Review of Stolid
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Huini Hellen
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Review of Stolid
[Following is a volunteer review of "Stolid" by Aaron D Key.]
Stolid first appears to us in the middle of the city, with wet hair and dripping water down his back. He can only wait for a good Samaritan to offer him a ride in the warmth of their car because he is alone and cold in the rain. But the bystanders scornfully observe him, and he almost hears them remark that he deserved to suffer. Why do they judge Stolid when they don't even know him? That's not even mentioning that they do not understand why he is suffering in the rain alone. Is it just that we are insecure and low on self-esteem, or is it that the human brain is wired to make automatic judgments about other people's behaviors so that we can move through the world without investing much time or energy in understanding everything we see?
As Stolid walks around, wondering what people think of him, a car door swings open in front of him, and a mysterious young man with a friendly face offers him a ride. Stolid finds the atmosphere soothing inside the car, and he soon falls asleep. He awakens a short time later, and the mysterious young man wants Stolid to tell him about his past. Stolid realizes that the young man is strangely familiar and suspects that they've met before. Stolid then recounts his 1980s life as a gay man, including the losses, trials, and love that led to his self-discovery.
Stolid travels through various timelines, revealing multiple people and relationships in Stolid's life. I commend Aaron D. Key on his ability to weave the timelines together seamlessly. This feature provided a visual aid for identifying cause-and-effect relationships between events and a visual prompt that activated my prior knowledge, making it easier to connect those events. The fascinating connections between the characters were my favorite aspect of Stolid. I particularly enjoyed following Joseph's relationship with his father. I read each page, hoping Joseph's father would one day love his son for who he was rather than what he wanted him to be.
There was nothing I didn't like about Stolid. This book has a lot of engaging drama and unexpected turns that kept me entertained throughout my reading experience. I also liked how the author kept the plot's development moving at a good pace. Its conclusion ultimately resolves all the novel's dissonant beginning elements, and as Stolid wonders who the enigmatic man is and why he picked him up in the rain, all of your questions are eventually resolved. I believe Aaron D. Key invested in a professional editor because I did not encounter grammatical errors while reading this book. I see no reason I should not give it four out of four stars.
I think Stolid paints a lovely picture of how self-acceptance is a crucial ingredient in self-discovery and inner healing. This text will appeal to anyone afraid of standing out in society differently. Aaron D. Key has written an excellent book I did not find someone to dislike, as it foregrounds the controversial issues society is trying to embrace and shun simultaneously.
******
Stolid
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Stolid first appears to us in the middle of the city, with wet hair and dripping water down his back. He can only wait for a good Samaritan to offer him a ride in the warmth of their car because he is alone and cold in the rain. But the bystanders scornfully observe him, and he almost hears them remark that he deserved to suffer. Why do they judge Stolid when they don't even know him? That's not even mentioning that they do not understand why he is suffering in the rain alone. Is it just that we are insecure and low on self-esteem, or is it that the human brain is wired to make automatic judgments about other people's behaviors so that we can move through the world without investing much time or energy in understanding everything we see?
As Stolid walks around, wondering what people think of him, a car door swings open in front of him, and a mysterious young man with a friendly face offers him a ride. Stolid finds the atmosphere soothing inside the car, and he soon falls asleep. He awakens a short time later, and the mysterious young man wants Stolid to tell him about his past. Stolid realizes that the young man is strangely familiar and suspects that they've met before. Stolid then recounts his 1980s life as a gay man, including the losses, trials, and love that led to his self-discovery.
Stolid travels through various timelines, revealing multiple people and relationships in Stolid's life. I commend Aaron D. Key on his ability to weave the timelines together seamlessly. This feature provided a visual aid for identifying cause-and-effect relationships between events and a visual prompt that activated my prior knowledge, making it easier to connect those events. The fascinating connections between the characters were my favorite aspect of Stolid. I particularly enjoyed following Joseph's relationship with his father. I read each page, hoping Joseph's father would one day love his son for who he was rather than what he wanted him to be.
There was nothing I didn't like about Stolid. This book has a lot of engaging drama and unexpected turns that kept me entertained throughout my reading experience. I also liked how the author kept the plot's development moving at a good pace. Its conclusion ultimately resolves all the novel's dissonant beginning elements, and as Stolid wonders who the enigmatic man is and why he picked him up in the rain, all of your questions are eventually resolved. I believe Aaron D. Key invested in a professional editor because I did not encounter grammatical errors while reading this book. I see no reason I should not give it four out of four stars.
I think Stolid paints a lovely picture of how self-acceptance is a crucial ingredient in self-discovery and inner healing. This text will appeal to anyone afraid of standing out in society differently. Aaron D. Key has written an excellent book I did not find someone to dislike, as it foregrounds the controversial issues society is trying to embrace and shun simultaneously.
******
Stolid
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way. - Marcus Aurelius
Latest Review: A Walk in the Twilight by John J Bosco Jr.
