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Book Review: The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews

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The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews is the first of her novels that I’ve read. Her writing style is different from anything I’ve read before and the story is a bit odd as are the characters.

The narrator of this story is 28 year old Hattie. She has come home from Paris after a break up with her boyfriend and a frantic call from her 11 year old neice Thebes. Hattie’s older sister Min has had another psychotic breakdown so Hattie rushes back to Manitoba to be with Thebes and her 15 year old nephew Logan and get her sister into the hospital for treatment.

They get Min set up in the hospital and Min asks Hattie to help her die. Of course Hattie won’t do that. Instead Hattie decides to take the kids on a road trip across the States to find their father who left years ago after being unable to deal with Min and her moods. This is where for me the book became strange. Thebes never bathes, is covered in fake tatoos and has filthy, purple, matted hair. Logan is non-communicative, expelled from school and always looking for a basketball court. This road trip is just them talking back and forth, stopping at places and meeting people. It’s just an odd trip all together.

The part of the story I found the most interesting were the flashbacks to Hattie and Min’s childhoood and how Min got to where she was now. It seems that after Hattie was born, Min began her descent into depression. There has always been a troubled relationship between Hattie and Min as Min’s depression affected the whole family in an adverse way, yet Hattie seems to still love her sister and would do anything for her although the reason Hattie left for Paris in the first place was to get away from Min. A quote from the book that sticks with me and shows us a glimpse into Min’s troubled mind is…that which she has emblazoned on her bedroom wall…Did she believe that for everything she ever got in her life, she would also lose something? It just seems really sad to me…

  • ‘If along the way, something is gained, then something will also be lost.’ —pg. 56

I think this novel really shows us the effects of mental illness on everybody around them, including themselves. We see a glimpse into their lives as they are falling apart. For me, none of the characters really grabbed me and held on other than Min and she really wasn’t the focus of the story to me; the road trip was. For me, the story was okay but not great. For fans of Miriam Toews writing style, I’m sure they’d enjoy it more than I did.

This book was released by Random House on September 2, 2008.

Other blogland reviews: Page 247

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  1. Interesting review! This doesn’t sound like my type of book but hey- so many books, so little time 🙂

  3. Sorry it didn’t quite work for you, Dar. It sounds like such a sad book. And on a side note, I like that cover a lot.

  4. I still haven’t gotten to a Toews book. I was going to read one for the Canadian Challenge, but didn’t get to it. Maybe you’ll like another one of hers better. 🙂

  5. This book was adapted into a movie I believe. I haven’t read the book, but I think I’ve seen the movie. The subject matter is a bit sad but then again, anything involving mental illness usually is.

  7. I’m like you and the others–I have to be interested in the characters to really be pulled into a story. What was it about the style that you didn’t like? Is it written in a different way?

  8. I bought this for my daughter for Christmas as she loved A Complicated Kindness. I’ll be interested to hear what she thinks of this one after reading your review.

  10. Your review was interesting (for lack of a better word).. I can see why you thought the book got weird. I would love to experiment and try this book sometime.. but not with my wish list growing this long:)i am beginning to think that i am better off reading books i know i will like:)

  14. Sam, I had originally gotten this author mixed up with another one so that's how I ended up reading it. lol.

    Wendy, it did have a really interesting premise and I think if it had been written a little differently I would have liked it a lot more.

    Nymeth, it was sad in many ways. The cover is pretty funky.

    Joy, true enough. I may give A Complicated Kindness a go someday as it's rec'd a lot of good reviews.

    Ti, this book apparantely resembles the movie Little Miss Sunshine. Now I don't know because I haven't seen it but that's what they say.

    Naida, that's the thing. I really have to feel something for the characters to be fully engaged and it just didn't happen for me.

    Trish, I guess I would describe the style as dis-jointed. It just ran on and on to me and a lot just didn't seem to have a lot to do with the story for me.

    Luanne, I'd be interested to hear what she thinks too because I do think if you're a fan of her writing you'll probably see this book in a different light than I did.

    Melody, yes it's a neat cover. I've seen a different one out there too that I don't like as much as this one.

    Ramya, yes I agree. Between my wish list and review copies and piles of books already owned it's nuts so I need to be reading ones I have more of an interest in although I thought I would like this one more so it's hard to tell.

    Kalea kane, yes the quote was sad but at the same time I really liked it.

    Tink & Veens, yes this is one of those covers that would make me pick it off a shelf to see what it might be about for sure.

  15. I recently won this book and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I very much enjoyed A Complicated Kindness a few months ago, due in large part to the fresh approach in which the story was told. Should be interesting to see if I like “Troutmans” as much. Love the quote you included in your review!

  16. I enjoyed A Complicated Kindness so I appreciate your review because I didn’t even know this book exsisted until now! Thanks 😀

  17. ‘If along the way, something is gained, then something will also be lost.’ —pg. 56

    that is a sad quote. Love the cover of the book. Sorry it didn’t measure up.

    Whenever I hear that a book didn’t work for someone, I always want to read to see if I feel the same way.