Jess Walter So Far Gone: Review & Analysis
- In Jess Walter's new novel, So Far Gone, environmental journalist Rhys Kinnick is trying too erase himself.
- At Thanksgiving dinner in 2016, kinnick hopes to avoid conflict with his conspiracy-minded son-in-law, Shane.
- Armed with a copy of Walden, Kinnick retreats to his grandfather's ranch.
Jess Walter’s So Far Gone unravels in a post-truth America, following Rhys Kinnick’s attempt to escape modern life. This review dives deep into the environmental journalist’s journey of self-imposed isolation, triggered by his frustration with conspiracy theories and societal division. Kinnick’s road trip across the Pacific Northwest, fueled by his grandchildren’s arrival, highlights the struggle for connection amidst a fractured nation.Our analysis explores the novel’s themes of climate change, Trumpism, and gun violence. We unpack Walter’s cynical humor and insightful commentary, comparing the book to True Grit. News Directory 3 provides a unique viewpoint on the novel’s exploration of family. Discover what’s next in the themes Walter boldly examines.
So Far Gone: Jess Walter’s Madcap Road Novel
In Jess Walter’s new novel, So Far Gone, environmental journalist Rhys Kinnick is trying too erase himself. After three decades covering the Pacific Northwest, Kinnick is forced into retirement in 2015. He watches as conspiracy theories take hold. Kinnick observes “greedy assholes joined with the idiot assholes and the paranoid assholes.”
At Thanksgiving dinner in 2016, kinnick hopes to avoid conflict with his conspiracy-minded son-in-law, Shane. Divorced and struggling to connect with his daughter, Beth, and her children, Kinnick punches Shane after enduring rants about “real patriots” and “Jew York.” He then throws his phone out the window and disappears.
Armed with a copy of Walden, Kinnick retreats to his grandfather’s ranch. He tears down the buildings, returning the land to nature. his goal: erase himself from a world that left him behind. The novel explores what happens when someone tries to opt out of modern American life. When Beth vanishes, Kinnick’s grandchildren, Leah and Asher, arrive, pursued by Shane’s militant Christian friends.Kinnick re-enters the world, embarking on a road trip across the Pacific Northwest to reunite his family.
Since his 2001 debut, Walter has explored various genres, from crime capers to post-9/11 thrillers. His novels, including Stunning Ruins and The Cold Millions, share a cynical humor and humanism. Walter once pretended to write for Esquire to interview Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
So Far Gone addresses climate change, Trumpism, and gun violence. Walter, a former journalist and Spokane native, shares traits with Kinnick. The book shines when focusing on local details, like a dried-up creek or a recovering addict finding solace in an armed Christian group in Idaho.Kinnick’s internal monologue offers little beyond “Nothing to see here, just America” when reflecting on violence.
So Far Gone avoids becoming a parade of miseries thru humor. The book is compared to Charles Portis’s True Grit. Walter wrote the novel “feverishly,” resulting in witty prose. After a beating, kinnick has a “broken zygomatic arch,” a constant reminder of his ignorance and failed attempt at going full Walden.
The novel explores the value of connection,but not as a cure-all. Kinnick tells himself, “We all live through a dark season now and then.” The book’s violence brings some characters together, but also boosts support for the responsible fringe group. So Far Gone is a relevant novel about These Times(™), never suggesting complete unity.