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Who Are You, Calvin Bledsoe?: A Novel
“A wild ride of a book . . . A story in which anything and everything can happen, and mostly does. This is a book of many trips--across oceans, back to the past, and, most profoundly, into the infinite deep space of the human heart. Brock Clarke has given us a wonderful novel that bursts with all the meaty stuff of real life.” —Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
With the comic unpredictability of a Wes Anderson movie and the inventive sharpness of a John Irving novel, author Brock Clarke introduces readers to an ordinary man who is about to embark on an absurdly extraordinary adventure.
After his mother, a theologian and bestselling author, dies in a fiery explosion, forty-nine-year-old Calvin Bledsoe’s heretofore uninspired life is upended. A stranger shows up at the funeral, claiming to be Calvin’s aunt Beatrice, and insists that Calvin accompany her on a trip to Europe, immediately.
As he and Beatrice traverse the continent, it quickly becomes apparent that his aunt’s clandestine behavior is leading him into danger. Facing a comic menagerie of antiquities thieves, secret agents, religious fanatics, and an ex-wife who’s stalking him, Calvin begins to suspect there might be some meaning behind the madness. Maybe he’s not the person he thought he was? Perhaps no one is who they appear to be? But there’s little time for soul-searching, as Calvin first has to figure out why he has been kidnapped, why his aunt disappeared, and who the hell burned down his house. Powered by pitch-perfect dialogue, lovable characters, and surprising optimism, Who Are You, Calvin Bledsoe? is a modern-day Travels with My Aunt, a novel about grabbing life, and holding on--wherever it may take you.
With the comic unpredictability of a Wes Anderson movie and the inventive sharpness of a John Irving novel, author Brock Clarke introduces readers to an ordinary man who is about to embark on an absurdly extraordinary adventure.
After his mother, a theologian and bestselling author, dies in a fiery explosion, forty-nine-year-old Calvin Bledsoe’s heretofore uninspired life is upended. A stranger shows up at the funeral, claiming to be Calvin’s aunt Beatrice, and insists that Calvin accompany her on a trip to Europe, immediately.
As he and Beatrice traverse the continent, it quickly becomes apparent that his aunt’s clandestine behavior is leading him into danger. Facing a comic menagerie of antiquities thieves, secret agents, religious fanatics, and an ex-wife who’s stalking him, Calvin begins to suspect there might be some meaning behind the madness. Maybe he’s not the person he thought he was? Perhaps no one is who they appear to be? But there’s little time for soul-searching, as Calvin first has to figure out why he has been kidnapped, why his aunt disappeared, and who the hell burned down his house. Powered by pitch-perfect dialogue, lovable characters, and surprising optimism, Who Are You, Calvin Bledsoe? is a modern-day Travels with My Aunt, a novel about grabbing life, and holding on--wherever it may take you.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2019
96 people are currently reading
2705 people want to read
About the author
Brock Clarke
20 books124 followersBrock Clarke is the author of seven books of fiction, most recently a collection of short stories, The Price of the Haircut. His novels include The Happiest People in the World, Exley (which was a Kirkus Book of the Year, a finalist for the Maine Book Award, and a longlist finalist for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award), and An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England (which was a national bestseller, and American Library Associate Notable Book of the Year, a #1 Book Sense Pick, a Borders Original Voices in Fiction selection, and a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice pick). His books have been reprinted in a dozen international editions, and have been awarded the Mary McCarthy Prize for Fiction, the Prairie Schooner Book Series Prize, a National Endowment for Arts Fellowship, and an Ohio Council for the Arts Fellowship, among others.
Clarke’s individual stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Boston Globe, Virginia Quarterly Review, One Story, The Believer, Georgia Review, New England Review, Southern Review, and have appeared in the annual Pushcart Prize and New Stories from the South anthologies, and on NPR’s Selected Shorts.
Clarke lives in Portland, Maine and teaches creative writing at Bowdoin College and in The University of Tampa’s low residency MFA program.
Clarke’s individual stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Boston Globe, Virginia Quarterly Review, One Story, The Believer, Georgia Review, New England Review, Southern Review, and have appeared in the annual Pushcart Prize and New Stories from the South anthologies, and on NPR’s Selected Shorts.
Clarke lives in Portland, Maine and teaches creative writing at Bowdoin College and in The University of Tampa’s low residency MFA program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
September 18, 2019
I listened to the Amazon Audio production of “Who Are You Calvin Bledsoe?” This novel is written by Brock Clarke and narrated by Peter Berkrot. Berkrot’s performance as Calvin Bledsoe is pitch perfect. I cannot imagine another voice Calvin could use to achieve his hapless circumstances. Life happens to Calvin, and he is continuously confused by his circumstances. Berkrot’s voice as Calvin adds to the humor that author Brock Clark writes.
At the start, we learn of Calvin’s sheltered life in a small town in Maine. His father was a basketball coach and his mother an author and theologian. His mother wrote a “famous” novel about the theologian John Calvin. In fact, Calvin was named after the famous John Calvin. Throughout the novel John Calvin quotes and doctrine add to the absurdity.
After his mother’s funeral, Calvin meets his Aunt Beatrice, his mother’s twin. Calvin didn’t know of her existence until the funeral. His Aunt commandeers his life while his ex-wife still has a hold on him and is trying to stake her claim on him again. It’s a madcap comedy which takes Calvin on an unexpected trip to Europe. Through the days of hijinks with his Aunt, Calvin is forced to begin to define himself.
I laughed continually while listening to this production. I highly recommend it for a witty and fun listen. I rewound it many times because so much is happening and it’s all hilarious.
At the start, we learn of Calvin’s sheltered life in a small town in Maine. His father was a basketball coach and his mother an author and theologian. His mother wrote a “famous” novel about the theologian John Calvin. In fact, Calvin was named after the famous John Calvin. Throughout the novel John Calvin quotes and doctrine add to the absurdity.
After his mother’s funeral, Calvin meets his Aunt Beatrice, his mother’s twin. Calvin didn’t know of her existence until the funeral. His Aunt commandeers his life while his ex-wife still has a hold on him and is trying to stake her claim on him again. It’s a madcap comedy which takes Calvin on an unexpected trip to Europe. Through the days of hijinks with his Aunt, Calvin is forced to begin to define himself.
I laughed continually while listening to this production. I highly recommend it for a witty and fun listen. I rewound it many times because so much is happening and it’s all hilarious.
May 21, 2020
This story is so weird and wacky that I endured to the end. I needn't have bothered. 3 of 10 stars
March 5, 2020
A riot. (It's good!) In that, frankly, the reader feels... duped.
It begins as an intimate treasure, something akin to Semple's "Where'd you go Bernadette." Very new, of the moment. Like, the psychologies of new professionals, of 40 and 50 year old Americans. The mysteries of Calvin's mother, the fine details of a life that is wasted in potential but open to the nuances and adventures of the everyday. Doesn't hurt that they are "well off", ie. can afford to take transatlantic trips at a whims notice, can have secret mother/aunts who play Havisham in a contemporary setting, with our main man still glowing in great expectations.
Bah, humbug! This one ends in a mellow tone, a complete betrayal to the excitement of the novel's first half.
It begins as an intimate treasure, something akin to Semple's "Where'd you go Bernadette." Very new, of the moment. Like, the psychologies of new professionals, of 40 and 50 year old Americans. The mysteries of Calvin's mother, the fine details of a life that is wasted in potential but open to the nuances and adventures of the everyday. Doesn't hurt that they are "well off", ie. can afford to take transatlantic trips at a whims notice, can have secret mother/aunts who play Havisham in a contemporary setting, with our main man still glowing in great expectations.
Bah, humbug! This one ends in a mellow tone, a complete betrayal to the excitement of the novel's first half.
June 14, 2019
Right in the epigraph, Brock Clarke quotes Saul Bellow in Humboldt’s Gift: “Perhaps, being lost, one should get loster.”
Well, Calvin Bledsoe—named by his mother after John Calvin—is as lost as one gets. Approaching his significant 50th birthday, an adult orphan and divorcee, this pellet stove blogger is feeling unmoored and abandoned. That is, until his quirky, previously unknown aunt shows up at the door and manipulates him into a trip to Sweden.
