Dinosaurs

by Lydia Millet

Over twelve novels and two collections Lydia Millet has emerged as a major American novelist, writing vividly about the ties between people and other animals and the crisis of extinction. Her exquisite new novel, the first since A Children’s Bible (“a blistering little classic”—Ron Charles, Washington Post), tells the story of an Arizona man’s relationship with the family next door, whose house has one wall made entirely out of glass. The story delivers attraction and love, friendship and grief. But Millet also evokes the uncanny. Through close observation of human and animal life in the desert, she captures the daunting scale of human society without losing sight of the real difference one person can make in the world. Written with humor and benevolence, Dinosaurs asks big questions. Can a person be good? Can a man be good? Compellingly told, emotionally moving, intellectually rich, Dinosaurs may be Millet’s finest novel yet.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Book Club, Novels, Adult

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2022

About the author

Lydia Millet has written twelve works of fiction. She has won awards from PEN Center USA and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and her books have been longlisted for the National Book Award, shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and named as New York Times Notable Books. Her story collection Love in Infant Monkeys was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She lives outside Tucson, Arizona.

Reviews

[♑︎♑︎♑︎ ♑︎♑︎♑︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was at first intrigued by the aimlessness of the protagonist but wondered where the novel was going, and how long it was going to take before something HAPPENED….but then, somewhere along the way, I realized that the aimlessness was the point. That these everyday simple interactions were leading me somewhere profound, hand in hand with the hapless-seeming protagonist. And then? I fell in love with this novel. Reading it gave me one of those aha moments , where I remembered anew that the experiences of everyday life—making connections with others, trying to understand and appreciate their good qualities (and forgive them their trespasses), and doing your best to be a good person day by day, are the stuff of life. The audiobook is superb. The ending is one of the best endings I’ve ever read.

In their Nov 13 issue the NYT Review of Books printed a letter from a reader who argued that this novel represents a new kind of fiction that is a reply to dystopian fiction. This novel is instead what the reader calls "dishopian" fiction. I agree. Throughout this novel you sense a disaster-in-the-waiting that is just outside the frame of this otherwise quiet story. There are perpetual intimations of a world on the brink of a sixth extinction. It begins with the title itself. The novel poses the question--however quietly--of how to live a meaningful life in an era when so much seems to be spiraling out of control.

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Publication Day! (October 11. 2022)

Gil, our protagonist, is an extremely wealthy man of forty-five. His inherited wealth has given him an easy life (he admits that his only paying job was a short stint as a bartender). He has few friends, and no family ( he was orphaned at a young age a raised by a grandmother until her death when was still a teenager). However, his outlook toward life is uncomplicated as are his perceptions of the people and places around him. He seems to be burdened by his wealth, guilty even and does his best to give back to society as much as possible. He fills his time serving the community through philanthropy and volunteer work, where he meets most of his friends. His decision to move from Manhattan to Phoenix and his decision to walk all the way (two thousand five hundred miles over a period of almost five months), to experience life as he has never known it surprises everyone who knows him.

“But also, I wanted to pay for something. When you have a lot of money, you never pay for anything. You never feel the cost, so you live like everything is free. There’s never a trade-off, never a choice or a sacrifice, unless you give up your time, I wanted the change to cost me, you know? I wanted to earn it.”

As the novel progresses we see how Gil adjusts to a new life in the suburbs, finding his place in a new environment. His friendship with his neighbors – a family of four- takes center point in the novel as we follow him as he forms new friendships and opens himself up to new possibilities. The narrative switches back and forth between the present and flashbacks from Gil’s life – his friendships, his romantic attachments and much more.

“But being alone was also a closed loop. A loop with a slipknot, say. The loop could be small or large, but it always returned to itself. You had to untie the knot, finally. Open the loop and then everything sank in. And everyone. Then you could see what was true—that separateness had always been the illusion. A simple trick of flesh. The world was inside you after that. Because, after all, you were made of two people only at the very last instant. Before that, of a multiplication so large it couldn’t be fathomed. Back and back in time. A tree in a forest of trees, where men grew from apes and birds grew from dinosaurs.”

Lydia Millet’s writing is beautiful, though some might find it a bit heavy on metaphors. With simple yet elegant prose and short chapters, the narrative at times feels like a collection of vignettes. Each chapter is named after a bird that Gil encounters in his immediate environment. The vividly descriptive details of nature in all its beauty and Gil’s reaction to it- his actions, thoughts and emotions are beautifully expressed. This is a slow-paced, meditative novel that needs to be read slowly. No shocking twists and minimal drama – a story about real, relatable people and their daily lives and the challenges they face trying their best to find their place in their families, in their communities and the world, in general. I found Gil’s way of relating to nature, especially the birds he loves watching ( after a life spent in the city) particularly moving. The abrupt switches between past and present (even between settings in the present) were a tad confusing at times, but not so much that it detracted from the overall reading experience. My only complaint is that I would have loved to read more about his experiences from his journey between New York and Arizona.

