quote to give you a sense of Horace and a couple of other reviews.
Horace came alone into Tonopah three days later. He picked up the ranches’ mail, stopped at the auto parts and hardware stores for Mr. Reese, and then parked in front of a small yellow house with brown trim. A dented green Buick Regal and a 1960s camping trailer filled the carport, and a chain-link fence surrounded the yard. As he went through the gate a scraggly Pomeranian shot out from a doggy door on the side of the house and frantically barked.
“It’s just me, Pom Pom,” Horace announced. The front door then opened and an elderly lady appeared. She wore a navy-blue muumuu with orange and red tropical flowers on it. Her long gray hair was pulled back and held together with a ballpoint pen.
“Shush your ass, Pom Pom,” she yelled in a graveled smoker’s voice. “Horace, just kick her if she tries anything funny.”
“Okay, Mrs. Poulet,” he replied and walked up to the house as the dog continued to bark and run circles around his feet.
The old woman led him through a cluttered hall to the living room, where she sat in an easy chair. On a wooden table in front of her were two sewing machines. Fabric lay in piles on metal shelves against the back wall and on the floor around her.
She picked up a thin cardboard dress box, opened it, and lifted out red boxing trunks. The legs were trimmed in gold, as was the waistband, which was three inches wide and had “Hector” embroidered in red cursive letters at the front. Halfway down the front of each leg, stitched in gold thread, was a Thompson machine gun. She flipped them over. On the back of the waistband, in the same red cursive lettering, it read “Hidalgo” with a small embroidered Thompson machine gun on each side of the name.
She handed the trunks to Horace, and softly he ran his fingers over the cursive letters of the name. “I can’t believe they came out so nice,” he whispered to her. “It looks even better than I thought it would.”
“I found a book on machine guns. There’s a lot of different kinds but I thought the Thompson worked the best. It’s the most dramatic. Why did you want a machine gun on there anyway?”
“Do you remember Arnaldo?” asked Horace.
She sighed and shook her head grimly. “Your poor grandmother, I don’t know why she would date him. He was such an awful man.”
Horace nodded. “When he trained me he said my combinations had to be like machine –gun fire. ‘Faster, Horace, faster like a machine gun. Like a machine gun!’ That’s what gave me the ide.” He again looked at the trunks and ran his fingers over the embroidery. “I just can’t get over how nice it looks.”
“I’m glad you like them,” said Mrs. Poulet.
Horace put them back in the box and took a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to her. “I have to go now,” he said and stood up. “But when I become a champion I’ll hire you to make all my trunks and robes. It’s gonna take me a while but I’ll get there and I’ll hire you to make me custom embroidered shirts and coats, too. It’ll be a lot of work but I’ll pay you better than youv’ve ever been paid. I’ll make sure of it.”
**********************************************
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/bo...
February 22, 2025
"He grabbed a worn and frayed notebook from a shelf next to the bed and opened it...thirty two marks. He added another, making it thirty three.
He then thumbed to the back pages of the notebook, and near the bottom of a nearly full page he put down the date and wrote the same thing he'd written the day before, and the day before that.
'I will be somebody.' "
Yes, this book did break my heart.
From the opening sentence, there’s a pervading tone of sadness. Horace Hopper is a young man with the world on his shoulders. He’s part Pauite Indian and part Irish, and seems to struggle with his heritage. A herder, he dreams of making it big in the world of professional boxing. His idols are the Mexican fighters, because to Horace, no-one fights quite like they do. Their posters adorn the walls of the little trailer he lives in on Mr. Rheeses’ property.
Horace’s family is dysfunctional to say the least. Circumstances lead to Horace ending up living with Mr. and Mrs. Reese on a ranch in Nevada from the age of fourteen, as his Mum was no longer able to care for him. They love him like a son. He loves them in return. For the support his blood family were unable to give him. On finishing school, Horace remains on the ranch, helping Mr. Reese with the sheep run. Months spent in solitude, only the horses and dogs for company. Occasionally another rancher. Not an easy lifestyle for most. But Horace does ok. He's a hard worker, and makes the most of the time spent in solitude outdoors.
The descriptions of nature, the mountains, the air, the sage brush, the running water, all beautiful. The entire vista. I felt like I could practically breathe in the air and be there.
But the bright lights of Las Vegas and a career in boxing are calling him. He has to be his own man, and see where his dreams take him.
"You learn things when you live in the City. You're on your own, even when you're surrounded by people."
The more I got into the book, the more I realised that somehow to Horace, the whole idea of being a fighter, was the strength that is implied from it. The masculinity. As though winning a fight somehow made you indestructible. And could somehow stop you feeling your feelings. And thinking your thoughts. And aching from your hurts.
Mr. Reese brings a calming gentleness to Horace’s life, as he tries to guide him through this time where he’s finding himself. Mr. Reese shows that there are so many more ways that a man can be strong, such as through loyalty and kindness, rather than sheer brute strength.
There’s a vulnerability in Horace that really got to me. All of his doubts about himself and what defined him. And the dichotomy of his gentle nature which cared so much about others, versus the part of him that wanted to “make it” via such a bloody contact sport.
The threads that bind us, whether or not by blood. The hopes, the dreams. And the disappointments too. All those things that make us who we are. So deftly and delicately handled.
Family is not always easy. Often one person gives up so much to set another one free. The path we thought we thought we would take, may not be the one we end up on. And becoming your own person isn’t easy either. Not if you care about other people, and take their needs into account. And family doesn't necessarily have to be one that you're born into.
"It seemed the closer he got to what he wanted, the more lost he became. The sinking feeling that had plagued him his entire life wasn't going away. It was getting worse."
The descriptions of the run down motels, people catching the Greyhound bus, the takeaway stores around the bus terminals. street life, the fights, the fatigue. I could feel every bruise and cut lip Horace got. But he kept on fighting. I was willing him to give away boxing, that being a winner didn’t prove his worth. To listen to his gut and go back to the ranch where he was happy. But he kept pushing through, determined to make what he thought was his dream come true. There was just so much sadness in Horace's journey as he became more reclusive in this pursuit.
"Loneliness was also a sort of disease..."
