A Good Hard Look: A Novel
From the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward, a novel set in Flannery O'Connor's hometown of Milledgeville, and a tragedy that forever alters the town and the author herself
"A wholly believable world shaped by duty, small pleasures, and fateful choices."—O, The Oprah Magazine
Forced by illness to leave behind a successful life in New York, literary icon Flannery O'Connor has returned to her family farm in the small town of Milledgeville, Georgia. With her health and time both limited, all she wants is to be left alone to write.
But Flannery's plans are soon upended by Melvin Whiteson, a banker from Manhattan who has recently married the town belle. Melvin is at loose ends with his new life; though he has every opportunity, he's not sure where to begin. Flannery knows exactly what she wants, but is running out of time. Through their unusual and clandestine friendship, both will come to reflect on the decisions they have made and the paths they have chosen.
Literary history and fiction gracefully intersect in this emotionally charged novel of small town Southern life from one of our most beloved novelists, which asks us all to consider how we can live our lives to the fullest.
"A wholly believable world shaped by duty, small pleasures, and fateful choices."—O, The Oprah Magazine
Forced by illness to leave behind a successful life in New York, literary icon Flannery O'Connor has returned to her family farm in the small town of Milledgeville, Georgia. With her health and time both limited, all she wants is to be left alone to write.
But Flannery's plans are soon upended by Melvin Whiteson, a banker from Manhattan who has recently married the town belle. Melvin is at loose ends with his new life; though he has every opportunity, he's not sure where to begin. Flannery knows exactly what she wants, but is running out of time. Through their unusual and clandestine friendship, both will come to reflect on the decisions they have made and the paths they have chosen.
Literary history and fiction gracefully intersect in this emotionally charged novel of small town Southern life from one of our most beloved novelists, which asks us all to consider how we can live our lives to the fullest.
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Community Reviews
"A Good Hard Look" by Ann Napolitano is a novel that explores the lives of several characters in the small town of Milledgeville, Georgia, intertwining their personal struggles with the presence of the real-life author Flannery O'Connor. The novel delves into themes of love, loss, faith, and the search for meaning in life.
Ii love Ann Napolitano’s work and in "A Good Hard Look," she crafts a narrative that is both deeply character-driven and thematically rich, offering a poignant reflection on life’s complexities and the human condition. It also hits particularly close to home being a story about Georgia and featuring Flannery O’Connor.
These two facts drive the narrative in key ways. The small town setting shrinks the scope and allows all the key events and characters to stand out. The story is rich without being laden down with the bloat of too many ancillary figures and moments. Flannery O'Connor’s presence in the town, though reclusive, influences the lives of those around her. I do wonder how she have have taken to this characterization.
The other focus on the link between tragedy and romantic relationships is gripping. Napolitano uses mismatched pairings everywhere to highlight the struggle between romantic dreams and bitter realities. Small town love is under a spotlight and constraints that cannot help but to end up in devastating tragedies. As Napolitano’s second novel it was truly a brave attempt and one of my favorites of her work.
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