Overall, I found Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet to be a beautifully-written, thought-provoking novel – the kind that you would want to read more than once.

Many thanks to Lydia Millet, W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this beautiful novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the surface this is a simple novel, but the amazing talent of Millet reveals another world and meaning behind the apparent. Gil, a man whose parents died when he was fairly young, had a rather difficult childhood. However, when he came of age he learned he had inherited a great deal of money. Enough to be able to do what he wished, volunteer where needed and try to make a difference in little ways. After a heartbreaking incident in his personal life, he decides to leave New York. He buys a house, unseen, in Arizona and walks from New York to Arizona, which takes months. His New house is next door to a glass walled house and he forms relationships with the two adults and two children who live in said house.

So,this is very much a novel about relationships, but also about climate change, its effects on the wildlife. About trying to have an impact in society in small ways, with different people. Also, about bullying. Do, though it is easy to read, its very simplicity is deceptive, and this is something I've found on other books I have read by this author. She has become over a course of books to be one of my favored authors.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet story, one that mimics life well, with minimal artifice. Life doesn't have an introduction, rising action, a climactic event, a denouement, and a conclusion. All neat and tidy. And neither does Dinosaurs.

Millet's story documents the small things and the bigger things in the life of her protagonist, a man named Gil who moves from New York to Arizona after a bad breakup. I liked the way that there was no predictable arc, that things resolved themselves without being teased and teased, some with a bang, but most with a realistic softness - and then on to the next thing. Like life.

It's mainly about this man and his interactions with his neighbours. That doesn't sound exciting, but hey, it's not much different from the stories that would be told about each of us. There's heartbreak and disappointment and learning and sweetness and loss and connection, and then on to the next thing. Life.

There's a real authenticity here that I appreciated. Not a speck of sentimentality, either. If you enjoyed Less and the energy of Kent Haruf's work, then this might be for you.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was no longer held to be true that all the dinosaurs had gone extinct sixty-six million years ago, after the Chicxulub impactor made its crater in Mexico. Blocked out the sun. And killed off the plants the dinosaurs needed to survive. Only the ones that wouldn’t turn into birds. There were about three thousand active satellites up in the sky, he’d read. Some twenty-thousand pieces of orbital debris. At any given moment, an average of nine thousand passenger planes flying. And yet, he’d thought as he walked, without the last of the dinosaurs the sky would be empty.

I haven’t read Lydia Millet’s phenomenally popular A Children’s Bible, but it was so lauded by my goodreads friends that I decided to take a chance on her latest novel, Dinosaurs, when I saw it was available. And it was just okay. Kind of a straightforward story arc of character growth with snappy dialogue and some interesting nature writing, this certainly wasn’t a waste of time, but it didn’t really wow me either. Short and sweet and not much to dissect. (Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms.)

He recognized the pattern. He went to new places because they weren’t the same as the old ones. But he wanted to feel the distance in his bones and skin, the ground beneath his feet. Not step onto a plane and land in five hours after a whiskey and a nap. And not drive, either, with the speed and convenience cars gave you. He wasn’t looking for easy. He had nowhere to be and no one who needed him.

As the story opens, we meet Gil: Incredibly wealthy and with few personal ties (he was orphaned young and claims to have only ever had three friends and one long-term romantic relationship), Gil decided to relocate from Manhattan to Scottsdale, AZ, walking the 2500 miles over five months (“I wanted the change to cost me. You know? I wanted to earn it.”) Having bought a big house (nicknamed “The Castle”) in the suburbs, sight unseen, Gil is bemused when a family soon moves into the glass-fronted home facing him, giving the solitary man a fishbowl view of a family life he’s never known. Gil has always tried to make meaning in his life with volunteer work and he soon makes a life for himself in Scottsdale: volunteering with a women’s shelter as a “Friendly Man” and getting to know the family next door. And that’s about it.

Gil is captivated by the birds he sees from his new home (the only birds he recalls in Manhattan were the pigeons in the park) and each chapter is named for a different bird — Mourning (for the dove), Quail, etc. — and each type of bird then appears in that chapter and has a metaphorical connection to the content. If I have a complaint it would be that, as awkward as Gil tells us he feels around people, he is continually intervening with the people around him, and even with the teenagers next door, he always offers exactly the right advice; everyone who meets Gil finds him attractive and smart and charming. (And if I could make another complaint: It’s not ironically clever to have a wealthy orphan grow up to wear a bat costume on Halloween and hit the street to prevent a crime. I sighed.)

