Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Spring Reads: The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans



Simon & Schuster; 300 pages; $19.99
My original plan was to read more of  the The Broken Road late last night, but I had to put that idea aside when I noticed I had a few posts that needed to be set up for today. Nevertheless, I awoke bright & early this morning, made a cup of strong coffee, sat in a cozy recliner, and opened The Broken Road to chapter one. After a few refills of coffee, I finished reading the book.

Unlike many Richard Paul Evans' titles that either have a Christmas or romance theme (or both), The Broken Road has neither. Instead this novel is about the journey of finding redemption.

Four years ago, Mr. Evans took a trip on Route 66 to research his upcoming book. Though he had somewhat of an idea of what the plot might be about, he changed his mind after meeting an unique man, who gave him inspiration for The Broken Road.

The novel is written from the point-of-view of Charles James, a Chicago celebrity who struck rich with his 'get rich' seminars and a few bestselling nonfiction titles. Despite all the money and fame, something is missing from his life. After having a few bad dreams, he visits a shrink, and through a few appointments he tells life story up to that point of time.

Final Thoughts: I had read the prologue last Wednesday, and it didn't really connect with me as thought it would, so I put off reading the rest of it until today; though mostly due to the fact that I have another book at the library reserved and I want to take this book back while I'm picking up the other one this afternoon.

Anyhow, I struggled through the first few chapters this morning as I couldn't connect with the main character (Charles); I mean I have nothing in common with a rich con artist. However, my feelings towards the character did change after he began telling the shrink about his childhood. Charles grew up in an abusive home; he didn't have very many friends; and he was bullied during his high school years. The character's childhood and his days before he became rich and famous were quite interesting to read.

Overall, while it's not the author's best work, I still enjoyed reading The Broken Road. It's a fast-paced, well-written read. I will give a warning that it does end on somewhat of a cliffhanger. A sequel, The Forgotten Road, will be published next spring!




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