Before her arrival, Calvin is content to write industry blogs like this: “My mother was a minister, and she believed that God put us on this earth to console and comfort each other. The pellet stove industry, of course, also believes in consolation and comfort!” The blogs continue to get more earnestly funny and that alone is worth the price of admission.
But Brock Clarke also weaves in the Calvinistic doctrine beautifully. John Calvin, of course, believed mightily in predestination and foreshadowing, so it’s no great surprise to the reader that the book is filled with hints of what’s to come.
Aunt Beatrice is the antithesis of John Calvin with her own rules for living, which our Calvin interprets as, “Thou shall never travel by car or truck unless they’re stolen. Thou shall lie, but only if thou lies well…” and so on. For me, the book is at its finest when aunt and nephew are together on their absurd journey of discovery. Those scenes and the ensuing dialogue just sparkle.
More zany characters are added along the way—Interpol agents, religious fanatics, practiced thieves, ex-wives and husbands, and so on. From time to time it begins to feel over-the-top but it’s all in great fun and the writing is top-notch. Calvin is bound to be lost until he finds himself and that’s the message: life’s too short to not know who we really are. And who we are is who we really want to be. Recommended!
Well, Calvin Bledsoe—named by his mother after John Calvin—is as lost as one gets. Approaching his significant 50th birthday, an adult orphan and divorcee, this pellet stove blogger is feeling unmoored and abandoned. That is, until his quirky, previously unknown aunt shows up at the door and manipulates him into a trip to Sweden.
Before her arrival, Calvin is content to write industry blogs like this: “My mother was a minister, and she believed that God put us on this earth to console and comfort each other. The pellet stove industry, of course, also believes in consolation and comfort!” The blogs continue to get more earnestly funny and that alone is worth the price of admission.
But Brock Clarke also weaves in the Calvinistic doctrine beautifully. John Calvin, of course, believed mightily in predestination and foreshadowing, so it’s no great surprise to the reader that the book is filled with hints of what’s to come.
Aunt Beatrice is the antithesis of John Calvin with her own rules for living, which our Calvin interprets as, “Thou shall never travel by car or truck unless they’re stolen. Thou shall lie, but only if thou lies well…” and so on. For me, the book is at its finest when aunt and nephew are together on their absurd journey of discovery. Those scenes and the ensuing dialogue just sparkle.
More zany characters are added along the way—Interpol agents, religious fanatics, practiced thieves, ex-wives and husbands, and so on. From time to time it begins to feel over-the-top but it’s all in great fun and the writing is top-notch. Calvin is bound to be lost until he finds himself and that’s the message: life’s too short to not know who we really are. And who we are is who we really want to be. Recommended!
December 9, 2019
I believe we have many coming of ages. A novel on coming of age at 49! Yes! Funny & wise. Narrator is stupendous!
July 9, 2019
The only thing this has going for it is an engaging tone- Calvin's 1st person-- everything else is problematic: the plot, the pace, the characters. A bunch of people lying to each other does not a story make. Aunt B and her mysterious sayings got tiresome after a while. The plot needs structure. Did I mention pacing was a problem. This started off ok and then was boring.
September 3, 2019
I believe this author teaches writing, college level, but the kindle format lacks proper editing. That is not the only stumbling block.
I welcome quirky, offbeat characters into my reading life and that is what I was hoping for. I was in need of some comic relief after having read a load of horrid books. The introduction to the main character amused me since it is all about Calvinism, a subject I am personally familiar with. The beginning, then, succeeds in getting the reader curious as to what is going to happen to this dude who has just buried his mother where he meets his aunt for the first time - unaware that his mother had a twin sister. He is about to turn 50, sitting in the house where he grew up observing his neighbors with their guns shooting at a skunk, so anything can happen in this unreal town.
Pretty much everything strange that can be thought of is tossed into this strange tale. Not much of it makes sense. It is so peculiar I can actually imagine the professor holding a campfire seminar where he opens up the plot to his students who are definitely smoking something as they make their suggestions.
