Based on a popular play by the same name, John Cariani's Almost, Maine is a charming and romantic collection of stories that will have you thinking about love in an entirely new way.
Welcome to Almost, Maine, a town that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States—it’s almost in Canada. And it almost doesn’t exist, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it’s just . . . Almost. One cold, clear Friday night in the middle of winter, while the northern lights hover in the sky above, Almost’s residents find themselves falling in and out of love in the strangest ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. Love is lost and found. And life for the people of Almost, Maine will never be the same. (from the book blurb) My thoughts: I don't read many plays and I was absolutely unfamiliar with John Cariani's Almost, Maine, which appears to be very popular, but I am very glad I picked this magical novel and spent an unforgettable day following lives of numerous residents of Almost, a slightly disorganised town somewhere up the north where you can admire the northern lights and dream abour love. The story begins with Ginette and Pete who are in this awkward stage of their first love when it is not clear if their best friend is something more, although the special feeling, special ligtness that fills them when they are together is a pretty good indicator. Ginette and Pete are close, very close, but they are also at the beginning of their relationship, so there is so much they still have to learn about their new role (Do you remember this feeling when logically you knew that you still have to discover so much about the person you fell in love with, but somehow you felt you know them better than anybody else because you were so attuned to to their every breath and slightest movement?). Ginnette misunderstands Pete's words and starts walking away. During her walk she gets a glimpse of lots of other people, all of whom are discovering what love is or isn't on that particular Friday night. I was struck by how poetic this novel was and how streamlined at the same time. You guess quickly where a particular story is going and what the author is telling you, and yet, you let yourself get transported into this wonderful metaphoric place. Charming, sweet, sentimental (the author makes a distinction between romantic and sentimental saying that 'sentimentalists believe everything's going to to work out just fine'), this book would make a great romantic present for someone special, provided they believe in love. Thank you to Edelweiss and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Comments are closed.
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