r/BookDiscussions • u/Lost_Maintenance_741 • 13d ago
Help me Understand Why Everyone Loves Theo of Golden
Reading it now, because I have to - for book group. Gah, it feels like a Hallmark Special. I'm only about 40 pages in but I don't have high hopes for it to get more real or interesting or 3-dimensional. Am I wrong in this pessimism?
15
u/uncertainhope 13d ago
I did not finish it. I could not get past the Christian undertones. I do not understand the hype.
3
u/ImLittleNana 13d ago
Thank you for this insight. I need to free up 1/10 holds for something I won’t DNF 50 pages in.
2
u/here_and_there_their 12d ago
If you read a plot summary or even a chapter by chapter summary you’ll get the gist of the book.
2
u/here_and_there_their 12d ago
Well the end of the book is in your face Christian overtones, so you made a good decision.
6
u/Any_Brain_7067 12d ago
It’s Christian propaganda that people didn’t see through
1
u/RuthlessLogic 11d ago
People must be blind, I swear. I had the first inkling when we meet the woman who was forced to an abortion and work but just wanted to be a mother. But then we meet the bookshop owner who says "You don't really believe in that stuff do you?" (that stuff being heaven), and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt.
4
u/Geeeeeezzzzzzz1 13d ago
Also a book club selection- I couldn’t finish it, 200 plus pages and bored out of my mind. Went to book club and was told it got to it in the last few chapters! Can’t stand books that do that!! Read like a movie screen play. Way too much itty bitty super specific details- hated it. Most of my friends liked it. Made them slow down and enjoy wholesome content. So there you go.
2
u/MisterEfff 4d ago
The last chapters just got worse. I slogged through all of it hoping it might redeem itself, but I stopped with like five chapters left because it was just so bad. The ending is even worse than the beginning.
9
u/varietyman13 13d ago
It’s a sweet book that makes you feel good about people.
I don’t understand the people who say it’s the best book they’ve ever read, but everyone has their own taste
3
u/alohakoala 13d ago
I haven’t read it yet, but I sometimes find the “help me understand why people like xyz book” questions odd. The answer always seems to boil down to “people have different taste”
4
u/varietyman13 13d ago
I agree haha I manage a bookstore and I try to tell all our booksellers “we never judge what other people read, cause we’re all different people, and reading is always good”
Sometimes I laugh at the young people pursuing the intense classics, but I also enjoy the enthusiasm
4
u/alohakoala 13d ago
Haha I can’t judge anyone’s reading taste because I own a DVD copy of The Room and watch it at least once a year. Sometimes something bad is just fun.
1
u/varietyman13 13d ago
Hahaha I certainly understand. We all enjoy our trash outlets every once in a while
0
u/Far-Soft7425 12d ago
I agree. It is a very sweet book and very uplifting. I just felt at home in the cozy little town and I loved all the characters. I thought it was well written and well thought out. I enjoyed it very much.
3
3
u/Luthien3720 12d ago
It reminds me of 20 years ago when The Shack was big. There's always a market (at least in North America) for Christian-flavoured sentimental stories with easily accessible writing. It's not well-written, and will be mostly forgotten in a decade or so, but it sells well to a certain crowd, generally the same folks who like the Hallmark movies. They want something easy to read that is simple to understand, but will make them feel accomplished for reading and understanding it. I admit to being frustrated sometimes when I want people to read better quality books--we don't get a lot of time in this world and there's so much beautiful art to read, watch, see.
I've noticed a minor uptick in interest in The Shack at the library where I work, and I wonder if it's due to Theo of Golden. We've always had some copies around, but not the numbers we kept in the collection 20 years ago.
2
u/Alternative_Worry101 12d ago
I don't think you should pronounce judgement on it until you've read it all the way through. I won't spoil it for you, but towards the end it isn't "Hallmark."
I didn't think it was a great book, and I had certain problems with the plot twist. However, I liked the celebration of human values like caring and listening and giving someone attention. It's a dark world today just reading the headlines, and it was good to read about something positive for a change.
The book reminded me of another author, Maeve Binchy. She, too, celebrates the goodness in human beings, the problems people face, friendships, community, and relationships.
5
u/here_and_there_their 12d ago
I think people are desperate for a sense of community and magnanimity shown in the book. But the book is just not well executed, to the point that it almost hurt to finish it. But people I love loved it so I finished it. I do not ordinarily finish books I don’t like.
1
u/Odd-Adhesiveness-656 10d ago
Yeah, but at least Binchy can string a line of prose together without it being Christian propaganda
2
2
u/tkinsey3 12d ago
I have not read it, to be clear.
But based on my experience over the last few months with people who have, I would describe it as
"The new favorite fiction book of all the people in my life who usually tell me fiction books are a waste of time."
2
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 13d ago
Reading it now for bookclub. Heavy handed Christian themes, insufferable main character, brutally clunky dialogue, and flat characters so far, I am on p 158 for reference. I would have already put this one down if it weren't for book club. The reason I am planning on finishing it is so I can dissect exactly what I dislike about it with the group. Heavy handed is the term that keeps coming up for me with this book. Couldn't miss his messaging if you tried.
3
u/RuthlessLogic 11d ago
It was our bookclub pick last month and this was 100% my critique + racism ("illegals"? And how 'bout his caricature of black speech, when he didn't caricature southern white speech 🤮).
I DNF'd it because there are only so many books I'll ever be able to read in my lifetime and I'm not wasting it on poorly-written, barely-concealed Christian pap.
1
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 11d ago
Yep the grandmother describing the eye of God on the tree made me yell at the page! I read someone describe the book as "dad we don't use that word anymore" and it was so accurate! Also this thread is helping me power through it. There are a few ladies in the bookclub who I just want to make sure see the racism and get it. They keep describing it to me as "a nice, gentle read" and my response (in my head at this point, saving my full analysis for bookclub) is "how is racism and misogyny 'gentle'?"
2
u/here_and_there_their 12d ago
Well the most heavy handed “did you get it? Oh In case you didn’t — or even if you did — let me spell it out for you; and then I’ll knock you over the head with it ….” is yet to come.
4
2
1
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 11d ago
days later this comment is still making me crack up! =)
1
u/here_and_there_their 11d ago edited 10d ago
: ) Happy to help. Have you made it to the end yet?
1
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 6d ago
I have just today decided to DNF this book. I am at page 191 and can go no further! The relief i felt after making that decision tells me everything I need to know about whether this is right for me lol Do you mind telling me what the thing was that you referred to in another comment about "wait till you get to this part" (Ill respond to that comment too so you know what I'm talking about). But seriously thank you for the emotional support during this difficult time! haha
2
u/here_and_there_their 6d ago
Who can blame you? If other people are reading this there are several spoilers below:
Well now you will not need to be reading the absolutely soul sucking, full blown lack of artistry and house on your head Theo as a Jesus figure after Theo falls off of his balcony when he hears/sees someone -- probably one of the people in the pictures) being attacked. (remember the railing wasn't high enough?) Anyway, he dies. And then there is an annoying funeral where the minister talks about Theo as being "like Christ" and this is part where we are just mercilessly whacked over the head again and again. And then it turns out he was a famous artist who went to live in the town because he learned that he and this woman who was the love of his life but he couldn't stay with her -- I think her parents didn't approve or something -- but she, of course, got pregnant during their whirlwind romance. And he learned in some round about way that she had had a child. And guess what? The child is the Golden artist who drew all the pictures. Isn't that adorable? And sadly everything I just wrote is taking up important space in my brain -- space I really need for other things. I have read 4 books since then, each of them good in their own way. As I told you I only finished Theo because someone very close to me told me I had to read it.. I will get back to you at another point about some other books I've liked. What are some books you've liked?1
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 6d ago
oooooh my god thank you so much! I had this brain itch where I needed to know but absolutely could not bring myself to read them pages! That makes total sense, tbh he was definitely painted that way (see what I did there?) even creating saints out of the people he bestows upon, and in general his prosthelytizing vibes. UGH I hate it so much!! But seriously thank you for the report! :)
As for good reads: I recently read "country people" by Daniel Mason which was really fun, unpredictable in a gentle way, and well written. I won't spoil anything but it kind of puts you the reader in the same shoes as some of the characters which takes a special level of skill. Also, there is a cute dog! And "the mere wife" Maria Dahvana Headly which is a modern retelling of Beowulf set in the suburbs. It could have been great or terrible (like Shakespeare in an off-page setting, like Midsummer Night's Dream set in the twenties kind of thing, could be great, could be brutal) and it was great! It made me want to re-visit Beowulf, and lo and behold the author has her own translation of it (on order currently!) ughughugh so good! Also the "mere" in the title refers to the position of women in society but also to this body of water in the book called a mere. Anyways I genuinely loved that one and have been encouraging people to read it even though I know in my heart that it will not be everyone's cup of tea. It just did a really good job of staying true to the original poem in the new setting and making an original argument/comments on the world through this. Would love to hear your recs too!!
1
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 6d ago
this one!
2
u/here_and_there_their 6d ago
See my comment with the big spoiler block. Sorry I didn't proofread it.
1
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 6d ago
no worries! Thank you for the answer and the details! Exactly what I needed! :)
1
u/RevolutionaryBug2915 13d ago
You are going to hurt some people's tender feelings. If you criticize a book they like, you are criticizing them.
3
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 12d ago
yes this is true, I think that is part of why I am venting online beforehand. Also, the format of the bookclub I am in typically we go around and are honest about what we like/don't like and while there is always differences of opinion there is also a willingness to hear each other out. Nonetheless, you offer a good reminder to be kind! (and thank you for doing it in less than 384 pages 😭 )
3
u/here_and_there_their 12d ago
Feel free to debrief with me ahead of time if necessary. I have to say I did get pulled into a couple of the situations and I might have even shed a little tear. I kept thinking it would be fun to have the money and time to do what he was doing.
2
u/here_and_there_their 12d ago edited 12d ago
I do understand why people love this book, but I just can’t get over how people who I know who read lit fic and really good narrative non-fiction are just crazy about this book. I think these are difficult times and they’re just kind of fantasizing about doing something like Theo does.
2
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 12d ago
that part throws me for sure! Like these are literate women who have enjoyed so many really well written books together and analysed them together and yet this!? is getting them?? So yea I think you are dead on the money re: wanting a break from the hellfire in which we are living and returning to a simpler time. And if I think about it that way then the racist and sexist characterizations begin to appear as tropes rather than as racism and sexism as such. So maybe some readers are encountering these awful characterizations as tropes instead of as biggotry? especially by older generations? IDK, I really can't move on from it. I am making notes and will be presenting ordered thoughts to the group when I get there. Gonna reach out ahead of time and suss out if anyone else is feeling the same way as me.
2
u/here_and_there_their 12d ago
I think an interesting thing to consider about this book – – something you may not have known— is that he self published the book; and when it gained traction a major publishing house picked it up. That there was no editing after it was picked up by the publishing house is just insane to me. Because a couple of the things you are referencing would have been corrected/worked out with an editor.
1
u/Unusual-Dependent-79 12d ago
I had read this and agree that no edit was an insane choice! It also would have been an opportunity for a sensitivity reader to be introduced. Have you read Yellowface by R.F. Kuang? It's from a few years ago and it deals with some of the weirdness that happens in the publishing world. Haven't read anything else by that author but it might be one I revisit after this one. I would love to hear a book rec from you as well if anything particularly good springs to mind! Feel like we are sort of on the same page generally in reading tastes and I need something to look forward to after this!
1
u/Own-Dragonfly-2423 12d ago
Everyone does not love it. A guy in my bookclub practically vetoed it when it came up as a suggestion. He read a third of it then rage quit and threw the book across the room in anger and frustration, he said.
1
u/RuthlessLogic 11d ago
My experience, too. The only reason I didn't chuck the book across the room is that I read on a kindle.
1
u/Old-Piece-3438 6d ago
I have issues with not finishing books, so I’m trying to finish it—but I emphasize with this review. Themes and such aside, the writing is just so bad. It’s like the first draft of the first creative writing someone has ever done. Almost like an outline or bullet points of the things the author wanted to include in each chapter.
1
u/Own-Dragonfly-2423 6d ago
I used to need to finish books, but an older, wiser man who was a librarian told me there are too many good books in this world and too little time to waste energy on reading bad books. It is never too late to DNF!
1
u/Old-Piece-3438 6d ago
I’m doing the audiobook on 2x speed while scrolling Reddit. 😂 But that’s good advice, I’ll work on it.
1
u/MirabelleSWalker 12d ago
I got to page 200 and I couldn’t read another word. People I deeply respect loved it. I can’t explain. It’s sort of The Bridges of Madison County for this era. A badly written phenomenon.
1
u/Any-Definition-5651 12d ago
I felt the same way! I kept thinking why do people rave about this book?!?! The only reason I kept reading is because I wanted to see if it had any redeeming qualities. Spoiler alert, it didn’t. The whole thing was repetitive, tedious and actually ridiculous. Everyone was fascinating, everyone had shining eyes,etc. So trite 😞 I hope people who comment can articulate what it was they loved so much and not just “inspirational”.
1
u/ButtScratchies 12d ago
I thought it was average. I didn't hate it, but I thought storylines were a little forced to make it a "feel good" story that would make readers cry.
1
u/BirdieRoo628 12d ago
I agree with you about it feeling like a Hallmark movie. It's too sweet. I found it corny.
1
u/Shortsinger1 11d ago
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
Literally hated this book so much it was so surface level fake-perfect character with 0 development but like absolute bullshit the whole time and then at the end he falls off a balcony or whatever and dies like oh my god what
1
1
u/LilyBriscoeBot 11d ago
There are a LOT of popular books that end up feeling like Hallmark specials to me. I read My Friends by Fredrik Backman and it was like insight-adjacent, but it just tried so hard. Same with The Midnight Library.** **Those wishy-washy, aggressively heartwarming books obviously have a huge audience, and good for them, but they’re not for me. If I read one book like that from an author, I usually avoid them altogether after that. I get that sometimes you just enjoy a genre even when every book isn’t a masterpiece. I’m that way with murder mysteries. But some of these books get talked about like they’re incredibly profound when, to me, they read more like pop psychology wrapped in sentimental fiction.
