Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2021. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The Patron Saint of Travelers. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold. So dont read this unless youve finished the book. Billy dreams of traveling the transcontinental Lincoln Highway as their mother had when she left them when they were younger. The present novel is the story of two brothers who plan to set off from their failed family farm in Nebraska and start a new life in California. At the close of the book, Duchess dies, ostensibly due to his own short-sightedness and greed. Please use a different way to share. Like the intercontinental route that it is named for, is long and filled with intriguing detours. Each of the main characters are at a crossroads of sorts and in a way, the Lincoln Highway serves as a getaway from their current, somewhat bleak situation. Contrivances such as this detract from the more interesting interplay at the heart of the novel between Emmett, the thoughtful young man who resents the burden of responsibility on his shoulders, and Duchess, the charming chancer who appeals to the wild spirit in us all. Though dark shadows fall across its final chapters, the book is permeated with light, wit, youth . He seems to be saying that our personal journeys are never as linear or predictable as an interstate highway. Emmett hopes to load his little brother into his Studebaker and find a new life for them in Texas, but when two rambunctious former inmates show up, they throw a wrench in Emmett's . I savored this book: every page. I havent completely finished it yet but I couldnt wait to share my thoughts! . A wonderful novel - part road-trip, part coming-of-age story. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Lincoln Highway: A Novel by Amor Towles (2021, Hardcover) Like New at the best online prices at eBay! This line Emmett thinks before driving away is significant: Having come fifteen hundred miles in the wrong direction, on the verge of traveling three thousand more, Emmett believed that the power within him was new in nature, that no one but he could know what he was capable of, and he only has just begun to know it himself.. All rights reserved. Billy is earnest and erudite beyond his years, but with a very literal approach to life. The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America. The Lincoln Highway Ending Explained. . Superior! In June 1954, 18-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served 15 months . If youve changed your mind about deleting your account, you can always hit cancel and deactivate instead. In Chapter 1, Emmett arrives at Woolly's great-grandfather's house to find Woolly dead and Woolly still trying to get the safe open. It's 1954, and three young men and a boy are on the adventure of their lives, traveling between the Midwest and Manhattan and the Adirondacks, and while there are meticulous reasons for their incredible journey, what makes this masterpiece work are each of the characters. The writing style is simplistic enough but full of detail and lets you understand each character in such a After having read A gentleman in Moscow, I knew I had to buy The Lincoln Highway! So Emmett will not get pushed around any longer and is willing to do whatever it takes to get him and Billy to safety. But Duchess made a mess of everything. You should recieve an email shortly with instructions on how to reset your password. The reader will ponder this odyssey long after they finish reading. Ive reread it a couple times and I dont believe Emmett purposely killed Duchess. . I just know Ill want to read it. . Learn more. Learn more. Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company, By completing your purchase, you agree to Audibles. This is a 10-star book in a five-star world. , also holds that distinction (in this reviewers mind, anyway). A wonderful novel - part road-trip, part coming-of-age story. Unintended consequences: Emmett's story both begins and ends with unintended . Very disappointed by death of Duchess. A coming of age story that is not about adolescent outbursts but a story of 4 males trying to make life decisions in a world that they have not learned to live in yet. Amor Towles' new book is quite the joyride The Lincoln Highway follows four kids in a 1948 Studebaker who set out along the real-life Lincoln Highway, the first highway to cross the country. You are now unsubscribed from receiving emails. I dont feel he was misunderstoodI believe his actions were loud and clear. John Tamny is editor of . Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. This is a 10-star book in a five-star world. Pleasingly, the boys cross paths with a varied cast of characters: clowns, hobos, out-of-work actors, panhandlers, home-makers, hucksters and just plumb ordinary folk. Fast dispatch and delivery. Requesting an account deletion will permanently remove all of your profile content. Two teenagers pursue a stolen car in this folksy 50s-set novel from the author of A Gentleman in Moscow. VERY disappointing. The mood and the relaxed tone of his writing together with the delicate way he deals with strong themes all create the right atmosphere and a fabulous reading experience. (I could picture the car clearlymy dad had one too.) While Billy hopes they can find their mother in San Fransisco (even though she abandoned the family), Emmett believes they can get a fresh start with fixing and then selling houses (the original house flippers). Interesting at first then the characters and story start to wander all over the place - and I don't just mean as they develop their journey. (I could keep going, but you get the point.) Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Coming of Age Fiction (Audible Books & Originals), Historical Fiction (Audible Books & Originals), Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. : We dont know if she and Emmett fall in love; Towles doesnt give his story such a tidy narrative. If youre new to Book Club Chat, I write spoiler-free reviews and spoiler-filled book club questions for each novel I read. Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. The Lincoln Highway By Amor Towles Review by Alice Cary The pages of Amor Towles' novel are destined to be turnedand occasionally tatteredby numerous gratified readers. But yes, I also laughed. Their pondering of this Towles is an incredible storyteller. THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY is a gem. . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [The Lincoln Highway] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. Towles is not a one-trick pony. (I could keep going, but you get the point.) Towles lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children. I felt pleased that Emmett and Billy were on their way and on their own with the money but also felt sorrow for Duchess who did have some redeemable features, but alas in the end his greed killed him. He decides to leave Nebraska and drive to California with his younger brother Billy for a fresh start. I feel Emmett was truly concerned that Duchess would find him and Billy and continue to cause havoc so he had to delay Duchess. Publisher: Cornerstone ISBN: 9781529157642 Number of pages: 592 Weight: 405 g Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 35 mm MEDIA REVIEWS After loving the author's previous two books, one of which is an all-time favorite of mine, no one's more surprised than me that I didn't end up loving. Read Full Review >> Rave Hamilton Cain, The Washington Post The writing style is simplistic enough but full of detail and lets you understand each character in such a meaningful way. Brilliant storytelling! (Spoilers), Book Club Questions for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. It takes some time to become hooked by his stories, but the reward is refreshing writing that is unique. : Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? Hes distraught but when he sees Duchess, all Duchess cares about his trying to get Woollys inheritance that is locked away. There was a problem loading your book clubs. The four main ones: Emmett, the dependable guy everyone can depend on. In no sense is this book a thriller and yet tension does exist as the end approaches. I have read many reviews that contradict my review but at the end of the day it is my personal opinion and nothing else. Ive been writing short reviews these last couple of months, but I knew at some point a book would come along and Id be compelled to say more about it than just a few sentences. I adored Amor Towles's first two novels, and I savored every moment of this one. Why are the sections numbered backwards from Ten to one? It is hard for me to rate this book because I loved the first third and was extremely disappointed by the rest. He picks California because it has 16 million people who need housing. Utterly enchanting, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2021. An exhilarating ride through Americana.. ] (He doesn't kill Duchess because he had made a promise to Billy not to lash out again.) In that way, he reminds me of Nina, the precocious nine-year-old from A Gentleman in Moscow. After having read A gentleman in Moscow, I knew I had to buy The Lincoln Highway! Er lebt mit seiner Frau und seinen beiden Kindern in Manhattan. When they get up in the morning, theyre not looking to change the world. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. The 3 star plot was saved by the story telling. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I've just finished The Lincoln Highway and found myself shedding a tear although I couldn't say why! Founded in 1912, the Lincoln Highway Association was part of the early "Good Roads" movement to improve automobile roads in the United States. Utterly enchanting, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2021. Both novels have been translated into over fifteen languages. Nach Verffentlichungen in der Paris Review war Eine Frage der Hflichkeit sein erster Roman. Amor Towles ' new Great American Road Novel tails four boys three 18-year-olds who met in a juvenile reformatory, plus a brainy 8-year-old as they set. This is how I interpreted The Lincoln Highway ending. ${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}. This is a spoiler-filled discussion about the ending to The Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Highway allowed me to veer again in that the novel focuses on three eighteen-year-old boys on a journey in 1950s America that lasts only ten days. I wanted to hear other people's thoughts about the end though. I also do think he could read a little bit. In the novel The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles,18-year-old Emmett Watson is just out of a juvenile reform facility. You can sign back in at any time to reactivate your account and restore its content. Magnificent . His first novel, Rules of Civility, published in 2011, was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback and was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011. As for the ending there are many layers to the final part of the book. This is a 10-star book in a five-star world. Towles is like no other author I know. Towles takes inspiration from famous heros journeys, including The Iliad, The Odyssey, Hamlet, Huckleberry Finn, and Of Mice and Men. They have their scars and their demons and their eccentricities. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, and Barack Obamaas a Best Book of the Year, and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America, Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible narration with, Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $12.99 after you. and honestly, this is probably closer to a 2 star read, but the relationship between emmett and his younger brother, billy, deserves so much better than that. I was enchanted by this novel, not least by the way it so comprehensively dodges any attempt to consign it to a particular genre. It might only be the first week of 2022, but I have a feeling this will be my favorite book of the year. The two novels have collectively sold more than four million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages. Towles' previous book A Gentleman in Moscow published in 2016I loved that novel and thought it was such a warmhearted tale. I havent completely finished it yet but I couldnt wait to share my thoughts! Interesting at first then the characters and story start to wander all over the place - and I don't just mean as they develop their journey. Newly released from a work farm in 1950s Kansas, where he served 18 months for involuntary manslaughter, 18-year-old Emmett Watson hits the road with his little brother, Billy, following the death of their father and the foreclosure of their Nebraska farm. His intentions are to take his younger brother, William "Billy" Watson, to another state and make a fresh start. Chat, I knew I had to delay Duchess this Towles is an incredible.... Billy for a team or group copies and have been translated into more than thirty.. December 10, 2021 that is unique sections numbered backwards from Ten to one saved by the rest also! 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