You could see what was true — that separateness had always been the illusion. A simple trick of flesh. The world was inside you after that. Because, after all, you were made of two people only at the very last instant. Before that, of a multiplication so large it couldn’t be fathomed. Back and back in time. A tree in a forest of trees, where men grew from apes and birds grew from dinosaurs.

I will say again that the dialogue was snappy and charming (even if I didn’t really buy that this character, as presented, was up to this kind of banter), but also need to reiterate that there aren’t a lot of surprises: Man seeks a fresh start, meets new people, realises he is connected to humanity after all.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: This book is not about those prehistoric predators. It is not Jurassic Park revisited. Our modern birds are minor players in this quiet book. It is a book that doesn’t scream but whispers, one that not all would enjoy. I can hear the voices in my head - It is SO slow. Nothing happens. Where is the plot?

Gil, the protagonist, is a 45 year old man in search of a new life, one that gives him meaning. After the unexpected breakup of a 15 year relationship, he decides to leave his life in N.Y.C. and walk to Arizona. The baggage he carries is all emotional. The grief and unanswered questions about the end of the affair, about the accidental death of his parents when he was a child, about his purpose, haunt him. A large inheritance amassed by his grandfather’s business in fossil fuels is a mixed blessing. This three month walk seems uneventful and Millet doesn’t dwell on it. But a small nascent change begins that will develop in his new environment.

Ms. Millet has written a book that radiates warmth, not just the warmth of the Arizona weather but that which comes with meaningful relationships. Healing begins as Gil becomes connected with his neighbors, his community, and the richness of the Arizona flora and fauna. It is not sentimental or sappy. It is not earth shattering. It is simply what gives life meaning; it is fragile. Like the writing on the box delivered to your door, it must be handled with care.

Dinosaurs was voted a best book of 2022 by N.P.R., The New Yorker, and Publishers’ Weekly. For me it was a balm, a whisper I am thankful I heard.

[Ron Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lydia Millet’s most recent novel was a polished rapier called “A Children’s Bible.” One of the best books of 2020, it begins with the tipsy tedium of a summer vacation involving several families. But then it quickly slips into a national apocalypse fueled by climate change and anarchy.

Millet’s new novel, “Dinosaurs,” is surprising in an entirely different way. The plot is laced with trace elements of foreboding, but danger never reaches concentrations that produce actual drama. Indeed, the story is so gentle that it’s a safe choice for any reader with a heightened startle reflex.

There is actual tragedy in “Dinosaurs,” but most of it takes place before the book opens — so long ago, in fact, that the central character, Gil, can barely remember it. As we learn through a few brief references, when he was a child, Gil lost both his parents in a car accident. His severe grandmother cared for him for several years, but then she died, too. He remained in her house, where a series of well-paid guardians looked after him “like a fly trapped in amber.” And when he finally turned 18, Gil came into possession of a trust fund so vast that it could never be depleted.

“Dinosaurs,” then, is a story about an extraordinarily wealthy White man struggling to make his way in the modern world. You may be under the impression that there are more urgent stories being told these days. This novel will confirm that suspicion. I kept expecting to feel the deadly edge of Millet’s satirical wit, but Gil is allowed to luxuriate in his gold-plated self-pity largely unscathed. . . .

To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...

[Emmeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout Dinosaurs, I kept reflecting on the seeming unworkability of the idea – a very rich man, bruised by a bad break-up, moves to a mansion in Phoenix where he engages in birdwatching, volunteers at a women’s shelter, and gets to know his neighbour’s family. I simply couldn’t see what would inspire a writer (other than perhaps a romance writer) to sit down and hash out such a story.

So it’s a testament to Millet’s skill that it works very well. Like I suspect quite a few people, I had heard of Millet’s work with all the praise surrounding The Children’s Bible (which I haven’t read). I suspect this is a much quieter book, but it’s told in elegantly hewn prose with what I can only describe as confidence – it’s that kind of writerly voice that reassures you, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what to expect, if this will be a domestic tale or suddenly spiral into violence or turn into a fantasy (spoiler, it remains a domestic tale, though domestic on a level most of us don’t inhabit), you’re in good hands, the author knows what she’s doing.

And it's a kindly enough tale about neighbours and friendship, a story that's benevolent but not saccharine. It's not 'uplit,' but it's on the cheerier side of literary fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and W.W. Norton and Company for the ARC

[TheBookWarren · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.50 Stars — This is a another excellent piece of work by Lydia Millet, that is carried largely by the authors excellently succinct and spare prose where the characters come to life gradually and the overall narrative whilst slow, reveals itself in an all-encompassing manner that stays with you.

