Comments on: American Rust by Philipp Meyer

By: Rose City Reader

Rose City Reader — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:47:17 +0000

Bad choice after bad choice — that about sums it up!

Good review. My review is here: http://rosecityreader.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-of-day-american-rust.html

If you want me to post a link to your review, please leave a comment on mine. I don’t like to link without permission unless I’m already blogger buddies with the reviewer.

By: The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf « Word Lily

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf « Word Lily — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:13:36 +0000

[...] At each chapter change (they’re short) the perspective changes; we see the story unfold from the perspective of many — but not all — of our characters. This multi-character perspective was much more well-done in this book than in the other like it I’ve read this year. [...]

By: Saturday Review of Books: March 21, 2009 at Semicolon

Saturday Review of Books: March 21, 2009 at Semicolon — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:32:39 +0000

[...] Books and Other Thoughts (Zorgamazoo)70. Books and Other Thoughts (Yokaiden, Vol. 1)71. Word Lily (American Rust)72. Word Lily (A Quiet Flame)73. Books and Other Thoughts (Bone Crossed)74. Books and Other Thoughts [...]

By: Mo

Mo — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:11:59 +0000

I recently read & reviewed this as well, altho I seemed to enjoy it better than you did, unfortunately. Maybe it helps to hail FROM a small, dying steel town; I thought the characters and their actions/re-actions to be very honest (sad, but true.)

By: Lenore

Lenore — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:09:35 +0000

I am not a fan of stream of consciousness, but many reviewers have really liked this. So I’m going to give it a chance. I will remember to employ the 50 page rule if it’s not working for me though.

By: Mindy Withrow

Mindy Withrow — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 13:29:42 +0000

I hadn’t heard of this book, but I may look it up now. I’m partial to debut novels. I also love novels that put the questions out there and don’t try to offer answers at all, so perhaps I would enjoy this one more than you did. But I’m sorry you didn’t! It’s always a bummer to finish a book wishing you had read something else instead.

Thanks for your review! — I found it via Semicolon.

By: bermudaonion

bermudaonion — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:51:49 +0000

Hmm, not sure I want to read that one. Thanks for the review.

By: Words from my reading IV « Word Lily

Words from my reading IV « Word Lily — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:11:02 +0000

[...] Reviews of books cited here: A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr American Rust by Philipp Meyer [...]

By: Ali

Ali — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:15:26 +0000

Makes sense, yeah. I guess the bigger picture to me was how the state of the steel industry impacts these characters and the whole culture of that area. That’s not really a lesson, though–more of a theme.

By: wordlily

wordlily — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:33:45 +0000

Oh, I guess I wasn't clear. I appreciate subtlety! Trying again: I wanted bigger, more important (less obvious?) lessons than loyalty to friends and you can't escape by hiding. Those seem so simple and straightforward (this isn't YA, after all) that I almost have a hard time calling them lessons at all — the book's readers should already know those things. Does that make sense?