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There are currently 35 member reviews
for The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
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Debra F. (Cudjoe Key, FL)
pleasantly surprised
I was very hesitant to read this book, it didn't sound like something I would like but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the character of Isaac Dahl, his ruminations, his relationships, his take on life.
I would definitely recommend this story, told over 96 years, in the course of 12 chapters of 8 year intervals.
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Mary W. (Mesa, AZ)
Review of The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
This book is an enjoyable read. The author has an easy-going, low-key style. He invites the reader into the story rather than just presenting the story. And what an amazing life he describes. So amazing that by Day Eight the story becomes unreal. Reading each day becomes a "what next?" exercise. By the end of the book, all credibility for the story is questionable. So sad because this book is an enjoyable read.
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Mark S, Colorado
An Interesting Story
I enjoyed this book. It's a relatively easy read, basically broken into several short stories documenting different stages and happenings in the life of Isaac Dahl. Some were more interesting than others; I particularly enjoyed the stories about his childhood in Utah, the dust bowl days in Oklahoma, and his adventures in WWII. I think it's really as much about Isaac's family as it is about Isaac himself, which added much to the depth and breadth of the story.
There was one part of the book that I found implausible. The author claimed that Isaac and his sister had orange juice and crackers for breakfast regularly when they were poor kids in a mining town in Utah in 1928. I don't know where they would have gotten the orange juice but I find it unlikely that they would have access to and/or be able to afford it. There was another spot (page 42?) where a sentence contained a line of gibberish - I suspect a spell-check gone wrong (hopefully not an example of what we have to look forward to with AI). I'm sure the editors will correct that as it goes to print.
I thought the repeated theme of homosexuality was a little much; However, it was done tastefully and was not overdone.
All told I enjoyed the book. It's a light read, something to bring on vacation or to take your mind off the troubles of the day. I'll mention it to some of my friends.
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Connie K. (Oldsmar, FL)
The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl Review
Issac's tale is an American life adventure highlighting 12 Days. It deserves a '4' for the energy and delightful detail in the first Day alone. By far the best chapter, maybe ever! While the title of the book had me prepared for a Gumpish story filled with famous characters, this is not the case. The book is very much a character study of 'ordinary' people; a very close-knit family/friendship that spans 96 years and counting, according to Issac in the last location of Napa Valley. Such a long life does, of course, involve some monumental events like an avalanche, the Dustbowl, and an earthquake but the people are without question the heart of the story. So, sentimentality rules...Issac cries a lot... but with a strong peppering of jokes and wisecracking throughout. The book also reveals Isaac's additional trials of being gay even while finding total love and acceptance within his family.
It is almost guaranteed that readers will be reflecting on their own life's 'moments' while reading. That was my experience and it made me wish I could coax more days' adventures from my dad who will be 100 in November!
P.S. I'm not crazy about the book's title. How about "No Such Thing as an Ordinary Life."
Thank you Book Browse and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this reading experience!
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Sandra W. (north royalton, OH)
Intermittently engaged in the story of Isaac Dahl
I normally read about history (non-fiction), so I was really excited about a fictitious narrative about events I've already learned about. I flew through the first several chapters (and a few others) and I loved hearing about the personal experience surrounding historical events. Unfortunately, I lost interest as the "years passed" because some of the characters were either annoying or difficult to relate to. I found myself groaning each time one of the characters appeared in the chapter. I'm not interested the sexual experiences of the characters (but that was a very small and inoffensive part of the narrative). I couldn't relate to the grand locations, lifestyles and seemingly unlimited amount of time the family/friends have to spend together. To be fair, I rarely enjoy fiction except for historical fiction and the narrative seemed to become more about the family/friends than their personal experiences in the context of historical events during the "very long, very strange life..."
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Pau J. (Bath, ME)
Long but Not very strange
It was okay; not as good as anticipated. Certainly not a very strange life, though I would call it a very interesting life and story. It could have drawn me in more during the first half of the book to be called "intimate." I think most of the characters could have been given more depth.
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Kathy W. (Clarion, PA)
A long, SAD life
While the premise for Bart Yates' "The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl" was different, I found it to be more disappointing than strange. I would just get into the people who comprised that day, then that day was over. Then it's 8 years later. There was a lot of repetition from each event day to the next, as though the reader was the one who lived the 8 years and needed to be reminded how cranky Aggie was, how strong Bo was, or that Isaac was a writer.
Several of the significant days were centered around a natural disaster: an avalanche, a dust storm, an earthquake, etc. Generally when a person survives a disaster, they come out of it having learned something about themselves or about those who survived with them. I don't feel that Isaac or his "family" learned much at all. More so than "strange", Isaac's life was sad.
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