Official Review: Into Autumn by Larry Landgraf
Posted: 20 Nov 2015, 02:17
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Into Autumn" by Larry Landgraf.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Into Autumn is a novel by Larry Landgraf. It tells the story of Lars Lindgren. He’s an older man who buys a 40-acre property in Texas to live at a distance from society. A divorcee, he realizes that he needs a woman in his life to make this lifelong dream complete. Then the apocalypse happens. A woman named Eileen abandons her home and happens to come upon his property. She plans to stay there with him and help with the chores since she has nowhere else to go. Eventually, the two strike up a romantic relationship. Government as we know it ceases to exist, and violence is on the rise. Intruders pose a looming threat. Luckily, Eileen and Lars also have the support of their friends who live nearby. One such friend is Reggie, a former military contractor who has a bunker filled with supplies. Even so, they don’t have everything they need or want. They have to figure out how they’re going to survive both another day and in the long-term.
I was overall quite impressed with the narrative structure of this book. There is an introduction that gives a general overview of their lives off the grid. Then chapter one goes back to provide Lars’ backstory, even venturing as far back as his twenties. Chapter three cuts to Eileen and shows step by step how she ends up on Lars’ property. Time is well handled, with a good, thorough pacing that provides a full view of this small, makeshift community over several years. Overall, it was a very engaging book to read, as I envisioned what it would be like to live out in the wilderness and how I would react in the situations the characters faced. Potential readers should know that there are some erotic scenes and cursing.
As the apocalypse sets in, Eileen wavers between calming herself down, second-guessing herself, and just plain freaking out, as any reasonable person would do given this extraordinary set of circumstances. When she first meets Lars, she is afraid of him, believing that he might rape or kill her. Over time, she becomes attracted to him as the initial hysteria wears off. The characters’ italicized thoughts are shown, which I found to be most interesting when it came to conveying the changing ways that Eileen feels about Lars.
One feature that I liked most about the characters in this book is how practical they are, except for when it comes to wanting to find more coffee, which isn’t very practical. However, one character makes a good point: “We can live like animals and do without many things, but I don’t want to live like an animal.” Just because they’re trying to survive doesn’t mean they should have to give up the little luxuries that provide them with some comfort. They are able to retain a good deal of normalcy in their lives by maintaining their friendships and romantic relationships, celebrating the holidays and sharing neighborly meals together. Another notable feature is that the characters are also pretty unconventional. For instance, at the beginning Lars goes to Las Vegas to proposition women to come move onto his property with him, but this plan doesn't work.
There were some errors, particularly with missing quotation marks. I also had a few frustrations with the characters and plot later on in the book. An example is a female character who lies about being a lesbian and then initiates sex with the male character whom she lied to within just a few pages.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was generally well written. Despite a few frustrations I had with the story, it was an entertaining book that I enjoyed reading for the most part. If stories of surviving in dire circumstances are of interest to you, then you might want to give this book a try.
******
Into Autumn
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3 out of 4 stars
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Into Autumn is a novel by Larry Landgraf. It tells the story of Lars Lindgren. He’s an older man who buys a 40-acre property in Texas to live at a distance from society. A divorcee, he realizes that he needs a woman in his life to make this lifelong dream complete. Then the apocalypse happens. A woman named Eileen abandons her home and happens to come upon his property. She plans to stay there with him and help with the chores since she has nowhere else to go. Eventually, the two strike up a romantic relationship. Government as we know it ceases to exist, and violence is on the rise. Intruders pose a looming threat. Luckily, Eileen and Lars also have the support of their friends who live nearby. One such friend is Reggie, a former military contractor who has a bunker filled with supplies. Even so, they don’t have everything they need or want. They have to figure out how they’re going to survive both another day and in the long-term.
I was overall quite impressed with the narrative structure of this book. There is an introduction that gives a general overview of their lives off the grid. Then chapter one goes back to provide Lars’ backstory, even venturing as far back as his twenties. Chapter three cuts to Eileen and shows step by step how she ends up on Lars’ property. Time is well handled, with a good, thorough pacing that provides a full view of this small, makeshift community over several years. Overall, it was a very engaging book to read, as I envisioned what it would be like to live out in the wilderness and how I would react in the situations the characters faced. Potential readers should know that there are some erotic scenes and cursing.
As the apocalypse sets in, Eileen wavers between calming herself down, second-guessing herself, and just plain freaking out, as any reasonable person would do given this extraordinary set of circumstances. When she first meets Lars, she is afraid of him, believing that he might rape or kill her. Over time, she becomes attracted to him as the initial hysteria wears off. The characters’ italicized thoughts are shown, which I found to be most interesting when it came to conveying the changing ways that Eileen feels about Lars.
One feature that I liked most about the characters in this book is how practical they are, except for when it comes to wanting to find more coffee, which isn’t very practical. However, one character makes a good point: “We can live like animals and do without many things, but I don’t want to live like an animal.” Just because they’re trying to survive doesn’t mean they should have to give up the little luxuries that provide them with some comfort. They are able to retain a good deal of normalcy in their lives by maintaining their friendships and romantic relationships, celebrating the holidays and sharing neighborly meals together. Another notable feature is that the characters are also pretty unconventional. For instance, at the beginning Lars goes to Las Vegas to proposition women to come move onto his property with him, but this plan doesn't work.
There were some errors, particularly with missing quotation marks. I also had a few frustrations with the characters and plot later on in the book. An example is a female character who lies about being a lesbian and then initiates sex with the male character whom she lied to within just a few pages.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was generally well written. Despite a few frustrations I had with the story, it was an entertaining book that I enjoyed reading for the most part. If stories of surviving in dire circumstances are of interest to you, then you might want to give this book a try.
******
Into Autumn
View: on Bookshelves
Like Tanaya's review? Post a comment saying so!
