I might be the only person who preferred The Hottest State to this book. I didn't care too much about these deadbeat characters and their bad choices.

Ethan Hawke has made some interesting movies, and I've watched his chapter of Shakespeare Uncovered on PBS. Now I find that he has some serious writing chops. The young people he created for this story are so believable, their predicament so familiar and their pain and struggle so realistic that they seem drawn from life. I recommend this book.

Sprvu kniha pripomína Na Ceste od Kerouaca, vďaka čomu ma prvá polovica knihy veľmi nebavila. Knihy o road tripoch proste nie sú moja šálka kávy.
Je ale zaujímavé, že obaja hlavní hrdinovia sú tridsiatnici a nehľadajú slobodu, ale hľadajú cestu, ako sa vyrovnať s neistotou vo svojich životoch. Druhá polovica ma bavila viac, a páčilo sa mi aj, že Hawke písal jednotlivé kapitoly z pohľadu oboch hlavných hrdinov.

3,5*

I thought I wouldn't like it, but I did. It was a quick and interesting read. The second half was better than the first.

Some of my favourite moments:

1. The basketball challenge between Jimmy and the 12-year-old, who cries when he loses his brother's money.

2. This exchange:

Steve sat down next to me. "Responsibility," he hissed. "Screw a woman over thirty-five and she'll give you the ride of her life - makes an eighteen-year-old look like a blow-up doll. I'm not talking about sex, I'm talking about a sense of play. My wife, man, she doesn't understand that. She's forgotten how to laugh."

"Maybe you never say anything funny," the bearded man blurted out from his corner.

"Oh, I'm funny, don't you worry about that."

3. And this one:

"I hated our wedding," I said out loud. I hadn't ever thought about that before, but at that moment I felt somehow that marriage was responsible for all this misery.

"Shut up about the wedding," Jimmy said, not looking at me. "The wedding was tits, OK? It was the best time you ever had in your life."

I'm thrilled to have finally read one of Ethan's novels. 'Ash Wednesday' is a great read, with a raw dialogue, and a realistic conversation between a non-conventional duo with Jimmy and Christy. The story carried well and story was easy to follow. Reads a lot like Ethan's voice. Enjoyable read!

Preso in mano per curiosità: vediamo se il bravo attore sa anche scrivere? Dopo il primo terzo del libro è sorto il dubbio: vale la pena andare avanti? Ho deciso di andare fino in fondo ma dopo la conclusione mi è rimasta poco più che questa domanda: perché scrivere se non hai niente da raccontare? La storia della ragazza incinta e del suo fidanzato che si lasciano, litigano ma poi si sposano perché si amano potrebbe anche essere di interesse se raccontasse i processi psichici dei protagonisti, il loro sviluppo interiore. Purtroppo però gran parte del libro consiste in infiniti monologhi noiosi, sconclusionati e confusionali, dialoghi spesso pieni di banalità e luoghi comuni che non aiutano a conoscere o approfondire i caratteri. Ci sono scene inverosimili, i ricordi dei protagonisti non contribuiscono a capire meglio il loro presente. I personaggi non suscitano simpatia, interesse, emozione e alla fine del libro rimangono allo stesso punto di stato confusionale e livello infantile al quale erano all'inizio.
Salvo solo l'episodio dell'incontro tra il futuro marito e il vecchio sacerdote, dove nel dialogo l'autore è riuscito a infilare un pò di humor.

Явно съм я чела и предполагам, че съм я харесала, но нищичко не помня...

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of young love. While his characters and their story are not me or mine, Hawke’s writing brought them to life quite vividly. I could empathize with their doubts and fears, their pleasures and discouragements. At heart, their story is everyone’s. And so, it made me care.

Ash Wednesday’s about a love story, but it’s also about two people coming of age. Coming of age at the beginning of Lent, a time of fasting, reflection and self-denial but a time of expectation and hope as well. We’re giving up candy for Lent but Easter’s coming with Chocolate Bunnies and Jelly Beans. The lovers’ story is beginning and maybe their Easter will come. Stay tuned.

Stick to looking scraggly and hot in movies, Mr. Hawke. This book was godawful.

Guy that has to face to decision to grow up once his girl gets knocked up. It's been done, of course, but I still found it a good read. Think of Hornby's torn relationships and adult confusion/angst save the funnies and peculiar obsessions. Female POV included.

A riveting read that's fresh and vital and funny. Jimmy Heartsock is a young soldier who breaks up with girlfriend Christy Walker only to propose marriage to her eight days later. The story alternates between the narratives of ambivalent and haunted Christy and the rambunctious but earnest Jimmy. The two drive across America via New Orleans and the craziness of Mardi Gras stopping for an express wedding and some pregnancy woes.

I have no idea whether the story is autobiographical or not (and I don't particularly care) but it's very hard not to picture Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman in the leading roles. Somehow my brain put that image in place and it kept chiming with every chapter.

However it's the thoroughly original and distinct voices of the two characters that kept me reading. Christy is cool and dispassionate but at the same time neurotic. Jimmy is rash but a ball of energy. Somehow the chemistry between these two work and somehow Hawke makes the detail and humour intensely joyful. Totally recommended.

Took about 90% of the book for me to have a clue as to what the title meant, but it's meaning turned out to be beautiful and poetically propagated.

I'm excited to read The Hottest State now, for I've gazed into the creative mind of Hawke, and am pleased with what I saw and felt. A little vulgar at times, but at other times heart-breakingly vivid and beautiful. A fine novel by an amazing actor and promising writer.