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There are currently 33 member reviews
for Edgar and Lucy
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Jill S. (Eagle, ID)
Edgar and Lucy
This emotional story about a dysfunctional family focuses on eight year old Edgar. The over bearing grandmother, and Edgar's remote mother create such a tragic environment that it's difficult to engage with the story. But, this changes after the first hundred pages. I found this book well written, and impactful.
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Dorinne D. (Wickenburg, AZ)
A Book Worth Reading - Don't Give Up!
This books is a puzzle for me in that it is not the type of book I usually enjoy. It is a dark story, full of unhappy people, but the more I read, the more I wanted to read it. The compelling part was the need to find out what was going to happen to Edgar.
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Patricia L. (Seward, AK)
Edgar and Lucy
Victor Lodato begins his tale of eight year old Edgar and his mother Lucy with a recounting of Edgar's birth. "Size of a dinner roll…And so white, I thought you were a friggin' ghost." Lucy's son is albino and she's a young widow reeling from her husband Frank's apparent suicide. The two live with Florence, Edgar's paternal grandmother. Deeply religious, Florence provides a stability for Edgar and Lucy that is safe yet stifling, especially for Lucy who rebels by hooking up with anyone available. All three huddle under the cloud of Frank's mental illness and subsequent death. And when Florence passes away suddenly Edgar and Lucy are left to figure it all out on their own.
Lodato's characters have qualities and foibles that make the course of the story inevitable. Edgar is both innocent and wise yet angry and curious. Lucy, impetuous and deeply wounded by the loss of Frank can't shake her past. And Conrad, who may or may not be Frank in purgatory, tries to mend his broken heart by breaking those of others. Not all is dark however. Ron, the butcher, whose delivery truck sign reads "Let us MEAT your needs!" is fairly normal except for his choice of lovers. The dry goods store owners, Netty and Henry Schlip and the neighbor's mentally challenged daughter Toni Ann who is in love with Edgar, are in and out of the lives of Edgar and Lucy but provide a thin but strong glue that hold Edgar and Lucy together even as they appear to be bursting apart.
Reading Edgar and Lucy is a descriptive treat. A delicious example includes: "The little party of five was sitting in the dining room—a narrow, ill-lit rectangle with a faux-candle chandelier that offered the greater part of its light to the ceiling, while leaving the under-gatherers in a cloud of luminous neglect." However, early in the book Edgar thinks "Love is so exhausting." This quote precisely describes not only the plot but the feeling that one gets while navigating the five hundred plus pages that comprise the novel—exhausted. Recommended for those who have the time to appreciate an exhaustive yet very imaginative creation.
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Brenda S. (Winter Haven, FL)
Many words for a slow, fast book.
The author took advantage of the English language as there were several times it was necessary to speed read through some sections.
Having the story told from various characters' perspective kept it moving and filled in questions that might have gone unanswered. Whenever a child is not being protected, there can only be a disturbing conclusion.
Having a story from beginning to end was truly refreshing. Although the book was probably 75 pages longer than it needed to be, the ending could not have been more perfect.
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Joane W. (Berlin, MD)
Edgar and Lucy
I liked this book even though it was somewhat depressing.A story about an albino boy his overpossesive grandmother and a mother who can't find herself. The two women mourn the loss of the son and husband even though he was not worth it. Good book
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Kay D. (Strongsville, OH)
Well Worth the Read
At first, I wondered how I was going to fit in a book of 500 pages and be able to stay with it to the end. Much to my delight, this book compelled me to keep reading and the pages flew by quickly. I loved the short chapters which allowed me to get quick reads tucked into my day and still maintain my concentration on the book.
The multiple characters, and thus multiple narratives, was a treat. It really allowed me to get to know each of these diverse characters and to see their connections, their differences and their similarities. The book presents multiple views of deep topics such as death, grief, depression, love, loss, family and abduction. I felt I was living the experiences right along with the characters.
I highly recommend this book, even given its length. Well worth the read.
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Jane H. (Prospect, KY)
Lucy and Edgar
By the end I loved this book, but the first 1/3 was pretty tough to slog through. I just couldn't get a handle on where it was going or how the characters fit together. FINALLY, I turned the corner and once I "got it", I found the book hard to put down. If you're having trouble, keep with it -- it's worth the wait!
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