For me, Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet is a remarkable and engaging novel that takes the reader on a journey through the life of man named Gil. This book is an insightful and thought-provoking story that explores the concept of human existence and the impact we have on the world around us, most of all it explores the unique perspective of Those born into money and how it’s not always a burden that is fun or easy to carry.

One of the standout features of Dinosaurs is the excellent writing style. Millet’s prose is sharp and evocative, bringing the story to life in a way that is both vivid and engaging. The pacing of the story is also well-done, with the plot moving along at a slow and steady pace but that is ultimately satisfying. Many may wonder if anything is “going to happen” but for me it felt right and the story does develop into one that whilst short on action, is large on character study and inner exploration. Gil for instance moves to Arizona by via walking across the entire country, just because he feels as though he should “do something”.

Another strength of the novel is its compelling characters, namely Gil, whom is a complex and nuanced protagonist who is complex, but also easy to root for. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, each with their own unique personalities and motivations.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Dinosaurs is its exploration of important themes such as environmentalism, capitalism, and the search for meaning in life. Millet handles these topics with sensitivity and insight, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in these issues, but moreover, the subtly also doesn’t make this at all an imperative. Such is the gentle and thoughtful approach the author has taken here, which — for me — is a lot more effective than in her previous novel ‘A children’s Bible’ where these themes are far less subtle.

Overall, Dinosaurs is a well-written and engaging novel that will appeal to readers of all genres. With its excellent writing, compelling characters, and insightful themes, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it. Highly recommended.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored Millet's The Children's Bible, so I was excited to read her latest offering.

Reading about a forty-five-year-old, white, rich man named Gil wasn't on my bingo card, but I made it through. Gil inherited so much money, he never had to work. He does his best to give back by volunteering for different charities.
His latest endeavour is with a women's refuge in Phoenix, Arizona.
When his long relationship fell apart, Gil decided to walk from New York to Arizona, where he bought a mansion, over the internet.
In Phoenix, he lives across from a family of four whose house is made of mostly glass.
They quickly become friends.

Arguably, Gil was bland as sliced white bread, but he was also a kind person. The research shows that having money and being empathetic don't really go hand in hand. Talk about a fantasy man, as Gil was not an arsehole in the least.

To conclude, this was an easy read that just grew on me as I listened along. It's about finding purpose, and community.

[len ❀ · Rating 1 out of 5]

what the fuck

[Carmel Hanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.

"He wasn't fit for it--he was compromised. He might not look that way to casual observers, but he was stricken. Split between past and present. Less than whole. Lane's memory took up the space where new affection might live. Lost and aimless, like a faithful dog. Confused by the disappearance of its master."

Gil, fresh off a break-up, transplants himself to a state far away, starting over, a bit of a confused mess. The friendly next-door neighbors integrate themselves into his life, despite his initial cautious reluctance. As the story progresses, we find out more about the history that left its mark on him, and what matters to him.

A gentle tale that bobs and weaves as life currents move through his days and that of his neighbors. On the surface, Gil is a patient and self-effacing man, making few demands on others, while repeatedly offering assistance to those around him. Independently wealthy, he was "free" to do whatever appealed to him and being helpful to others appeared to be high on his list, as an antidote to his discomfort with his wealth.

"She measured success by career, the way most people did. And it was fair and accurate to say he'd never had one. He'd offered up his time, done what others needed him to do."

"Couldn't explain it to Hadley, in his oak-and-leather office with its fine appointments and wide views of the Manhattan skyline, how heavy the money was. A coat of shame he always had to wear. Or how the thought of not having it anymore was like discovering he could fly."

While family and community connection were major themes of this book, there were also ecological themes and concerns, and how "freedom" manifests, or doesn't. Loss, guilt, revenge, and bullying also make appearances, all with light brush strokes during a peaceful stroll through the pages.

"And freedom, that sacred cow that was always invoked as an excuse for bad behavior, all manner of atrocity--what was it, even?"....."What would he do if he could unleash his freedom perfectly? Petty mischief, maybe?"...."One man's freedom would be a city's chaos."..."Freedom can only be found in the mind, my dear, she said. Not in the world."

"Maybe the insects would handle it. Since the dinosaurs didn't have it in them. The insects might be naturals at revolution, with their hive minds. Their brainless, decentralized intelligence. That was the answer. Insects. Even more ancient than the birds."

I came to admire and appreciate Gil. A quiet and unassuming man, doing his best to look out for those around him and those less fortunate. While he rarely stood up for himself, he often stood up for others, human and animal, making his small world a better place to be. He may not have had a "career", but he was a lifelong good Samaritan. And when push comes to shove, I'll value that over a career any day.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third novel by Millet that I've read in recent years, and I always find her to be a consistently fascinating author despite the fact that each book is so different from the others.

This book seemed at first to be a sort of fable like her previous one, A Children's Bible. Gil, our protagonist, seemed too good to be true, and too passive to be a compelling protagonist. The next-door-neighbor family of four whom he befriends seems too trusting of him to be believable. But at a certain point the novel over-topped my defenses, and I was simply all in. I believed, because Millet has that writerly gift of being able to take the reader anywhere she wants without it seeming manipulative.

I loved this quiet, subtle novel on the power of kindness, and its limits. Can't wait to see where she takes us next.

[Fran Hawthorne · Rating 2 out of 5]

In interviews, the veteran author and environmentalist Lydia Millet has been quoted as emphasizing the need to take action, not just bemoan the destruction of the planet. Yet in her newest novel, “Dinosaurs,” there is almost no action. Hints that in most other books would burgeon into full-fledged plotlines– a possible adulterous affair, a possible confrontation with a bully, a possible shooting – quickly peter out.

The main character, a super-wealthy middle-aged ex-New Yorker named Gil, is nice, passive, well-meaning, and not particularly introspective. So, by and large, are the people in his life. Even the quasi-villains turn out to be paper threats. Periodically, Gil muses on the endangered situation of local birds.

All this makes for a basically boring albeit earnest book, weighed down by a pretentiously terse style.

As the story begins, in November 2016, Gil has decided to leave Manhattan and move to Phoenix, because he has just been dumped by his longtime girlfriend. And, he’s going to walk the entire 2,400 miles to get there.
What a fantastic, unique narrative that could have been! Five months of blisters and vistas, different foods, local slang, car pollution, plant life, abdominal aches, exhaustion, self-doubt … Instead, the entire trip takes less than three pages of the book.

Once Gil arrives in Phoenix, he drifts easily with the air currents, like the local birds he’s studying. He quickly becomes friends with the family next door. He’s never had children himself, but he instinctively knows exactly what to say to the bored 10-year-old son. He volunteers at a local women’s shelter—although he’s almost turned down for being “fairly attractive” – and falls into a comfortable romance with a smart, caring surgeon.

His reactions to most things, whether it’s a beer with the next-door dad or evidence that a bigger kid is physically bullying the 10-year-old, are uniformly toneless. (Also, he manages to end the bullying pretty much as soon as he learns of it.)

The book desperately wants to convey some sort of message about the fate of the planet and the need for human connections, as epitomized by Gil’s beloved local birds. But because Gil does so little, it’s hard to know exactly what the message is. To have friends? To save endangered species? Sadly, this book stumbles as both a polemic and a novel. (Adapted from my review in the New York Journal of Books, https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book... )

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet is nice, almost a kind of allegory of goodness in the face of tragedy. However, I had the feeling that Millet fell in love with her Good main character Gil in the process of her writing this He’s almost totally good throughout. He’s the heir to oil and gas riches when his exec parents both die in a car crash when he’s a kid. He meets a woman at 18 who after many years dumps him: “I met someone,” is all she has to say to him; she married Gil for his money, and Gil was naive to think it had been love.

Gil’s a kind of loner, who instead of doing paid work, possibly redeems the damage his parents and their generation has done to the planet by volunteering to Do Good everywhere. And love birds, going extinct at a rapid rate due to climate change.. But when he is dumped he leaves Manhattan, buys a house in Tucson (increasingly hot Arizona being a kind of site for considering climate change, I think), and connects with a family there. He faces down bullies and bird-killers. There’s a lot of time spent in the book about infidelity and the rising divorce rate, and the struggle to commitment as yet another indication of moral decline.

I was reminded when I read it of the feel of moral allegory in John Steinbeck’s Winter of Our Discontent, where a lost guy finds his way. Gil is kinda too perfect but Millet’s book about the present day in Arizona, with all the hate and separation as climate destruction ensues, feels like her winter of discontent book. The point of the dinosaurs re: humans I don’t think I have to underscore. The connection of the extinction of birds to the survival of the planet is just for her that we have to take care of each other--humans have to work against bird and animal extinction as part of working against human extinction. We have to connect with each other, be kinder. Not a complex book, but life-affirming:

“. . . separateness had always been the illusion . . . the world was inside you.”

[Ari Levine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Millet's previous novel, A Children's Bible, which was a whacked-out and wildly satirical parable about the impending climate apocalypse and horrible millennial parenting. Dinosaurs is a much more muted, controlled, and oddly lightweight piece of fiction.

Gil is a barely-formed white guy in his early forties who's been living off the interest from a huge plutocratic fossil-fuel trust fund, and incongruously gentle, bland, and non-narcissistic. Fleeing a failed long-term relationship, he walks all the way from New York to an upscale gated community in Arizona, where he's bought a castle-like mansion over the Internet.

