The Last Chairlift
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- Create Date：2022-10-18 09:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：John Irving
- ISBN：1471179087
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Summary
John Irving， one of the world’s greatest novelists， returns with his first novel in seven years—a ghost story， a love story， and a lifetime of sexual politics。
In Aspen， Colorado， in 1941， Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill and Slalom Championships。 Little Ray， as she is called， finishes nowhere near the podium， but she manages to get pregnant。 Back home， in New England， Little Ray becomes a ski instructor。
Her son， Adam， grows up in a family that defies conventions and evades questions concerning the eventful past。 Years later， looking for answers， Adam will go to Aspen。 In the Hotel Jerome， where he was conceived， Adam will meet some ghosts; in The Last Chairlift， they aren’t the first or the last ghosts he sees。
John Irving has written some of the most acclaimed books of our time—among them， The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules。 A visionary voice on the subject of sexual tolerance， Irving is a bard of alternative families。 In The Last Chairlift， readers will once more be in his thrall。
In Aspen， Colorado， in 1941， Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill and Slalom Championships。 Little Ray， as she is called， finishes nowhere near the podium， but she manages to get pregnant。 Back home， in New England， Little Ray becomes a ski instructor。
Her son， Adam， grows up in a family that defies conventions and evades questions concerning the eventful past。 Years later， looking for answers， Adam will go to Aspen。 In the Hotel Jerome， where he was conceived， Adam will meet some ghosts; in The Last Chairlift， they aren’t the first or the last ghosts he sees。
John Irving has written some of the most acclaimed books of our time—among them， The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules。 A visionary voice on the subject of sexual tolerance， Irving is a bard of alternative families。 In The Last Chairlift， readers will once more be in his thrall。
Reviews
Elaine
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I was a huge John Irving fan but his last book and now this one have ended it for me; this book is so bad that if I didn't know better I would swear that someone else had written it and just slapped his name on the cover。 I was a huge John Irving fan but his last book and now this one have ended it for me; this book is so bad that if I didn't know better I would swear that someone else had written it and just slapped his name on the cover。 。。。more
Joyce Hamel
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Brilliant Reboot of Irving’s Theme of ToleranceThere is no author like John Irving， his often-shocking characters， unmanageable plots and affection for those of us who are different。 It’s a monster of a novel in length， over 900 pages。 I stopped reading a few times and then felt I was disrespectful to Irving and plowed ahead。Once again， the plot focuses on wrestling， a fatherless boy with a strong mother， on a quest to find his father and deal with his obsession。 However， it is not “The World Ac Brilliant Reboot of Irving’s Theme of ToleranceThere is no author like John Irving， his often-shocking characters， unmanageable plots and affection for those of us who are different。 It’s a monster of a novel in length， over 900 pages。 I stopped reading a few times and then felt I was disrespectful to Irving and plowed ahead。Once again， the plot focuses on wrestling， a fatherless boy with a strong mother， on a quest to find his father and deal with his obsession。 However， it is not “The World According to Garp” or “The Cider House Rules”， which endeared me to Irving’s quirky characters in powerful prose。It's the story of Adam， an illegitimate child born to Little Ray， a ski instructor who never attained an Olympic medal。 Adam is small in stature with very small hands that are emphasized quite often by his mother and aunts。 Adam grows up to be a novelist but finds greater success writing screenplays。 This is a dense novel that is often repetitive in characterizations。 Apparently， this is Irving’s swan song， and he includes uncomfortable scenes。 Adam recalls sleeping in one bed with his mother and loves it。 It is not sexual， but I wasn’t sure。A first-time Irving reader will be introduced to Irving’s favorite themes: wrestling， sexual intolerance and suppression。 Despite Adam’s longing to know the identity of his father， he is raised by caring， intelligent women who support his ambitions but are critical and protective of him at the same time。The time span in this giant novel ranges from the end of World War II to the Trump era。 The recycled issues revolve around sexual connections， sometimes conventional and other times， uproariously funny。 This is not an easy book to read， it is often sad and scary。 I recommend any Irving book， but to really understand this master， read “The World According to Garp” first。My gratitude to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this pre-published book。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
（Energy）
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“When you love someone who’s different， you worry about them more-you’re always looking out for them。”I don’t think any review I may write could do this book justice。 The Cider House Rules and The Hotel New Hampshire are two of my favorite reads。 I love John Irving’s storytelling style and that his books are near where I live。This monolith comes in at over 900 pages， so it won’t be a quick read。 Heavily character driven， with a meandering style of storytelling， it can take some time to get used “When you love someone who’s different， you worry about them more-you’re always looking out for them。”I don’t think any review I may write could do this book justice。 The Cider House Rules and The Hotel New Hampshire are two of my favorite reads。 I love John Irving’s storytelling style and that his books are near where I live。This monolith comes in at over 900 pages， so it won’t be a quick read。 Heavily character driven， with a meandering style of storytelling， it can take some time to get used to how the book unfolds。 Sometimes， screenplay takes up portions of the chapters， which can range from 11 minutes long to 44 minutes， which can be maddening when you’re trying to find a place to stop。 I didn’t much care for the screenplay portions of the story; they didn’t work for me。The characters are what work。 Adam’s family， both the ones he was born with and the ones he’s added over time， are truly special。 It is in their nicknames， their actions， and their words that you come to love every one of them。 We take a veritable walk through history through Adam and the eyes of the loved ones intertwined with each moment we traverse。 We get an intimate look from the Vietnam War to Regan， the AIDS epidemic， and beyond。“Not even the people you love in your own family tell you everything， and there are always the things you miss。”I think that’s all I can really say。 This is such a beautiful read。 Have patience; it won’t go where you think it will and not at the pace you imagine。 I read it deliciously slowly because it gave me time to absorb every moment。 Thank you， Simon & Schuster， for sending this along。 。。。more
Laura Scheer