Horace's increasing struggles and loneliness in the city are shown in contrast to the deep love and respect between Mr. & Mrs. Reese. Their ease with each other. Descriptions of them talking together over brekkie, the radio playing softly in the background. Various dogs lying at their feet. It's so comfy and homely. Then it's back to Horace. Eating spicy Mexican food that doesn't particularly agree with him, drinking tequila and beer, going to a bordello. Because the other guys are doing it. In an effort to fit in. Berating himself afterwards. All adding to his increasing unhappiness.
The injuries Horace sustained from fighting were horrific and confronting. The descriptions of the fights were tough to listen to. I can't pretend to understand where the "sport" is in men beating the hell out of each other.
The difference between the Horace on the ranch and the Horace on the boxing circuit couldn't be more stark.
A disappointing romance, rotten “friends”, lousy jobs, disillusionment. Pride stopping Horace from returning to the ranch and folk he loved. Falling deeper and deeper.
There are moments of exquisite beauty, and some great wisdom. If only we’d listen to those that are older and wiser than us. That look out for us, and have our best interests at heart. Instead of being trapped in the need to belong. The sweet folly of youth.
The only other book which I’ve read that could be classed as “Western” in genre is Brokeback Mountain. It’s not a genre that I’ve been overly drawn to in the past. But sometimes you get surprised by things which are new to you. It opens your eyes and gives you a fresh perspective. I was surprised by how much this book touched me. I felt comforted by the slower pace of life on the ranch, and the respect and love shown by Mr. Reese to Horace, and vice versa. How highly Mr. Reese thought of him, even hoping he'd consider taking over the running of the ranch. It shone from the pages. I had a lump in my throat more than once.
Yes, this story broke my heart. Slowly. A bit more with each page turn. In many ways, Horace Hopper reminded me of Ray, the protagonist in Sara Baume’s “Spill Simmer Falter Winter”. Similar in that they both shared this incredible pain of not quite fitting in. The difference being that Horace had the ability to change.
Can dreams tear you apart? Should you follow them even if they’re hurting you? Can you change your path? It’s a tough read, but it’s a must read. Be prepared to be battered by this story. Tears will flow.
Narrated by the Author, I was lost in the words. Hearing him tell the story brought such an authenticity to the novel, an added depth. I’m keen to continue with Willy Vlautin’s books, as he has a keen eye for capturing the human spirit. He's found a new reader.
Shout out to Randwick City Library for such an eclectic selection of audio books. Another gem. So pleased I stumbled upon this one.
"It’s all just up to you, to be you."
He then thumbed to the back pages of the notebook, and near the bottom of a nearly full page he put down the date and wrote the same thing he'd written the day before, and the day before that.
'I will be somebody.' "
Yes, this book did break my heart.
From the opening sentence, there’s a pervading tone of sadness. Horace Hopper is a young man with the world on his shoulders. He’s part Pauite Indian and part Irish, and seems to struggle with his heritage. A herder, he dreams of making it big in the world of professional boxing. His idols are the Mexican fighters, because to Horace, no-one fights quite like they do. Their posters adorn the walls of the little trailer he lives in on Mr. Rheeses’ property.
Horace’s family is dysfunctional to say the least. Circumstances lead to Horace ending up living with Mr. and Mrs. Reese on a ranch in Nevada from the age of fourteen, as his Mum was no longer able to care for him. They love him like a son. He loves them in return. For the support his blood family were unable to give him. On finishing school, Horace remains on the ranch, helping Mr. Reese with the sheep run. Months spent in solitude, only the horses and dogs for company. Occasionally another rancher. Not an easy lifestyle for most. But Horace does ok. He's a hard worker, and makes the most of the time spent in solitude outdoors.
The descriptions of nature, the mountains, the air, the sage brush, the running water, all beautiful. The entire vista. I felt like I could practically breathe in the air and be there.
But the bright lights of Las Vegas and a career in boxing are calling him. He has to be his own man, and see where his dreams take him.
"You learn things when you live in the City. You're on your own, even when you're surrounded by people."
The more I got into the book, the more I realised that somehow to Horace, the whole idea of being a fighter, was the strength that is implied from it. The masculinity. As though winning a fight somehow made you indestructible. And could somehow stop you feeling your feelings. And thinking your thoughts. And aching from your hurts.
Mr. Reese brings a calming gentleness to Horace’s life, as he tries to guide him through this time where he’s finding himself. Mr. Reese shows that there are so many more ways that a man can be strong, such as through loyalty and kindness, rather than sheer brute strength.
There’s a vulnerability in Horace that really got to me. All of his doubts about himself and what defined him. And the dichotomy of his gentle nature which cared so much about others, versus the part of him that wanted to “make it” via such a bloody contact sport.
The threads that bind us, whether or not by blood. The hopes, the dreams. And the disappointments too. All those things that make us who we are. So deftly and delicately handled.
Family is not always easy. Often one person gives up so much to set another one free. The path we thought we thought we would take, may not be the one we end up on. And becoming your own person isn’t easy either. Not if you care about other people, and take their needs into account. And family doesn't necessarily have to be one that you're born into.
"It seemed the closer he got to what he wanted, the more lost he became. The sinking feeling that had plagued him his entire life wasn't going away. It was getting worse."
The descriptions of the run down motels, people catching the Greyhound bus, the takeaway stores around the bus terminals. street life, the fights, the fatigue. I could feel every bruise and cut lip Horace got. But he kept on fighting. I was willing him to give away boxing, that being a winner didn’t prove his worth. To listen to his gut and go back to the ranch where he was happy. But he kept pushing through, determined to make what he thought was his dream come true. There was just so much sadness in Horace's journey as he became more reclusive in this pursuit.
"Loneliness was also a sort of disease..."
Horace's increasing struggles and loneliness in the city are shown in contrast to the deep love and respect between Mr. & Mrs. Reese. Their ease with each other. Descriptions of them talking together over brekkie, the radio playing softly in the background. Various dogs lying at their feet. It's so comfy and homely. Then it's back to Horace. Eating spicy Mexican food that doesn't particularly agree with him, drinking tequila and beer, going to a bordello. Because the other guys are doing it. In an effort to fit in. Berating himself afterwards. All adding to his increasing unhappiness.
