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Grand Opening
Twelve-year old Brendan tells the story, set in 1944-45, that begins with his parents' decision to buy a run-down grocery store in a tiny Minnesota town. What they discover about small town idealism, bigotry, and good old American values will change them and the town forever....
"A writer good enough to restore your faith in fiction."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
From the Paperback edition.
"A writer good enough to restore your faith in fiction."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
From the Paperback edition.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
10 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
Jon Hassler
33 books115 followersJon Hassler was born in Minneapolis, but spent his formative years in the small Minnesota towns of Staples and Plainview, where he graduated from high school. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from St. John's University in 1955. While teaching English at three different Minnesota high schools, he received his Master of Arts degree in English from the University of North Dakota in 1960. He continued to teach at the high school level until 1965, when he began his collegiate teaching career: first at Bemidji State University, then Brainerd Community College (now called Central Lakes College), and finally at Saint John's, where he became the Writer-in-Residence in 1980.
During his high-school teaching years, Hassler married and fathered three children. His first marriage lasted 25 years. He had two more marriages; the last was to Gretchen Kresl Hassler.
In 1994, Hassler was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a disease similar to Parkinson's. It caused vision and speech problems, as well as difficulty walking, but he was able to continue writing. He was reported to have finished a novel just days before his death. Hassler died in 2008, at the age of 74, at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.[1]
The Jon Hassler Theater in Plainview, Minnesota, is named for him.
During his high-school teaching years, Hassler married and fathered three children. His first marriage lasted 25 years. He had two more marriages; the last was to Gretchen Kresl Hassler.
In 1994, Hassler was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a disease similar to Parkinson's. It caused vision and speech problems, as well as difficulty walking, but he was able to continue writing. He was reported to have finished a novel just days before his death. Hassler died in 2008, at the age of 74, at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.[1]
The Jon Hassler Theater in Plainview, Minnesota, is named for him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
July 15, 2010
I can't improve in regard to describing Jon Hassler on the Tulsa World's review shown on the back cover of "Grand Opening": "This is Sinclair Lewis without the deep, deep bitterness." I'd also contribute: he's like a Midwestern Richard Russo (based on my tiny sample of one Russo) or Robert Inman ("Home Fires Burning" actually shares a lot of similarities). Maybe Jan Karon's Mitford series or Garrison Keillor, so I've heard (I haven't actually read either author, so what do I know?)
Well, what I do know is that "Grand Opening" is another sharp winner (3.5 stars, really) from this chronicler of small-town Minnesota. Hassler respects his characters, tints his humor with humanity and realism, not sarcasm; the dramatic or tragic turns his novels sometimes take do not descend into melodrama. I've been reading Hassler in chronological order of publication (this is the fifth) though there's little reason for this other than to watch the growth of the recurring characters from his Staggerford novels, of which this is not one. Interestingly, Hassler dips way out of time for this one; I think "Grand Opening" is the lone Hassler book set in a far earlier time — 1944, to be exact.
Here, it's a year in the life of a family. The Fosters — husband Hank (barely too old for the war), wife Catherine, 12-year-old son Brendan, a grandfather losing his mental grip — pull up stakes from the big city, Minneapolis, and plant themselves in small-town Plum, Minn. Hank has bought a ramshackle building that housed a failed grocery, hoping to make Plum a two-grocery-store town again with a new and improved business. The Fosters find the small town a tough nut to crack. They find resistance, gossip, Lutheran/Catholic tugs of war (the Fosters are Catholic), and the ingrained prejudices that can only come from people who know everyone in town and long ago formed opinions about them. Catherine, especially, has trouble adapting: "It occurred to Catherine that getting acquainted in Plum was like learning your way through a zoo — an odd new specimen at every turn, vertebrates like yourself but not the kind you can communicate with." And Catherine says: "Before I state a simple fact to Gordy, I have to stop and think what church Gordy goes to and what effect it will have on our income. Before I get dressed in the morning I have to think what effect my clothes will have on Mrs. Brask."
