What readers think of Edgar and Lucy, plus links to write your own review.

If you enjoy character-driven stories illustrated with luminous prose, you will enjoy Edgar and Lucy. Edgar's relationship with his grandmother, Florence, his mother Lucy, and Conrad the man who takes him away from his family, comprise the main story. But the ghost of his father and his grandmother, and Edgar's interior dialogue add depth to the story. I'm impressed with the way the author gets into Edgar's head and shows us his point of view. I plan to read anything else this author writes -- his work is definitely worth reading if you like literary fiction.

I loved this book that captures childhood and parenthood. It is beautifully written, engrossing and difficult to put down. It evokes a range of emotions and shows creativity at its best. Definitely a great read!

This is a compelling read, easy to get into and stay into. The story is bizarre; and all the side stories are as strange as the main plot. The characters are weird and all damaged in some way, but they are well developed, so I feel like I understand them, regardless of the fact that I'd hardly be able to imagine them on my own. Edgar is inspiring in his direct reactions and honesty. The best part is the writing! It is ethereal; here and there imagining and describing feelings and viewpoints with phrases that are almost magical - you get wisps of the ideas from the words. Beautiful. I will definitely look for Lodato's other works.

This book is a must read. I read it in December and it is one of the best books I have read all year. Love, betrayal, truth. Complex and beautifully written!

Please don't follow the 50 page rule on this book. It is slow to start but I found it very interesting after about page 40. There were many things around the corner that you don't expect. I found all the characters interesting with good development for the size of their part in the novel. The writing was engaging: how did he come up with that turn of phrase? That is what kept me going until the plot engaged me. Here are a couple of my favorite lines:

"His grandmother had been alive such a long time that she had traded one face for another. Or perhaps someone had stolen the first one."

"…and her figure, ignored for so many years, finally packed up and trotted off, leaving her with a body she didn't recognize…"

I like that all the subplots in the novel were not nearly packaged up in the end. There are still things to think about when this novel is done. That is the sign of a good novel to me – how long I think about it after I have finished reading it.

Lodato is a lyrical writer, handling dense subject matter with the deftness of an expert. This is a long epic, but it engaged me, probably because each of the characters was so richly developed and treated with a gentleness and kindness by the author. I thought I had a bird's eye view of everyone's inner life.

Brilliant. This is not just a great American novel, it is a great human novel. This is the finest writing I've read in a very long time. Victor Lodato deserves every literary accolade available for this one.

The story is about human-ness. It is about love in all forms. It is about human stupidity and weakness. It is about human fortitude and strength. It is about everything human - written so beautifully that we can move from page to page with understanding and compassion for the tragedies and failings and kindnesses of everyone involved in this epic story.

I will say no more because I do not wish to reveal any of the story ahead of its being read. It is too profound to spoil with trivia.

Beautifully written story of a family that struggles to connect with each other. Yes, there is mental illness, death and more sadness but the essence of the book are the ties that bind a family together. The language is so gorgeous that I found myself re-reading whole paragraphs just to enjoy it again. Sad, quirky and oddly humorous. Loved it.