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There are 3 main things that prevented me from rating this higher。 It is too long （900+）。 I don't mind long books， when it is necessary。 It was not。 The second， I don't love series or sequels generally for a reason - too much repetition。 Well this stand-alone felt at times like parts were a sequel due to all the repetition。 If you are going to publish something this long， trust your readers that they can handle it - the repetition was just a chore to get through （and helped make it too long）。 La There are 3 main things that prevented me from rating this higher。 It is too long （900+）。 I don't mind long books， when it is necessary。 It was not。 The second， I don't love series or sequels generally for a reason - too much repetition。 Well this stand-alone felt at times like parts were a sequel due to all the repetition。 If you are going to publish something this long， trust your readers that they can handle it - the repetition was just a chore to get through （and helped make it too long）。 Lastly， I didn't care for the parts that were the script。 Otherwise， this was a character driven novel that true Irving fans will likely love。 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advance e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion。 The Last Chairlift will be available on 10/18/22。 。。。more
Mary Lourdes
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Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy。 of this title。 Many years after I read "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "Cider House Rules，" I still remember the engrossing prose and sweeping stories that drew me in and resonated for years。 THIS IS NOT THAT！ I began reading with such high hopes as I have previously loved everything Irving has written。 The story begins with Adam， the illegitimate son of an avid skier。 Adam lives with his mom （but not during ski season） and grandparents a stone's throw Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy。 of this title。 Many years after I read "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "Cider House Rules，" I still remember the engrossing prose and sweeping stories that drew me in and resonated for years。 THIS IS NOT THAT！ I began reading with such high hopes as I have previously loved everything Irving has written。 The story begins with Adam， the illegitimate son of an avid skier。 Adam lives with his mom （but not during ski season） and grandparents a stone's throw from Exeter where his grandfather was the principal before turning mute。 It is the 1950s， and the mystery of who his father is seems to be the trajectory of the story。 It goes off the rails with WAY TO MANY TANGENTS and ALL THE SOCIAL ISSUES of the 20th century thrown against the wall to see what will stick！！！ There is even an odd screenplay imbedded in the second half of the novel。 The book is entirely TOO LONG， and after I while， I ceased caring about any of the characters。 If you are or are not a fan of John Irving， do not read this book！ 。。。more
BookNerdsBrainDump
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Short Take: It’s probably me， not you， Mr。 Irving。 But I think we need a break。（*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。*）Well Duckies， after nearly three years of avoiding it， I managed to catch covid。 I’ve had all four vaccinations， so it’s not terrible， but it’s also making me quite tired， so I’m going to keep this one short。I’ve been a fan of John Irving since my college days， when I discovered Garp and the Hotel New Hampshire， and Short Take: It’s probably me， not you， Mr。 Irving。 But I think we need a break。（*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。*）Well Duckies， after nearly three years of avoiding it， I managed to catch covid。 I’ve had all four vaccinations， so it’s not terrible， but it’s also making me quite tired， so I’m going to keep this one short。I’ve been a fan of John Irving since my college days， when I discovered Garp and the Hotel New Hampshire， and A Prayer For Owen Meany is one of the best books I’ve ever read in any genre。 So when Netgalley approved me for an advance copy of The Last Chairlift， I was over the moon。 I cleared my schedule， loaded my kindle， and prepared to settle into the kind of warm bliss that only a charming novel from a beloved author could bring。Alas， it was not to be， and I am saddened and ashamed to admit that I only made it to the halfway point before giving up on this one。 And I don’t know if it is that the book just doesn’t work the way his older ones do， or if I just don’t have the patience for him anymore， but there was just more that I didn’t like than I can remember in any of his books before。 For starters， the narrator （Adam） is so so so repetitive， and fixated on using twee nicknames for the people around him instead of their names。 So his stepfather Elliot is “the snowshoer” or “the little english teacher” （Elliot is very short， which is important for reasons）， his mother Rachel is Little Ray， his dementia-addled grandfather is the Diaper Man， and so on。 It’s just obnoxious after a point， especially when， for example， Elliot hasn’t been snowshoeing in a few hundred pages。Next: the obsession with “small”。 Adam’s mother has a definite fetish for men who are petite， or， more accurately， for barely pubescent boys， up to and including her own son。 Mr。 Irving’s families are often quirky and open about sex to an uncomfortable degree with each other， but I guess for me， a mother straddling and kissing her teenage son - with tongue - is just a bridge too far。And speaking of sex… it’s a given that there will be at least one uncomfortable scene in a John Irving book。 I’ve never been upset by them， because they are usually funny， poignant， or some mix of the two。 Not so in Chairlift。 Adam decides early on that he doesn’t want to date a girl who he might get overly attached to， so he only goes out with girls that he feels sorry for （read: better than）。 These encounters invariably end with the girl utterly humiliated， and maybe it’s supposed to be funny？ Maybe it would have been if it were a one-time thing， but it’s an ongoing thing with Adam， and it’s decidedly unfunny and pretty gross。 While I’m on the subject of unfunny， that was the last straw for me。 There was none of Mr。 Irving’s trademark humor。 This book is a grim， cheerless slog， and it feels like my favorite ornery uncle has gone full Q-anon and now just wants to rail against… something。 There’s more to the story， sort of， as Adam tries to find out who his father is， and wrestles with the （sometimes literal） ghosts of his past， and there’s some really fascinating commentary on the LGBTQ community in the 70’s。 But it’s all so buried in endless Moby-Dick discussion， nicknames， the word “small” （dear god I’ve never been so sick of a single word）， everything I’ve never wanted to know about wrestling， and so many gross bodily function scenes - did someone force-feed the author a copy of Everybody Poops？I really wish I could have loved this book。 I don’t know whether it’s the book， or if I’m just not smart enough to appreciate it。 The Nerd’s Rating: TWO HAPPY NEURONS （and some more popsicles， please。） 。。。more
Farrells Bookshop
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With all 900 pages of it， the books is quite dense， with small text and long chapters but it is a worthwhile commitment to see it through。 The characters are quirky， the plot line entertaining and the conversational storytelling tone is quite accessible。 I’m sure it could have been tightened into a much shorter book， but it felt like I was being taken on a haphazard journey and I was happy to go along for the ride。Read by Suzie
Lindsay Harris
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This was incredibly disappointing。 I love John Irving。 My favorite book in the world is A Prayer for Owen Meany。 SI was excited to hear he was coming out with a new book。 I got about 14% into this book and decided I just couldn't read any more of it。 It was incredibly long and boring。 There was nothing to grab my attention and urge me to read more。 It does not have any of the masterful writing that I associate with John Irving。 This book just wasn't for me。 It could have used some serious editin This was incredibly disappointing。 I love John Irving。 My favorite book in the world is A Prayer for Owen Meany。 SI was excited to hear he was coming out with a new book。 I got about 14% into this book and decided I just couldn't read any more of it。 It was incredibly long and boring。 There was nothing to grab my attention and urge me to read more。 It does not have any of the masterful writing that I associate with John Irving。 This book just wasn't for me。 It could have used some serious editing。 Perhaps if they had done a significant edit， it could have been readable。 。。。more
