Reviews for Father of the Rain

The average rating for Father of the Rain based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-06-16 00:00:00 William Nixon Oh brother, here I am again, sitting all by myself. Don't listen to me, I'm Debbie Downer. Everyone thinks this book is the greatest thing since sliced bread'yeah, sliced bread is pretty great but not if it's Wonder Bread, all soft and fluffy and bland. No thanks. Gag. As I'm reluctantly chewing on this Wonder Bread, I wonder how King could write such a plain-jane story and also write the beauteous Euphoria? I couldn't wait to read this, all a-glow after Euphoria. What a letdown! This is the story of a woman, Daley, and her relationship with her alcoholic father. The book has three parts and spans three decades. The first part, which takes place when Daley was 11, was boring. Or I guess I just wasn't in the mood for another kid who's a victim of a dysfunctional family in the 'burbs. (I'm usually all for dysfunction, but could I be getting sick of the same old same old?) So I couldn't wait to get to next decade, part 2, where Daley is finally an adult. But things got worse instead of better: I HATED the plot development and justified my hatred by claiming that it just wasn't believable. Plus, I could see what was coming from a mile away. The story was starting to piss me off royally, and I quickly slashed my rating from a 3.5 to a 3. But, yay, part 3 starts! I'm relieved, and thank god, still curious enough to continue. But it ended up being too predictable, too perfect. I sat with the idea of 3 stars for a while, but I was antsy. I didn't like it. Period. Give it 2 stars and shut up. And as usual, a couple of editing nits. Early in the book, a character's dad is a radiologist. Later, he's a psychiatrist. No, he didn't change professions, the writer just forgot what career she gave him early on. When this happens, I'm dragged out of the story and into the room where the writer and editor sit, neglectful. It's just sloppy. And then there's a short scene with a 6-year-old who doesn't sound like she's 6. She says things like, "watch carefully." Come on now; she would say, "Look!" But yes, Debbie Downer must admit the book isn't all bad. King's prose is clear. She can tell a straightforward story, and with economy she can paint a vivid picture of people and places. She even spouts a wise sentence or two. The more I read, the more I learn what I like and don't like. Reading this book, I realized I don't much like straightforward, realistic prose. It's too simplistic and flat. It feels almost juvenile, robotic, or self-conscious in its plainness. I like language that sings, or if it doesn't sing, it has to be sophisticated. I want some flair, some word play. Or something poetic, lyrical. Or, if the language is utilitarian, meant to simply get a story told in the most straightforward way, then the plot better be dynamite. For me, that means stay away from trite lessons about love. Stay away from wretched parties with those boring descriptions of appetizers and outfits. Give me weird, give me edgy, give me dark. Or give me an exotic locale, like I found in Euphoria. In Father of the Rain, the town was claustrophobic and deadening'vanilla-land with green lawns, clay tennis courts, and blue swimming pools. I am certain this story would make a perfect movie for the Hallmark channel. It's all about forgiveness, sacrifice, and Mother Theresa, and the characters are pretty damn wholesome and good-hearted. Yeah, we have an obnoxious alcoholic in the mix, but that's not uncommon. There are a couple of sex scenes, but they could easily be edited out. I have no idea what the book title means. The book is way too plebian to have a jazzy title like Father of the Rain. Why not just name the book "Father" to match the plainness within? I don't remember any rain. I'm sure there's symbolism in there somewhere. And as I said earlier, I'm at a loss trying to understand how the same person could have written Father of the Rain and Euphoria. Maybe with Father of the Rain, King was working out her own daddy issues. In any case, I was glad this one was over. It's easy reading and not very long, so at least the boredom didn't last forever. Nothing, nothing, like the great Euphoria!

Review # 2 was written on 2020-11-17 00:00:00 Kimberly A Curry Lily King hits me right where I remain a little girl, and makes me see how we all stay young in certain places. It feels simple and embarrassing, and I sometimes rail against her. But most of the time she catches me, and I love her inner life. It reflects mine, both utterly familiar yet alien, much like learning about your childhood neighbor. (Remember the first time at a friend's house, with its different smells? This home smells like cat, or fried fish; this one smells of red wine and cherries, or citrus and cream; here I can almost taste the electronics). Parallel lives I loved how the protagonist's close friends were against her big choice, and yet there I was, rooting for her the whole way. Her journey mattered. And I'm a sucker for the gray areas in relationships. I did find the jumps in time a bit jarring. A testament to how immersed I was, but her transitions are not smooth. Luckily, there are only two of them in the book.