Hassler, as usual, is adept at integrating secondary characters. Wallace Flint, whom the Fosters employ at the store, is a mid-20s man not in the war because of his epilepsy (though he tries to join up later), an odd man prone to jealousies and whose heart is darker than the Fosters suspect. Then there's Dodger Hicks, a gangly misfit, a born thief with a troubled family life, shunned by other kids, abandoned by Brendan when he sees how unliked Dodger is. Hassler really outdoes himself with Dodger, whose travails become ever more central to the tale until he very nearly becomes the main character. I think Hassler overplayed his hand just slightly here as Dodger takes over the tale for a little bit, but it all pays off handsomely.
Hassler leavens this story with less humor than usual, but the Fosters' struggle for acceptance and success is involving enough that you don't miss it.
Hassler really was one of the underappreciated treasures of American writing. I say was; Hassler, sadly, died in March 2008. The Minneapolis Star Tribune noted that he was twice invited to the White House by a fan, Hillary Clinton. Its obit goes on, "He battled progressive supranuclear palsy for almost 15 years, a rare brain disorder that slowly stole his ability to write by hand, to speak or see clearly and, finally, to walk. But, fueled by sheer force of will and the love and support of his wife, he devised ways to keep at it."
Hassler knew about small-town struggles and small-town hearts. He loved these people, even with their failings. You know with Hassler you're getting a moving, interesting slice of everyday life. His novels have familiar touchstones, but he always seemed able to put a different spin on things and produce an original story each time out. Among his first five novels for adults (I still think "Staggerford," the first, is the best), there's no feeling that you've been there before, even if you sort of have, even if these people have sort of been inside you all along.
Well, what I do know is that "Grand Opening" is another sharp winner (3.5 stars, really) from this chronicler of small-town Minnesota. Hassler respects his characters, tints his humor with humanity and realism, not sarcasm; the dramatic or tragic turns his novels sometimes take do not descend into melodrama. I've been reading Hassler in chronological order of publication (this is the fifth) though there's little reason for this other than to watch the growth of the recurring characters from his Staggerford novels, of which this is not one. Interestingly, Hassler dips way out of time for this one; I think "Grand Opening" is the lone Hassler book set in a far earlier time — 1944, to be exact.
Here, it's a year in the life of a family. The Fosters — husband Hank (barely too old for the war), wife Catherine, 12-year-old son Brendan, a grandfather losing his mental grip — pull up stakes from the big city, Minneapolis, and plant themselves in small-town Plum, Minn. Hank has bought a ramshackle building that housed a failed grocery, hoping to make Plum a two-grocery-store town again with a new and improved business. The Fosters find the small town a tough nut to crack. They find resistance, gossip, Lutheran/Catholic tugs of war (the Fosters are Catholic), and the ingrained prejudices that can only come from people who know everyone in town and long ago formed opinions about them. Catherine, especially, has trouble adapting: "It occurred to Catherine that getting acquainted in Plum was like learning your way through a zoo — an odd new specimen at every turn, vertebrates like yourself but not the kind you can communicate with." And Catherine says: "Before I state a simple fact to Gordy, I have to stop and think what church Gordy goes to and what effect it will have on our income. Before I get dressed in the morning I have to think what effect my clothes will have on Mrs. Brask."
Hassler, as usual, is adept at integrating secondary characters. Wallace Flint, whom the Fosters employ at the store, is a mid-20s man not in the war because of his epilepsy (though he tries to join up later), an odd man prone to jealousies and whose heart is darker than the Fosters suspect. Then there's Dodger Hicks, a gangly misfit, a born thief with a troubled family life, shunned by other kids, abandoned by Brendan when he sees how unliked Dodger is. Hassler really outdoes himself with Dodger, whose travails become ever more central to the tale until he very nearly becomes the main character. I think Hassler overplayed his hand just slightly here as Dodger takes over the tale for a little bit, but it all pays off handsomely.
