Review of A Walk Through the Grapes
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Adrienne Abad
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Review of A Walk Through the Grapes
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Walk Through the Grapes" by David Jackson.]
A Walk Through the Grapes is a novel by American author David Jackson that tells us about a young man's pursuit of personal ambition. How can doing something you want to do upset so many people? This is a question that the story's main character, Jace Grazer, grapples with as he faces his own failures: the acting career that did not quite work out, tension from resentments his own family is harboring caused by his decision to leave for New York City, and the worst is coming back to Willowcreek only to find out that the only person who means everything to him is now with another man.
Like Jace, some of us face our own failures daily. Pressed on all sides, we wonder how we are going to rise above all this mess we find ourselves in. Jace is the kind of person that will inspire and even refresh your spirit with his relentless optimism and his ability to perceive life like a child would. My favorite scene is when Jace goes out on one of his walks, ‘to clear my head’...in his own words. And he comes by this family in a park, fishing. He takes a moment to appreciate the simpleness of life and is able to create for himself that serenity that he needs. I love Jace for that. He is that literary character that stays with you long after you have turned the last page.
The author's writing reads like a biography. One can truly feel the setting and the stories therein as if the writer himself is telling you from his own experiences. I especially appreciate the quotes at the beginning of each chapter as they set the tone for the following scenes. While reading, I would play the songs mentioned within the story such as Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark‘, The Boss and John Mayer’s ‘Free Fallin’ to really catch the feel and mood that is enriching to the overall reading experience. I learned that reading goes beyond words alone and that our appreciation of a story is as much as we are willing to give our attention to the experience of reading it. I am happy to say that my love for reading grew with this book.
It has all the elements that you may look for in a good story in all the right doses. You will sympathize with Jace as he is so misunderstood by the people who supposedly should care about his happiness. You may even question some of the character’s integrity and cringe as you read through the scene where Ally loses her cool when she finds out that Jace has a thing going on with Mckenzie, Ally’s sister. I was laughing as she confronts Jace in the middle of a meeting, angry, and throwing a bunch of grapes - hitting one of the potential investors for the Grazer’s Vineyard. What a mess it was! I like that about the writer, he is honest and writes the truth about people. That is what makes this story so relatable - because it is true.
In one of the chapters, I happen to notice a shift in the narrative's point of view from a first person to a third, then back to a first person. Initially, I thought this must be a writing technique that the writer is working out in the story. Then, I wondered if it could have been an error? I found myself rereading that part multiple times because I was not sure of the author's intentions. Besides that, I find nothing bad to say about this book. The title interested me and I am grateful to have come across a beautifully written story. I look forward to reading more of David Jackson’s literary works.
As for this book, I give it a rating of '4 out of 4 stars' because the flow of the story is good and I marveled at how the characters are able to resolve almost all of the conflicts they are facing. If you enjoy domestic fiction and reading about characters coming to terms with their self and their life, then I am positive that you will find this a worthwhile read.
******
A Walk Through the Grapes
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Walk Through the Grapes is a novel by American author David Jackson that tells us about a young man's pursuit of personal ambition. How can doing something you want to do upset so many people? This is a question that the story's main character, Jace Grazer, grapples with as he faces his own failures: the acting career that did not quite work out, tension from resentments his own family is harboring caused by his decision to leave for New York City, and the worst is coming back to Willowcreek only to find out that the only person who means everything to him is now with another man.
Like Jace, some of us face our own failures daily. Pressed on all sides, we wonder how we are going to rise above all this mess we find ourselves in. Jace is the kind of person that will inspire and even refresh your spirit with his relentless optimism and his ability to perceive life like a child would. My favorite scene is when Jace goes out on one of his walks, ‘to clear my head’...in his own words. And he comes by this family in a park, fishing. He takes a moment to appreciate the simpleness of life and is able to create for himself that serenity that he needs. I love Jace for that. He is that literary character that stays with you long after you have turned the last page.
The author's writing reads like a biography. One can truly feel the setting and the stories therein as if the writer himself is telling you from his own experiences. I especially appreciate the quotes at the beginning of each chapter as they set the tone for the following scenes. While reading, I would play the songs mentioned within the story such as Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark‘, The Boss and John Mayer’s ‘Free Fallin’ to really catch the feel and mood that is enriching to the overall reading experience. I learned that reading goes beyond words alone and that our appreciation of a story is as much as we are willing to give our attention to the experience of reading it. I am happy to say that my love for reading grew with this book.
It has all the elements that you may look for in a good story in all the right doses. You will sympathize with Jace as he is so misunderstood by the people who supposedly should care about his happiness. You may even question some of the character’s integrity and cringe as you read through the scene where Ally loses her cool when she finds out that Jace has a thing going on with Mckenzie, Ally’s sister. I was laughing as she confronts Jace in the middle of a meeting, angry, and throwing a bunch of grapes - hitting one of the potential investors for the Grazer’s Vineyard. What a mess it was! I like that about the writer, he is honest and writes the truth about people. That is what makes this story so relatable - because it is true.
In one of the chapters, I happen to notice a shift in the narrative's point of view from a first person to a third, then back to a first person. Initially, I thought this must be a writing technique that the writer is working out in the story. Then, I wondered if it could have been an error? I found myself rereading that part multiple times because I was not sure of the author's intentions. Besides that, I find nothing bad to say about this book. The title interested me and I am grateful to have come across a beautifully written story. I look forward to reading more of David Jackson’s literary works.
As for this book, I give it a rating of '4 out of 4 stars' because the flow of the story is good and I marveled at how the characters are able to resolve almost all of the conflicts they are facing. If you enjoy domestic fiction and reading about characters coming to terms with their self and their life, then I am positive that you will find this a worthwhile read.
******
A Walk Through the Grapes
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
― Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
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readingswithsoso
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I completely agree. The author was really good with setting the scene, describing the surroundings an what was going on on each characters mind.One can truly feel the setting and the stories therein as if the writer himself is telling you from his own experiences
Latest Review: The Prophecy of the Heron by Craig W. Stanfill