Amy Sunshine
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Thank you to #SimonandSchuster and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #TheLastChairlift。I've read and enjoyed several John Irving novels。 In fact， A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my all time favorites。 So I was excited to get an advanced copy of his latest book。 Unfortunately， I was really disappointed and DNF'd around 50%。There are so many similarities with his other novels - only child/boy， independent mother， absent/unnamed father， lots of quirky characters， New England setting， LGBTQ themes Thank you to #SimonandSchuster and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #TheLastChairlift。I've read and enjoyed several John Irving novels。 In fact， A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my all time favorites。 So I was excited to get an advanced copy of his latest book。 Unfortunately， I was really disappointed and DNF'd around 50%。There are so many similarities with his other novels - only child/boy， independent mother， absent/unnamed father， lots of quirky characters， New England setting， LGBTQ themes， wrestling。 While I found most of the characters moderately interesting， the various nick names for each character got really annoying along with the shifting between time periods。 When the main character - a writer - name checked John Irving （come on！） and I realized I still had 450+ more pages to go， I just couldn't go on。I know there are rabid John Irving fans who will love this book。 I'm just not one of them。 。。。more
Meghan ReadsBooks
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Thank you Simon & Schuster for the gift of The Last Chairlift。 Let me start。。 yeah it's long。 umm have you read other Irving？ He takes his time letting you get into his world， his characters' lives， and he goes on tangents and weaves and it all comes together。， it feels very much like you live in the world he creates and like any world it is filled with unexpected paths and characters and little sideways dips into backstories and events/people that all come together if you sit with it。 If you do Thank you Simon & Schuster for the gift of The Last Chairlift。 Let me start。。 yeah it's long。 umm have you read other Irving？ He takes his time letting you get into his world， his characters' lives， and he goes on tangents and weaves and it all comes together。， it feels very much like you live in the world he creates and like any world it is filled with unexpected paths and characters and little sideways dips into backstories and events/people that all come together if you sit with it。 If you don't like long books then take a pass。 If you are a fan of Irving you know that this is character driven work with themes on coming of age， identity， loving but complicated family and relationships， and a quest to understand the self in a constantly shifting world。 I loved it， took my time with it throughout Sept and Oct， and am glad I could read at that pace。I promise， as the editor's note states the meaning of the title and cover， of Adam's story， and the length of the story all do come together。 。。。more
Erica
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I wanted to enjoy， or at least appreciate this book。 John Irving is one of the masters of the contemporary novel， and I had heard so many raves about this novel that I expected it to be profound and brilliant。And maybe it is profound and brilliant， but it really， really， really isn't the novel for me。 I found the writing verbose and vague。 The coarseness with which Irving treats his characters， especially their physical differences， was off-putting， and the sheer length of the book means that an I wanted to enjoy， or at least appreciate this book。 John Irving is one of the masters of the contemporary novel， and I had heard so many raves about this novel that I expected it to be profound and brilliant。And maybe it is profound and brilliant， but it really， really， really isn't the novel for me。 I found the writing verbose and vague。 The coarseness with which Irving treats his characters， especially their physical differences， was off-putting， and the sheer length of the book means that any payoff or purpose is hundreds of pages later。 The numerous scenes of physical and sexual humiliation - some of which seem intended as humor - were the final straw。 I read only a quarter of this book - over two hundred pages - which was more than enough。[I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher。 Opinions are my own。] 。。。more
Jerry
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Irving's latest and announced last long novel is truly epic in scope， characters， social commentary all while focusing on a somewhat familiar story of a man searching for his origin while balancing a complicated family and social life。 The familiar themes that appear in other Irving works; wrestling， ghosts， tragedy， sexual/gender identity and associated politics all appear in the The Last Chairlift。 However he manages to bring a fresh approach and perspective in the plot progression。 Without gi Irving's latest and announced last long novel is truly epic in scope， characters， social commentary all while focusing on a somewhat familiar story of a man searching for his origin while balancing a complicated family and social life。 The familiar themes that appear in other Irving works; wrestling， ghosts， tragedy， sexual/gender identity and associated politics all appear in the The Last Chairlift。 However he manages to bring a fresh approach and perspective in the plot progression。 Without giving too much away， the main character is a screenwriter/novelists as an adult and thus large portions of the book are told in screenplay format （like reading a script）。 At first I thought this might be disruptive to the flow of the book but Irving very cleverly weaves these scripts into the actual plot and I found it actually quite easy to read and understand as well as easy to return to the more "normal" pages of the book。 If you're a fan of John Irving's earlier works in particular The World According to Garp and Cider House Rules， I believe you'll like The Last Chairlift as there are similarities but told in a fresh and unique manner。 Finally I can't recall ever having a lot of laugh out loud moments in reading Irving's other books but I did The Last Chairlift to have more than a few very funny moments。 It is a great last work for Irving and I highly recommend this for both fans and newcomers to his work。 。。。more
Maureen Carden
