Comment

Nov 24, 2018
This book needs to be given two very different reviews: One as an inspirational document, a parable about what a very ordinary person can do to change the world. I buy into that idea (if I didn't, it would make no sense for me to be spending most of my days attempting, in my own small way to emulate it). So, on that level, the book succeeds and it must be rated very highly, probably a full 5 stars. But in terms of literary merit, as a reader who cares about good writing, I have to assign the book a very different rating because it is deeply flawed. The constant, abrupt changes in voice, with no explanation, make it hard going. There are far too many distractions. There are at least half a dozen different characters who take up telling parts of the story and Ms. Hyde even goes so far as to switch a single character's part of the narrative from 1st person to 3rd person in successive paragraphs, for no discernible reason. There are too many unimportant characters introduced, contributing nothing to the narrative or character development (e.g Sally, Loretta, etc.). They just take up space and get in the way. Ms. Hyde's writing style is uneven, at times flat and dull, even though she shows at times an ability to compose reasonably good prose. Some reviewers have complained about the whole romance angle between Arlene and Reuben as a distraction; I think it's forgivable, providing a counterpoint to the sleazy Ricky, but it has little to do with the main purpose of the book. The writing merits 3 stars at best. So, overall I was somewhat disappointed: A wonderful idea but not very well executed.