The injuries Horace sustained from fighting were horrific and confronting. The descriptions of the fights were tough to listen to. I can't pretend to understand where the "sport" is in men beating the hell out of each other.
The difference between the Horace on the ranch and the Horace on the boxing circuit couldn't be more stark.
A disappointing romance, rotten “friends”, lousy jobs, disillusionment. Pride stopping Horace from returning to the ranch and folk he loved. Falling deeper and deeper.
There are moments of exquisite beauty, and some great wisdom. If only we’d listen to those that are older and wiser than us. That look out for us, and have our best interests at heart. Instead of being trapped in the need to belong. The sweet folly of youth.
The only other book which I’ve read that could be classed as “Western” in genre is Brokeback Mountain. It’s not a genre that I’ve been overly drawn to in the past. But sometimes you get surprised by things which are new to you. It opens your eyes and gives you a fresh perspective. I was surprised by how much this book touched me. I felt comforted by the slower pace of life on the ranch, and the respect and love shown by Mr. Reese to Horace, and vice versa. How highly Mr. Reese thought of him, even hoping he'd consider taking over the running of the ranch. It shone from the pages. I had a lump in my throat more than once.
Yes, this story broke my heart. Slowly. A bit more with each page turn. In many ways, Horace Hopper reminded me of Ray, the protagonist in Sara Baume’s “Spill Simmer Falter Winter”. Similar in that they both shared this incredible pain of not quite fitting in. The difference being that Horace had the ability to change.
Can dreams tear you apart? Should you follow them even if they’re hurting you? Can you change your path? It’s a tough read, but it’s a must read. Be prepared to be battered by this story. Tears will flow.
Narrated by the Author, I was lost in the words. Hearing him tell the story brought such an authenticity to the novel, an added depth. I’m keen to continue with Willy Vlautin’s books, as he has a keen eye for capturing the human spirit. He's found a new reader.
Shout out to Randwick City Library for such an eclectic selection of audio books. Another gem. So pleased I stumbled upon this one.
"It’s all just up to you, to be you."
January 8, 2024
4.5 stars
short review for busy readers: a parable similar to The Prodigal Son, but with a modern day twist. Set against the backdrop of ranching and semi-pro boxing. Highly structured and with more of a literary touch than others of Vlautin’s works. Recommended for book clubs that enjoy philosophical discussions.
in detail:
It’s taken me a long time to write this review, because, although many of Vlautin’s typical themes are present, the approach and structure of the novel are untypical for him.
We are presented with two men who act as mirrors to each other. One is quite old and at the end of his life, the other is quite young and at the start of his.
The old man has always chosen the safe route, the one he knew would lead him to a dependable, successful enough life. He feels accepted and even loved, but he also always knew he settled. He never moved beyond what he knew he could do. He has always just been himself.
The young man dreams big to escape his status/identity of being mixed race. Even though he could have a prosperous life handed to him, he chooses to follow his dream of becoming a professional boxer – despite the fact that he doesn’t have what it takes.
Watching him getting the crap whalloped out of him in the ring is as painful as watching how he gets the crap whalloped out of him in other parts of his life. He won’t make it. He's on the wrong track. We and the old man know that right from the start.
And yet, we know he has to see it through. He has to try...and fail. Terribly. Because you can't be who you aren't.
This mirroring addresses the themes of identity, independence and forgiveness as well as questioning the nature of success.
If we try and fail, are we our attempt or our failure? Who gives us our identity – others or ourselves? Is who we get help from more important than many other factors in how things turn out? Can we forgive ourselves for our mistakes or even for who we are? And do we have the courage to ask the forgiveness of those who love us, even when we can't love ourselves?
Very important topics.
As to the setting: the world of semi-pro boxing is rendered with a great amount of detail in this novel. It’s almost hyper-realistic, which is also unusual for Vlautin, but truly sticks in the mind.
Other readers have critiqued the very abrupt ending. True, it is abrupt. Also, the main characters - esp the old man - are almost too good to be true.
Those two factors, however, support the reading of Don't Skip Out on Me as a parable, a 'teaching story' which is not meant to be taken entirely realistically, but more as a demonstration of philosophical ideas. As with "The Night Always Comes", Vlautin seems to be experimenting and challenging himself as a writer - at least where plot and structure are concerned - and moving bit by bit into new territory.
This one is probably Vlautin's best work (thus far) due to the technical and structural qualities, but it's not necessarily a typical one of his works. His seminal work remains his first novel The Motel Life.
short review for busy readers: a parable similar to The Prodigal Son, but with a modern day twist. Set against the backdrop of ranching and semi-pro boxing. Highly structured and with more of a literary touch than others of Vlautin’s works. Recommended for book clubs that enjoy philosophical discussions.
in detail:
It’s taken me a long time to write this review, because, although many of Vlautin’s typical themes are present, the approach and structure of the novel are untypical for him.
We are presented with two men who act as mirrors to each other. One is quite old and at the end of his life, the other is quite young and at the start of his.
The old man has always chosen the safe route, the one he knew would lead him to a dependable, successful enough life. He feels accepted and even loved, but he also always knew he settled. He never moved beyond what he knew he could do. He has always just been himself.
The young man dreams big to escape his status/identity of being mixed race. Even though he could have a prosperous life handed to him, he chooses to follow his dream of becoming a professional boxer – despite the fact that he doesn’t have what it takes.
Watching him getting the crap whalloped out of him in the ring is as painful as watching how he gets the crap whalloped out of him in other parts of his life. He won’t make it. He's on the wrong track. We and the old man know that right from the start.
And yet, we know he has to see it through. He has to try...and fail. Terribly. Because you can't be who you aren't.
This mirroring addresses the themes of identity, independence and forgiveness as well as questioning the nature of success.
If we try and fail, are we our attempt or our failure? Who gives us our identity – others or ourselves? Is who we get help from more important than many other factors in how things turn out? Can we forgive ourselves for our mistakes or even for who we are? And do we have the courage to ask the forgiveness of those who love us, even when we can't love ourselves?
Very important topics.
