Upper middle class suburbian WASPs living their lives and trying to build friendships. Also, birds.

At times, this book was difficult for me to appreciate simply because the characters lives and their problems seemed so easy. Fighting back boredom and enui just seems foreign to me, but somehow the author made me care anyway. Gil was such a nice guy just trying to help make the world a better place. The writing was beautiful, and the settings were perfectly described. Technically, this book was perfect.

The chapters were shaped around specific birds and their characteristics. It was a interesting theme that helped shift the focus away from simply characters in a book but the overall issues we are each facing in our changing world.

3.5 warm, funny stars, rounded up

‘Won’t you please, won’t you please, please won’t you be my neighbor?’ I want Gil to be my neighbor. Ever helpful, friendly, plenty of money that he donates to causes, a kind soul. Neighbors grow close in ways that don’t often happen anymore.

The story of Arizona neighbors (and their backgrounds) gradually unfolds, the way it might in real life – little events, no real crises, a drink shared. Then suddenly, it’s over. I relistened to the last few minutes, thinking I had missed something. Nope. No wise insights, it’s done. I’ve had neighbors move away without saying goodbye. Lack of closure leaves me hanging and a bit disappointed. Once again, the book is a bit like life.

The narrator has a warm, expressive voice. It was always clear which character was speaking.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

I've recently discovered Lydia Millet, and really enjoyed reading her past books, so I was thrilled to see her most recent novel, Dinosaurs, on NetGalley.

Dinosaurs is mostly the chronicle of one man trying to find himself, and trying to find his place in the world, after a recent heartbreaking breakup. The journey begins with a long walk, from New York City to Phoenix, Arizona, where he starts life over.

The title, Dinosaurs, refers to the idea that modern day birds are dinosaur-relatives that evolved enough to escape the fate of their slower land-bound predecessors. Lots of bird references and subplots in the book, which I found to be interesting.

Overall, a good read. The narration was wonderful as well.

Lydia Millet's new work Dinosaurs did not disappoint. It is wildly different than her other work but equally as entertaining. Readers might think they are reading a story about relationships which is true, but this book also subtly tackles climate change and its effects on wildlife and all of the small ways people can impact society and the world they live in.

This language is easy to read and rather lyrical. The subtleties are what make this work so enjoyable and so impressive. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, I highly recommend this title.

I really enjoy Millet’s writing. Dinosaurs is a rather simple novel focusing on a very wealthy middle -aged man, Gil, who leaves his home in New York, after a long relationship break- up, and walks 2,400 miles to Phoenix, seeking an abrupt change and hoping to add meaning to his life. On the surface, this doesn’t sound terribly interesting. And in fact, when questioned about his long walk Gil describes it as: Same, same, same, same, slightly different; then same, same, same, slightly different. The humor is subtle and so is the authors’ message. “ in the dark, when nothing else was sure, the soaring tree sheltered you. Almost the only thing you had to see before you slept. How you came not from a couple, or a few but from infinity. So you had no beginning. And you would never end.“
Excellent narration.

Gil (Gilbert) is a loner, listless and wealthy male in his forties readjusting to a new life in Arizona. He's escaped the big city and the end of a long-term relationship that never quite went where he had hoped. Gil tends to take the easiest option or to throw money at his problems, but he tries to break out of this cycle with his new home. To help establish this transition, he walks from the big city to his new home. A feat that takes him five months.

As he settles to his new home and climate, his attention is captured by the family that moves in next door and takes up residence in a house that is like a fish bowl to Gil. Before he seems to really be aware of it, he has been pulled into the lives of this family as a surrogate adult figure to the youngest and a sounding board or dispenser of wisdom to the parents.

Millet writes from Gil's perspective as he adjusts to suburban life after a life in the big city. Gil, never having been employed (aside from a stint as a bartender) doesn't have to worry about adjusting to a slower pace, but he does take more time to study the world around him as he develops some of the most meaningful relationships in his life. This work is much slower paced and lower stakes than her prior work A Children's Bible. It is much more interior focused. Gil has his scars and trauma to heal.

As an audiobook, the narrator Paul Heitsch is engaging and changes his voice to give greater distinction to the different characters.

Overall a heartwarming tale of midlife happiness after a difficult, but privileged earlier life. Millet heads each chapter with a type of bird that is either directly referenced or alluded to in the section. Many of the key plot points are predictable with, at least right now, feels to be an abrupt ending. Watch out for the cacti.

