A Love Song That Lingers
29/10/09
A Love Song That Lingers…
October 28, 2009 by cgevans
A review of “Except My Love For You,” a novel by John Hodgert
“Except My Love For You” by John Hodgert tells the story of a 45 year-old man named Gordon from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The novel begins with Gordon’s dramatic decision at the peak of his career to set aside his business and his marriage to explore the simplest way a man of his age can live ‘comfortably’ in the city. Guided by an underlying poetic structure and full of flashbacks and unexpected twists and turns, Gordon’s journey through this changing time in his life with nothing but a few possessions and a handful of friends to call his own is a difficult yet beautiful one.
While the appeal of “Except My Love For You” for the baby-boomer generation is clear, what is surprising is the way in which all readers are moved to journey alongside Hodgert’s protagonist and easily swept up in the questions his life poses of ours. Questions like: what do we idealize in life and should we idealize these things? What would it feel like to simplify our day-to-day and what would be the consequences of this change? Where will our choices lead down the road? How are our parents dealing with their life choices, how are they processing things in this phase of their lives? The way these questions linger in our minds and in our hearts well after we’ve finished reading the book is Hodgert’s greatest accomplishment and fine praise for his debut novel.
Hodgert’s narrative style is dense, however, and at times can seem impenetrable, especially on first reading. The many private jokes, alliteration and witticisms can sometimes leave the reader focused on the wording rather than the story. Although such wordplay in a short poem or scattered throughout a novel can be insightful, the high compression language in “Except My Love For You” can leave the reader grappling to really understand the characters. But, if one perseveres through the adjectives, one is rewarded as these characters are full, varied and outright charming. Indeed, Hodgert’s cleverness is spirited and holds promise for future writing.
The novel is enhanced with an accompanying CD of the author reading extracts of the book as well as performing songs composed for the novel. It is a delight to listen to as the world of the novel jumps off the page, and Hodgert’s love of the way words mix and mingle together shines through. It is our opinion that the novel, with it’s cinematic unfolding of story and character, would work well as a film
“Except My Love For You” is a love song to a specific generation that evokes timeless questions for all readers.
‘The Cool Club’ book club in Toronto, Ontario
October 28, 2009 by cgevans
A review of “Except My Love For You,” a novel by John Hodgert“Except My Love For You” by John Hodgert tells the story of a 45 year-old man named Gordon from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The novel begins with Gordon’s dramatic decision at the peak of his career to set aside his business and his marriage to explore the simplest way a man of his age can live ‘comfortably’ in the city. Guided by an underlying poetic structure and full of flashbacks and unexpected twists and turns, Gordon’s journey through this changing time in his life with nothing but a few possessions and a handful of friends to call his own is a difficult yet beautiful one.
While the appeal of “Except My Love For You” for the baby-boomer generation is clear, what is surprising is the way in which all readers are moved to journey alongside Hodgert’s protagonist and easily swept up in the questions his life poses of ours. Questions like: what do we idealize in life and should we idealize these things? What would it feel like to simplify our day-to-day and what would be the consequences of this change? Where will our choices lead down the road? How are our parents dealing with their life choices, how are they processing things in this phase of their lives? The way these questions linger in our minds and in our hearts well after we’ve finished reading the book is Hodgert’s greatest accomplishment and fine praise for his debut novel.
Hodgert’s narrative style is dense, however, and at times can seem impenetrable, especially on first reading. The many private jokes, alliteration and witticisms can sometimes leave the reader focused on the wording rather than the story. Although such wordplay in a short poem or scattered throughout a novel can be insightful, the high compression language in “Except My Love For You” can leave the reader grappling to really understand the characters. But, if one perseveres through the adjectives, one is rewarded as these characters are full, varied and outright charming. Indeed, Hodgert’s cleverness is spirited and holds promise for future writing.
The novel is enhanced with an accompanying CD of the author reading extracts of the book as well as performing songs composed for the novel. It is a delight to listen to as the world of the novel jumps off the page, and Hodgert’s love of the way words mix and mingle together shines through. It is our opinion that the novel, with it’s cinematic unfolding of story and character, would work well as a film
“Except My Love For You” is a love song to a specific generation that evokes timeless questions for all readers.
‘The Cool Club’ book club in Toronto, Ontario
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