As to the setting: the world of semi-pro boxing is rendered with a great amount of detail in this novel. It’s almost hyper-realistic, which is also unusual for Vlautin, but truly sticks in the mind.
Other readers have critiqued the very abrupt ending. True, it is abrupt. Also, the main characters - esp the old man - are almost too good to be true.
Those two factors, however, support the reading of Don't Skip Out on Me as a parable, a 'teaching story' which is not meant to be taken entirely realistically, but more as a demonstration of philosophical ideas. As with "The Night Always Comes", Vlautin seems to be experimenting and challenging himself as a writer - at least where plot and structure are concerned - and moving bit by bit into new territory.
This one is probably Vlautin's best work (thus far) due to the technical and structural qualities, but it's not necessarily a typical one of his works. His seminal work remains his first novel The Motel Life.
February 3, 2021
"Don't Skip Out on Me" is a powerful story that will rip your heart out. It is a story that moves at a slower pace that most of the newer fiction out there- this is not a breakneck paced thriller. It is the story of an orphaned ranch hand in the Nevada mountains (and once you get outside of Las Vegas, Nevada is nothing but open ranch land, mountains, and desolate highways), a story of the hardscrabble life up in those mountains away from the world where the loneliness can drive you mad.
It is the story of two men who grew up in that ranch land where one barely makes a living and how they tried to chase their dreams. One of them went to La Jolla where he swam in the ocean and met the love of his life only to hear that his father passed on leaving a widow and a whole mess of minor children and no one to run the ranch.
The other man is the featured character of the story, Horace, who has dreams of becoming a Mexican boxer even though he doesn't speak a lick of Spanish and isn't Mexican at all. He finally gets the balls to set off to the wide world of Tucson where he finds a trainer, who takes advantage of him, and a job changing tires. The most exciting scenes are of the boxing matches in Tucson, San Antonio, and deep in Mexico where young Horace learns about the world. Its a lonely, sad, desolate story of desperation and broken dreams but its so damn good.
It is the story of two men who grew up in that ranch land where one barely makes a living and how they tried to chase their dreams. One of them went to La Jolla where he swam in the ocean and met the love of his life only to hear that his father passed on leaving a widow and a whole mess of minor children and no one to run the ranch.
The other man is the featured character of the story, Horace, who has dreams of becoming a Mexican boxer even though he doesn't speak a lick of Spanish and isn't Mexican at all. He finally gets the balls to set off to the wide world of Tucson where he finds a trainer, who takes advantage of him, and a job changing tires. The most exciting scenes are of the boxing matches in Tucson, San Antonio, and deep in Mexico where young Horace learns about the world. Its a lonely, sad, desolate story of desperation and broken dreams but its so damn good.
June 10, 2018
All day this book has not left my mind, and I expect it will be awhile before that happens. It’s the same way every time I finish one of Vlautin’s painful, beautiful stories. This author can take me to places I’m not expecting, introduce me to these flawed but true characters, and my heart is just putty in his hands.
If this story is not a joyous one, it’s certainly courageous. If it is not uplifting, it’s honest. Vlautin’s style is candid and uncomplicated, and the very simplicity of the language allows each moment to fill up with that much more emotion and vibrancy. Horace Hopper and Mr. Reese are people from very different places and backgrounds in life, but they’re connected by friendship and love, in the way of a father and son. Their story has me thinking about people who are most important in my own life, who have been there for the good and the ugly, to show me something in myself that I just couldn’t see. These are the truest sort of people… just like Horace and Mr. Reese.
What else can I say? I'm not sure that this book will be for everyone. Don't read this if you require bow tie on your ending. This one is about far more than a happily-ever-after.
If this story is not a joyous one, it’s certainly courageous. If it is not uplifting, it’s honest. Vlautin’s style is candid and uncomplicated, and the very simplicity of the language allows each moment to fill up with that much more emotion and vibrancy. Horace Hopper and Mr. Reese are people from very different places and backgrounds in life, but they’re connected by friendship and love, in the way of a father and son. Their story has me thinking about people who are most important in my own life, who have been there for the good and the ugly, to show me something in myself that I just couldn’t see. These are the truest sort of people… just like Horace and Mr. Reese.
What else can I say? I'm not sure that this book will be for everyone. Don't read this if you require bow tie on your ending. This one is about far more than a happily-ever-after.
January 16, 2019
Willy Vlautin is one of my favourite authors, so it pains me to give his latest novel only 3 stars. Three stars normally for me mean a book is solid but not amazing overall. Here it's different. The first 3/4 of "Don't Skip Out on Me" waver between four and five stars and then... I'm not sure what happened there, but it really didn't work for me at all.
Okay, first the good part - the majority of the novel. Horace Hopper is a 21 year old boy who works and lives on the elder Mr. Reese's ranch. Mr. & Mrs. Reese see him more of a son than a worker, and he sees them in a similar way. He's got a tragic back story. A father who left when he was 3, a mother who left him with her racist grandmother, where he lives until he moves to the ranch. His grandmother constantly reminds him of that being half native American (and half Irish) is not a good thing, so it's little wonder that Horace wants to be someone else. He dreams of becoming a professional Mexican boxer. Despite not speaking any Spanish, he changes his name, throws away all his Slayer CDs and moves to the city to pursue his dreams.
While some of the dialogue felt a bit forced and the main characters are all of so incredibly good and moral, despite life being so horrible to them, overall I loved it. Willy Vlautin is so good at describing working class poverty, setting atmospheric scenes and at making you care about the characters. The boxing scenes and the sheer brutality of the sport was also really intriguing. At the best of times it read like a mixture of a great Bruce Springsteen song and a Carver shortstory. And then...
I don't like happy endings, I'm super open to really tragic heart-breaking endings. So it's not that I'm opposed to on principle. I re-read the last page several times to see if I'd missed something. It was so abrupt and the whole just felt very out of character in the way it was written. I understand it was an act of desperation but it just didn't ring true. I'm not sure what happened on the last page because it also felt really rushed. Maybe Vlautin was going for the shock factor, the "Oh shit no! That can't be right!" moment, which I did experience. But it wasn't in a good way. I put the novel aside and and stared at my fiancé, going "Well, shit. That's... shit." (He was reading "Nineteenth-Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction", so I'm not sure he understood what I was on about...)
