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Glad News of the Natural World
A sequel to "A Short History of a Small Place" brings readers back into the world of the original story's narrator who, at the onset of his twenties, finds himself in a roach-infested apartment with two roommates, lands a job with a car-service outfit, and struggles with young romance
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
6 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
T.R. Pearson
34 books274 followersThomas Reid Pearson is an American novelist born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is the author of seventeen novels and four works of non-fiction under his own name, including A Short History of a Small Place, Cry Me A River, Jerusalem Gap, and Seaworthy, and has written three additional novels -- Ranchero, Beluga, and Nowhere Nice -- under the pseudonym Rick Gavin. Pearson has also ghostwritten several other books, both fiction and nonfiction, and has written or co-written various feature film and TV scripts.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 10, 2022
What a treat to spend time with Louis. The author really nails small town life and displacement to the big city for the more thoughtful type that doesn’t quite fit in.
November 26, 2024
I first read this novel when it was published back in 2005. I'd been a fan of Pearson's work for some time, so like others here, I was predisposed to like it. I rarely review books on Amazon, but on this occasion, I did. Now that I've read the book three times (twice on initial reading and just now for the third) I find that, while my initial assessment holds up pretty well, I didn't quite "hear" Louis as clearly as I thought I had. My initial review from Amazon:
So six years later and six years older, my experience with this novel is certainly more reflective. There's something about Louis that is remarkably compelling, having something to do, I suspect, with the fact that the story he's telling and the story he's living seem less oddly juxtaposed than appears on first blush. He's actually not just a poor, lonely sad-sack with bad romantic luck and instincts; there's something else. Louis, sadly enough, seems to be living the life he's capable of living, and that is the problem. Many readers feel they’ve known him all his fictional life, so we're inclined to chalk Louis's dissatisfaction up to bad luck. But that's not it. What went wrong? That's what Pearson never actually gives us, and that is the deft and skillful maneuver that keeps Louis from sliding into something trendily postmodern, thus trite. We want Louis to find happiness, a true magnetic north, and perhaps Pearson's last lines foreshadow that possibility. Just as possibly, however, Louis will remain at loose ends, an uncalibrated compass, given what we already know. And although we are left without resolution, at least the idea that Louis will find his way can keep us company as we, too, drive around in the dark.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Deceptively Complex, June 30, 2005
By lightiris (Worcester, MA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Glad News of the Natural World: A Novel (Hardcover)
Pearson's latest offering is one of his best. Louis Benfield is all grown up, and who and what he is today poses a challenge for those who believed they "knew" Louis in Short History. Pearson's unrelenting eye for detail, his knack for the laugh-out-loud turn of phrase, and his ability to render setting its own character have never been more impressive.
An initial reading of Glad News seems quick and light, but if one is careful and deliberate, a different novel will emerge. Louis is dark, cynical, and edgy in ways not readily apparent the first time out. Moreover, Pearson's prose has never been tighter; no languid, meandering sentences/paragraphs here. There's not an extra syllable in the entire text, which contributes to the need to read closely and carefully. Louis's actions belie his commentary, at times. Read it twice and see if you don't realize the character within the character and, consequently, recognize Pearson's genius in the process.
So six years later and six years older, my experience with this novel is certainly more reflective. There's something about Louis that is remarkably compelling, having something to do, I suspect, with the fact that the story he's telling and the story he's living seem less oddly juxtaposed than appears on first blush. He's actually not just a poor, lonely sad-sack with bad romantic luck and instincts; there's something else. Louis, sadly enough, seems to be living the life he's capable of living, and that is the problem. Many readers feel they’ve known him all his fictional life, so we're inclined to chalk Louis's dissatisfaction up to bad luck. But that's not it. What went wrong? That's what Pearson never actually gives us, and that is the deft and skillful maneuver that keeps Louis from sliding into something trendily postmodern, thus trite. We want Louis to find happiness, a true magnetic north, and perhaps Pearson's last lines foreshadow that possibility. Just as possibly, however, Louis will remain at loose ends, an uncalibrated compass, given what we already know. And although we are left without resolution, at least the idea that Louis will find his way can keep us company as we, too, drive around in the dark.
January 22, 2019
A continuation of the story from the narrator of “A Short History of a Small Place” (my favorite Pearson work), and a return to the unique comic voice and convoluted grammar that improves with consideration. Sometimes it’s worth reading aloud for full effect...
February 15, 2022
Wickedly entertaining, this book regularly bounces back from New York to small-town North Carolina, where those of us who grew up there in the 60's will recognize our childhoods! Spoiler alert: a completely unexpected, devastatingly sad event marks the end of this story.
May 13, 2019
(no 15 of 2019)
(another Louis Benfield book)
(another Louis Benfield book)
July 2, 2023
Captures the humor and culture of the South
November 14, 2011
By way of disclaimer, I need to admit that I was predisposed to thoroughly enjoy "Glad News of the Natural World." T.R. Pearson is among my favorite writers and his first novel, "A Short History of a Small Place" is my go-to gift for people I've just met.
Strangely, though, when I bought "Glad News of the Natural World," I didn't read it right away simply because, when I read the first page, I realized it was set in New York city instead of some rural hamlet somewhere with it's appropriate populace of colorful characters I've enjoyed in other Pearson novels. Something about my mood at the time would have none of this new, street-smart Pearson and I stashed it on my shelf for when I was in a more of a modern, urban mood. Shortly after that, my family relocated in a hurry, the book got buried in a box that I only recently unearthed.
Pearson continues the story of Louis Benfield from "Short History," only now Louis is grown up, living in New York and adding a whole new list of oddballs to help guide him through life (though his friends from Neely are also still very much involved).
Bursting with the usual hysterically flawed, yet very familiar, characters, "Glad News" sings with Pearson's trademark language and rambling storytelling.
Along with Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, Pearson is one of the only authors I know who can make me laugh out loud.
Strangely, though, when I bought "Glad News of the Natural World," I didn't read it right away simply because, when I read the first page, I realized it was set in New York city instead of some rural hamlet somewhere with it's appropriate populace of colorful characters I've enjoyed in other Pearson novels. Something about my mood at the time would have none of this new, street-smart Pearson and I stashed it on my shelf for when I was in a more of a modern, urban mood. Shortly after that, my family relocated in a hurry, the book got buried in a box that I only recently unearthed.
Pearson continues the story of Louis Benfield from "Short History," only now Louis is grown up, living in New York and adding a whole new list of oddballs to help guide him through life (though his friends from Neely are also still very much involved).
Bursting with the usual hysterically flawed, yet very familiar, characters, "Glad News" sings with Pearson's trademark language and rambling storytelling.
Along with Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, Pearson is one of the only authors I know who can make me laugh out loud.
February 26, 2008
And the book group says: thumbs up! We all enjoyed the masterful characterization skills of the author of this funny book, even if his plot structure is less than linear (or even existent). Read it for the quirky Romanian princess and the Yemeni livery cab driver, for the man with a one-word vocabulary ("Hoss!") and the roommate who expounds on the benefits of post-coital eggnog. If you enjoy the charm and quirkiness of Pearson's characters, definitely try the extraordinary novel Handling Sin by Michael Malone, which adds a brilliant plot and greater thematic depth to the insightful portraits of intriguing people.
November 16, 2008
Roughly equal parts Neely, North Carolina, and New York, Glad News of the Natural World author T.R. Pearson excels at populating both locales with eccentrics, some drawn with a broad brush, some with a few fine bristles.
The man at the center is the initially unmotivated Louis, a reactive narrator who appears passive and disconnected enough to fall out of society, were it not for the few people who feel obligated to assist him. Without saying too much about the catalyst for his later growth, the connections Louis makes on his own with some of these eccentrics ultimately leads to a mostly satisfying conclusion.
Watch for the "sculptress."
The man at the center is the initially unmotivated Louis, a reactive narrator who appears passive and disconnected enough to fall out of society, were it not for the few people who feel obligated to assist him. Without saying too much about the catalyst for his later growth, the connections Louis makes on his own with some of these eccentrics ultimately leads to a mostly satisfying conclusion.
Watch for the "sculptress."
May 18, 2012
I find myself at a slight loss of words when it comes to describing this novel. I definitely liked it but why? As far as a story goes I dare you to find a plot. Yet I was never bored and in fact was anxious to continue every time I put it down. The prose itself is not easy to follow, yet by the end I would consider it very well written. The main characters are well drawn but not exactly lovable, in the end I was rooting for the main character. The one overwhelming plus is the humour. You can find it on every page but it never feels forced. I look forward to reading more of T.R. Pearson.
June 8, 2013
Bittersweet is one of the words that comes to mind to describe this novel. Besides hilarious, of course.
T.R. Pearson is a really good storyteller. You'll appreciate this book more if you've read his first novel. this book progresses in a much straighter line than "A Short History", but it still contains enough of the digressions that are the hallmark of the Neely-based storytelling style.
T.R. Pearson is a really good storyteller. You'll appreciate this book more if you've read his first novel. this book progresses in a much straighter line than "A Short History", but it still contains enough of the digressions that are the hallmark of the Neely-based storytelling style.
October 27, 2010
I liked the very different writing style of this author. "Different from what?," I can hear you asking. Well, I"ve been reading a lot of light fiction lately, and the trite writing styles of most of them just wears me out. This book had unusual cadences, and didn't resort to worn out similes. The story line also held lots of surprises.
February 19, 2015
Louis Benfield, whom we first met in A Short History of a Small Place, is grown up and living in New York, his memories of hometown Neely interspersed with anecdotes of life in the big city, which manages to be sort of a small town only dirtier. Pearson's writing is sweet and smooth even when his characters are in pain.
March 29, 2007
fun, quick read.
February 15, 2008
I so loved his first novel and then haven't really loved those that follow....he is great a quirky character though
September 19, 2008
I tried to read this, but about 1/3 into the book, I gave up for lack of interest. I didn't care about any of the characters.
September 3, 2010
Wow. Great creative writing. I will look into his other book, A Short History of a Small Place.
May 8, 2013
Man. Ouch. Man. I've been saving this one. Worth every second. Comic brilliance with a gut-punch ending, as always. Man.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews