The Guncle by Steven Rowley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Do not punch a child, do not punch a child.”
“Guncle Rule number five: If a gay man hands you his phone, look only at what he’s showing you. If it’s a photo, don’t swipe. And for god’s sake, don’t open any unfamiliar apps.”
“Boys can do girl things and girls can do boy things. That’s not even a Guncle Rule, there shouldn’t even be boy things and girl things to begin with. People should just do what they want.”
The Guncle is about an actor, who was on a popular show but who has been hiding away in Palm Spring, who loses his best friend/sister-in-law and must take care of her/his brother’s kids. Patrick is the guncle. He lost his partner and is still in the grieving process. Maisie, his niece, and Grant, his nephew, lost their mother (Sara) and subsequently spend the summer with their GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick). Their dad is dealing with his own personal health issue. How will Patrick be able to handle taking care of kids for 3 whole months without going crazy? Will the kids start their grieving process and what will they learn from their GUP? If Patrick moves on with this life, how will he do it?
Steven Rowley wrote such a fun and enjoyable book! I laughed out loud so many times and wanted to devour it. “’We don’t eat bacon…Bacon is pigs and pigs are our friends. Do you want to eat your friends?’ (Patrick) Without hesitation. ‘If they taste like bacon.’” (Grant). I was excited to find out there was a sequel too! The Guncle Rules that permeated the book were perfect. It matched caring, humor, and a gay sensibility all in a simple, helpful rule. For example, when Patrick gave his niece his phone to record him in a video. “’Higher…Honestly, its like you want me to have four chins. Guncle Rule – What number are we on? Know your angles. Everyone has a good side. Even children, who should be photographable from all sides but aren’t.’” There was so much gay culture sprinkled in such a natural way that it would be easy to miss if you weren’t well versed. Right away Grease, Grease 2, Olivia Newton-John, and Stockard Channing were mentioned when GUP was trying to make a point. So much wit. Patrick gave them an ‘edu-gay-tion.” The messaging is something I thought was much needed but not too heavy handed. I found myself agreeing and wishing society as a whole felt the same way. Whatever you like or want, you do you. “What do you think gay people do? Have done for generations? We adopt a safe version of ourselves for the public, for protection, and then as adults we excavate our true selves from the parts we’ve invented to protect us.” Things like this felt true and hit home. It is the story of a lot of gay people. There are conversations around grief and the way the book approached it was nice. It was described well. “Grief orbits the heart. Some days the circle is greater. Those are the good days. You have room to move and dance and breathe. Some days the circle is tighter. Those are the hard ones.” A word that stuck out to me in this book was maudlin. Steven filled this book with so many witticisms. This is exactly the type of book that I will pick up whenever I need a smile and laugh.
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Tag: grief
My Favorite Novel Ever And Being Overcome With Emotion
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this novel. I cannot think of one that I have loved as much as this one ever, so this might be my favorite novel of all time. I felt this immediate draw to pick it back up every time that I set it down. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is undeniably powerful, funny, and devastating. It is poignant, consuming, and clever. I cannot say enough good words about it. There aren’t enough good words to describe it. I would say that I am speechless but all I want to do is sing all the praises from the highest of the mountains so that everyone can hear. Even before the actual story starts it provides a chuckle but the actual story begins in Ireland in the 1940s with a woman who found herself in an unwed, pregnant situation and was forced to leave her hometown. She meets a guy on the way to Dublin and ends up living with him for a short bit until a tragic and joyous event occurs. The book actually follows her son and provides a detailed account of his life over the next 70 or so years. I have such an affinity for Cyril, the son. I saw myself so deeply in him, I felt such a connection, that it could have been me living that life. The characters were so well developed that I had no trouble identifying or remembering them. The picture was painted with such clarity and detail. I was hooked from the first sentence and it just continued from there. What a first chapter! It sunk its hooks into me quickly and deeply. I also loved how this book was structured. It is an epic tale as it traverses multiple countries and decades. You are immersed in the time and characters as if you were there. John Boyne is one of the best writers I have ever read. I don’t think I have read anything by him thus far, but I cannot wait to see what else is out there. He has this way of hinting and nodding to something but not outright saying it, that makes you feel in on a secret that only the two of you know. His use of context is superb. It is subtle but it fills you with quiet glee. He also has this unbelievable artistry to weave connections throughout, from the first chapter to the last. It is done with such grace and elegance that you don’t see it coming. It comes out of left field but it is so realistic. It is like it was inevitable. I would stop in my tracks and then I would just sigh at how right it felt. There are plenty of moments that left me gobsmacked with my mouth held agape in shock. I had to look around, even if I was alone, wondering who else was flabbergasted by what was on the page. I wanted to discuss in whispers what just occurred. Furies was also a riot. I found myself laughing out loud, so hard. I would even get myself to laugh just thinking about it when I set the book down. There is so much witty repartee. The quips, asides, and comebacks are plentiful that sometimes I could not handle it. My stomach hurt and I had tears from how clever the writing was. For example, “turning to her with all the warmth of Lizzie Borden dropping in to say goodnight to her parents.” There were also plenty of gut-wrenching and devastating moments that left me helpless and in tears as well. I had to stop reading at some points because I couldn’t see the words through my tears. They were dripping down my face. At times I couldn’t breathe because I was overcome with deep anguish. The overpouring of emotions that this novel can evoke in a person are mind-blowing. I have never had such a reaction to the written word that I felt throughout my body, ever in my life. It is the most human book. I smile and laugh, become wistful and melancholy just thinking of the novel still. My inability to convey how breathtaking and powerful this novel was, devastates me. This is my favorite novel ever.
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