Hassler leavens this story with less humor than usual, but the Fosters' struggle for acceptance and success is involving enough that you don't miss it.
Hassler really was one of the underappreciated treasures of American writing. I say was; Hassler, sadly, died in March 2008. The Minneapolis Star Tribune noted that he was twice invited to the White House by a fan, Hillary Clinton. Its obit goes on, "He battled progressive supranuclear palsy for almost 15 years, a rare brain disorder that slowly stole his ability to write by hand, to speak or see clearly and, finally, to walk. But, fueled by sheer force of will and the love and support of his wife, he devised ways to keep at it."
Hassler knew about small-town struggles and small-town hearts. He loved these people, even with their failings. You know with Hassler you're getting a moving, interesting slice of everyday life. His novels have familiar touchstones, but he always seemed able to put a different spin on things and produce an original story each time out. Among his first five novels for adults (I still think "Staggerford," the first, is the best), there's no feeling that you've been there before, even if you sort of have, even if these people have sort of been inside you all along.
May 30, 2007
First book I have read by this author, and I plan to read more of his works. I really enjoy books set in early-to-mid 20th century small town America, which includes this one. An adolescent boy and his parents leave the big city to try their hands at running a grocery store in a small Minnesota town. There are some dark turns I wasn't expecting, and I found myself thinking about the book and its characters after I was finished. I use that as a determining factor of a book well read.
February 5, 2022
Somehow I never rated this one. I have long contended that Hassler is one the great unrecognized authors in the Midwest. Of his novels, this one is my third favorite behind Staggerford and North of Hope, which is not a knock on the book at all since I absolutely loved those ones (and think Staggerford is a small gem), but Grand Opening is worthy of a reread.
July 13, 2012
I know I have a problem living in my own skin, in my own times. I'm fundamentally a nostalgic person....but oddly nostalgic for a past and place that are mine only by association and the nostalgic voice of a beloved father that was rather remote...hey, I need psychoanalysis of my dilemma. Realists would dismiss my inability to be of my own generation and time....a fool's quest, etc. All this is a preamble to saying I am predisposed to love things Minnesotan/mid western, mid century 1925-55, and small-townish. This novel meets those requirements. In addition, I tend to concur with John Gardner's (October Light, Sunlight Dialogues, etc.)controversial attitude towards what he called "moral" fiction. I'm not going to get into a pissing contest with people who think Gardner was a deluded crank and not 'hip'... just trying to shoot straight. I can also appreciate forms of literature by authors that Gardner dismissed.Having said that, I think Gardner would've liked this novel...and so do I. It rings true to life. It is not just good old apple pie wholesome, nor cloying (it is true enough to life to admit of darkness.)....but there is warmth here that is graceful and seems to have all but vanished from the American landscape.Yeah...if you insist, "the good ole days". I can't, obviously, get there from here except through books that capture that nuance. Hassler, as a product of those times and places can take me there because he is a fine craftsman, a solid author in control of his prose. If you enjoyed Mariynne Robinson's incredible Gilead, you might recognize that subtle, homespun tonality in this novel. They resonate with me in much the same way.
June 17, 2020
As a parent of a child with special needs I found it very heartbreaking to read how a child with Down’s syndrome was depicted in this book. I was hoping Brendan would grow up a bit and refer to Rufus or think of him as a person and not a brainless idiot but I realize this was the way people with special needs were thought of in the 1940’s. I’m happy to say treatment of special needs people is better. I hope people who read this book are uncomfortable with the way people with special needs are referred to and depicted. And that they might be brave enough to speak out if someone refers to a special needs person with such horrible language. Staying silent is just as bad as saying the words. Be brave and make the world a better place for all.
July 30, 2017
A wonderful book, like so many of his others. I got the sense that Jon was sharing a lot about his own life growing up in small town Minnesota during WWII.
September 8, 2024
It was alright. Not a riveting page turner, but alright. I would say it was worth the $0.25 I spent on it.
