Redhead by the Side of the Road
Ratings28
Average rating3.8
sweet
What a lovely story about a man and his relationships. Not just relationships with people, but with the objects in his house. Well written, exquisitely paced, and a super short novel worth every moment of your time.
“If ever there was a perfect time for a new Anne Tyler novel, it's now — and this one doesn't disappoint . . . Heartwarming and very funny — one of Tyler's best yet.” —People
Agree, agree, agree.
Micah Mortimer is a fellow who has his life completely organized. He is a self-employed tech guy, working when he gets a call, and he manages the apartments where he lives, getting an apartment for free in the bargain. Every day is a day to do a different household task—cleaning out a cabinet, mopping the floor. Organized to the nth.
There's his love life, and maybe that's not as organized as he had hoped. And who is this eighteen-year-old boy showing up at his house unexpectedly? His sisters and their families? Well, maybe his life has a few places he could work to improve.
Someone had told me that Anne Tyler wasn't going to write any more novels after her last book, Vinegar Girl. Maybe that was her intent, but, in any case, I am thrilled she wrote this little gem. Her writing is wonderfully quotable; you read her character's thoughts and you nod your head. She knows her people.
Some quotes:
“Like most families, the Mortimers believed that their family was more fascinating than anybody else's.”
Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“'What's the point of living if you don't try to do things better?'”
Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“Women kept the world running, really.”
Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
‘“He asks Joey, ‘Do you love her?' And Joey thinks awhile and then he says, ‘Well, sometimes.' ” “Sometimes!” Micah said. “Oh,” Ada said breezily, “all in all, I guess that's about the most a couple can hope for.”‘
Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“Sometimes when he was dealing with people, he felt like he was operating one of those claw machines on a boardwalk, those shovel things where you tried to scoop up a prize but the controls were too unwieldy and you worked at too great a remove.”
Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
What a quick and quirky novel! I enjoyed every chapter. I loved the main character Micah Mortimer, aka the Tech Hermit. Maybe it's because I've worked in high tech and I've known guys, lots of guys, like Micah. The introverted, too smart, too organized geeks who really are good at their jobs, but barely fit into society.
Why can't the world be well-ordered? Why can't girlfriends tell you exactly what they want? Or maybe that's Micah problem. He's given up on being himself and is waiting for someone else to tell him who he should be.
Each of his computer-illiterate customers has a unique story that they can't wait to tell him. He's so polite and so often mistaken for interested. Instead he tries to tell his customers what he thinks they want to hear. Does the dating service-addicted lady know that she's probably making the same mistake over and over? Does his cancer-ridden tenant know she's never getting well? Micah's overly honest when it comes to writing invoices for his clients, not wanting to charge them for what he couldn't do for them. But they usually pay him gladly, when their computers “act up.”
Of course, Micah, just turning 40, in one day is faced with two crises. His girlfriend is being evicted and needs a place to stay while his old college sweetheart's son looks him up to ask if Micah is his father. Micah manages to blunder through both situations in an endearing way, just trying to be perfectly what everyone else wants.
Yes, there's a tiny epiphany at the end for Micah, but really, it's his day-to-day life that's fascinating with his exchanges with the God of Traffic, the dreams Micah has but doesn't understand, and the fireplug on the corner that he mistakes every day for a child.
I wish Micah lived near me.
Anne Tyler captures the little things that make up a life. Her astute observations, believable dialogs, and satisfying characters make this a pleasant read — an escape at a time of such anxiety.
Is it just me or does any other author capture white, middle-age males as well as Anne Tyler? Maybe it's a specific breed of males, but I feel like I have met so many men like Micah. I grew up reading Anne Tyler and this volume could be shelved right next to [b:The Accidental Tourist 60792 The Accidental Tourist Anne Tyler https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327936319l/60792.SY75.jpg 1070136] and [b:Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant 77699 Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Anne Tyler https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401953526l/77699.SY75.jpg 75046]. So, early Anne Tyler? I loved it. It took me right back to the same feelings while reading it. This is super short, so I listed it as a one-sitting read. It's hard not to love it, and I did. It may have been just the thing to calm my nerves right now. I love a bit of quirk in my fiction. My only gripe and it's so minuscule I shouldn't even bother mentioning it (I'm just curious if anyone else is bothered by it too) is the title. I GET it. She explains the title in the story, and then the second meaning of something being an “illusion” fits the book. I just immediately thought this was going to be about a redheaded runaway or, even worse, the accident of a hit and run. Geez. I think I'd have preferred Micah's Bad French Accent or something else. LOL.This has me thinking of rereading some of Tyler's older works. I'm down for that.