Virgil Wander

After his car went over a cliff, Virgil is saved by the local scavenger. His health is frayed, but what seems to upset him more is that is memory is shot. While he remembers a lot of people, he doesn't always- or not completely. Words fail him- which is a terrible thing for a man that prides himself on his precise description. Then there's a stranger, Rune, who is the lost father of the man that disappeared 10 years ago- come to town after learning of the son he never knew in hopes of learning who the man was. The man and his hand made kite's call to something in Virgil and he finds himself becoming close to him. And the missing man's son, Bjorn. A teen now with his own passions and ambitions, wanting to make a life of his own- be more than "that man's son". Nadine- the gorgeous, enigmatic widow raising her son as she sends suitors away. Gavin- the Tom Sawyer-esk youth who hates school, loves fishing, and is far too intent on the status of his manhood. These characters and more pull at Virgil, move him as he strives to take control of his life and his aging theater. My thoughts: There have been several books in my life that I loved beyond reason. This is going to be one of them. Virgil was a fantastic character that I couldn't help but root for. His pain quickly became mine, and his mistakes more easy for me to forgive because I loved him so much. With gorgeous, sometimes whimsical descriptions and a steady pace, this book wasn't a fast read, but one that you lingered over; chuckling over a turn of phrase or sighing over a declaration. I filled page after page of quotes and character quirks. It was part imaginative imagery seen in the likes of Isabel Allede's Eva Luna, married with the quirk of small town living found in Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Both are favorites of mine and I could not fail to be charmed by a book that could incorporate what was magical about each. Another thing I loved was seeing the different characters grow and change through Virgil's eyes. There was a lot of growth in almost all characters without ever derailing from the story being about Virgil- his life and observations. Gavin, especially went from a young Tom Sawyer-type imp to a strong man-boy with a fishy arch nemesis. I loved these characters, and was sad to see the final page. For me, this is a five star book. As far as the adult content goes there's some language and light substance abuse, nothing major. I would give it a four. It's geared toward adults but an older teen might like it. I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Grove Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks! I loved it so much that I have preordered the hardback novel from Amazon.

Once again, Mr. Enger delivers a wonderful tale full of quirky, but slightly to quite-flawed characters. In this author's second novel, the tale describes how a small, economically-strapped community, on the shores of Lake Superior, tries its best to eke out a life for themselves and their futures. Everyone knows everyone else and are, as they do the best they can to keep their community viable, with a half-closed eye to a better future. In the beginning, we meet a the main character, Virgil Wander, as he adjusts to life, after driving his car off a snowy road and into the lake. For better or worse, he is saved. But his former cognitive abilities sometime elude him, which actually becomes an advantage for him. Before "the accident", Virgil, the owner of the vintage cinema that barely breaks even, he was prone to over-ruminate and understate an idea or task; be more timid than assertive; to be more quiet than overtly talkative; to behave more in low gear than in a highly productive approach to life; and to be more in-the-present than getting on with positive changes and a more fulfilling life. After his rescue from the lake bottom, Virgil's mind is without 'adjectives' or clear memory of past events, emotions and desires. So he makes the choice to take an unusual and more direct and proactive approach to life. Then enters a benign, elderly Norwegian who is searching for his missing son's family, his daughter-in-law and grandson. Years before, a famous town baseball ace went missing, while out flying over the lake. No word has been forthcoming about the missing man, a beloved member of the town baseball team. Eventually, the Scandinavian hitches up with Virgil, becoming his houseguest and becoming a catalyst to bring the town together, as they are invited to fly his handmade kites, which begin to fly over the town. Throughout the book, other locals have their own issues to sort out and the new Virgil uncharacteristically jumps in to help them move forward. 'The Empress', Virgil's aged cinema house, becomes a focal point of the town, uniting more people who can save one other from a potentially dull and lonely future. As the tale moseys along, and it does go at a rather languid pace at times, the community comes together to change the image and path of the town's future. Alas, a sinister pall hangs over the town, as the town organizers put together a festival, in hopes of attracting outsiders to come and enjoy the lake and the folksiness of the burg. But the unsuspecting foe is identified and, if all elements of the crime can meld and affect a happy ending, the town can learn to enjoy its new mission in life: to make changes, to reach out to one another, and to shrug off the past, as best they can. This novel is more overtly philosophical than Mr. Enger's first book. The pace is slower but without being boring. The plot is convoluted but entertaining, as are the cast of characters. If you enjoy books with a good deal of character development, this book is for you. This tale is an entertaining read that leaves one with a sense of hope in one's heart. I compare this novel to be very similar to the typical meandering style of Alexander McCall Smith, who also chooses to emphasize the hearts of his characters, rather than relate a lot of fast-paced action.

An easy five stars for this novel about a Minnesota man who works in city hall and also owns the local cinema. This is one of those novels that restores your faith in humankind; the characters are shrewdly drawn townspeople who struggle but ultimately represent goodness in all forms. It's never cloying or sentimental or trite. The writing is sophisticated and lyrical, the situations seem small but are universal, and the plot works in a way that never invokes contrivances. This is an old-fashion story that invokes old-fashion pleasures like kite-flying, movies, baseball, and fishing but does not bury its head in the sand or feel oblivious to modern day. I could care less about kites, or baseball, or fishing (my only interest is movies), but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is authentic and touchstone-y but not removed from other parts of America and not preachy or overtly virtuous. Most of all, the writing is really kind of breathtaking. I'm looking up his other books....

There was a lot of joy found reading about Virgil and his tribe of fellow Greenstonians. When I was nearing the end of this wonderful story, I happened to be listening to a jazzy playlist on my iPod. A catchy song came on that sounded vaguely familiar, but I didn't know it well enough to even guess the song's title. Looking at my iPod I see: "Two Kites" by Antonio Carlos Jobim. I smiled and thought of Virgil & Rune, and all the other fliers. Thank you, Leif Enger.

On Page 2 I found myself smiling because at last I was reading a book where the writer actually has literary skill. It was an absolute pleasure to read. A lovely story and likeable characters but the real joy was the writing.

Not often do I have the pleasure of reading an author who uses the language with such subtle skill. Accessible. Spare. Poetic.

Magic. Enchanting. I’d wait 10 years for something this good.

Flows well, I would say it's a page turner. The story on the other hand falls flat.

Book was initially enjoyable, characters were charming, but in the end, went nowhere. Lots of story threads begun that seemed like they would tie together in the end but just drifted off into nothing. Interesting book but no real plot or conclusion.