Richard’s Comments (group member since Jun 24, 2013)

Richard’s comments from the Tackling the Pulitzer Prize Winners! group.

As most know by now, "James" by Percival Everett is the winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for fiction! From Pulitzer.org: "An accomplished reconsideration of ‘Huckleberry Finn’ that gives agency to Jim to illustrate the absurdity of racial supremacy and provide a new take on the search for family and freedom." Percival Everett's "Telephone" was a Pulitzer finalist in 2021. "James" also won the National Book Award for 2024.

So, for those who haven't already read it, "James" will be our group read for June, unless Rebecca or Bookslut instruct otherwise! ;-)

Bookslut wrote: "...I found even The Shipping News to be that way."
I'd have to go back and check my notes on The Shipping News, but my vague memory of it was that it was more hopeful and even somewhat comedic in places, rather than dark. I'm also reconsidering my earlier position of taking a pass on this entire collection - I think I'll at least give Brokeback Mountain a look. I know the movie version is highly regarded and I'd like to check out the source material.

Rebecca wrote: "This was definitely in the soul destroying category for me. Endless misery across the stories, including child and other sexual abuse, catastrophic accidents, and mutilation. I just didn't get the ..." Thanks for the review, Rebecca. I was going to look for this volume in the library system but now I think I'll take a pass. Too many other titles piling up (including the new Pulitzer winner) anyhow.

Thanks Rebecca! I noticed the pprize.com prediction thread has been progressively harder to load on various browsers over the years .. last year it only worked on Safari (I think) and as you noted now seems to be defunct. Thanks for finding the other site. Like you I haven't read any listed, though family members who have read Tom Lake have raved about it. Also noted that the author of the post states "I’m even working on a project where I am reading every book that has won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction". Hmm, should I invite him to join our group? :)

Kindle version is on sale this week, so I picked it up. Will start reading it soon!

Thanks for your comments, Sharron. Glad to hear that someone has taken on this book this month, as it's not exactly a "beach read"! This book was a finalist the year that the Goldfinch won the Pulitzer fiction award, and I think it could have won that year - or certainly any other year. I felt that the 3 separative narratives, and the different methods of delivery of each, were extremely effective. Here's a short excerpt from my review of the book (too long to post here), from a few years back: "The knitting together of the separate narratives in The Son is a fascinating exercise in itself, not unlike the building of a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. The opening chapters provide most of the edge pieces, allowing much of the puzzle’s border to be constructed. The heart of the book then builds the inside of the puzzle, piece by piece. Nuggets of information are dropped from time to time and left for the reader/listener to store away or to fit with other pieces. I felt compelled to read at times as if I were a detective, looking for clues as well as cross-checking the same events referenced in the different narratives." While I don't remember many of the details of the plot, I do remember the reading experience was quite engaging, and the varying viewpoints was a major factor.

Rebecca wrote: "I was specifically wondering why the author chose to leave it unfinished...." Good question - I have to admit I was a bit confused by the work-in-progress nature of the second part at the time. In looking back, it certainly lent to the mystery that Diaz was building to that point. By the end of part 2, we had a rather uninspiring biography of a tycoon and his crazy wife, and an incomplete autobiography which was a vastly different retelling of (apparently) the same couple. I think it was a deliberate choice, in a literary sense, by Diaz. Why the hit piece (part 1)? Why the clearly unfinished attempt to "set the record straight" (part 2)? Who or what to trust? (Guess I may have answered my own question from earlier.) I had so many questions, that by the time it became apparent what was happening shortly into part 3, I was fully engaged and turning pages.

Welcome Kathy, and you have found a good reading partner in Zorro. Taking on the original David Copperfield while waiting on Demon Copperhead is a good plan - the original is one of my all-time favorite novels, and when you finally read Copperhead you'll find that Kingsolver was quite clever - and compelling - in the retelling and updating of that narrative. I was concerned that the predictability of analogous events and characters might ruin the reading experience of Copperhead, but somehow it made it more interesting, at least for me. Your mileage may vary, as they say ... anyhow, happy reading!

Rebecca wrote: "Any thoughts on why the author chose to leave the second part so unfinished? ..."

Rebecca, I had the same question, but now after finishing the book, I think the 2nd part is Andrew Bevel's unfinished "autobiography" that was being ghost-written by Ida?

Overall, I felt Trust was well written; while not as good as Copperhead (very different types of novels so probably unfair to compare them anyway), it was at least as Pulitzer-worthy as most of the recent winners, probably more so. As I was reading through the meat of Ida Partenza's narrative, I could almost feel Diaz smirking at me over my shoulder for having the impatience of someone who has read too many page-turners. At the danger of overreaching, it's almost as if Diaz is using a financial metaphor in his construction of Trust. He invites the reader to patiently invest in parts 1 and 2, and the reader is rewarded when the return on that investment becomes apparent in parts 3 and 4.

