ELaIC is like the movie the Sweet Hereafter for me (as in, my go-to answer to the question of what is the most depressing movie ever. It’s like short hand in our house–”how was X?” “Well, [it was no; it was approaching; it was just like] the Sweet Hereafter.”). I remember reading it during a summer at the beach and finding the combination of 9/11 and Dresden more than I could possibly handle. I have almost no comment on the writing, other than the book bothered me so much on an emotional level that I haven’t even talked about it with anyone. It was our town’s One Book, One Community pick this year, and I kept thinking, “Good Lord, this would be like making me watch The Sweet Hereafter again.”

A bunch of people at the discussion of Lonely Polygamist didn’t care for it, hated the protagonist, some even claimed he didn’t change over the course of the book! I found it very moving and worthwhile, and even though it was long it was not a long read. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but I highly recommend it.

Steph, the grandparent sex in ELaIC was probably more apparent and irritating to me because I didn’t like it in Everything is Illuminated. What really bugged me about it in ELaIC, though, is that the grandmother writes about it in letters to her grandson. Yeesh. I’m re-reading History of Love this month, so I’m interested to see how it will compare/contrast.

Glad to hear you enjoyed both The Lonely Polygamist and God on the Rocks as I have copies of both. I keep eyeing TLP, but then backing down because it is so huge…