Book Review: Jess Walter's 'So Far Gone' sets a redemption story in fractured, modern America
Consider 'So Far Gone,' the new novel by Jess Walter. Set in present day America, it opens with two kids wearing backpacks knocking on a cabin door. 'What are you fine young capitalists selling?' asks Rhys Kinnick, before realizing the kids are his grandchildren. They carry with them a note from Kinnick's daughter, describing dad as a 'recluse who cut off contact with our family and now lives in squalor in a cabin north of Spokane.'
It's a great hook that draws you in and doesn't really let up for the next 256 pages. We learn why Kinnick pulled a Thoreau and went to the woods seven years ago , as well as the whereabouts of Kinnick's daughter, Bethany, and why her messy marriage to a guy named Shane led to Kinnick's grandchildren being dropped off at his cabin.
In a neat narrative gimmick, the chapters are entitled 'What Happened to ___' and fill in the main strokes of each character's backstory, as well as what happens to them in the present timeline. Told with an omniscient third-person sense of humor, the book's themes are nonetheless serious. On the demise of journalism in the chapter 'What Happened to Lucy,' one of Kinnick's old flames and colleagues at the Spokesman-Review: She 'hated that reporters were expected to constantly post on social media… before knowing what their stories even meant.' Or Kinnick's thoughts as he holds a .22 Glock given to him just in case by a retired police officer who is helping him get his grandkids back from the local militia: 'The shiver that went through his arm! The power!… The weight of this gun was the exact weight of his anger and his fear and his sense of displacement… That's where its incredible balance lay.'
As Kinnick links up with various characters and drives across the Northwest in search of his daughter and grandchildren, the plot unfolds quickly. Most readers won't need more than a day or two to reach the final page, which satisfies the Thoreau quote Walter uses in the story's preface: 'Not till we are lost… 'till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves.'
book reviews: /hub/book-reviews
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- The Hindu
Letters to the Editor — July 19, 2025
A musical bond The article, 'The musical bond', which covered the conversation between mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman and Marxist leader M.A. Baby, at The Hindu office (Friday Review, July 18) took me back in time. Comrade A.S.R. Chari (Delhi), an eminent barrister, was so fond of Carnatic music that every year he would arrange for a programme of Chamber music in his sprawling bungalow in Defence Colony. He was a close friend of Flute Mali. I attended a performance of Mali in his house where Mali played the Kapi Rag for four hours — it was the favourite Rag of Chari. Indira Parthasarathy, Chennai Clean city It is commendable that Indore has been recognised for sustained cleanliness (Page 1, July 18). No programme can become a success without the wholehearted cooperation of the people. Every city and municipal corporation must emulate Indore's success story. Kshirasagara Balaji Rao, Hyderabad
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Drake and LeBron James attend Indian-origin man's wedding in Toronto? Fans speculate as video, pic go viral
Drake and LeBron James fans are elated, as they think the stars were in the same place while attending the wedding of Indian-Canadian Vinay Virmani. This came amid speculations of a rift between the longtime friends following LeBron siding with Kendrick Lamar during Drake's feud with almost everyone in 2024. 'Drake & LeBron James are reportedly at the same wedding currently. The wedding is for Vinay Virmani, who works at LeBron's company 'Uninterrupted' which Drake is an investor in. The wedding is taking place in Toronto where LeBron has been recently spotted,' an X user wrote while sharing a photo and a video. The picture is an Instagram story uploaded on Drake's profile. It shows him standing beside a picture of the couple with the words 'Congrats, my brother' written on it. The video, re-shared from TikTok, opens with a caption that reads, 'LeBron James spotted in Toronto.' Since then, fans have been speculating that both were there to attend the same wedding. cannot independently verify the claim. Their friendship blossomed when LeBron attended Drake's 'So Far Gone' mixtape release party in 2009, which the rapper later called a pivotal moment in his career. They continued to support each other publicly, and their friendship grew stronger. They would show up at each other's parties, important events, and even family gatherings. However, the alleged rift between the longtime friends came after Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us'. LeBron publicly embraced the track, which allegedly caused a wedge between him and Drake. According to his LinkedIn profile, Virmani is an Indian-Canadian writer and actor. He is also the founder of the Toronto film and TV production company First Take Entertainment. He is a partner and chief content officer with Uninterrupted, a joint venture founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. According to a 2019 report by the Hollywood Reporter, Drake became a part owner and promoter of Uninterrupted Canada, the NBA star's digital athlete empowerment platform.
Hindustan Times
09-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Book Review: Jess Walter's 'So Far Gone' sets a redemption story in fractured, modern America
When the history of the United States in 2025 is written, perhaps one of the best things that will be said is: 'Well, it made for some great art.' Consider 'So Far Gone,' the new novel by Jess Walter. Set in present day America, it opens with two kids wearing backpacks knocking on a cabin door. 'What are you fine young capitalists selling?' asks Rhys Kinnick, before realizing the kids are his grandchildren. They carry with them a note from Kinnick's daughter, describing dad as a 'recluse who cut off contact with our family and now lives in squalor in a cabin north of Spokane.' It's a great hook that draws you in and doesn't really let up for the next 256 pages. We learn why Kinnick pulled a Thoreau and went to the woods seven years ago , as well as the whereabouts of Kinnick's daughter, Bethany, and why her messy marriage to a guy named Shane led to Kinnick's grandchildren being dropped off at his cabin. In a neat narrative gimmick, the chapters are entitled 'What Happened to ___' and fill in the main strokes of each character's backstory, as well as what happens to them in the present timeline. Told with an omniscient third-person sense of humor, the book's themes are nonetheless serious. On the demise of journalism in the chapter 'What Happened to Lucy,' one of Kinnick's old flames and colleagues at the Spokesman-Review: She 'hated that reporters were expected to constantly post on social media… before knowing what their stories even meant.' Or Kinnick's thoughts as he holds a .22 Glock given to him just in case by a retired police officer who is helping him get his grandkids back from the local militia: 'The shiver that went through his arm! The power!… The weight of this gun was the exact weight of his anger and his fear and his sense of displacement… That's where its incredible balance lay.' As Kinnick links up with various characters and drives across the Northwest in search of his daughter and grandchildren, the plot unfolds quickly. Most readers won't need more than a day or two to reach the final page, which satisfies the Thoreau quote Walter uses in the story's preface: 'Not till we are lost… 'till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves.' book reviews: /hub/book-reviews