And yet, after finishing the book, I have questions:
- Why do you think the novel is entitled Trust?
- What do you suppose was Harold Vanner's motive in writing Bonds? And in his portrayal of Helen Rask? If there was one aspect of the book in which I was slightly disappointed, I felt that the Harold Vanner story was never really fleshed out.
- Who do you consider the true heroine of this book? Mildred? or Ida? I've gone back and forth on this one in my mind. I'd like to hear others' thoughts on these two characters, as well as any other aspect of this book.

Rebecca wrote: "For non-winners, I will nominate The Son by Philipp Meyer." I'll second this for Rebecca's sake - I know she's tried to get this one on the list before! :)

Agree, Michael - Thanks to Gary, Linda, and Rebecca for your reviews and discussion. I stalled after part 1 but am now encouraged to continue on. Sounds like we had two very good Pulitzer selections this year, to balance out the somewhat disappointing (IMO) selection last year.

Bookslut wrote: "Heavily vouched for by several of our group members, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is pledged by many to be Anne Tyler's best book. My copy has arrived at the library, and I'm excited to dive i..."

I'm about halfway through, and am liking it well enough.
1. I think it's aged OK. It's mostly about family dynamics, and the author is pretty clear about the time frame. The general societal behavior of the characters seems consistent with its time setting.
2. Can't put my finger on it yet, but I like it better than the other 3 Tyler books I've read (Breathing Lessons, Accidental Tourist, French Braid). But it had a pretty low bar to clear in that regard.
3. Would still consider it Literary Fiction, and hardly chick lit. As someone mentioned, it features family drama from the differing perspectives of each family member. Earlier this summer I read a book that the female readers in my household had left lying around (Someone Else's Shoes by Jo Jo Moyes) - now THAT was creeping into Chick Lit territory :)

I got through the first section of Trust, and have kind of stalled. I keep hearing that one really needs to plow through the other 3 to see what it's all about, and I keep telling myself I'll do it the month that Trust is assigned. Oh wait. Is it this month? Already resigned myself to the fact that I won't enjoy it as much as Copperhead, which was an exceptional book.

This book wasn't at my local library, and it's taking its good ol' time making its may to me from some other library in our county system. I can't believe this will be my 4th Anne Tyler book, having been relatively underwhelmed by 2 of the first 3 I've read. (French Braid, her most recent work, was actually pretty good). Like Bookslut, I've heard good things about this Pulitzer finalist, so looking forward to diving in when it gets here.

Strongly agree with Sharron and Rebecca. The voice of Damon/Demon is so strikingly authentic throughout this book, I stopped in my tracks a few times and thought, "Wait, this was written by a 60-some year old woman??" Not surprisingly, as a native of that region, Kingsolver has for years been a keen observer and listener of the people and culture about which she writes. And yet, it requires considerable writing chops to translate those observations into the kind of first-person narrative that has you convinced you're living in Demon's head.

I couldn't help thinking after finishing Demon Copperhead: This book is exactly what the Pulitzer committee should be looking for. Obviously well written, but I'll also go out on a bit of a limb and speculate that it's about a slice of American life that the literary demographic infrequently engages with or attempts to understand, unless you're one of the heroic teachers in Demon's high school or Kingsolver herself. Really glad that the committee agreed with me ;) and gave the book one of the 2 awards for fiction this year.

Jason wrote: "Kinda funny - I wasn’t thrilled about Trust because I was confusing Herman and Junot Diaz, and I didn’t really love Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao."

Funny, I had the same thought, had to look up the author page and then realized I had read In the Distance by Hernan (a 2018 finalist) and had enjoyed it.

Bookslut wrote: "I cannot believe it. NPR said it is 'unusual but not unheard of', so either they are wrong or it has happened in some of the nonfiction categories. Both great choices, though. I'm pretty excited ab..."

Yes! Copperhead is a GREAT book (and I'm saying this as someone who has David Copperfield in the top 3 of my all-time favorites), and I enjoyed In the Distance (Diaz) that this group read a couple of years ago. Looking forward to reading Trust, and discussions in this group about both.

Will this be the year that Joyce Carol Oates finally breaks through? :) I have read French Braid (Anne Tyler) and am finishing up Demon Copperhead (Kingsolver). French Braid is nice, but I don't see it winning. Demon Copperhead, on the other hand, is a 5 star book IMO. Some other familiar names on the list as Jason pointed out - not just one, but two by McCarthy?

Bookslut wrote: "Steven wrote: "How about Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson for 1920. It may have been the best from 1919."

How about we put that in the August slot?"

I think that sounds good. Hard to believe that the prize was barely 3 years old and the committee chose to punt on the award. A bad habit that was developed early.

I can't believe I'm saying this but, I'd like to nominate a book by Anne Tyler: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant