The Lincoln Highway - Amor Towles ------------------- 3 Stars

A few years ago I read the well reviewed and mildly entertaining A Gentleman in Moscow (review here), by this same author. I had seen The Lincoln Highway getting similar positive buzz, so I thought I'd give it a try. While a more accessible book, I did not find it nearly as enjoyable.

Set in the 1950s, the story is a coming of age novel for a set of brothers and two other teenagers that go on a number of adventures in search of different things. Unlike A Gentleman in Moscow, the book is set in American (both the midwest and New York City) and was an easier read to follow and engage with. 

Unfortunately, I found the story less strong and characters not nearly as easy to root for. While I would never call the story boring, it did move at a pedestrian pace and the "cuteness" and likeability of characters that is now becoming a hallmark of Towles storytelling was simply less apparent with this read.

My other main complaint was with the logistics of his storytelling. While the book is a written in the third person, the author would change the focus, and perspective of the story, by chapter to focus upon a different main character. While this was a welcome technique in the early chapters, I found it frustrating by the end. Although it did give the reader varying perspectives about occurrences, I also found it retold actions multiple times to ensure the reader was clear about a different characters placement for a previously told part of the story. By the end, it felt like I was basically re-reading passages when it shifted to a new chapter.

On a positive, it's still a pretty engaging story. While not as good as his previous book, the author is still a good storyteller, and it's hard to not root for certain characters or feel the nostalgia of the 1950s and many pop references was over you. In addition, in the final pages you could finally understand more about certain characters motivations and more was illuminated about previous choices made in the story. 

You could do a lot worse than The Lincoln Highway; it's an easy read and enjoyable in many parts. Just be aware that for many it'll feel like a runner up to his previous work.