The Hills at Home : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Editing failure
Review: I know I'm being picky, but I couldn't get past page 10. On that page alone "shutter" (a decorative item on a window) was spelled "shudder" once and "shutter" twice. Similarly, "ladder" (something on which to climb) was spelled correctly twice and "latter" once. I can only guess what the rest of the book was like. That's shoddy editing, and it ruined my reading. If you are not bothered by such a thing, do finish the book. The plot sounds interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Unusal style tells wonderful story
Review: The Hills at Home is a wonderful story. With a style somewhat like T.R. Pearson, Clark plays with sentences and the words therein. For those who enjoy a plot driven story this may be a disappointing read. Those readers who want a story containing diverse and richly wrought characters should not miss this book. I am anxiously awaiting Clark's sequel.

Rating:
Summary: A really wonderful read
Review: This is an amazing first book. It is intricate, insightful and interesting. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and was pleased to see that the author is working on a second book.

The book involves a disparate group of individuals, most of whom are related. Only Lily Hill, matriarch and spinster aunt of the clan is living in the dilapidated home until one by one or family by family, relatives begin to descent on the New England family home. All are just visiting but the "visit" never seems to end. They are a fascinating cast of characters. There is Lily's thrice married brother Harvey, a hopelessly weird "new-age" type niece Ginger and her very practical teenage daughter, Betsy. Then comes an out of work nephew and his wife and four children. Finally, a grandson-an aspiring stand up comic and his girl friend show up. The book is wonderfully and dryly comic as these characters settle in and attempt to co-exist.

Then enters a new element, a graduate student who wants to study the Hill family for his dissertation on a dying breed, the WASP. The book covers about a year in time and like the graduate student, studies the characters in differing situations. Coming home, a history, a holiday, love and leaving are each touched upon. Each character is well draw and interesting as they settle in, fall in love, or reflect on their choices in life. I found this book to be charming, witty and wonderful. In so many new highly lauded books I have found that while the books may be interesting or well written, I ultimately did not like anyone in the book. I may have enjoyed the book, but I did not care about what happened to the central characters. The Hills, however are fascinating and I hope to hear more of them.