I feel, I might have given this a better rating if it was another author, but as it stands it's a good book, but a disappointing one. Maybe I'll like it better when/if I re-visit it, when the ending won't come as such a surprise. It's not just the last two pages, though, the last chapters all felt very constructed. I could see Vlautin sitting in his chair going "Mhm, this is a great start of a novel, but how can I let this end super tragic in less than 100 pages?" Maybe I'm far off and he's had this planned out the whole time, but that still makes me wonder why he decided to change the pacing for the worse. I love the feeling of the first part of the novel - and of most of his other ones. The one where time feels to drag, where the lonely and poor and unfair lives seem to go on forever and ever, and there's no escape.
Oh well.
Okay, first the good part - the majority of the novel. Horace Hopper is a 21 year old boy who works and lives on the elder Mr. Reese's ranch. Mr. & Mrs. Reese see him more of a son than a worker, and he sees them in a similar way. He's got a tragic back story. A father who left when he was 3, a mother who left him with her racist grandmother, where he lives until he moves to the ranch. His grandmother constantly reminds him of that being half native American (and half Irish) is not a good thing, so it's little wonder that Horace wants to be someone else. He dreams of becoming a professional Mexican boxer. Despite not speaking any Spanish, he changes his name, throws away all his Slayer CDs and moves to the city to pursue his dreams.
While some of the dialogue felt a bit forced and the main characters are all of so incredibly good and moral, despite life being so horrible to them, overall I loved it. Willy Vlautin is so good at describing working class poverty, setting atmospheric scenes and at making you care about the characters. The boxing scenes and the sheer brutality of the sport was also really intriguing. At the best of times it read like a mixture of a great Bruce Springsteen song and a Carver shortstory. And then...
I don't like happy endings, I'm super open to really tragic heart-breaking endings. So it's not that I'm opposed to on principle. I re-read the last page several times to see if I'd missed something. It was so abrupt and the whole just felt very out of character in the way it was written. I understand it was an act of desperation but it just didn't ring true. I'm not sure what happened on the last page because it also felt really rushed. Maybe Vlautin was going for the shock factor, the "Oh shit no! That can't be right!" moment, which I did experience. But it wasn't in a good way. I put the novel aside and and stared at my fiancé, going "Well, shit. That's... shit." (He was reading "Nineteenth-Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction", so I'm not sure he understood what I was on about...)
I feel, I might have given this a better rating if it was another author, but as it stands it's a good book, but a disappointing one. Maybe I'll like it better when/if I re-visit it, when the ending won't come as such a surprise. It's not just the last two pages, though, the last chapters all felt very constructed. I could see Vlautin sitting in his chair going "Mhm, this is a great start of a novel, but how can I let this end super tragic in less than 100 pages?" Maybe I'm far off and he's had this planned out the whole time, but that still makes me wonder why he decided to change the pacing for the worse. I love the feeling of the first part of the novel - and of most of his other ones. The one where time feels to drag, where the lonely and poor and unfair lives seem to go on forever and ever, and there's no escape.
Oh well.
November 27, 2017
Another melancholy masterpiece from Vlautin. Got an advance copy a few weeks ago and devoured it. Put it down for a while and picked it up again this weekend and read more slowly. Hit even harder this time. Packed full of great details and beautiful place writing. For my money, no one sets characters adrift in the world like Vlautin. I love the way his characters wander, looking for something, hoping for something, some connection or direction. More than anything, I'd say, this one's about identity and fighting through the feeling of being lost. The places in this novel--the ranch and mountains, the sad casinos and boxing arenas in the Southwest and Mexico, the drunken whirlwinds of Vegas and Tijuana, the hole-in-the-wall apartments, the tire shops and gyms and day labor construction sites, the fast food joints, the liquor stores where checks are cashed, the alleys where alcoholics flop--reek of desperation and destitution and some kind of sad beauty. Vlautin's lonely people are just scraping by--some good-hearted, some mean and bitter and ruined, all broken. Horace and Mr. Reese are full and alive on the page. I love them both. Vlautin's my favorite writer for a lot of reasons, but chief among them is how hard I fall for his characters, how much I care about them, how I worry about them long after I'm done reading. There's just so much heart here. This is a great Western and a great boxing novel and, above all, a great American novel about empathy and identity and yearning. Truly a stunner and a heartbreaker.
Also: I wish more than anything that Kelly Reichardt would adapt this into a film--she's a perfect match for Vlautin, and DON'T SKIP OUT ON ME operates in the same territory as her recent masterpiece, CERTAIN WOMEN.
Also: I wish more than anything that Kelly Reichardt would adapt this into a film--she's a perfect match for Vlautin, and DON'T SKIP OUT ON ME operates in the same territory as her recent masterpiece, CERTAIN WOMEN.
August 15, 2020
Tragic story of a young man from Nevada who leaves home and travels to Arizona to become a boxer. He has had a difficult family life. After he is abandoned by his parents, a ranching family takes him in. He wants to make something of himself. He desires to be a champion.
The prose is spare, and the dialogue plentiful. The author conveys a realistic sense of the landscape of the high desert. The relationship between the protagonist and rancher is particularly touching. The brutality of boxing is vividly described. The tone is melancholy. I enjoyed the first half more than the second. I would not recommend this book to anyone currently feeling depressed.
I listened to the audiobook, adequately read by the author. He does not vary his voice much, so the narration feels a bit lackluster.
The prose is spare, and the dialogue plentiful. The author conveys a realistic sense of the landscape of the high desert. The relationship between the protagonist and rancher is particularly touching. The brutality of boxing is vividly described. The tone is melancholy. I enjoyed the first half more than the second. I would not recommend this book to anyone currently feeling depressed.
I listened to the audiobook, adequately read by the author. He does not vary his voice much, so the narration feels a bit lackluster.
December 3, 2020
We all dream, sometimes it takes a lot of us to achieve it.
Willy Vlauntin Dont Skip It Out On Me, is a very important book to me. It's all about finding yourself in vast and lonely world.