March 14, 2009
This is the first John Hassler novel I have read and I certainly hope it is not the last. I have read quite a few other "small town novels" and I felt that this was a much darker story than many of them. I liked this aspect as I think it gave the writing and the characters more depth. When the Foster family move to the village of Plum from the city, they encounter snobbery, spite and religious bigotry. They also brighten the life of Dodger Hicks a tragic figure, needy and unloved his life blighted by a drunken mother and imprisoned father - I feared for him the nearer the end I got. Wallace Flint, who works in the Foster's grocery store, seems to represent almost all that is mean and bad in Plum, though he is the only member of the village who doesn't fall on either side of the religious divide - he is an atheist. I found this an enjoyable, well written novel, and look forward to reading more by this author.
December 23, 2017
Fast moving story that I did not want to put down. Small town in Minnesota and some reference to Minneapolis as well made it feel familiar. The ongoing Catholic/Lutheran dissension didn't seem adequately addressed. Why was there so much dislike for each other? The Foster family were admirable and I kept rooting for them but the disappointments were hard to take. The unresolved issue of justice regarding the arsonist seemed unbelievable. Brendan wanted to do the right thing and visited Dodger in the reform prison for boys. Felt so bad for the young boy. Also the grandfather was delightful in how he just went with the flow. Good book for book clubs with lots of interesting things to discuss.
September 26, 2017
What is it about Minnesota that brings forth these tales of stifling small town life (S. Lewis, F. Sullivan, and J. Hassler; Lake Wobegone an exception (that proves the rule?))? Catherine Foster is a kindred spirit to Carol Kennicott. Moving with her husband, son, and grandfather to small town Minnesota to run a small grocery store, she soon finds herself on the receiving end of petty gossip and nastiness. Their employee Walter is such a malevolent presence and foster child Dodger is such a needy character, a sense of anxiety grows in the reader. And yes, this does seem an homage to Sinclair Lewis, and, if I remember correctly, Hassler uses the names of some of Lewis's fictional towns like Gopher Prairie and Zenith in his novels as the hometowns of rival sports teams, etc.
October 7, 2018
There is a scene at the end of the Clint Eastwood film “ Honkeytonk Man” where a radio is playing in a car parked in a cemetery and the DJ announces that the next song by an up and comer, Red Stovall, promises to be a big hit and will be climbing up the charts. Red literally crossed the river Styx to get to Nashville to record the title song and it is his funeral that the car is near.
Jon Hassler like Red Stovall in the film is gone. I came to appreciate him too late. This novel was published in 1987. I bought it used for $4.95. What a writer! I loved this book. His style is lovingly described in Richard Russo’s book on writing “The Destiny Thief”. A writer’s writer. He will spoil you.
Thank you Jon Hassler and thank you Richard Russo.
Jon Hassler like Red Stovall in the film is gone. I came to appreciate him too late. This novel was published in 1987. I bought it used for $4.95. What a writer! I loved this book. His style is lovingly described in Richard Russo’s book on writing “The Destiny Thief”. A writer’s writer. He will spoil you.
Thank you Jon Hassler and thank you Richard Russo.
October 19, 2022
This is a Jon Hassler book I hadn't known existed, and I am so glad I found it. Hassler was a MN author who wrote mainly about human nature and small MN towns. In this book, the Foster family makes the move from the Twin Cities in the 1940s to Plum, MN, to start their own grocery store, and to live their own American dream. The story is told from young Brendan's perspective as he and his family learn about the pettiness of small town hierarchies, the good folks and those that are anything but. One outcast child, Dodger, plays a role throughout the book, and through him Brendan learns a good deal about people and about himself. Hassler's writing is not "huge" - rather it ambles along, at a day to day pace, until you realize it has been huge in heart all along.
