The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Amy   Lynnie

contemporary fiction

Patrick is a 43-year-old single, childless, gay man who has retired from a mildly successful acting career early. After his best friend (and sister-in-law) dies, Patrick agrees to be responsible for his young niece and nephew while their dad (Patrick’s brother) is in a 90-day drug rehab program.

Amy's Review

The Guncle was such a heartwarming story about dealing with extreme changes to life’s routines after a difficult time.  Patrick and the kids had a shock to their systems at the loss of their mother and friend, and then a second shock when they had to live together for three months.  Patrick began caring for them with absolutely no experience caring for children. Yet, despite their differences they all learned from each other and supported each other during a time of grief.  It became a time of growth and exploration which was a balm to their broken hearts.

The novel was infused with humor and I often had a smile on my face while listening to the audiobook. I really enjoyed the story and all the characters.

Steven Rowley himself narrates the novel and does a terrific job!  His pacing was perfect, he had a bit of a vocal repertoire, and was a good voice actor. I give him an A. I love when authors are good narrators.

Lynnie's Review

The Guncle is a fast, easy, and generally cute novel. I really really wanted to love it based on all of my friends who loved it, but really I just liked it. It was cute in a very saccharine, hit-you-over-the-head sort of way. The book was at its best when it focused on the relationships of its characters and allowed them to have moments to laugh and fight and make up and bond and be as messy as family can be sometimes. Those are the moments I enjoyed most.

As I read The Guncle, I kept thinking of Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You (which I read before we had this blog). NOT because the two books had similar plots or anything like that, but because of the way the books were written and the way the characters made me feel. Both books felt like I was reading a book that wanted to be a movie- snappy dialogue, whiplash transitions, over-the-top characters that made me roll my eyes. In fact, when reviewing Tropper's book I wrote, "I suspect this would be a better movie than it was book, because self-centered arrogant jerks can come across as funny and entertaining (and even self-deprecating) on film. In books they just read as self-centered arrogant jerks..." which is pretty much what I thought about Patrick throughout the entire book- he was a jerk. (Side note, This is Where I Leave You WAS a lovely movie and I bet The Guncle will be too one day). I wonder if that's why my friends who listened to the audiobook enjoyed it so much? I suspect this is a story that truly shines when it's allowed to shine the way the Rowley heard it in his head while writing, rather than the way the voices in my head interpreted it.