Redhead by the Side of the Road
Book - 2020
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE
"Tyler's novels are always worth scooping up--but especially this gently amusing soother, right now." --NPR
From the beloved Anne Tyler, a sparkling new novel about misperception, second chances, and the sometimes elusive power of human connection.
Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life.
But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever.
An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation.
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE
"Tyler's novels are always worth scooping up--but especially this gently amusing soother, right now." --NPR
From the beloved Anne Tyler, a sparkling new novel about misperception, second chances, and the sometimes elusive power of human connection.
Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life.
But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever.
An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation.
Publisher:
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2020.
Edition:
First edition.
Copyright Date:
©2020
ISBN:
9780525658412
0525658416
0525658416
Branch Call Number:
TYLER A
Characteristics:
177 pages ; 25 cm



Opinion
From Library Staff
As always, Tyler tells a small story that turns out to be a big story. And she does with an economy of exquisitely chosen words. -Randi, Sub Squad
From the critics

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Quotes
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Accelerating, he dutifully pictured an egg beneath his gas pedal; braking he glided to an almost undetectable stop. And whenever some other driver decided at the last minute that he needed to switch to Micah's lane, you could count on Micah to slow down and turn his left palm upward in a courtly after-you gesture. "See that?" the guys at Traffic God would say to one another. "Fellow's manners are impeccable."

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Add a CommentThis was the first Anne Tyler book I've read. It took me a few chapters to decide if I wanted to continue reading it but because it's on the shorter side and was moving along quickly, I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. It had a 'A Man Called Ove' vibe to it. I loved how Micah grew through the story, reminding us that we're never really finished growing. We always have something to learn from someone else.
Red-head is just OK. The good news is it's really short. Not until Chapter 6 did it start to seem like a funny Anne Tyler novel. The main character, Micah, is interesting enough, and mildly amusing with his strict habits and ordinary life. Micah has 5 or 6 sisters, *all* of whom are waitresses. Seems like a good ploy for interesting relationships and character-building, but the sisters are relegated to an excuse for Micha's reluctance to spend much time with his family. Ah the long-suffering male protagonist. This is quite a minor irritating point, but I noticed excessive use of the word "shucking" (of blazers, of coats). When you notice the writing like that, you're not having much enjoyment reading. If you haven't read any Anne Tyler novels, pick up some of her older ones.
Very, very much an Ann Tyler book, and although it was published in 2020 if the occupation of the main character was changed to maybe TV repairman, substituted land-lines for cell phones, and left out the computer references the story could be taking place in the 80's during Ann Tyler's hey-day. She retains her ability to illustrate personalities and the complexities of family lives through conversations and socializations, which is very enjoyable, but at the same time the story-line here is a little thin.
Very funny joke on pages 152-3 of the hardback copy
Meh. I would write a longer review but there really wasn't much to this book. The main character is a "Tech Hermit" which is incidentally the name of his business. This book read so fast I finished it in a day. There really was no development of the characters and the book is slightly depressing because the main character is basically starting to realize he is getting older (the college girlfriend he once had has a kid who is in college now himself) and he is so finicky, he can't seem to really get into a serious relationship. I wouldn't recommend this book (especially now when we need to look outside of ourselves a bit and appreciate other people) and it will be something I will probably forget about in a couple of days.
I really have always like Anne Tyler, but this was pretty thin.
Better than her other more recent books.
I agree - not my favorite Anne Tyler. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is the best in my reading world. I found the resolutions way too fast and was happy that the ending left readers open to possibilities and not a happy ever after conclusion. I do think the way she looks at people from the inside and the outside is wonderful - you can picture them and their MO. Here's a great line from the novel "Women kept the world running, really. (There was a definite difference between "running the world" and "Keeping it running." Yes, indeed.
Booker Prize 2020 Long List
An introspective study of someone else's life- if that makes any sense. Not my favorite Anne Tyler- the ending was meaningless to me.