This is a story where not much happens, as Gil re-establishes his connections to other humans and to the environment around him, becoming an avid desert birdwatcher. He slowly befriends the family across the street who literally live in a glass house, becoming a father figure to Tom, the eight-year-old son, and a confidant to Ardis, the distracted mother. He volunteers at a shelter for abused women, and builds the first stable and trusting adult relationship of his life with Sarah, a local surgeon.

The prose is polished, the dialogue is clever, and the natural descriptions of hummingbirds and cacti, were evocative. But I struggled to establish any level of emotional connection with this.

Thanks to W.W. Norton and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Joy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gradually builds into a compelling character-driven narrative about a relatively naïve man in his forties and the friendship he forms with the family next door. It is set in Arizona and the region plays a key role. The titular “dinosaurs” are birds and may also refer to altruistic people. Various species of birds appear throughout the narrative. Facts about birds and their diminishing numbers are inserted into the story in a subtle way.

Protagonist Gil is wealthy due to inheritances, but these came at the cost of the death of his parents in an accident when he was a child and, later, his grandparents. He feels undeserving and tries to make up for it by volunteering at an abused women’s shelter and other charitable organizations.

It is easy to root for the protagonist. He has had many difficulties and tries to “do good” and to “be a better person.” He can be somewhat easily manipulated by others due to his feelings of guilt and unworthiness. The relationships are so well drawn. I am impressed by the author’s ability to depict a small community of believable people in such a way that it seemed like a movie running in my mind’s eye. If you have ever visited the American Southwestern deserts, it will be easy to recognize the landscape and vegetation.

The prose is sparse but elegant. Themes include human interactions with nature, political strife we have seen in recent years, and the uses (and abuses) we experience at the hands of selfish individuals. I found it different and refreshing. It will appeal to those who enjoy character studies, reflective stories, and realistic writing.

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I try to read as many Pulitzer Prize nominees as I can - why? That I am not sure of, because so often I find them unsettling. Unsettling in a way that they are either above my intellectual ability (and I hold a Masters degree) or the philosophical ideas elude me. That seems to be the norm with most Pulitzer nominations.

The synopsis says this novel 'explores the uncanny territory where the self ends and community begins' which is partly right and a definite theme in the book. Birds, having been descents of the dinosaurs, are also highlighted heavily in this book and much of the story is balanced on them.

Dinosaurs did have a good story to it. An understandable story, with good characters. It was character driven and for the most part made sense. There were spots that seemed a bit odd to me and the ending was sure not what I expected, nor did it answer the latest question that had arisen in the story. So for me, a typical Pulitzer nomination, a book a bit odd, a book with multiple themes, and a book that I might or might not understand.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t change the facts, Gilbert, his grandmother had told him. All you can change is how you behave. In the face of them.
from Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet

I was utterly charmed by the protagonist in Dinosaurs. Gil is almost too good a man to be true. He lost his mother and was raised by a parsimonious aunt, only to discover upon her death that he was wealthy. Gil was talked out of giving away all his money; he could use it for good.

With no need to forge a career, Gil volunteers his time. His girlfriend of fifteen years left him without warning. He later discovers her selfish motivation for staying in their relationship.

The breakup left him depressed. He decided to leave New York City and bought a house in Phoenix, AZ. Then spent four months walking to his new home, leaving behind a few good friends.

Gil’s new neighbors, a family of four, become his new family and best friends. Gil finds new volunteer work, makes more friends. But there is evil in this place, too. Gil worries about the birds that mysteriously are shot at night, and about the neighbor’s boy who is bullied. There are adult bullies in the neighborhood, too. And the man responsible for his mother’s death reaches out with devious purpose. He loses a dear friend, a gruff ex-Navy Seal with a heart of gold. A lady shows interest in him.

Gill meets every need without self-interest.

The theme is so subtle, you might miss it.

Gil muses on the end of the dinosaurs, but for those that developed into the birds who delight him. He worries that if the birds don’t survive the ensuing environment crisis, what will? Insects, perhaps. What other things are threatened by extinction?

Is civility dead in this world we live in today? Are people out for themselves only, rudeness and aggression become the norm? Gil and these characters are not perfect, but they do strive towards perfection. They understand that it’s not every man/woman for himself/herself, but we are all connected.

