Robert Goolrick
Fiction
I knew reading this book would be a mistake. I picked up Mr. Goolrick’s first novel, A Reliable Wife, when it came out because I’d heard it was a love story. Which it most certainly was NOT. At least not in my opinion. I hated the characters and I hated the ending. Pretty much everything I wrote applies to his second novel, too. Don’t think I’ll be picking up his third.
Heading Out to Wonderful is about a man named Charlie who one day shows up in a small town in Virginia. He quickly befriends a couple and their young son. Then starts an affair with the younger wife of the most disliked man in town. I’m sure you can see where this is going. Well, actually, you probably can’t because the ending even surprised me.
There was way too much violence and blood in this book. Also, the constant POV changes drove me nuts. You were in Charlie’s head one minute and then all of a sudden, with no page break, you were hearing Sylvan, his married lover’s thoughts (and yes, every time I read her name I couldn’t help but think of Sylvan Learning Center). I did not like any of the characters. I take that back, I liked Charlie’s dog, Jackie Robinson. Then there’s the supposed “love affair” between Charlie and Sylvan. I hate novels where two characters see each other, exchange hardly any words, and then fall into bed together and begin an affair. Where is the falling in love process? How can you fall in love with someone when you don’t know them? At least learn each other’s middle names first. Also, the ending was depressing as hell.
Mr. Goolrick is a decent writer, so if you liked his awful first book, you’ll probably like this.
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