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When I downloaded my ARC of The Last Chairlift I felt as if Christmas had come early with ten trees and the attendant presents。 I was exhausted when I finished opening all of Irving’s gifts。 I think for most of his life， John Irving has been a gift to those who read him; sometimes puzzling， sometimes generous， always loving。 I can immediately think of three Irving books that are on many people’s top ten list， or said to be the most influential book they have read， or the book of their generati When I downloaded my ARC of The Last Chairlift I felt as if Christmas had come early with ten trees and the attendant presents。 I was exhausted when I finished opening all of Irving’s gifts。 I think for most of his life， John Irving has been a gift to those who read him; sometimes puzzling， sometimes generous， always loving。 I can immediately think of three Irving books that are on many people’s top ten list， or said to be the most influential book they have read， or the book of their generation。 I’m not sure where The Last Chairlift will fit into these accolades。 First off， readers might be defeated by the size， or some of the oddities of writing， or even the eccentricities of many of the characters。I give this book as an easy five stars。 All of the possible negatives above I mention， they are all part of the charm of The Last Chairlift。Adam Brewster is born to a competitive slalom skier， Little Ray。 Little Ray is a young single mother， a mother from an old family in Exeter， NH; a mother who will not divulge the identity of Adam’s father。 The search for Adams father becomes a central theme of Adams life。 Adam’s grandmother mostly raises Adam as Little Ray goes north every winter to work as a ski instructor with her best friend， Molly， a ski patroller。 He also has unpleasant aunts but lovely uncles and a few cousins-one of whom， Nora， becomes one of his closest friends and central to his life。 Elliot Barlow， Adam’s beloved small English teacher， stepfather， and eventual book editor is another character who becomes central to Adam’s life。 I will always love Elliot Barlow。 Possibly one of the loveliest， and loyal characters I have read of in years。Adam sees ghosts。 He sees them often and strongly， whether he is home or visiting the luxurious and venerable Hotel Jerome in Aspen。 Adam goes to the Hotel Jerome looking for his past。 Others in his life see the same ghosts， most do not。 The scenes of Adam reading children's stories to the ghosts of the Hotel Jerome were tremendously touching。 John Irving is also an award winning screenwriter， so it makes perfect sense the Aspen scenes of this book are presented as a screenplay。 Perfect sense， but a touch difficult to get used to as a reader。 Then I shudder to think about how much longer the book would be without this device and I am fine with it。 The screenplay scenes also help blunt some of the more emotional moments， yes， this can be good。This book covers 80 years， so people die。 Irving writes of death better than any other writer I have read。 Sometimes in The Last Chairlift ， it is shocking and heartbreaking， sometimes so very tender and gentle。 Sometimes both。 There is always a bit of foreshadowing so that one is not caught totally unprepared as has happened in Irving’s other books。 Sobbing， smiling， sometimes at the same time。 Yeah， Irving can write about death。 He writes just as tenderly of love， the other side of the coin。Irving is also a master of the comic， of the zany。 He believes that humor is one way we can console ourselves。 However， when he delves into horror of the AIDS crisis， he has to forgo his humor。 He makes up for it with his empathy and his rage。 Irving revisits the horrors of the 1980’s， a time of unmitigated tragedy at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic。 President Reagan’s inability to admit the deadly disease even existed helped the epidemic to explode。 Irving writes the most graphic and explicit descriptions of the deaths，both the physical and emotional， that I have ever read。 It's difficult not to turn away from the pages。 Don’t。 Just don’t。 He also writes of the people who refused to recognize reality， people who would only admit to AIDS as God’s punishment for homosexuality。So here we come to it， the sexual politics of The Last Chairlift 。 There are gay characters， some lovely gay and queer characters who die for their lifestyles。 There there is a transgendered character as glorious a character as Garp’s Roberta。 There is a married couple， one a self-hating gay and the other a self-hating homosexual， with a gay daughter， Em， who stops speaking and becomes a pantomimist because of shock and heartbreak over the behavior of her parents。 There is a comedy show in NY where Adam’s cousin Nora acts as the translator for Em， her girlfriend。 Parts of The Last Chairlift are disturbing。 As in Garp， Adam is conceived through the rape of his father。 This remains unacknowledged in both books。 Understandable in Garp because this was the 1970’s， not so understandable here。I also found it troubling how long Adam sleeps with his mother， although there was nothing of a sexual nature about it。 Maybe I am jealous， maybe I still miss having the comfort and feeling of a parent lying next to you or child clinging to your back。 Or， maybe it really is a very weird family dynamic with Little Ray and Adam。 I look at this review， then I remember the reviews I have read。 It is almost as if each of us is reviewing a different book。 The Last Chairlift is so massive in size， so epic in scope， it would be almost impossible to review the same book。 I apologize for all I have left out， go read the other reviews。 If you are a fan of John Irving or intrigued or intrepid enough to read this book， you will understand， you will be rewarded， and you will be left shaking your head。 One last thing， I still have no plan to read Moby Dick。 Ever。My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Simon and Schuster for an ARC。 。。。more
Kelly Young
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This was the first book by John Irving that I have read， although I did see and love the movie adaptation of The Cider House Rules， which led me to jump at the chance to get #TheLastChairlift from #NetGalley。I am so glad that I did！ This book and Irving's exquisite style of writing kept me fascinating from beginning to end。 I was so engaged in the story of Adam and his unconventional family that I was loathe to put the book down，What I appreciated most about the writing of the characters was tha This was the first book by John Irving that I have read， although I did see and love the movie adaptation of The Cider House Rules， which led me to jump at the chance to get #TheLastChairlift from #NetGalley。I am so glad that I did！ This book and Irving's exquisite style of writing kept me fascinating from beginning to end。 I was so engaged in the story of Adam and his unconventional family that I was loathe to put the book down，What I appreciated most about the writing of the characters was that they were portrayed first and foremost as both flawed and genuine; the main characters were loving and passionate， dedicated and loyal， yet capable of mistakes and at times less-than-admirable behaviour。 The issues of their gender and sexuality were not something that came across as stereotypical; these were people first， and I felt for them and their challenges。 Even the intolerant and callous characters of Adam's aunts came through as realistic; they are likely characters that everyone recognizes from their own families。Irving doesn't shy away from issues - be they political or social - and I ended up learning things about the political landscape in the 70's and 80's that I had missed out on as a teen and young adult。 The manner in which those issues affect his characters， and their reactions to those issues， fascinated me。The story of Adam's life - from the regular absences of his mother and the reading of Moby Dick to him by his grandmother， to his connecting with what he called the best father he could have asked for and the discovery of his birth father， to his 'unmarriageable' girlfriends and falling in love， to his acceptance of those he loves without question， and to his experiences with death - is riveting。 While the book does bog down in spots， the little details do come full circle， making for a complex and wonderful narrative。I did find the screenplay segments to be lacking in some of the emotion that is present in the rest of the book， but understand the reason for their inclusion。As I read through this whale of a book， the size of which was intimidating at the beginning and throughout as the percentage read on my Kindle seemed to barely budge at all， I found myself wondering how I could have missed out on this author up until now。 At no time in high school or university - where I studied English literature - did Irving's work come up。 Nor did Moby Dick， which is still waiting for me to open it。 Both， I think， are a shortfall in my reading history。This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year。 It is superbly written and will stick with me for a long time to come。 I do anticipate， however， that the 'book banners' out there will gleefully target it， which only means that it is worth reading。Finally， I have to say that the synopsis I read for the book does it no justice at all， making it sound like a simple story about ghosts， with no reference or hint of the depth of feeling and breadth of events it actually contains。 The Last Chairlift is so much more than the synopsis suggests。 。。。more