Then you could see what was true–that separateness had always been the illusion.
from Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet

What a gentle, lovely read.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lydia Millet’s ability to capture the oddity of human behavior, the aspects of climate change on a granular and expansive level, the magnitude of animals, or the versatility of style all add dimension to her work. Each book is a little gift or surprise, a discovery on where it will take us. Usually I feel like I’ve added to the understanding of human behavior, or learned to love just a little bit more. However, in DINOSAUR—and this may be my fault completely—I failed to extract any meaningful theme and intrepid examination of human behavior, as she usually provides us. I felt a little flat while reading it, all the way till the end. As usual, her characters were not hard to empathize with. They are flawed and vulnerable, particularly Gil, the narrator. But, the story itself did not keep me pinned to it, or wanting more as I read. For me, this was Millet’s most mundane story to date. Perhaps I missed something, failed to observe the one nugget that tied it all together or gave it thrust and magnitude. As it was, the narrative never achieved lift-off for me. It kind of parked in one place on the landing strip and lacked the engine power to rev it up.

DINOSAUR embraced relationships of various kinds, from friendships, to lovers, and to parents and children and role model behaviors. Gil, the understated spokesman of the story, has a tragic childhood story—his parents died when he was young, and he was raised by a miserly grandmother. When she died, however, Gil became wealthy beyond his needs. He spends most of his life caretaking others and volunteering/contributing to worthy causes. This novel is sort of a compendium of Gil’s experiences, particularly at this moment of time that he feels lost. He lives in an old restored “castle” and next door to what one could call a glass house, as one wall allows transparent peeping at all hours of the day. Gil becomes almost a member of the family next door, the parents and kids in the glass house giving him access. Through them, we learn how great a guy Gil is. A very weird section concerns the man responsible for the death of Gil’s parents, and I didn’t find it all too credible. I’ll leave that for readers to discover and decide for themselves.

Although I didn’t truly connect with this novel, I thought it was smooth enough to finish it and see if it touches me in ways I wasn’t expecting. That didn’t happen, and I’m not sure if I just failed on this book, or whether it just isn’t the right book for me at this time.

I do thank Norton for sending me a copy for early review.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dinosaurs is a great character driven story about Gil, a man who spends months walking from NY to AZ, after a rough breakup. Gil purchased a house, sight unseen, before arriving in AZ and is surprised to find that a glass wall in his new neighbors’ house offers a consistent, broad view of the interior of their home.

Gil becomes friendly with the family, parents Ted and Ardis, and their two children, Tom and Clem, who are all substantially involved in the story. I’ve seen Dinosaurs described as a slice of life book and it feels fitting — It’s about self-reflection, relationships in their many forms, and nature too. Really enjoyed this one.

[Holly R W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a gentle man named Gil and the life he creates for himself in Arizona. When the story opens, Gil has spent five months walking from NYC, where he had been living, to a new house in Phoenix. He is in his forties, has no family and wants to start over. Gil's new home is striking - he thinks of it as 'The Castle'. Gil becomes quite friendly with the family of four who live next door to him. His relationship with Tom, the 11 year old boy in the family, is particularly special.

I found some of the author's writing to be beautiful. Yet, it was lacking passion and excitement. 'Bland' is the word I think of. Likewise, some of the social commentary was smart and thoughtful, but was not enough to offset the story's muted tone.

I enjoyed Sarah, the Jewish surgeon who befriends Gil and becomes his girlfriend. Sarah, made of sturdier stuff than Gil, lends him her strength. She is both kind and tough - a mixture that I admire.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quiet, introspective novel about a rich, white, 45-ish year old man named Gil. The story is set mostly in Phoenix, during approximately 2008 to 2010, where Gil has relocated to from New York after his partner Lane of 15 years left him. Gil has no living family -- his parents died in an accident when he was about five, and his grandmother who took over raising him died when he was about ten -- and he has only two close friends, Van Alsten and Vic, both in New York and both married.

Gil learns about the nature and wildlife surrounding him. He becomes friends with the family that moves into the glass house next-door: father Ted, mother Aldis, 14-year-old daughter Clem, and 10-year-old son Tom. He volunteers at a sheltered for abused women, where he becomes friends with Jason, an avid birdwatcher. He meets a surgeon Sarah, with whom he becomes close. He participates in his neighborhood. He learns more about the facts of his parents' deaths. Mostly, Gil comes to terms with his role in the world.

There is nothing earth-shattering here. It is an everyday story of a few years in a particular person's life. But each of us is just a particular person living a not-very-earth-shattering life. Spending time in the thoughts & feelings of another person, especially inside a book as well-written as this one by Millet, can open doors into our own life and those of others and the world in which we all live together.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dinosaurs, much like Millet's previous novel, Children of the Bible, is rich with subtext. The pacing is so steady that it takes some sleuthing to detect what the author is saying through the characters, especially the MC: Gil. Gil seeks meaningful experiences and begins his quest to add depth to his life, by trying to choose the right environment. Due to social anxiety, the protagonist keeps his circle small, and sticks to more solitary pursuits. His world expands when a new family moves in next door to him, and almost immediately include him in their lives.