Read
October 19, 2020This title looked so interesting, i actually managed to pick up two different copies at Little Lending Libraries. For a 30 year old title, I really enjoyed it. It nailed the both the mean spiritedness and generousity of small towns. The Lutheran/Catholic divide was spot on and even the school board election played out like most politics in small towns. It was enjoyable step back in time, knowing that today Plum wouldn't have any markets and it's main street would be a ghost town with the kids Lutheran and Catholic would be riding a bus to a a consolidated district in a bigger town in the county.
December 28, 2017
Loved almost everything about this book. The small town mentality is painful to read about, but in my personal experience, sadly realistic. The prejudice/ competition between Protestants and Catholics also reverberates as I recall religious divides in the fifties. Reminds me of the book Cold Sassy Tree in the characters of young Brendan and his grandfather . Growing up usually means learning some hard lessons and losing innocence and idealism. All the main "characters, including the adults, gain new perspectives on small town life.
Good read, especially at Christmas.
Good read, especially at Christmas.
March 20, 2018
This was a great introduction for me of a kind of powerful literature that doesn't have to be plot-driven but rather focuses on the development of characters, so likable, so relatable, so damaged and so human, that they become 'real' to the reader - like following the story of a dear friend - someone you are rooting for. This is another one I read wayyyyyy too many years ago that deserves a second read - curious to see what the forty-something me will discover that the twenty-something me missed.
May 13, 2018
In eighth grade our English teacher split us into groups and gave each group a different book. My group was assigned this one and hated it so much we named ourselves WDWDTDTP (short for "What did we do to deserve this punishment", although our teacher referred to us as "the whiners" for some reason). Our dislike of the book might have been partly because we egged one another on, but I doubt I would like it much better if I read it again now. We found the characters unlikeable and the plot not very exciting.
May 27, 2017
I have read several books by this author and remember enjoying them. This book was either one of his weaker books or my tastes have changed. It's also evident it was written many years ago (it was published in the 80s) given the insensitive way the author talks about some subjects, such as mental disabilities.
September 21, 2022
Tragic and moving. Wonderful depiction of small town life, what it means to be a good- or bad- friend, and the societal ills that come as a result of religious intolerance/bigotry, even among the same faith.
"Each time we fail to care for one another we carry out, one more time, the act of the crucifixion."
"Each time we fail to care for one another we carry out, one more time, the act of the crucifixion."
November 10, 2024
Plum is a thinly veiled representation of Hassler's hometown of Plainview. The characters are mostly one dimensional. Instead of making a thought-provoking novel about the ups and downs of rural town life, he decided to only level critiques.
It pushes many harmful stereotypes of townsfolk being a bunch of close minded bigots.
It pushes many harmful stereotypes of townsfolk being a bunch of close minded bigots.
March 1, 2025
It's been years since I've read a Jon Hassler book, and I had forgotten what a brilliant writer he was. His characters are incredible and his descriptions full-color. He doesn't shy away from the hard, real lessons of life. Life isn't pretty or wrapped all up in a bow and tied neatly. That's what I appreciate about Hassler's books. They reflect the bittersweetness of life. So good!
December 25, 2021
A review on the back of the book says, “This is not a book to be read for amusement” and I think that’s the truest thing I’ve read for a long time. Not that it’s a bad book, but it’s not amusing and ultimately not that memorable either.
April 1, 2023
Fans of the Mitford series or Phillip Gulley's Harmony series would likely enjoy this small town story of family, community: fitting in and not. Told through the eyes of a young adolescent making sense of belonging, kindness, and kinship.
August 28, 2017
A book of totally unbelievable characters except for Hank and Catherine. The characters' traits were taken to extremes, making them unrealistic.
December 28, 2017
Loved the characters and the writing was superb. Great book to end the year with.
November 20, 2018
This book just didn’t hold my interest so I never finished it.
January 29, 2021
Really good read.
John Warner recommended.
John Warner recommended.
February 5, 2021
made me shed some tears
April 28, 2022
I know I read this back in the 80s/90s or so.
July 29, 2022
hate a book that makes you feel sad. put this in the trash
August 30, 2022
I only finished this book in order to read the ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews