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Downtown Owl
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
24 posts | 23 read | 25 to read
New York Times bestselling author and oneofAmericastop cultural critics (Entertainment Weekly) Chuck Klostermans debut novel brilliantly captures the charm and dread of small town lifenow available in trade paperback. Somewhere in rural North Dakota, there is a fictional town called Owl. They dont have cable. They dont really have pop culture, but they do have grain prices and alcoholism. People work hard and then they die. But thats not nearly as awful as it sounds; in fact, sometimes its perfect. Mitch Hrlicka lives in Owl. He plays high school football and worries about his weirdness, or lack thereof. Julia Rabia just moved to Owl. A history teacher, she gets free booze and falls in love with a self-loathing bison farmer. Widower and local conversationalist Horace Jones has resided in Owl for seventy-three years. They all know each other completely, except that theyve never met. But when a deadly blizzard based on an actual storm that occurred in 1984hits the area, their lives are derailed in unex- pected and powerful ways. An unpretentious, darkly comedic story of how it feels to exist in a community where local mythology and violent reality are pretty much the same thing, Downtown Owl is a satisfying character study and strikes a perfect balance between the funny and the pro- found (Publishers Weekly).
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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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quote
keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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This passage sounds familiar, and I think that it's because Klosterman might have written the exact same thing in one of his nonfiction books. I'll have to check what I posted here on Litsy to see if this is the case. Either way, this is an interesting thought.

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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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I used to live in a town like this.

BookishMarginalia 😳😖 3y
7 likes1 comment
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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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That's an interesting thought, the idea that mail isn't delivered on Columbus Day for no reason other than that he was a bad explorer. I also like the insult "two-dollar jackass." I think I'll start using that.

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keithmalek
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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review
Addison_Reads
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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Pickpick

#ReadingUSA2019 #NorthDakota @Librarybelle

This book took me by surprise. What starts out as just a book about people in a small town, quickly develops into a complex look into the inner dreams and anxieties of individuals who are shaped by the people, and the town of Owl. Such a witty, honest, unpredictable read and I'm glad I finally read it.

I will definitely check out other books by this author.

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neenie
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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the fact that everyone has one or two ridiculous nicknames in this book is my current favorite thing

review
saresmoore
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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Pickpick

This is a great book. Wry and honest, it's wholly character driven & the town of Owl itself is the most developed character of all. Klosterman creates laugh out loud paragraphs and writes in a smart, but still conversational way. I truly enjoyed reading this, even in spite of the American football references. It's as much about small-town life in the '80's as it is about simply living. I think it would appeal to a wide cross section of readers.

saresmoore @vivastory Thanks so much for recommending this! It was great fun and I loved it—even (maybe especially) the ending. Although, I just really wanted John Laidlaw to die. Really, really. 7y
vivastory @saresmoore I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I felt like it was a really honest look at small town America. I appreciated how Klosterman portrayed the characters as more than simple stereotypes. You can tell he has a real love/hate relationship with rural America. I agree about Laidlaw. I may have to read his other novel soon. 7y
saresmoore @vivastory Yes! Love/hate relationship is apt. Certain chapters, like the one with the con man, left me in disbelief at Horace's rural ignorance, but no less endeared to the character. Klosterman could have so easily taken a detached approach to the writing, but I love that he chose to face uncertainties and take the reader through that mental tug-of-war. 7y
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Yournewfriendsams Sounds way good. I'm really interested in reading a novel by him. 7y
Yournewfriendsams I got these for my dude a few years ago. They're super fun because C.K. has a dark and twisty brain for sure 😶 HYPERtheticals: 50 Questions for Insane Conversations https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307587924/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rKRqzb21STJXX (edited) 7y
saresmoore @Yournewfriendsams Those look awesome! I almost wish C.K. had gotten a bit more dark & twisty in this book. Ima check out his other novel, too. 7y
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saresmoore
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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Shades of American Gods! Also, this book is witty and unpredictable and I'm loving it.

vivastory I loved this section 7y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk I noticed this in my brother's old room at my parents' house yesterday. May just have to poach it. 7y
saresmoore @TobeyTheScavengerMonk Yes! Poach away! I'm loving it and it comes recommended by @vivastory , so. 7y
LeahBergen I've been meaning to try this author. This bit is persuading me! 7y
74 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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saresmoore
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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"By chance, Julia did enjoy bowling. However, when the most positive detail about your new home is that the bowling alley is thriving, you have to like bowling A LOT in order to stave off depression. And—right now, in the middle of this conversation—Julia was more depressed than she had ever been in her 23-year existence..." ?

saresmoore "...As she sat in Walter Valentine's office, she felt herself wanting to take a nap on the floor. But she (of course) did not do this; she just looked at him, nodding and half smiling. She could always sleep later, after she finished crying." 7y
mjdowens This sounds interesting enough I had to add to my TBR 7y
saresmoore @mjdowens It is so clever! It has sucked me right in and I'm laughing out loud. 7y
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vivastory It gets even better 7y
saresmoore @vivastory I think I'm starting to see where it's going... 7y
shawnmooney Until I read this quote I had never heard anything about this writer that interested me. Now I am. :-) 7y
vivastory @shawnmooney It's one of only two novels by him 7y
saresmoore @vivastory I am loving the nicknames, especially Grendel! He is great at character development. 7y
Billypar I'm a big fan but I've always been hesitant of the fiction just because I've never seen an author make a leap like pop culture to fiction. But I might just check this out now. 7y
saresmoore @Billypar It's really good! Wry and clever (but in an unassuming way) with great characterization and story flow. I'm enjoying it a lot. 7y
batsy I would ordinarily not have checked this out (there's sports involved? 😱) but the quotes you're sharing have persuaded me... 7y
saresmoore @batsy Not just sports, but small town American high school football. BUT, there've only been two or three pages that I've skimmed because my eyes glazed over in protest to reading about punts and downs and stuff. It's enough, though, that I'm totally counting this as a book about sports for a reading challenge. 7y
LauraBeth I'm the same as @Billypar - have read his non-fiction and am a fan but not sure how he'd come across in non-fiction. 🤔 Does he insert pop culture soap box stands as dialogue? 7y
saresmoore @LauraBeth There is plenty of fun '80's pop culture and there is one music discussion between two of the characters, but this book is much more about the people and the town of Owl, North Dakota. It's really fun—I'm impressed! 7y
LauraBeth Okay - I'm sold! I'll try it because I do like him. I meant to say I wasn't sure how he'd come across in fiction 😀 7y
batsy @saresmoore Ok that's good to know! But more than one page definitely counts for the challenge, by my estimate ☺️ 7y
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blurb
saresmoore
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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I found that my husband had put my library holds on the shelf with our kids' books. 😳 I snatched them up pretty quickly.

vivastory Hope you like the Klosterman! 7y
saresmoore @vivastory I've already been sucked in. And it's talking about football, so that's impressive! 7y
shawnmooney Stephen Florida! I'm not sure where it's going but I sure am enjoying it so far! 7y
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saresmoore @shawnmooney That's what I like to hear! From the quotes you've shared, it sounds strange and gritty, but still compelling—a good balance to, well, everything else I'm reading. 7y
Suet624 Stephen Florida is the last book I received from my Powell's subscription... 😩😁 7y
saresmoore @Suet624 Oh, no! Haha! Did you read it? 7y
Suet624 Not yet. Received it 2 days ago. 7y
saresmoore @Suet624 I plan to eke out some time to start it today. I expect it to be pretty gritty! 7y
80 likes8 comments
review
vivastory
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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Pickpick

Set in the fictional town of Owl, North Dakota, Klosterman's book is an insightful portrayal of the cultural abyss of rural America in the early 80's. Klosterman is not interested in easy, one-dimensional characters. While a few characters have beliefs & personalities that fulfill stereotypes, many have unspoken dreams & anxieties that show them as complex characters whose lives are often determined by accidents & chance. A dark comedy.

saresmoore "Cultural abyss" is a great term. 7y
vivastory @saresmoore When the book opens the only movie theater had just closed & the bowling alley was described as "thriving"... 7y
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vivastory
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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vivastory
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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This is the funniest book i have read in a long time

Laalaleighh This reads like Roald Dahl for grown ups. 😂 stacked 📚 (edited) 7y
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vivastory
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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2/2

saresmoore Bahahahaha! There is so much good mascot potential here. 7y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk My brother's art school mascot was the Fighting Pickle. 7y
vivastory @saresmoore Right? 😀 7y
vivastory @TobeyTheScavengerMonk haha, that is amazing! 7y
32 likes4 comments
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vivastory
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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1/2

review
LaurenAsh
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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Pickpick

I love Chuck Klosterman. #LitsyAtoZ #LetterK #lunchbreakreading

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Jompa
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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Pickpick

This is the first novel I've read by Chuck Klosterman. It's been on the shelf for years and when it's finally read I must say it was surprising in many ways. First of all it wasn't as much about music as you'd think, even though more than most other books. Secondly, I didn't really like any of the characters but still found myself caring about them in the end.
It's a good book, I would still say Klosterman is at his best wen writing non fiction.

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Pete
Downtown Owl: A Novel | Chuck Klosterman
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Pickpick

Came across a copy of my favorite Chuck Klosterman novel in a newspaper box book exchange while getting brunch with my fiancé.

Nibletdad A fantastic combination of 'exactly what I expected' and 'not at all what I expected' that blended together wonderfully. 8y
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