Krissy
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Thank you to Netgalley， Penguin Random House Canada， and Knopf Canada for providing an eARC copyAdam was born to a single mother and always wanted became a writer， and has always wanted to know who his father was。This book was not for me， I get 100 pages in and I could not continue。 The writing was not for me， and the family relationships made me very uncomfortable。
Ron Charles
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At 889 pages， John Irving’s new novel， “The Last Chairlift，” is an imposing brick of paper。 This is， in every way， Irving cubed。I have no objection to long books。 My favorite novel last year was “The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois，” by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers， which also clocks in at more than 800 pages。 But Jeffers has a lot to say。 Irving has a lot to say again。That sense of deja vu stems from Irving’s devotion to a particular set of themes and motifs: hotels， wrestling， absent fathers， sexual g At 889 pages， John Irving’s new novel， “The Last Chairlift，” is an imposing brick of paper。 This is， in every way， Irving cubed。I have no objection to long books。 My favorite novel last year was “The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois，” by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers， which also clocks in at more than 800 pages。 But Jeffers has a lot to say。 Irving has a lot to say again。That sense of deja vu stems from Irving’s devotion to a particular set of themes and motifs: hotels， wrestling， absent fathers， sexual gymnastics， etc。 But the familiarity of those elements also speaks to his mountainous presence in contemporary literature since the late 1960s。 Over a dozen years， starting in 1978， Irving published four remarkable novels in row: “The World According to Garp，” “The Hotel New Hampshire，” “The Cider House Rules” and “A Prayer for Owen Meany。” Popular and critically acclaimed movie adaptations have sewn Irving’s stories even more broadly into American culture。Now， at the age of 80， Irving has published his 15th novel， another persistently familiar， partially autobiographical epic about a man enduring a series of erotic and violent episodes。 Fans of the author’s work may appreciate the invitation to survey this vast rearrangement of his cherished tropes。 Who， after all， isn’t cheered to see the old Christmas decorations brought down from the attic one more time？ But everyone is likely to sympathize with the narrator of “The Last Chairlift，” who confesses on Page 856， “It seemed to me I was reading forever。”To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/books/。。。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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The Last Chairlift by John Irving is the highly recommended， albeit long-winded， story of the life of Adam Brewster。 This one is best for fans of Irving who will already be delighted to see a new novel。Adam Brewster shares an account of his life in this first person narrative。 In 1941 Adam Brewster's mother， Rachel （Ray） manages to get pregnant in Aspen， Colorado， at the National Championships where she was competing as a slalom skier。 The Brewster's live in Exeter， Vermont where Ray is a ski in The Last Chairlift by John Irving is the highly recommended， albeit long-winded， story of the life of Adam Brewster。 This one is best for fans of Irving who will already be delighted to see a new novel。Adam Brewster shares an account of his life in this first person narrative。 In 1941 Adam Brewster's mother， Rachel （Ray） manages to get pregnant in Aspen， Colorado， at the National Championships where she was competing as a slalom skier。 The Brewster's live in Exeter， Vermont where Ray is a ski instructor， but she leaves Adam with her mother and sisters during the ski season。 His grandmother really raises Adam。 All of Adam's family members are a progressive group of women and this is reflected in the plot。 Basically， the is the story of Adam's life。Certainly Irving covers all the topics that one expects him to cover in a novel。 These topics include: New Hampshire， unusual mothers， absent fathers， writers， ghosts， prep schools， dysfunctional family relationships， wrestling， sexuality， politics， cultural changes， etc。。 Following Adam's life from 1941 to the present， this is a novel that will celebrates unique families and the affection they share。 It exhibits tolerance and understanding for those who are different。The major drawback is that The Last Chairlift is simply too long。 Honestly， this is a novel that will exasperate many reader because it is so rambling and the plot is weak。 About a quarter of the novel is a screenplay written by Adam。 This is really a novel for fans of Irving's writing。 If you haven't read any of his novels， go back and start with The World According to Garp， A Prayer for Owen Meany， or Cider House Rules。 Between the length and the repetition in the writing， many readers will want to pass this one。 Irving has penned much better works， but he has said that this is his last long novel。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Simon and Schuster。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2022/1。。。 。。。more
Kelly Young
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This was the first book by John Irving that I have read， although I did see and love the movie adaptation of The Cider House Rules， which led me to jump at the chance to get #TheLastChairlift from #NetGalley。I am so glad that I did！ This book and Irving's exquisite style of writing kept me fascinating from beginning to end。 I was so engaged in the story of Adam and his unconventional family that I was loathe to put the book down，What I appreciated most about the writing of the characters was tha This was the first book by John Irving that I have read， although I did see and love the movie adaptation of The Cider House Rules， which led me to jump at the chance to get #TheLastChairlift from #NetGalley。I am so glad that I did！ This book and Irving's exquisite style of writing kept me fascinating from beginning to end。 I was so engaged in the story of Adam and his unconventional family that I was loathe to put the book down，What I appreciated most about the writing of the characters was that they were portrayed first and foremost as both flawed and genuine; the main characters were loving and passionate， dedicated and loyal， yet capable of mistakes and at times less-than-admirable behaviour。 The issues of their gender and sexuality were not something that came across as stereotypical; these were people first， and I felt for them and their challenges。 Even the intolerant and callous characters of Adam's aunts came through as realistic; they are likely characters that everyone recognizes from their own families。Irving doesn't shy away from issues - be they political or social - and I ended up learning things about the political landscape in the 70's and 80's that I had missed out on as a teen and young adult。 