Brian Plunkett reviewed Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
Review of 'Train Dreams' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I first saw a reference to this book in Louise Erdrich's The Sentence (on Tookie's list of Short Perfect Novels); I wouldn't say it was perfect, but I thought it was very good.
Early in the story, it's clear that Robert Grainier realizes his wife is sharper than he is. However, as is often the case with stories told from the perspective of a white man, I felt that the women and people of color were treated more as props than as interesting, even partially-developed characters.
Nevertheless, the book is haunting, funny, poetic, and beautifully written, with a great sense of setting. It is amazing how a character's life can be presented so vividly in about 100 pages. Excellent audiobook narration by Will Patton.