Library Loan
I welcome quirky, offbeat characters into my reading life and that is what I was hoping for. I was in need of some comic relief after having read a load of horrid books. The introduction to the main character amused me since it is all about Calvinism, a subject I am personally familiar with. The beginning, then, succeeds in getting the reader curious as to what is going to happen to this dude who has just buried his mother where he meets his aunt for the first time - unaware that his mother had a twin sister. He is about to turn 50, sitting in the house where he grew up observing his neighbors with their guns shooting at a skunk, so anything can happen in this unreal town.
Pretty much everything strange that can be thought of is tossed into this strange tale. Not much of it makes sense. It is so peculiar I can actually imagine the professor holding a campfire seminar where he opens up the plot to his students who are definitely smoking something as they make their suggestions.
Library Loan
September 1, 2019
I will never know who is Calvin, I bailed early... I like quirky but this wasn't endearing and around tiny animal sex I knew my pages were limited.
July 27, 2019
This book is entertaining at times, but the overall plot is muddy and the characters are not very likable. The beginning of the story has great potential and is incredibly creative and funny. Unfortunately, it quickly loses its pace and my attention.
August 25, 2022
This is a creepy book. What exactly attracted me to book blurb .. A 49 yo male who never moved out of his parents house? The cost. I picked this up for less than $2 on clearance at Book Outlet. Look at the cover. The colors are beautiful. The audio is on Hoopla.
This has vibes like The Elderly Woman. It's crazy, fun, and plain ridiculous.
This has vibes like The Elderly Woman. It's crazy, fun, and plain ridiculous.
January 1, 2020
Maybe only 3.5, but I’ll round up because it’s unique. Something very different from my usual reading. Kind of a mid-life crisis, heist caper, zany international road novel. It’s an odd combo, peopled with some unlikable characters doing criminal things - but it all worked for me. I was entertained and interested.
Goodbye 2019 books, on to new titles for 2020.
Goodbye 2019 books, on to new titles for 2020.
July 25, 2021
This was the selection from my random list for Rick MacDonell's BookTube Spin 3.
Describing this book is a challenge, but its absurdity reminds me of one of those lengthy dreams that loops back on itself again and again. It feels so vivid while it's happening, but at the end it's impossible for any sense to come from it.
There are some moments of humor, but mostly it's just weirdness.
Describing this book is a challenge, but its absurdity reminds me of one of those lengthy dreams that loops back on itself again and again. It feels so vivid while it's happening, but at the end it's impossible for any sense to come from it.
There are some moments of humor, but mostly it's just weirdness.
August 25, 2019
I received this book from LibraryThing's early reviewers. I'm sorry to say this book was just not for me. I enjoy quirky books but this one became annoying very fast. I can see where Mr. Clarke may have been trying to make a point that we should live an authentic life and be true to ourselves or some other life lesson but it got lost in so much unnecessary repetition.
I am definitely not a Calvinist but I was surprised that I agreed with some of the quotes Mr. Clarke included.
The pace was fast which I was grateful for because I could not wait to finish this book.
I received a hardbound book so I assume this is a final publication. I was appalled by all the typos. Where was the editor? I almost gave upon the book after the 5th one just on principal.
I also found many of the repetitions just went over board. I'm not stupid, I got the point and the humor factor was lost quickly.
I do think there is something here but the story needs a total edit and rewrite.
I am definitely not a Calvinist but I was surprised that I agreed with some of the quotes Mr. Clarke included.
The pace was fast which I was grateful for because I could not wait to finish this book.
I received a hardbound book so I assume this is a final publication. I was appalled by all the typos. Where was the editor? I almost gave upon the book after the 5th one just on principal.
I also found many of the repetitions just went over board. I'm not stupid, I got the point and the humor factor was lost quickly.
I do think there is something here but the story needs a total edit and rewrite.
July 26, 2019
Algonquin books sent me an advance copy of this novel to review and I'm glad they did because it was a fun read with surprising plot twists and thoughtful insights.
The story begins in a small New England town. Calvin Bledsoe was the only child of two of the town's icons, his dad was the longtime high school coach, his mom was the town minister who was an internationally known theologian due to her expertise on John Calvin which culminated in a best selling book. Calvin is a blogger for the pellet stove industry and could live anywhere but chose to stay in the town where he never really left which led to the separation from his wife.
Calvin's life abruptly changes at the funeral for his mother who died shortly after the death of Calvin's father. Calvin meets his mother's sister, an aunt that Calvin did not know even existed. She could not be more different than Calvin's mother as shown when she admits that she stole the car she was driving. Calvin's aunt convinces him to drive her to the Boston airport so she can catch a flight to Sweden. Using Calvin's sympathy for her advanced age and his unsettled feeling from losing both parents, she then convinces him to accompany her to Sweden as she has already obtained a passport and plane ticket for him.
The wild journey continues throughout Europe with Calvin's aunt revealing bits and pieces of her life including the betrayals that led to the estrangement between the two sisters. The journey also slowly reveals instances of his aunt's involvement with an odd underground crime syndicate that includes theft and smuggling which has attracted Interpol involvement and an eventual focus on Calvin himself. The lunacy of the trip is offset by Calvin's understandable bafflement interspersed with Calvin's continuing blogs and quotations from John Calvin that his mother used to guide his life.
The novel comes together at the end with unexpected, jarring plot twists. The fun of the novel is complemented by insights into loneliness, rules of religion and the contrasts between stability and adventure.
A great novel I highly recommend!
The story begins in a small New England town. Calvin Bledsoe was the only child of two of the town's icons, his dad was the longtime high school coach, his mom was the town minister who was an internationally known theologian due to her expertise on John Calvin which culminated in a best selling book. Calvin is a blogger for the pellet stove industry and could live anywhere but chose to stay in the town where he never really left which led to the separation from his wife.
Calvin's life abruptly changes at the funeral for his mother who died shortly after the death of Calvin's father. Calvin meets his mother's sister, an aunt that Calvin did not know even existed. She could not be more different than Calvin's mother as shown when she admits that she stole the car she was driving. Calvin's aunt convinces him to drive her to the Boston airport so she can catch a flight to Sweden. Using Calvin's sympathy for her advanced age and his unsettled feeling from losing both parents, she then convinces him to accompany her to Sweden as she has already obtained a passport and plane ticket for him.
The wild journey continues throughout Europe with Calvin's aunt revealing bits and pieces of her life including the betrayals that led to the estrangement between the two sisters. The journey also slowly reveals instances of his aunt's involvement with an odd underground crime syndicate that includes theft and smuggling which has attracted Interpol involvement and an eventual focus on Calvin himself. The lunacy of the trip is offset by Calvin's understandable bafflement interspersed with Calvin's continuing blogs and quotations from John Calvin that his mother used to guide his life.
The novel comes together at the end with unexpected, jarring plot twists. The fun of the novel is complemented by insights into loneliness, rules of religion and the contrasts between stability and adventure.
A great novel I highly recommend!
September 7, 2019
I feel really bad. This is the first book that I won by entering Goodreads Giveaway contests. I'm very particular about what books I would want to win and read, and this one sounded so promising.
But unfortunately I'm giving it only 2.5 stars.
It's an odd book. Sometimes odd is good. Sometimes odd is . . odd.
Populated by an assortment of eccentric, mildly interesting characters, at times it was more engaging, but then, too often, it just seemed to ramble on.
Quotes of Theologian John Calvin are an integral part of the book and appear throughout. The quotes are recited by the characters in reference to the action or comments, but I felt that they usually didn't add anything, and often were a distraction.
Frequently it almost seemed like stream of consciousness writing. I wanted it to go somewhere, and in the end it eventually did, but the trip getting there wasn't all that fulfilling. So It gets 2.5 stars for trying to be a humorous, unconventional book but not really succeeding.
But unfortunately I'm giving it only 2.5 stars.
It's an odd book. Sometimes odd is good. Sometimes odd is . . odd.
Populated by an assortment of eccentric, mildly interesting characters, at times it was more engaging, but then, too often, it just seemed to ramble on.
Quotes of Theologian John Calvin are an integral part of the book and appear throughout. The quotes are recited by the characters in reference to the action or comments, but I felt that they usually didn't add anything, and often were a distraction.
Frequently it almost seemed like stream of consciousness writing. I wanted it to go somewhere, and in the end it eventually did, but the trip getting there wasn't all that fulfilling. So It gets 2.5 stars for trying to be a humorous, unconventional book but not really succeeding.
October 12, 2019
This is one of those stories where the title of the book really does describe exactly what the book is about. Who are you Calvin Bledsoe or maybe, who do you think you are Calvin Bledsoe is a bit better.
Calvin hides out in his home. He has hidden himself for 47 years while life has gone on around him, though him, and well passed him until an unexpected, unwanted, unnecessary event occurs at a funeral.
We are joining Calvin on the adventure of his life. If you’ve read Auntie Mame or Travels With My Aunt you will know exactly what this book is about. This is a character driven story. Characters that are unusual enough that they will keep you questioning where this is all going but there is a beginning and an ending to this story.
This book is quirky, off-beat and at times confusing but on the whole I enjoyed Calvin’s adventure in which he tries to discover who he really is.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to Algonquin Books and Brock Clarke.
Calvin hides out in his home. He has hidden himself for 47 years while life has gone on around him, though him, and well passed him until an unexpected, unwanted, unnecessary event occurs at a funeral.
We are joining Calvin on the adventure of his life. If you’ve read Auntie Mame or Travels With My Aunt you will know exactly what this book is about. This is a character driven story. Characters that are unusual enough that they will keep you questioning where this is all going but there is a beginning and an ending to this story.
This book is quirky, off-beat and at times confusing but on the whole I enjoyed Calvin’s adventure in which he tries to discover who he really is.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to Algonquin Books and Brock Clarke.
June 14, 2019
Who are you, Calvin Bledsoe? is an outrageously triumphant exercise in the lengths one painfully boring man will go to in order to uncover the truth of his being. Having just buried his world-renowned Calvinist mother, a pellet stove blogger finds himself gobsmacked in the middle of Europe at the request of his Aunt Beatrice, an aunt he previously had no idea existed. What follows is a whirlwind of theft, kidnapping, illegal parking, trysts with a “possibly” undercover Interpol agent, and the unraveling of everything Calvin knows to be true about his mother and himself. Calvin Bledsoe’s journey is unexpected, hilarious, and beautifully uplifting. It should not be missed!
July 13, 2019
Rounding up a bit. I really enjoyed the two main characters, and I loved how he was a pellet stove industry blogger. Like, ok I guess that could be a thing. Sometimes the story was a little all over the place but it still had a great continuity. Very quirky enjoyable read. Copy received in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2019
I received an ARC of this book. Thanks for the opportunity to read it. Unfortunately, I can't give it a glowing review. I found it weird and rambling, and although I finished it, I didn't enjoy it. Sorry.
February 26, 2020
A nice fun read. Like the blurb said, anything can happen. There were moments when I chuckled to myself. I feel like there is a smile on my lips throughout the book. I liked the blog articles, how subtly the pellet stove (the first time I ever heard about it is in this book) was incorporated in the blog. I feel what Calvin Bledsoe felt most of the time, lost, disconnected, on auto-pilot. So, I was able to connect with the character.
The cover caught my eye the moment I saw it in my library's new arrivals section. I think my mind was somehow tricked into reading Calvin as Kelvin and that triggered the images of Fahrenheit 451. That, combined with the burning match, pushed me to decide impulsively to read the book. Once I read the blurb, I wanna give it a try. This book brought warmth to my cold nights, metaphorically. I was mentally trapped in the cold deserts of Siberia after the last book I read. The other book I was reading alongside the one at hand didn't help me break that spell. This book did. It helped me escape.
Though I initially resented that I could only read this book for about an hour a day because I borrowed a hard copy from my library, by the end I was glad I did that. This isn't a book you rush through. Just sit back on your couch (or any comfortable place), sip on some hot chocolate, enjoy the warmth from a pellet stove if you have one, (if you don't, you should get one) and let this book take you on a ride. Not a jet ride, but on a train, slowly chugging from one chapter to the next, lulling you, dissipating the stress built up inside. You would sure feel disappointed that the journey was over and would look forward to the next time you can hop on the same or a similar train. Thank you, Mr. Clarke
The cover caught my eye the moment I saw it in my library's new arrivals section. I think my mind was somehow tricked into reading Calvin as Kelvin and that triggered the images of Fahrenheit 451. That, combined with the burning match, pushed me to decide impulsively to read the book. Once I read the blurb, I wanna give it a try. This book brought warmth to my cold nights, metaphorically. I was mentally trapped in the cold deserts of Siberia after the last book I read. The other book I was reading alongside the one at hand didn't help me break that spell. This book did. It helped me escape.
Though I initially resented that I could only read this book for about an hour a day because I borrowed a hard copy from my library, by the end I was glad I did that. This isn't a book you rush through. Just sit back on your couch (or any comfortable place), sip on some hot chocolate, enjoy the warmth from a pellet stove if you have one, (if you don't, you should get one) and let this book take you on a ride. Not a jet ride, but on a train, slowly chugging from one chapter to the next, lulling you, dissipating the stress built up inside. You would sure feel disappointed that the journey was over and would look forward to the next time you can hop on the same or a similar train. Thank you, Mr. Clarke
September 8, 2019
When 49 year old Calvin Bledsoe's Aunt shows up at this mother's funeral his life is turned upside down. First he never knew his mother had a twin sister and second, she is whisking him off to Europe . This is a story of a man who finds life can begin in your 40's and it takes two older women to show him how to live. Funny and heartwarming this is a fast paced tale of a family who is just a little different than your average next door neighbor. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
February 10, 2020
Calvin Bledsoe is failing at life. 49, divorced and living in his parent’s home as he works as a pellet-stove blogger, you could say his life is dull and unpredictable. Surprisingly, his Aunt Beatrice, whom he’s never even heard of, swoops in at his mother’s funeral and tricks him into a European journey, which is far from predictable! Adventure ensues and Calvin is awakened to the possibilities of life and to his own repressed feelings. This is a bit like a shady “Eleanor Oliphant” although not as dark or as endearing. Inspired by Graham Greene’s “Travels with my Aunt” it is an interesting, humorous and different type of read. Typos abound in this edition.....a bit distracting!
October 20, 2019
While the story itself is interesting, I found the characters difficult to follow, and in the end, did not particularly enjoy the book. The intrigue that was promised, did not feel particularly intriguing. But maybe I have read too plot driven books.
November 24, 2019
The main character transported me to the cities, to the states of mind; the characters felt real, their decisions and plights fascinating. The end, though, found very disappointing. Nonetheless, I still recommend highly this novel.
August 23, 2019
I've read some other books by this author with mixed reactions. I found this a little chaotic, and not quite as enjoyable as Graham Greene's Travels With My Aunt, which had a bit of inspiration for the plot. However, like the inspiration, it made me wish to travel again, so yay!
Thank you to Librarything and the publisher for sending me my copy.
Thank you to Librarything and the publisher for sending me my copy.
September 22, 2019
My favorite kind of story: quirky, flawed characters. The ending seemed a bit off-the-rails but it kind of worked too. Unusual and a worthwhile read!
November 4, 2020
What a creatively imaginative wild ride literally around the world. Quirky cast of characters, sometimes depressing, sometimes made me literally laugh out loud.
January 7, 2023
Wacky, lots of twists and turns but it didn't quite work.
February 3, 2024
Read this maybe 4ish(?) years ago but adding it to my Goodreads now because I loved it so much - this was the book that got me into reading fiction again in my adult life. Playful, funny and wonderfully random - I love you Calvin Bledsoe
November 4, 2019
I had a lot of fun with this breezy madcap adventure. Seriously, why don't more authors write breezy madcap adventures?
The characters are great, and a bunch of the quirky (I bet every reviewer uses the work "quirky," which reveals a little bit of a problem) random vignettes really work. Unfortunately, the actual stakes are kept quite low and so the ending, in which a number of dramatic things happen in quick succession, fell flat for me.
Clark has been on my radar for a while, and I'm pretty sure I have at least one more of his books around here somewhere. I will be getting to it soon.
The characters are great, and a bunch of the quirky (I bet every reviewer uses the work "quirky," which reveals a little bit of a problem) random vignettes really work. Unfortunately, the actual stakes are kept quite low and so the ending, in which a number of dramatic things happen in quick succession, fell flat for me.
Clark has been on my radar for a while, and I'm pretty sure I have at least one more of his books around here somewhere. I will be getting to it soon.
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