The manner in which those issues affect his characters， and their reactions to those issues， fascinated me。The story of Adam's life - from the regular absences of his mother and the reading of Moby Dick to him by his grandmother， to his connecting with what he called the best father he could have asked for and the discovery of his birth father， to his 'unmarriageable' girlfriends and falling in love， to his acceptance of those he loves without question， and to his experiences with death - is riveting。 While the book does bog down in spots， the little details do come full circle， making for a complex and wonderful narrative。I did find the screenplay segments to be lacking in some of the emotion that is present in the rest of the book， but understand the reason for their inclusion。As I read through this whale of a book， the size of which was intimidating at the beginning and throughout as the percentage read on my Kindle seemed to barely budge at all， I found myself wondering how I could have missed out on this author up until now。 At no time in high school or university - where I studied English literature - did Irving's work come up。 Nor did Moby Dick， which is still waiting for me to open it。 Both， I think， are a shortfall in my reading history。This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year。 It is superbly written and will stick with me for a long time to come。 I do anticipate， however， that the 'book banners' out there will gleefully target it， which only means that it is worth reading。Finally， I have to say that the synopsis I read for the book does it no justice at all， making it sound like a simple story about ghosts， with no reference or hint of the depth of feeling and breadth of events it actually contains。 The Last Chairlift is so much more than the synopsis suggests。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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I've really struggled with what to say about this novel- this huge sprawling novel that hits all the themes we've seen before in Irving's books- and the most praise I have is for the editor（s） who worked with him。 The basic plot- Adam's hunt for his father， the man who impregnated his mother Ray， ebbs and flows and is sometimes forgotten as we're taken down various rabbit holes， including pages and pages about her wedding to the small （4 foot nine） man she ultimately marries。 There are the paten I've really struggled with what to say about this novel- this huge sprawling novel that hits all the themes we've seen before in Irving's books- and the most praise I have is for the editor（s） who worked with him。 The basic plot- Adam's hunt for his father， the man who impregnated his mother Ray， ebbs and flows and is sometimes forgotten as we're taken down various rabbit holes， including pages and pages about her wedding to the small （4 foot nine） man she ultimately marries。 There are the patented Irving odd deaths （the grandfather struck by lighting and so on）， the pairings， the relationships。 It's set in Exeter， on ski slopes， in Toronto。 There's wrestling。 There's skiing。 Adam's family， his aunts uncles， cousins are all larger than life but the one to pay attention to is Nora and her partner Em。 It's exhausting。 So much happens and then nothing happens。 It's so Irving-esque and I found myself wondering if I felt this way about his earlier books。 Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC。 Fans of Irving （and I counted myself among them） will want to give this a chance because， with patience， there are rewards among the words。 。。。more
eyes。2c
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Irving can do no wrong for some fans。 I however， found this novel so_o_o long。 At times I was deeply involved， the words and ideas fantastic， and at others， I was so over it， it was a struggle to continue。Love it or hate it， it’s still the latest word from a giant of a writer， and that’s enough to make a start。A Simon & Schuster ARC via NetGalley。 Many thanks to the author and publisher。
LoneStarWords Deb Coco
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Everything was about sex and secrets。The Last ChairliftJohn Irving•First， I have to say that John Irving wrote two novels that are among my favorites of all time: A Prayer for Owen Meany and The Cider House Rules， so I feel a certain allegiance to him。 And because my mom grew up with him in Exeter， NH and years later， our daughters attended a school he helped to found in Vermont， there's a lot caught up in my consciousness。•Honest thoughts: If you have never read Irving， please don't start here。 Everything was about sex and secrets。The Last ChairliftJohn Irving•First， I have to say that John Irving wrote two novels that are among my favorites of all time: A Prayer for Owen Meany and The Cider House Rules， so I feel a certain allegiance to him。 And because my mom grew up with him in Exeter， NH and years later， our daughters attended a school he helped to found in Vermont， there's a lot caught up in my consciousness。•Honest thoughts: If you have never read Irving， please don't start here。 Not only is this 900 pages， but the two I cited prove his worthiness as one of our greatest novelists and highlight his talents。 And of course there is The World According to Garp and the accompanying movie that heightened his fame。 I believe he's penned 18 novels in total - a remarkable achievement。•Much of this is autobiographical - an author from Exeter who is a wrestler and later lives in Vermont。 And for me， so much of my reading experience felt like going home not just because of having lived in this setting too， but because his writing style feels familiar。 That said， this is much more "off color" than all his other novels， IMO。 I admit I had to skim parts because it was too much。•And unfortunately， the storyline gets caught up in personal politics and religion and the feeling of falling into a story became the agony of being lectured to by an author - it's very heavy handed and repetitive。 I gave a ton of wiggle room here and saw the entire 900 pages through because I wanted to be fair but this needed a solid edit。 I would not have made it through the entire book without the #gifted audio from @simon。audio so a huge thank you and also to @simonandschuster for the gorgeous finished copy。•This does not change my adoration for Irving and his books will always sit proudly on my shelves。 I've gifted Owen Meany more times than I can count and have a cat named after his infamous character Homer Wells。 If you want to know what original storytelling with a meaningful side of current events looks like， grab those two books。•If you've always loved Irving， most likely you can't look away from this one and I would never stop you。 Out 10-18。 Rounded up to 2。5。 。。。more
Sharon Umbaugh
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I adore John Irving's novels and The Last Chairlift glows with humor， compassion and depth。 When I read the first page， it was like meeting old friends， Irving's voice is so familiar。 A pure joy to read。 Thank you Mr。 Irving。 I adore John Irving's novels and The Last Chairlift glows with humor， compassion and depth。 When I read the first page， it was like meeting old friends， Irving's voice is so familiar。 A pure joy to read。 Thank you Mr。 Irving。 。。。more
=^。^= Janet =^。^=
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NOTE: this is a quick review as I was reading a fellow librarian's ARC when I was approved by Netgalley。Publication Date: October 18， 2022Thank you to NetGalley， the author， and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book。 （FTC compliance met with this statement。） This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own， are not a result of compensation and may be affected by the fact that I currently have nothing better to do than read multiple b NOTE: this is a quick review as I was reading a fellow librarian's ARC when I was approved by Netgalley。Publication Date: October 18， 2022Thank you to NetGalley， the author， and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book。 （FTC compliance met with this statement。） This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own， are not a result of compensation and may be affected by the fact that I currently have nothing better to do than read multiple books a day as you would be AMAZED at how much reading you can get done when you are up 90% of the night due to anxiety！SYNOPSIS*****************One of the world’s greatest novelists returns with his first novel in seven years—a ghost story and a love story， spanning eight decades of sexual politics。John Irving has written some of the most acclaimed books of our time—among them， The World According to Garp， The Cider House Rules， A Prayer for Owen Meany， and A Widow for One Year。 TIME magazine describes his work as “epic and extraordinary and controversial and sexually brave。” Now Irving has written what he calls his last long novel—only shorter ones ahead。 In Aspen， Colorado， in 1941， Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill and Slalom Championships。 Little Ray， as she is called， finishes nowhere near the podium， but she manages to get pregnant。 Back home， in New England， Little Ray becomes a ski instructor。 Her son， Adam， grows up in a family that defies conventions and evades questions concerning the eventful past。 Years later， looking for answers， Adam will go to Aspen。 In the Hotel Jerome， where he was conceived， Adam will meet some ghosts; they aren’t the first or the last ghosts he sees。 If you’ve never read a John Irving novel， you’ll be captivated by storytelling that is tragic and comic， embodied by characters you’ll remember long after you’ve finished their story。 If you have read John Irving before， you’ll rediscover the themes that made him a bard of alternative families—a visionary voice on the subject of sexual freedom。 The author’s favourite tropes are here， but this meticulously plotted novel has powerful twists in store for readers。 This is a bloody long and bloody mess of a book 。。。 I am really not sure if I "got it"。 I kept asking myself why I was TORTURING MYSELF reading this book 。。。 but I needed to make a stab at it for book club。 What did I get out of OVER 900 pages？？THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO LOVE A PERSON。。okay。 I think。 I am so ambivalent about this book that I cannot even write a review stating anything much more than if you love Margaret-Atwood-type books， you will love this。 I am moving on as there are too many great books out there to read。 。。。more
Judy
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A new book by John Irving？ Yes， please。 I was happy to be able to read this new novel because I have loved some of John Irving's ealier works: A Prayer for Owen Meany， The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules were all great books。 John Irving turns 80 this year - what an accomplishment to be releasing a new novel at age 80！ This tome is 912 pages and follows the life of Adam Brewster。 I can't begin to explain this book， so you'll have to read the book blurb for a description。 Suffic A new book by John Irving？ Yes， please。 I was happy to be able to read this new novel because I have loved some of John Irving's ealier works: A Prayer for Owen Meany， The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules were all great books。 John Irving turns 80 this year - what an accomplishment to be releasing a new novel at age 80！ This tome is 912 pages and follows the life of Adam Brewster。 I can't begin to explain this book， so you'll have to read the book blurb for a description。 Suffice it to say the book is good， the characters are memorable and funny at times。 There are ghosts in the story that some can see and others cannot。 There are a lot of sexual politics and the characters are a mix of diverse gender identities。 The book is character driven and the characters are fully developed so I felt immersed in their lives - and I think I have a better understanding of various gender identities because of that。 This is not a traditional family Adam Brewster has spent his life with， but it is a family filled with love and caring。 There is a screenplay within the book as well。 One of the central themes was Adam's quest to find out who his father is and since his mother won't tell him， it's not an easy quest to undertake。 This book is very long and at times repetitive。 Sometimes I was bored and other times I was interested。 There is never any great action going on to keep me glued to the page， but yet there was something about the book that kept me reading。 There is a screenplay within the book as well。 One of the central themes was Adam's quest to find out who his father is and since his mother won't tell him， it's not an easy quest to undertake。 The Last Chairlife is not my favorite book by John Irving but I am glad I read it。 Some of the characters will stay in my mind for along time。 Thanks to Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy。 This book will be published on October 18， 2022。 。。。more
Carol Werner Harris
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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of John Irving's book， "The Last Chairlift" to be published Oct。 18， 2022。"The Last Chairlift" is about Adam's life。 He's the son of an unwed single mother。It's a very long read about his life， his beliefs over almost 80 years。I personally did not love the book as there was a lot of repetition。 I believe the book could have been half as long and still told the same story。I just reviewed The Last Chairlift by John Irving。 #TheL Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of John Irving's book， "The Last Chairlift" to be published Oct。 18， 2022。"The Last Chairlift" is about Adam's life。 He's the son of an unwed single mother。It's a very long read about his life， his beliefs over almost 80 years。I personally did not love the book as there was a lot of repetition。 I believe the book could have been half as long and still told the same story。I just reviewed The Last Chairlift by John Irving。 #TheLastChairlift #NetGalley 。。。more
Laurie
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John Irving has been one of my favorite authors for a long time。 I remember reading The World According to Garp when I was in my 20s and knowing I'd found an author I would follow。 And for many years I did。 He slipped off my radar for some reason a few years ago so I was excited to see this， his first book in seven years。This is the life of Adam Brewster。 It begins in early childhood with his skiing obsessed and mostly missing mother in New Hampshire and carries into late in his life living in T John Irving has been one of my favorite authors for a long time。 I remember reading The World According to Garp when I was in my 20s and knowing I'd found an author I would follow。 And for many years I did。 He slipped off my radar for some reason a few years ago so I was excited to see this， his first book in seven years。This is the life of Adam Brewster。 It begins in early childhood with his skiing obsessed and mostly missing mother in New Hampshire and carries into late in his life living in Toronto。 All along the way Adam is surrounded by interesting and somewhat quirky characters and although there are six main characters who are prominent， there are a number who sneak in and influence him in some way。 For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed riding along with Adam and his cast of characters on his life's journey。 I do feel， however， that similarly to a few other established authors， editing was an afterthought。 The story grabbed me from the beginning but it did drag a bit in places and at over 900 pages， I'm not surprised。 If you're also an Irving fan， I think you'll enjoy this book。 It has all the hallmarks of a good Irving novel: brilliant writing， unusual characters and a story line that captivates。Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book for review。 The publication date is October 18， 2022。 。。。more