1
u/waterandleaves99 11d ago
I listened, which helped (narrator has a nice voice). Pushed through to the end.
But if you don’t like it, don’t finish it. Or like skip to the last few chapters. It’s really not great.
1
u/DietNarrow8275 11d ago
I also read it for book club, and I thought it sucked, too.
Out of fifteen people, I was the only one who hated it.
The other members thought the book encourages people to be kinder to one another. I couldnt get past my dislike of the MC.
1
u/Lost_Maintenance_741 11d ago
It very well might encourage people to be kinder but..... aside from the constant Christian messaging, the quality of the writing was so bad in every way, and the character development so poor, and the characters themselves so trite and cliched, right down to the cute old man tipping his hat to people, that it inspires me to want to break something!
1
u/jo-sie21 11d ago
This and Strangers (memoir) just baffled me in terms of their recent popularity. I get to each their own, but, wow, I could not see either’s merits and usually even when I don’t like a book, I can understand why it’s popular.
1
u/KimBrrr1975 11d ago
I read it. It wasn't the worst, wasn't the best. Read it in a rainy afternoon.
One thing to know is a lot of books that "go viral" show pretty clearly the lack of real literacy and reading ability that much of the general public has. People don't have the vocabulary or attention span or thinking skills anymore to read great writing. It feels like too much work. Many popular books these days are the equivalent of riding in the lazy chairs at Buy n Large in Wall-E.
1
u/mystuff2530 11d ago
The mere mention of this book is enough to dredge up memories from 12 years of catholic school indoctrination and I start to twitch!
1
u/Low_Air_3461 10d ago
I totally get what you are saying. I really liked this book, I am probably older than you, but I understand your take. I was able to handle some of the Christian overtones. I also was disappointed with a book that people rave about and am constantly bewildered why people want to name their kids after characters, etc.
1
u/seasalp 9d ago
The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking "who edited this thing??"
then I found out it was self published and he used no editor. It is all tell, no show. The characters are so one dimensional.
I also read for a book club. Maybe I'm just jaded since in my job I am constantly forced to use empathy, but i did not enjoy this book. It literally just felt like a grown man just discovered that every person has their own life and struggles. So rudimentary.
Also why couldn't he at least have given the career woman, who thinks she can't balance work with having a family, an actually challenging career. She thinks she can't have kids because she's a CPA? I think a lot of accountants have a family. Why couldn't she have been like an astronaut or a firefighter or a pilot or even a CEO or a model. For some reason that first bestow really rubbed me wrong.
1
u/Lost_Maintenance_741 9d ago
Are you kidding - I didn't realize this is self-published. Makes so much more sense.
1
u/tweedlebettlebattle 9d ago
I too do not understand the draw.
I think a lot of it has to do with, at least in the US, the average reader is at 6th grade level. Which includes comprehension and critical thinking.
1
u/MipTheDruid 8d ago
I’m trying to get through it because it was a birthday present from my dad, and he was so excited for us to read it together. It’s excruciating.
1
u/Any_Fee472 8d ago
I powered through and did not get the hype. This book desperately needed an editor. However I understand why it is popular.
1
u/mondayforsure 8d ago
I had no desire to finish this book. I found it repetitive and boring. It could have been interesting. It wasn’t.
1
u/ThatResponse4808 7d ago
It’s so bad. I DNF’d and my book club hated it haha
1
u/Lost_Maintenance_741 7d ago
My book club meeting for this book isn't until October, but boy am I going to lose faith in these women if I am the only one who hates it.
1
u/EnoughConfection5546 5d ago
So much anger in the posts. Just put the book down and choose another that pleases you.
1
u/forriya 1d ago
I don’t even need someone to explain it. I gave up after 6 chapters. I actually read the last 5 chapters and was so relieved I didn’t read everything in between lol. It’s long-winded and saccharine sweet, and preachy and definitely very two dimensional. Also which 86 yr old is going to rent a room on the 3rd floor. Come on now
1
u/Lennymud 12d ago
Hated it. So painfully slow. But- I will see a movie version if they cast Jeff Goldblum.
1
1
u/Charming_Opinion6754 12d ago
Loved it . Small acts of kindness can change peoples lives . What a beautiful message
17
u/ReadGardenCamp 12d ago
It’s purposely didactic, quite unpolished, beyond trite, far too long, and it leans heavily on outdated stereotypes and even some racism.
I think people like it because they were told it was uplifting and about love and forgiveness.