The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the work farm where he has just served a year for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother and head west where they can start their lives anew.
But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future.
Road Trip
A good road trip is all about the company as much as the journey and this book is no exception. With Emmett, Billy, Wooly and the Duchess, you have the perfect cast of characters to keep you entertained for the entire duration of this coming of age yarn.
As per usual, I don’t want to give much away plot wise, but their path to California doesn’t run smoothly (what a boring book that would be) and instead a succession of delays and interruptions, and with the past casting a shadow over the present, mean nothing goes smoothly. But what an entertaining trip it is.
Characters
I really liked the narrative structure in the book, with chapters alternating between the narrative voices. The story arcs interwine, and we see the same events from different perspectives.
In ‘The Lincoln Higway’ Towles again creates some unforgettable characters, none more so than the Duchess. He’s a complete rogue, complicated and troubled, but trying to atone for his past mistakes and comes up with a plan that he thinks will solve everyones problems.
What’s interesting about the Duchess is that he is a pretty amoral and selfish character, but his inner monologue is so full of charm and bonhomie that as a reader he sucked me right in. But of course just as in life, actions speaker louder than words.
Wooly falls for the Duchess’ undoubtable charm, and theres something tragic about him throughout. Billy is another great character, and I loved his relationship with Ulysses. He believes in heroes, has a heart of gold and is very often the wisest head in the room.
Emmet is more strait laced, and something of a moral compass in the book. In comparison to his brother and Duchess, he comes across as a bit dull. But his maturity and composure bring much admiration from the Duchess, who aspires to a similar moral code.
The journey the characters go on isn’t a straight road, literally and figuratively. Each of the characters has been abandoned in some way, and in that wide eyed americana way, they want to start fresh somewhere.
‘It wasn’t a bother at all, the old gent replied, gesturing toward his bed. I was only reading. Ah, I thought, seeing the corner of the book poking out from the folds of his sheets. I should have known. The poor old chap, he suffers from the most dangerous addiction of all.’
Writing
As ever, Towles prose is equisite. So much delicate details, sparky dialogue, and some wonderful set pieces. The characters are so wonderfully drawn that I was fairly bereft when the book was finished. It’s wonderfully funny, whilst there are some really moving scenes as well.
The ending of ‘The Lincoln Highway’ left me slightly divided. Whilst part of it hit me emotionally, another of the characters story arcs left me a bit conflicted. I suppose it was in keeping with their character but I had imagined something different. I could have done with another 100 pages, but that’s just me being selfish and every story has to come out somewhere.
Summary
I’ve been trying to ration Amor Towles books but I couldn’t hold out any longer. He’s become a must read author for me - I find his style of writing charming and witty, and he creates these wonderfully flawed but utterly loveable roguish characters. For me it’s definitely up there with ‘Rules of Civility’ and parts of ‘Table for Two’, whilst ‘A gentleman in Moscow’ is a modern masterpiece. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and quite sad I’ve no more Amor Towles books to read.
‘Wouldn’t it have been wonderful, thought Woolly, if everybody’s life was like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. . . .one person’s life would just fit snugly in its very own, specially designed spot, and in so doing, would enable the whole intricate picture to become complete.’