Anya Leonard
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In classic John Irving fashion， this book was beautifully written， engaging， and drew me in almost immediately。 The story follows Adam， a young man who was conceived of his "tiny mother" who was a ski racer and continued throughout his life to teach skiing， but in a fit of rebelliousness， Adam chose to never learn to ski properly。 This was a beautiful tale of wonderful family drama， and I love John Irving。 Though a long book [912 pages - yeesh！] it was wonderfully woven and continued to draw att In classic John Irving fashion， this book was beautifully written， engaging， and drew me in almost immediately。 The story follows Adam， a young man who was conceived of his "tiny mother" who was a ski racer and continued throughout his life to teach skiing， but in a fit of rebelliousness， Adam chose to never learn to ski properly。 This was a beautiful tale of wonderful family drama， and I love John Irving。 Though a long book [912 pages - yeesh！] it was wonderfully woven and continued to draw attention despite its length。 We meet and are enchanted， as Adam grows and moves along in his life many different ghosts。 Additionally， the cast of characters grows and changes and you cannot help but love Nora， Adam's interesting and wonderfully written cousin。 I highly recommend this book， but understand that it is the sort of undertaking that requires a lot of time， as any 912 page book would do。 However， I know that true John Irving fans are with me on this one， and it is definitely worth the time you invest into it。 This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Stacie
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This book was a letdown。 Although I enjoyed past books by Irving， this one recycled a lot of plot points， was repetitive within itself， and was hard to push through the 900 or so pages （way too long！）。
Thomas Lambe
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I am 7% of the way through this。 While John Irving is likely my favorite all-time fiction writer and many of his books are absolutely gems （Owen， Garp， Cider。。。etc）， this one thus far is so disappointing。 Lack of a plot thus far has me ready to put this down for a while。 I may come back to it at some point but my TBR list is very exciting and this one is just blah thus far。 Maybe it gets going？
Lisa of Troy
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An Anthem For Our TimesThe Last Chairlift isn’t a perfect novel。 In fact， it is an awful mess at times。 But it speaks to me， and it moves me。Don’t read the book blurb。 It doesn’t accurately describe The Last Chairlift。So what is The Last Chairlift about？Well…。if it was easy to explain， the book blurb would be more accurate， but I’ll do my best。。。。On the surface， The Last Chairlift is about Adam’s life。 He is born to an unwed single mother， Little Ray。 He grows up with an eclectic family includin An Anthem For Our TimesThe Last Chairlift isn’t a perfect novel。 In fact， it is an awful mess at times。 But it speaks to me， and it moves me。Don’t read the book blurb。 It doesn’t accurately describe The Last Chairlift。So what is The Last Chairlift about？Well…。if it was easy to explain， the book blurb would be more accurate， but I’ll do my best。。。。On the surface， The Last Chairlift is about Adam’s life。 He is born to an unwed single mother， Little Ray。 He grows up with an eclectic family including a grandmother， aunts， uncles， and cousins。 We follow Adam through his life including how he navigates the sexual politics of those he loves and also his journey to discover the identity of his father。 At first glance， The Last Chairlift is horrible。 It is character driven， and it doesn’t have a strong plot。 It should have been broken up into various books as it is almost 1，000 pages。 Some of the topics aren’t that interesting （like wrestling…snooze fest）。 About 25% of the book is a screenplay which just doesn’t work （if you are really interested in a mixed media book that works check out Maddie Mortimer’s Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies）。There are also many， many similarities with A Prayer for Owen Meany。 Adam even lives on Front Street with his grandmother， the exact same street as in A Prayer for Owen Meany。 John Irving is a talented enough writer to create a different setting for The Last Chairlift。So all of that sounds awful right？ Why in the world did you rate this book 5 stars？ Have you lost your mind？Probably。 But that’s beside the point。The Last Chairlift felt like home: the little snowshoer， the little English teacher， Little Ray， the ski patroller， Em， Matthew， Adam， Nora。 These characters will stay with me for a long time。The Last Chairlift feels like what Lessons by Ian McEwan should have been。 Irving was able to elevate Adam’s problems from just Adam’s life to societal problems as a whole。 The Last Chairlift is much more than just the troubles of one man。But let’s talk about the symbolism， the deeper meanings of the book。In The Last Chairlift， Adam talks about editing his book， that when you put forth your work， you can’t be afraid of ruffling a few feathers。 He also talks about his small hands。 It reminds me of the song by Avicii， Wake Me Up。 “I tried carrying the weight of the worldBut I only have two hands。”Adam is one person。 He wants to make changes in the world， but how much can one person do？In the book， there are two characters who don’t speak: the grandfather and Em， the pantomimist。 This really moved me。 Aren’t there a whole bunch of people just talking， talking away？ Isn’t that essentially Twitter？ A whole bunch of people just talking and no one listening。 In fact， these days corporations direct us to chat bots and to leave voicemails that will never be returned。 Why try to engage when no one is listening？ People just don’t try anymore。 They retreat。 Em is incredibly interesting， and she has Nora who “interprets” her pantomime。 However， Nora is not always faithful in representing Em’s thoughts。 How many voiceless people groups are out there？ Many groups have an advocate， but that message being conveyed by the advocate might become garbled or not truly represent the underlying voiceless or powerless group。There is an event that happens， and Adam shows great bravery。 However， the press doesn’t consider Adam a hero。 For all of the people advocating for others without a voice or power， should they just give up？ Even if they are successful， they usually don’t get any credit， and they don’t even know if what they are doing is working。One of the characters in The Last Chairlift is Jasmine。 She is one of Adam’s girlfriends。 She is always calling her ex-boyfriends/husbands on the phone and chewing them out。 Why was she in the book？ Have you ever been caught up on something？ You just can’t move past it。 Is that our country？ Is that our society？ Are we caught up on the past so that we can’t move forward？In The Last Chairlift， there is also a lot of piggybacking between two characters。 At one crucial moment， one character carries the other。 Is that what we， as a society， need to do？ Do we need to carry each other？ *Thanks， NetGalley， for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion。Connect With Me！Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Last Chairlift
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Last Chairlift&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Last Chairlift&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0