Christine Schimpf
Author of Nick: The Journey of a Lifetime
Works by Christine Schimpf
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- Works
- 3
- Members
- 6
- Popularity
- #1,227,255
- Rating
- 3.3
- Reviews
- 2
- ISBNs
- 3
- Favorited
- 1
Weighing in at three hours total reading time this book is really more of a novella. In its 212 pages it gives us an insight into the life of a simple immigrant carpenter as he makes his way to America to seek his fortune with a growing family. Schimpf's offering is written in a very simple and straightforward manner that is easily accessible and easily consumed at one sitting.
Unfortunately, this easy accessibility seems to come at a cost. The events portrayed lack depth and detail and one suffers a bit from reader's whiplash. Children appear in the family and we are forced to wonder about their ages for quite some time. Events which one might expect to be dramatic turn out to be without consequence and for the most part there is no real sense of drama. For a narrative covering such temporal and geographic distance the landscape seems rather flat.
Topically, this book reminds me strongly of "The Shoemaker's Wife." It too tells the story of a similar, though more dramatic immigrant journey, and its endearing quality is its lavish attention to details. Sadly, Nick's story is at the opposing end of the same spectrum. We are given far too few details and we're never allowed to be properly tantalized. Schimpf's protagonist seems taciturn and at times unlikable and one is not sure whether to cheer for him or merely accept what seems to be a fairly easy success.
In summary, "The Journey of a Lifetime" has at its heart a good story but it is merely a thumbnail sketch. It suffices for a family history told at the dinner table to children but does not stand well on its own as a novel intended for the more literate masses.… (more)