Right from the get-go, I knew The Deal of a Lifetime wasn’t a book I would love. I waited patiently to check this out from the library, not realizing it was a novella. I was surprised when I finished it in less than a half-hour. I have raved about all of the other Backman books I’ve read. I always expect to get “the feels” from his books. Sadly, this short story didn’t produce that feeling.
Synopsis
The Deal of a Lifetime is a story about life, death, and what you do between those two things. A selfish man who had not been a good father ties up loose ends with his son, before helping a little girl with cancer in a strange way.
My Thoughts
I found this story to be slightly confusing. There wasn’t a lot of background information about the characters. It is easy to see the father is selfish, but they’re only a few tidbits given about the son and the sick little girl. I like to know the characters when I read, feel what they are feeling, and love or hate them. I didn’t know enough about them to feel this way. I realize it is a short story, meaning there isn’t room for a lot of detail. Part of my problem is I am not a short story type of reader. If you are, give it and read and tell me what you think.
