I have missed Frank Bascombe. In Ford's four novellas, set in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy that devastated the New Jersey shore, we reunite with Frank at age 68, “enjoying the Next Level of life – conceivably the last: a member of the clean-desk demographic, freed to do unalloyed good in the world, should I choose to.” But Frank isn’t really enjoying his retirement from selling residential real estate in the now-popped realty bubble. Although he reads to the blind and welcomes home soldiers at the airport, he is riddled with fears that beset the aging. He is concerned that he “reek[s] like a monkey’s closet” and that he has embraced the “gramps shuffle.” He worries more about falling on ice than whether there is an afterlife since he could no longer hop up after a spill: “Now it’s a death sentence.” He refuses to look into mirrors anymore since it’s “cheaper than surgery.” He spends his days fulfilling obligations – to Arnie, who owns a carriage-trade seafood boutique and who had purchased Frank’s beach house which was destroyed in the hurricane; to the daughter of the former owner of his current home who wished to revisit her childhood home, the site of family tragedy of epic proportions; his first wife, Ann, a resident of a swank but sterile staged-care facility who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and whom Frank feels some responsibility for despite the fact that they had “not been all that friendly” since their divorce thirty years prior; and an old friend in the end-stages of pancreatic cancer. Richard Ford hasn’t written a feel-good story, but I was glad to have this opportunity to reunite with the cerebral Frank Bascombe.

I first met Frank Bascombe back in the mid 90's, when he was grieving over the death of a child in 'The sportswriter.' Later, he was divorced and putting his life together again as a real estate agent. Later still, in 'Independence Day,' he was putting things together again and had met someone. And here he is again, 68, back in Haddam where it began, for this short novel, in four parts.

Frank has always been good company in these books. In each of them, he's usually funny, often wise, and trying to work things out the best he can. These four stories find Frank moving towards his last stage in life. He visits ex-wife Anne, has an unexpected visitor to his home, and goes to visit an old friend. It all takes place in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, where he goes to survey the damage to his old home, now sold.

I'm glad I've read these novels in order. We meet Frank at different stages of his life, over a thirty year period, carrying his life experiences. Now towards the end, he's trying to keep returning to his 'default self,' keeping things as simple as possible and just being with people, where possible. He's still living his quiet, introspective life.

I always enjoy Frank's company and part of me hopes this isn't the last instalment. He's often hilarious and I enjoy his momments of homespun wisdom, which are optimistic. In one of his books, I think the sportswriter, which I read 25 years, there's a line about 'There's no such thing as a false sense of wellbeing' and it's always stuck with me. Ford's prose is pitch perfect. I think I need to start the Frank Bascombe series again, and look forward to it, as there's something to learn from them each time.

Dumb title but smart book. I love Frank Bascombe and hope that Ford doesn't write another Bascombe book because I don't think I could bear him aging anymore than he has.

I true Elisabeth fashion, I read Ford's last Frank Bascombe book first. I love his sarcastic self deprecating personality and expect I will go back and read the earlier books. How embarrassing to admit I haven't read the first three.

Sentimientos dispares en nuestra lectura común. Hay quien ha disfrutado mucho y hay quienes no. Yo soy de las segundas. Me ha costado mucho entrar en el mundo de Frank.

I think if I were twenty years older I would better understand and probably love this book. It's for an older demographic, in terms of the subjects, humor, references and characters.

I'm wondering if I'd like Frank more if I had read the other books; I think not. I'm also wondering if The Sportswriter was a better book than this one since it won a Pulitzer, or if it's just a mediocre, white man thing. Some things in the book made me laugh but if you ask me what they were now, I wouldn't be able to tell you.

This book brought me back to the age-old question of: if I hate the main character, can I still appreciate the book? It didn't work here because even though it's good writing, the whole book centers on the thoughts of a boring, racist, misogynistic, and transphobic character. He calls black people Negroes and when there's a gender-ambiguous/transgender character, Frank refers to them as him/her, which made me physically cringe.

Overall, Frank is cynical and cruel, but somehow still boring and I was paying very little attention by the end of the book. No thanks

Nice short read about a retired Realtor living in New Jersey post hurricane, and coming to terms with the realities of middle-age.

p.s.
Did I offend you in some way, Mr. Ford? Next time you're in the area, stop in for a nice Tater Tot hotdish and we'll chat.

Sincerely,
Minnesota