Reviews for Off Keck Road

The average rating for Off Keck Road based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-10-22 00:00:00 Peter Mastrantone Summary: Set in Green Bay, Wis., where Simpson grew up, "Off Keck Road" moves between the last few decades, telling of characters who are emotionally and often physically paralyzed, frozen in place and standing apart, destined, in some cases, to miss out on even the most ordinary chances for happiness. That's all I will tell you about the summary, and jump right into my review. I give it 2 1/2 stars. Not two stars because I didn't dislike it, but not three stars because I also did not like it. I found it to be lackluster and shallow. While the characters had some serious flaws, both emotional and physical, I was never invested in them. I continued to have to go back and read about characters and their relationships to one another, and I was still confused. For example, Shelley's grandmother was called Gram Umberhum. George and June were her kids. Shelley helped George build a pool in his backyard (when he was an adult) and they started a sexual relationship, even though she was young enough to be his daughter (maybe younger). My confusion is this: I never remember reading Shelley's last name, but if her grandmother's last name is Umberhum, couldn't we assume that Shelley and George are related in some way? I could never figure it out, but didn't try very hard because I was at the point that I just didn't care. It was creepy either way. I did find out that Keck Road was more or less on the lesser desirable end of the real estate spectrum, residents didn't have large homes and often didn't keep them up. June lived on Keck Road and was embarrassed by it. Other than that, I'm not sure what foreshadowing the title was supposed to impart. So it went with this book. If it had been a bit longer, I probably would have put it down, but at 167 pages, it was worth it just to add to my "Books I have Read" list. Can't recommend this one.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-06-06 00:00:00 Nicholas Giambra It was an ok read for me. I might check out some of Ms. Simpson's other works, some that are newer reads. From Amazon: In this flawless novella, Mona Simpson turns her powers of observation toward characters who, unlike Ann and Adele August in her bestselling Anywhere but Here, choose to stay rather than go. As a high school student in Green Bay, Bea Maxwell raised money for good causes; later, she became a successful real estate agent and an accomplished knitter. The one thing missing from her life is a romantic relationship. She soon settles comfortably into the role of stylish spinster and do-gooder. Woven into Bea's story are stories of other lifelong residents of Green Bay and the changes time brings to a town and its residents. This pure and simple work once again proves Mona Simpson one of the defining writers of her generation.