Liked It, Didn’t Love It

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Virgil Wander by Leif Enger has received glowing reviews. For me, it was a decent novel, but melancholy, and somewhat forgettable. I think I missed the point of the story. I liked the characters, but there was a saddness to each of them. Together they made an unusual and interesting family, but there was an uncomfortable, unrelenting restlessness to them. Virgil Wander is suffering and recovering from a brain injury due to a car accident. He owns the Empress movie theater, which is both a blessing and a curse to him. He is revaluating his life and deciding if he wants to keep the theater. The story revolves around Virgil, but there is a charming cast of characters each working through life’s trials in his/her own way. There is also a good deal of kite-flying which to me represented the enjoyment of life’s simple pleasures. If you are looking for an action-packed story, this one is not for you, but if you like a novel with a more leisurely pace providing glimpses of the lives of residents from a small Midwestern town, then it is worth a try.