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Offbeat with Eccentric CharactersReviewed by N. Manning, 2010-01-08
Reason for Reading: The publisher's plot synopsis grabbed me right
away.
Summary: Hattie in Paris, who has just been dumped by her
boyfriend, receives an urgent message from her niece in Manitoba to
come home quickly. Hattie's sister Min is in a deep depression and
needs to go into the hospital again and when Hattie arrives she
finds the kids in a state. Teenage Logan retreats into his hoodie
all the time, rarely speaks and the neighbors have a backyard full
of hatchets. Thebes, on the other hand, does not stop talking,
ever, and looks as if she hasn't changed clothes in a few weeks nor
combed, let alone washed her hair in months. Hattie is totally not
up to the job of looking after two children so she takes the
children in the van on a road trip to the States to find their
father whom Min chased out of their lives when they Logan was a
toddler and Thebes newly born. With only the name of a place of
where he was ten years ago they set off.
Comments: What a wonderful, brilliant book! A humourous,
heart-felt, sometimes poignant story of a family of the most quirky
characters. This family is both dysfunctional and each member is
suffering their own mental health problems but they are also
lovable, unique and become accepted to the reader just the way they
are. The only character I didn't connect with nor grow to like was
Hattie, who was quite negligent with looking after the children and
as a 32yo woman had no excuse for her behaviour except that she
daydreamed about her ex-boyfriend back in Paris and hadn't looked
after children before. I didn't buy it. However, the children and
Min (who we get to know through Hattie's memories) were extremely
outlandish yet totally believable characters.
A great story that will have you chuckling, shaking your head and
growing fonder of these two children the more you read. I really
enjoyed this, my first foray into Toews, and I will be looking into
her other work hoping to find the same quality of story. The book
vaguely reminded me of the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" and I
pictured Logan just as the teenage son in that movie. If you enjoy
an offbeat story populated with eccentric characters this book will
certainly fit the bill.
Funny, moving, and tragic story of one family dealing with mental
illnessReviewed by C. Quinn, 2009-12-31
This book was by turns funny and moving and tragic. The quirky
character traits the children exhibit definitely spark a smile, but
it is a sad smile as you realize why they were forced to develop
these defense mechanisms. None of the adults in the books act
actually like adults (most of the time) which is truly unfair to
these children. Hattie is certainly not prepared to act as a
parent; in their own way, Thebes and Logan are the most grown-up
characters in the story.
I thought that Min's mental illness was handled with sensitivity
and accuracy, especially as it impacted the lives of those around
her. I was also impressed with Hattie's character development as
the novel progressed. This novel doesn't present any answers to the
questions raised in the narrative- it is just a story of a family
trying to cope the best way they can. Impressive and enjoyable
read.
Where do I begin?Reviewed by Schmadrian, 2009-10-04
This book is, in its own way, a stellar accomplishment. At the same
time, not everyone will like it, not everyone will 'get' it. But
man...what a ride.
It's economical. Spare. And maybe, just maybe, because of the core
subject -depression- this was the perfect tack to take, rather than
getting bogged down in narrative that provides more in its depth,
but that depth ends up detracting from the power of this
core.
Normally, I don't touch on 'what the story's about' in my reviews.
Here, I'm going to make an exception. To a small extent.
'Troutmans' is a road trip. A road trip as told by a fractured,
vulnerable, flawed narrator...whose own profile does not impact
negatively on the story...something I consistently harp on about
these days. Along with Hattie, there's Thebes, her 11 year old
niece, and Logan, her 15 year old nephew. Both are, to most
observers, intellectually heightened to the extreme...and maybe
this is part of what would put off some readers. (I'll get to the
major element of this effect in a moment.)
These two kids are so fantastically presented- Look; I'm a writer,
I pride myself on being great with dialogue...but what Ms Toews
comes up with repeatedly, what she lavishes on us by way of these
two characters is... Well, at times, not only was I laughing, but I
was almost applauding. The voices -for those who can hear them- are
authentic to the point of being painfully so. In fact, my basic
litmus test for any novel (and I'll confess here that I know this
reveals a major prejudice of mine, so go ahead; sue me. But then, I
am also a screenwriter...) is whether I'm compelled to see the tale
in my head, as a film. Better yet, would I *want* to see it as a
film, on the screen. In this case, absolutely, positively, beyond
any shadow of a doubt. It might just be the ultimate 'indie film',
pushing aside such beloved gems as 'Lost in Translation', 'Little
Miss Sunshine' and 'Sideways'. I may have felt very, very
uncomfortable with some of what unfolds, what's said, what's
done...even moreso when deconstructing the family history, figuring
out just how they got to be the people they are...but I was
affected by what Ms Toews wrote, and really, is there any greater
goal, than to effect your readers, to get them to a different
place, add to their experiences in a rich way?
As I said, the core subject is depression, and this is what many
people simply wouldn't like about 'The Flying Troutmans'. Its
discussion, even as pithily presented by the author, brings with it
a suitable weight. And tonal impact. People don't feel comfortable
talking about 'everyday depression', never mind the kind that's
held someone in its grips their entire life, kept them on the abyss
of suicide for nearly the duration. (It's familiar territory for
me, having been a self-diagnosed 'functional, cyclical depressive'
for more than three decades.) Min, the mother of Logan and Thebes,
sister to Hattie, the patient in this story, is the lynchpin of
'Troutmans', but her situation is handled with a true
deftness-of-touch, a near-perfect consideration by Ms Toews, not
only in references in the present tense, but also in flashbacks.
Your heart breaks for her, putting the pieces together, but I never
felt that this element was overdone, never turning either mawkish
or maudlin. But then, it's not what the book's about; the road trip
is what the book's about.
'The Flying Troutmans' is a gem. Written by a novelist who took a
particular tack to tell a particular story a particular way, it's a
distinct tale in a world where just about everything's been heard
before. And of course now I'm going to be investigating the rest of
Ms Toew's oeuvre.
(Personal rating: 9/10)
HystericalReviewed by A. Blackburn, 2009-09-25
Characters are incredibly well developed and witty. This book makes you laugh out loud and similarly tugs your heart strings. Best book I have read in some time. Ending is less well developed and slightly abrupt, however it leaves you feeling like we need more Troutman's in the future.
Miriam ToewsReviewed by Maudeen Wachsmith, 2009-06-25
I cannot for the life of me figure out while Toews is not more well known here. Her books are cleverly plotted with fresh, crisp writing. I adored A Complicated Kindness, which first brought her to my attention. The Flying Troutmans shows her talents in a road trip across America, ala "Little Miss Sunshine" and is nearly as quirky.
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