Gil is fascinated by birds, their individuality, and their perseverance, the living link to the dinosaurs. He feels a kinship to those birds which lead mostly solitary lives, who don't move in flocks, in formation, the ones who live as he does, alone and free. Except he realizes they are much freer than he has ever felt. He sees himself always as outside the circle of things: families, groups, even the earth itself. He is the eye in the sky, the observer. He tries to make himself smaller than he is, and rejects the mythology of the dominant male archetype. The author slyly employs some clever instances of reversed gender role expectations. It has the effect of adding a bit of mystery to the story of a lonely man caught in a sadness too big for him.

In observing the natural world, Gil worries about how humans have caused so much irreparable and often intentional harm. He watches the birds, the only dinosaurs that made it, and wonders if it was worth it to them, and by what measure. In his mind, the ability to soar above it all must make it worthwhile. He wonders about the perseverance of the human species. So successful, yet so quick to engage in conflict, to break connections, to disappear, to drown in themselves.

Gil convinces himself that people only stick with him until they don't need him anymore. Yet, he strongly needs to be needed. It's a curse he himself feeds, and he cannot seem to break out of the loop. He pours himself into others, and even confronts bullies, but the one person he will not defend is himself. He feels as if he's always given all of himself to relationships, but still, they always end badly, even tragically. His best seems never good enough. And the moment of disconnect always cuts him, damages something beyond repair, playing over and over in his mind like a stuck movie reel.

He has a hard time understanding that he can also advocate for himself, and not just for others. When he comes to the conclusion that humans, only barely just arrived on the evolutionary scene, are truly terrible stewards of the Earth, that's the moment when he finally considers that maybe he is deserving of love and protection after all, just like the birds with whom he identifies so much.

Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and #NetGalley, for providing an advance copy for review.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gil leaves the life he has in New York and starts over in Arizona, buying a house sight unseen except for some Internet photos, and he chooses to begin his new life with a walk out west. He gets settled in his new home, and it isn't long before the house next door, also for sale, has new owners and a family soon moves in. The house next door has a glass wall that permits Gil to look in on their day-to-day activities. Gil and the family quickly get to know each other and become friends.

A quietly meditative book that centers on Gil, a man with a traumatic start to life, but who has a gift for establishing relationships with people, who has a magical way of daring to gently speak truth and work through difficulties, who is a deep and genuine friend to all he comes to know.

The author is masterful at creating scenes that are emotionally resonant without resorting to tanks and cannonballs. Millet draws an intricate picture of life in our world, pulling in elements of human society as well as the natural world, and respects her readers enough to allow us to take away from the scenes what we will. And we do. Dinosaurs is the sort of story that makes us keep going back to the book after we have finished it and rereading parts and thinking about the story and the characters again and again.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to W.W. Norton & Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a lovely, quiet character study of a man in unusual circumstances making connections in his deliberately circumscribed world. It’s funny, sad and relatable (an accomplishment given that Gil is rich, white, privileged and not marginalized in any practical sense). It’s not flawless. Gil’s innate goodness can be too much at times. And the metaphors tend toward the excess as they pile up although they do add layering to the narrative.

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed two of her other books, Love in Infant Monkeys and A Children's Bible, this one did not do it for me. The Dinosaurs metaphor never really bore any literary fruit and I never got to the point where I cared about the protagonists. I just wanted to skip to the end...

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

It felt good to read something positive for a change! A rich, white man doing good for and helping the people around him, doing lots of voluntary work as well, and just being a sympathetic person trying to connect to others. Very refreshing and interesting on a human and environmental level.
Thank you Norton and Edelweiss for the DRC.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read several of Millet’s novels, and now I want to go back and read them all again. I read this one in almost one sitting. She has a way of exploring complex ideas and feelings—life’s grand and terrible things—in an immensely readable story, with small snapshots that reveal a big picture. Gil is somewhat of a loner, by circumstances more than by choice. When he moves to Arizona, he befriends his new next door neighbors and his world starts opening up in myriad ways. He’s a good guy through and through, constantly giving of himself and trying to improve the world little by little. I wish I lived next door to him. Comes out in October.

[Gregg Rosenthal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am in awe of Lydia Millet's talent. Every book I've read of hers (the last 4) is so unlike the one before and effective in a different way.

Dinosaurs is admittedly a slow burn. But as Gil comes into focus in the back half of the book, the story got under my skin. I read it in Arizona which helped it hit different.

Millet is one of those writers I'm grateful to have so much left to read. I just have to figure out which of her early books to try next.