Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet

Millet writes a deceptively simple novel about a man named Gil who, in the wake of a failed relationship, walks from New York City to Phoenix; we follow his story as he settles in his new home, discovers the desert landscape and wildlife, and builds new connections, starting with the family next door.

We only really see glimpses of the other people in Gil’s life, the bits and pieces of them that Gil encounters — and yet they show up as whole people, with their own messiness and complex motivations. In the process, we also experience the tension between the individual and the community, between one’s desires and one’s obligations, and the way that our lives play out in a web of relationships. And there all along, sometimes coming to the fore, are the ways that nature shapes our experiences (and how we shape it back, climate change and reckless hunting and all).

While the novel touches on difficult and dark subjects, they mostly stay on the fringes as Gil meanders through, making this a well-crafted, smooth read that never makes you directly confront the challenges it raises.

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Dinosaurs is part of the Tournament of Books, a sort of March Madness for 16 books from the previous year. If this sounds like an interesting event to you, I’d recommend checking out the list and trying at least one or two books that catch your eye!