#59: Doerr and Towles

New books in 2021

With next year being a year of reading female authors, I’m trying to squeeze in a few male authors here as 2021 winds down. I recently read Amor Towles’ first book Rules of Civility and Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See. I was then fortunate enough to be first in line (!) at the library for each of their new books: Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land and Towles’ The Lincoln Highway. Being first in line was such a proud moment for me, I felt the need to brag about it on Instagram. I hadn’t been this excited for a book release since the seventh Harry Potter book. It was a blast!

These two best-selling authors have writing styles that couldn’t be more different and while I enjoyed each book, I clearly have a preference.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

One must be prepared to fight for one's simple pleasures and to defend them against elegance and erudition and all manner of glamorous enticements.

I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and recommend it all the time. As with Gentleman, the experience of reading Rules of Civility was relaxing and enjoyable. I’ve powered through books that I didn’t enjoy out of curiosity for how they ended (Woman in the Window and Mexican Gothic are a couple of examples from this year). With Rules of Civility, I didn’t care how it ended, felt no rush to get there (or anywhere), and didn’t mind lazily spending time in it. As soon as I finished I was ready to turn back to the beginning and start the journey over again.

I liked the characters; their personalities and quirks, their banter and wit. I wasn’t necessarily inspired by their choices, but I found certain traits admirable. They felt real, alive, and known. This is what I love about Towles’ writing: He brings his characters to life. Katey Kontent, Tinker Grey, and especially Wallace Wolcott have left their mark on me.

Wallace was just the sort who blends into the background of the school photo (or the greeting line at the cotillion) but who, with the passage of time, increasingly stands out against the lapses in character around him.

What a line! That’s Towles, baby. I’ll also plug the audiobook - Rebecca Lowman brought a lot of charm to the experience.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This is truly a work of art. An array of characters and plots and little details interwoven and coming together at the end in a satisfying climax. I enjoyed the non-linear structure and the way Doerr revealed information. I wouldn’t describe his writing as “economic” and it took some getting used to after Rules. Towles doesn’t seem to waste a sentence whereas Doerr has lots of descriptions and feelings and ambiance. Why describe a thing in one way when it can be described in three?

That minor style critique aside, the only other aspect I struggled with is how fiction-y it was. I had to turn off the part of my brain that kept questioning the far-fetched nature of certain things and then remind myself that there’s a fantasy element woven in. What might be the most telling of all is that I doubt I’ll ever re-read it. It was like an expensive, multi-course meal of delicacies that is luxurious and creates a lasting memory, but isn’t how I prefer to dine on a regular basis.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

What to say about this book? As time passes, I just don’t know if it’s going to stick with me or if the characters will be memorable. Aside from one poetic line that truly knocked my socks off, I’ll probably consider this another book that, while epic and grandiose and a work of art, isn’t for me and isn’t the reason I read.

I laugh as I’m saying this now, whereas these were my initial thoughts immediately after finishing: “Could be the ‘read it on a plane’ effect but I really enjoyed this reading experience. It’s a bit of a downer but also hopeful. There are some beautiful, exquisite moments. Not sure if it’s re-readable but I certainly recommend it.”

Me from three weeks ago recommends it, the me right now is not so sure. If you’ve read it, let’s talk about it.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Here I am once again begging you to read a Towles book. I must be a Towles zombie because to me he can do no wrong. I remember thinking as I read this that Towles seems to understand everything that I value and cherish and respect and he takes all that and bundles it up in a package I can hold in my hands. It’s the very definition of the somewhat cliche term resonate. He can make me care about and root for the characters so quickly and effortlessly that I spend the rest of the book worrying about them and wanting them to succeed. That is storytelling magic. This story and the stories within it will stick to my bones. I laughed, I cried (quite hard at one point, had to set the book down) and I’ll be reading it again. Please read it so we can discuss it together! :)

Thank you for being an audience to my thoughts. What book voyages have you embarked on?

Kyle