A brilliant new work that returns Richard Ford to the hallowed territory that sealed his reputation as an American master: the world of Frank Bascombe, and the landscape of his celebrated novels The Sportswriter, the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner winning Independence Day, and The Lay of the Land.
In his trio of world-acclaimed novels portraying the life of an entire American generation, … an entire American generation, Richard Ford has imagined one of the most indelible and widely discussed characters in modern literature, Frank Bascombe. Through Bascombe—protean, funny, profane, wise, often inappropriate—we’ve witnessed the aspirations, sorrows, longings, achievements and failings of an American life in the twilight of the twentieth century.
Now, in Let Me Be Frank with You, Ford reinvents Bascombe in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. In four richly luminous narratives, Bascombe (and Ford) attempts to reconcile, interpret and console a world undone by calamity. It is a moving and wondrous and extremely funny odyssey through the America we live in at this moment. Ford is here again working with the maturity and brilliance of a writer at the absolute height of his powers.
more
I borrowed this book from my wife the other day. So glad I did. The first few pages I thought, “Hey Richard, get on with it! What’s your story here?” But I soon realized the rambling is the point. His character, Frank Bascombe never stops, but once you get into the groove with him, you don’t want him to. The next thing I loved is that the ramble is all kind of a trick to get your guard down. At which point Richard Ford drops a stunning little bomb on you. It’s beautiful. Pure pleasure.
This one was really hard going for me. It is well written with a rounded central character in Frank Bascombe living life through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy but, for me, it lacked engagement and offered nothing to grab my attention and keep me held. This does not mean it is a bad book. For anyone who likes to read literary fiction as the norm it will be a really good read and will be thoroughly enjoyable. Mr. Ford’s writing style is clean, crisp and very descriptive which builds vivid pictures of the days Frank lives through in his own world of dealings with his grown children, an ex-wife, a current wife and old acquaintances.
Let Me Be Frank With You is a collection link of four interlinked novellas that chronicles Frank Bascombe’s life as he reaches his late sixties. (The Sportswriter covered his thirties. Independence Day covered his forties. The Lay of the Land covered his fifties.) The stories take place after the devastation of what Hurricane Sandy did to the New Jersey coast. Bascombe reflects on his life and the damage those choices caused at this late stage in his life.
Frank is quite the observer of modern American life and has colorful opinions on politics (he’s liberal), race (born a Southerner and uses outdated terms for blacks as Negroes), religion (he’s not religious…but does not hate religious folk), and the libido (he thinks about sex often). I will admit his views on those various subjects made me dislike the character as a young man in The Sportswriter but now as a man nearing seventy in Let Me Be Frank With You, I have accepted and appreciated his candor about American culture. I know for some readers, Frank’s views about American culture would be a turnoff from reading the entire Frank Bascombe series. However, I believe Richard Ford has crafted one of great literary characters in modern American fiction and should be a must for readers of literary fiction.
In this collection, two of the four stories struck an emotional chord with me. The second novella, Everything Could Be Worse, is a story about an African American female history teacher—a stranger—who used to live in Frank’s house in Haddam shows up to reveal a startling bit of history about the house. Frank invites her to the home and during the conversation he learns a dark secret from the woman about what happened to her family in the home. It was one of the most powerful scenes I have ever read.
The last novella, Deaths of Others, is a story about Frank reluctantly visiting an old buddy, Eddie, who’s on his deathbed. Eddie lives in a mansion and cajoles Frank into visiting him. Frank agrees to visit and Eddie admits to an event that happened in Frank’s past and it felt like a gut-punch to the stomach. I have to admit that Eddie’s admission surprised as a reader and Frank’s reaction was not what I expected.
I’m glad and sad simultaneously that I have finished the Frank Bascombe books. Even though, I’m more of a fantasy reader, I appreciate this detour from my normal reading highway and can recognize it as one of the best book series I have ever read. Frank Bascombe is a literary descendant of John Updike’s Rabbit Angstrom but has carved its own place in modern American fiction. Highly recommended.
Gives you characters to love.
I am a bid Richard Ford fan and have read almost everything he has written. This is not one of my favorite books that he has written ( Canada is) but it was fun to read and a great way to better understand how people were effected after Hurricane Sandy.
Really liked this good book by a very good writer
Intelligently written, witty and humorous but lacks mystery, drama or depth. Light reading that may bring a smile or frown to your face especially if you live in NJ.
This book was good, light reading after a few very intense reads. A well-written respite.
It really didn’t hold my full interest. I speed read it to get through it.
I quit reading after the second chapter.
Boring and pointless with flat characters, set in coastal New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy.
Not really my favorite kind of book