Horace Hopper has spent most of his life on a Nevada sheep ranch but he dreams something bigger, to prove himself, to prove his worth he wanted to become a championship boxer. But our plans won't go always like we planned, everytime it goes the other way. Mr. And Mrs. Reese the aging ranchers, took him in and treated him like a son, which I love the most is how much The Reeses Love Horace, how much they care for him.
Be True to yourself, be who you are, it's hard to get what you want when you lie to yourself, like Horace did, he went to Tucson to become a championship boxer however he didn't told them who he really is, he told them hes Mexican and he's name is Hector, he wants to be Mexican though he's not, he's practicing all the time on his Spanish, he always eat Mexican food to feel a lot more like Mexican, for him because Mexicans are tough, and the best boxers, and others are not, it's important to be true to yourself, not to be pulled down by ego, it's hard to find happiness if you are surrounded by lies.
The novel is amazing, poignantly written a very inspiring novel. I adore Willy for his writing. It's a highly recommended book.
I love the book, it does have a soundtrack with it........ you can download it to really feel everything while your reading it makes the whole book even better that it is.
Can we talk about the ending, all I can say is I didn't expect that to happen, I sobbed. It's a wrenching novel as well.
Life is hard, plans don't go always like we planned it to, the only thing we can do, is just Ride
One of my best reads this year!
Willy Vlauntin Dont Skip It Out On Me, is a very important book to me. It's all about finding yourself in vast and lonely world.
Horace Hopper has spent most of his life on a Nevada sheep ranch but he dreams something bigger, to prove himself, to prove his worth he wanted to become a championship boxer. But our plans won't go always like we planned, everytime it goes the other way. Mr. And Mrs. Reese the aging ranchers, took him in and treated him like a son, which I love the most is how much The Reeses Love Horace, how much they care for him.
Be True to yourself, be who you are, it's hard to get what you want when you lie to yourself, like Horace did, he went to Tucson to become a championship boxer however he didn't told them who he really is, he told them hes Mexican and he's name is Hector, he wants to be Mexican though he's not, he's practicing all the time on his Spanish, he always eat Mexican food to feel a lot more like Mexican, for him because Mexicans are tough, and the best boxers, and others are not, it's important to be true to yourself, not to be pulled down by ego, it's hard to find happiness if you are surrounded by lies.
The novel is amazing, poignantly written a very inspiring novel. I adore Willy for his writing. It's a highly recommended book.
I love the book, it does have a soundtrack with it........ you can download it to really feel everything while your reading it makes the whole book even better that it is.
Can we talk about the ending, all I can say is I didn't expect that to happen, I sobbed. It's a wrenching novel as well.
Life is hard, plans don't go always like we planned it to, the only thing we can do, is just Ride
One of my best reads this year!
March 4, 2018
This was in solid four-star-edging-on-five-stars territory until the last two or three chapters. And then the ending, for this reader, killed any remaining good will I had in its complete annihilation of hope. I can imagine a hundred ways this could have ended that would have been emotionally impactful without feeling melodramatic. The book is beautifully written and Vlautin's narration is excellent, but the ending felt both like a cop-out and like it was trying too hard and left me feeling frustrated and annoyed.
December 6, 2022
4,5 ⭐️
Dit boek raakte me meer dan ik van te voren had gedacht. De eenzaamheid uit dit boek was wat me vooral overviel, die zo goed beschreven was dat je hem zelf heel erg voelde. En dit ondanks de liefde die er ook was, en het gevecht misschien nog wel ondraaglijker maakte. Erg onder de indruk. Ik ga zeker meer van Willy Vlautin lezen.
Dit boek raakte me meer dan ik van te voren had gedacht. De eenzaamheid uit dit boek was wat me vooral overviel, die zo goed beschreven was dat je hem zelf heel erg voelde. En dit ondanks de liefde die er ook was, en het gevecht misschien nog wel ondraaglijker maakte. Erg onder de indruk. Ik ga zeker meer van Willy Vlautin lezen.
January 2, 2020
One of the saddest take me home books I’ve ever read.
November 23, 2018
I’m not crying, you’re crying. Willy Vlautin brings his compassionate heart and clear writing to this story of good-hearted, down-and-out males in the American West. Vlautin also does a nice job reading the audiobook.
December 6, 2018
You will be transported into the world of Horace, he wants to be a Mexican champion fighter and ultimately he is trying to find himself in his own destiny. Horace’s starting point of this journey is in a ranch as a worker, a herder and a helping hand to a warm and good hearted couple Mr and Mrs Reece in Tonopah, Nevada, they had taken him under their wings from a teen and into their hearts he had a place. He wants to breakout and make it big, wants to be a warrior toe to toe in the ring like many past and present Mexican boxers he loved and so he sets out on to fighting at the Arizona Golden Gloves championships in Mesa. He wants to breakthrough to another level and make something more with a strategy called B.O.A.T, it is a book on motivations and making it, and in his pursuit of happiness in figuring out something greater you walk with him on this road in his falls and gains and the decisions he makes. This is a nice little treat of a human struggle, an alternative American dream, against the grain, against the odds and histories.
A life of a few big hearted underdogs, undercards, and a few good men, a few memorable characters within a poignant haunting tale told with simplicity and heart one that would successfully stay for a time after the reader closes the story for good but work its own magic in the readers heart and mind.
Excerpts and author singing with guitar @ < a href="https://more2read.com/review/dont-ski...
A life of a few big hearted underdogs, undercards, and a few good men, a few memorable characters within a poignant haunting tale told with simplicity and heart one that would successfully stay for a time after the reader closes the story for good but work its own magic in the readers heart and mind.
Excerpts and author singing with guitar @ < a href="https://more2read.com/review/dont-ski...
February 27, 2024
Enjoyable, though a touch too sentimental- plus the book just ends out of nowhere. But I did enjoy the relationship between the two leads- a lost young man trying to find his way in the world, and an old Rancher trying his best to be a good example for him with the little time he has left.
3 Semi-Sweet Stars
3 Semi-Sweet Stars
January 14, 2018
This one knocked my socks off!!! Stark and spare prose gives us the story of Horace Hopper, half Paiute Native American and half Irish. An old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Reese, are his guardians, his birth mom and dad having written him out of their lives. Horace had been shunted to a grandmother who I felt was emotionally abusive and distant, damaging his fragile psyche. He comes to live with the Reeses on their sheep ranch in Nevada, is considered almost the son of the couple, and works as a ranch hand. Having a talent for boxing and big dreams of succeeding as a professional, Horace wants to "try his wings" as a professional boxer. He leaves the ranch with the Reeses' blessing and strikes out on his own--living his own life, fighting in Arizona, Mexico, and Texas under the alias of "Hector Hidalgo." He discovers that the outside world is cruel; people can be manipulative, bigoted, and deceitful. He is torn about returning to his loving guardians because of his feelings of inadequacy and having failed them. The story conflates the Biblical parables of the shepherd searching for the one lost sheep with Mr. Reese searching for Horace and the first part of the Prodigal Son story, but set in the contemporary West. I wondered: is the sheep ranch a metaphor?
The whole novel was touching and poignant. The character portraits were amazing--the naïve, sensitive, intense Horace and his unconditionally loving "father and mother." The whole novel was moving and unforgettable.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to LibraryThing for an ARC in return for my honest review.
The whole novel was touching and poignant. The character portraits were amazing--the naïve, sensitive, intense Horace and his unconditionally loving "father and mother." The whole novel was moving and unforgettable.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to LibraryThing for an ARC in return for my honest review.
March 22, 2018
This isn’t as dark as Vlautin’s other novels, perhaps he is mellowing as he gets older, but still very much has his trademark on it. It is the story of 20 year old Horace Hopper, a half Paiute Indian, half white ranch hand whose ambition is to become a Mexican boxer, and Mr. Reese, a 72 year old Nevada ranch owner. Hopper leaves the ranch to compete for the Arizona Golden Gloves competition and the novel follows their now separate lives.
Boxing has never greatly appealed to me, but there is some good writing about it, this included. I think mainly also of Jack London’s short story, A Piece Of Steak . But it’s Reece’s story here in which Vlautin is at his strongest, particularly the scenes in which the two Mexican boys hitch a ride in the back of his truck, and when he goes fishing with his friend and contemplates retirement with his dogs.
For me the strongest themes are loneliness and ageing, making life changing decisions and taking opportunities. B.O.A.T as Reece calls it. Advance warning also, that rare for a Vlautin novel, its something of a tear-jerker.
Boxing has never greatly appealed to me, but there is some good writing about it, this included. I think mainly also of Jack London’s short story, A Piece Of Steak . But it’s Reece’s story here in which Vlautin is at his strongest, particularly the scenes in which the two Mexican boys hitch a ride in the back of his truck, and when he goes fishing with his friend and contemplates retirement with his dogs.
For me the strongest themes are loneliness and ageing, making life changing decisions and taking opportunities. B.O.A.T as Reece calls it. Advance warning also, that rare for a Vlautin novel, its something of a tear-jerker.
March 18, 2018
There has often been authors that I've not heard of before, and picked up one of their books, and been immediately drawn to their writing. It's often simple prose, that's so poignant, that my heart aches. This is such an author and story. I've never heard of Willy Vlautin, but will seek out his other work now!
This book is about ranch hand Horace, who has always had an identity crisis. He wants to reinvent himself as a tough Mexican boxer. His trials and tribulations are so real, you feel you know him. The characterizations in this novel as so well developed that I laughed, cried, and my heart ached throughout. This was written with such tenderness, it stole my heart.
This book is about ranch hand Horace, who has always had an identity crisis. He wants to reinvent himself as a tough Mexican boxer. His trials and tribulations are so real, you feel you know him. The characterizations in this novel as so well developed that I laughed, cried, and my heart ached throughout. This was written with such tenderness, it stole my heart.
March 6, 2018
I'd read (and loved) Vlautin's four previous novels, and was really looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint. Vlautin makes writing look easy, and with his straight-forward writing style and close examination of his characters and their thoughts and motives and day-to-day existence, it is reminiscent (I realized) of Ken Haruf--one of my favorite authors. This novel will stick with me for awhile, especially the ending.
April 13, 2018
I need to write a review on this, but I just finished it and I'm busy picking up the pieces of my shattered heart. What a beautiful, haunting, heartbreaking novel!
4/12/18: Just had the opportunity to meet the author at a book talk. What a great guy and I loved the story behind his novels. He even played guitar and sang a few songs that he wrote to go with the story. Looking forward to reading more of his books!
4/12/18: Just had the opportunity to meet the author at a book talk. What a great guy and I loved the story behind his novels. He even played guitar and sang a few songs that he wrote to go with the story. Looking forward to reading more of his books!
March 6, 2018
Mitt hjärta blöder...
July 13, 2022
Willy is slowly becoming one of my fave authors. I love the way he describes North America, be it a trailer park or a Mexican village or a ranch. There’s something authentic about the landscapes and characters which populate his books. In addition to this, his unpretentious writing style helps bring out his themes.
Horace is a ranch hand who has a personal connection with his owner Mr. Reese. He also wants to be a professional boxer so he changes his name to a Mexican one and leaves the ranch to start his career. In the meantime Mr. Reese is getting old and is not really capable of running his sheep farm. Both main characters are going on different life paths – the question is whether they will cope?
Don’t Skip is about illusion and reality. Horace does not want to be half white half Native American but rather a Mexican, yet he hates the food and cannot speak Spanish. Mr. Reese thinks he can handle the ranch but his back pains stop him. he also has to accept his fate.
Besides that there’s Vlautin’s descriptions ranging from the expansive Nevada ranch to the illicit hedonism of Tijuana. It’s all hyper realistic. Also for someone who dislikes descriptions of sports, I enjoyed reading about the boxing matches, and there are quite a few. Again Vlautin knows how not to make something dull and repetitive.
Although I have only read two of his novels, I consider Willy Vlautin to be a chronicler of contemporary North America. At the same time his books are quietly anarchic. One can never guess how his characters behave or what type of fate will await them and I like unpredictable plots. Vlautin, without any doubt is a master at his craft.
Horace is a ranch hand who has a personal connection with his owner Mr. Reese. He also wants to be a professional boxer so he changes his name to a Mexican one and leaves the ranch to start his career. In the meantime Mr. Reese is getting old and is not really capable of running his sheep farm. Both main characters are going on different life paths – the question is whether they will cope?
Don’t Skip is about illusion and reality. Horace does not want to be half white half Native American but rather a Mexican, yet he hates the food and cannot speak Spanish. Mr. Reese thinks he can handle the ranch but his back pains stop him. he also has to accept his fate.
Besides that there’s Vlautin’s descriptions ranging from the expansive Nevada ranch to the illicit hedonism of Tijuana. It’s all hyper realistic. Also for someone who dislikes descriptions of sports, I enjoyed reading about the boxing matches, and there are quite a few. Again Vlautin knows how not to make something dull and repetitive.
Although I have only read two of his novels, I consider Willy Vlautin to be a chronicler of contemporary North America. At the same time his books are quietly anarchic. One can never guess how his characters behave or what type of fate will await them and I like unpredictable plots. Vlautin, without any doubt is a master at his craft.
December 9, 2018
2.5 rounded up
Don't get me wrong - Don't Skip Out on Me is by no means a bad book (hence why I rounded up). It's just another example of a book that could have been so much better.
The narrative follows Horace, a young half-Paiute, half-Irish ranch hand who decides he wants to be a Mexican boxer. Abandoned by his parents at a young age and taken in by Mr. Reece (the ranch owner), Horace is a adrift. Boxing becomes his sole aim and purpose, and takes over his life - taking him across the U.S. and meeting a whole host of characters along the way.
As the blurb here on Goodreads mentions, this is a story of Horace's search for identity. Yet I never quite believed in his boxing dream; it seemed arbitrary, like even Horace himself didn't even believe in it... which is quite a problem when this is the main plot point. I'll just say that if you love descriptions of boxing, you're in for a treat.
My other issue was with the tone. It was kind of flippant and jokey at times, and then the story suddenly went serious. This might not be an issue for others, but it didn't match up to my expectations of a literary fiction read.
To finish on a more positive note - I thought Horace's relationship with the Reece's was sweet and handled well. However overall this was unfortunately another not all that memorable ToB read!
Don't get me wrong - Don't Skip Out on Me is by no means a bad book (hence why I rounded up). It's just another example of a book that could have been so much better.
The narrative follows Horace, a young half-Paiute, half-Irish ranch hand who decides he wants to be a Mexican boxer. Abandoned by his parents at a young age and taken in by Mr. Reece (the ranch owner), Horace is a adrift. Boxing becomes his sole aim and purpose, and takes over his life - taking him across the U.S. and meeting a whole host of characters along the way.
As the blurb here on Goodreads mentions, this is a story of Horace's search for identity. Yet I never quite believed in his boxing dream; it seemed arbitrary, like even Horace himself didn't even believe in it... which is quite a problem when this is the main plot point. I'll just say that if you love descriptions of boxing, you're in for a treat.
My other issue was with the tone. It was kind of flippant and jokey at times, and then the story suddenly went serious. This might not be an issue for others, but it didn't match up to my expectations of a literary fiction read.
To finish on a more positive note - I thought Horace's relationship with the Reece's was sweet and handled well. However overall this was unfortunately another not all that memorable ToB read!
February 11, 2018
Another beautifully written novel about blue collar American characters that brilliantly conveys a sense of place and has you fully invested in the story from the start to the unexpected end. Vlautin's style is simple, yet extremely effective, and he does an amazing job painting complex characters in a quiet way. The soundtrack CD which comes with the book only adds to the ambience (though I bought it on vinyl due to my lack of a CD player - first world problems!).
His place was already cemented as one of my favourite authors, but this novel has made me want to go straight back to his back catalogue to immerse myself in his worlds again. First stop will be 'Lean on Pete', due to be released in March as a major film, which will hopefully give him the opportunity to become recognised as the talent that he is in his own country.
His place was already cemented as one of my favourite authors, but this novel has made me want to go straight back to his back catalogue to immerse myself in his worlds again. First stop will be 'Lean on Pete', due to be released in March as a major film, which will hopefully give him the opportunity to become recognised as the talent that he is in his own country.
March 10, 2021
Wow.
"Ik zou ook moe zijn als ik jou was. Het is zwaar om elke dag een hekel aan jezelf te hebben en het is zwaar om te proberen iets te zijn wat je niet bent. Dat eist allebei zijn tol" .
Beetje sceptisch aan het boek begonnen vanwege het onderwerp: een jongen die het wil maken als professioneel bokser. Gelukkig is dat niet het thema van het boek. Het gaat om zoveel meer: ontdekken wie je bent en wat je wenst, omgaan met eenzaamheid en in hoeverre je afkomst bepaalt hoe je in het leven staat.
Vlautin schetst zo mooi het beeld van de ranch van meneer Reese. Ik kon de paarden bijna ruiken. Hoe simpel het verhaal soms overkomt, des te indringender kwam het op mij over. Ik heb aan het eind zelfs een beetje gehuild. Prachtig.
"Ik zou ook moe zijn als ik jou was. Het is zwaar om elke dag een hekel aan jezelf te hebben en het is zwaar om te proberen iets te zijn wat je niet bent. Dat eist allebei zijn tol" .
Beetje sceptisch aan het boek begonnen vanwege het onderwerp: een jongen die het wil maken als professioneel bokser. Gelukkig is dat niet het thema van het boek. Het gaat om zoveel meer: ontdekken wie je bent en wat je wenst, omgaan met eenzaamheid en in hoeverre je afkomst bepaalt hoe je in het leven staat.
Vlautin schetst zo mooi het beeld van de ranch van meneer Reese. Ik kon de paarden bijna ruiken. Hoe simpel het verhaal soms overkomt, des te indringender kwam het op mij over. Ik heb aan het eind zelfs een beetje gehuild. Prachtig.
February 11, 2018
Damnit Willy.
He's got a formula, and boy it works.
Hope we don't have to wait quite so long for the next one.
He's got a formula, and boy it works.
Hope we don't have to wait quite so long for the next one.
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