Dinosaurs’ protagonist, Gil, is an ultra-wealthy man that acquired his money through inheritance at a young age when he was orphaned by a drunk driver. After a bad breakup, Gil decides to leave New York and walk to Arizona where he bought a house sight unseen. Upon arriving to his new home he notices that his new neighbors have a large glass window and he can see into their home (and lives). Gil befriends the family of four next door and becomes inextricably involved in the inner-workings of their day-to-day. Dinosaurs may seem like a simple story, and while there wasn’t a typical climax, it still dived deep into exploring human nature and what people are capable of. Millet created a cast of characters that are neither “good” or “bad” but humanized them with flaws and redemptions. I loved how conflicted I felt about all of them as I listened to the novel. Gil in particular frustrated me (in a good way!); his naivety, grief, anger, and altruism created a complicated character that I enjoyed. Speaking of listening to the novel, thank you NetGalley for the free audio book! The narrator enhanced the story for me personally, and I really connected to Gil through his voice.

After reading Children's Bible, I was ecstatic to pick up another work by Lydia Millet. The beautifully crafted melodrama and of her stories is immensely readable. Although Dinosaurs is a bit less drama and intensity than Children's Bible, the characters truly feel dimensional and vivid. The plot isn't thrilling or edge-of-seat but the ordinary is made so engaging. The book is short and the plot may not feel action-packed, but as I remember the arc of this book after reading it, the conflicts and thoughts of each character are incredibly vivid in my mind. I came away from this book remembering each detail of every character which is an incredible feat for how simple and short this book is. I don't know much about writing to understand why this book has SUCH staying power, but it does and its absolutely thrilling to read and mull over.

“A man named Gil walks from New York to Arizona to recover from a failed love. After he arrives, new neighbors move into the glass-walled house next door, and his life begins to mesh with theirs. In this warmly textured, drily funny, and philosophical account of Gil’s unexpected devotion to the family, Lydia Millet explores the uncanny territory where the self ends and community begins―what one person can do in a world beset by emergencies. Dinosaurs is both sharp-edged and tender, an emotionally moving, intellectually resonant novel that asks, In the shadow of existential threat, where does hope live?”

I shouldn’t have liked this book as much as I did.

After all, nothing really HAPPENS.

The entire book is character development and interactions and while it wasn’t EXCITING, it was CAPTIVATING.

I loved how the story bounced from past to present, filling in gaps of relational knowledge. I loved how these [relatively] normal people just lived their [relatively] normal lives. I particularly loved the bird prints found throughout, giving the story its [relatively] obscure title.

Unlike most books I read (murder and mayhem and mess, oh my!) I wouldn’t mind living in this neighbourhood.

8/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this appealing ARC.

What a quiet and wonderful book! Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet is definitely character driven, but in the best way, so that even if you are not a huge fan of character driven novels, you could still enjoy it. A lot happens so it never feels slow or boring, though our main character Gil is front and center.

Set in a not-too-distant future that is feeling the ramifications of climate change (not front and center to the story though), Gil is living in Phoenix, having moved from New York, and getting to know his neighbors. This doesn't sound too interesting, but as we learn nuggets from Gil's past and past relationship, we grow to love him and root for him to find his way in the world and relationships with his neighbors and work, especially.

The audio was lovely as well, and quite short so easily enjoyed over a day or two!

Our main character Gil is a wealthy, 40-something-year-old orphan who has never worked a day in his life and has never needed to. He has a strong moral compass and a strong sense of needing to contribute something (anything) to society. Out of guilt, passion, or kindness, who is to say?

Gil leaves behind the Big Apple and walks (yes, walks) all the way to his new home in Phoenix, Arizona, where he lives next door to a picture-perfect family. They live in a glass house, and Gil struggles at first with the sheer intimacy of the arrangement, but as he begins to settle into his new environment and get to know his neighbors, his life begins to click right into place around him easily. There are some subtle dramas here and there, but nothing Gil can't work through.

Gil's mind is a peaceful and unproblematic place to be. He's such an easygoing character, and his simple takes on life, friendship, family, and nature were so effortlessly profound. This is the talent of Lydia Millet.

This quirky little book is about fresh starts. After an unexpected breakup with his long term girlfriend, Gil decides to WALK across the country to start his life over. He volunteers, he befriends the family next door, he watches birds. You just can’t help but love him.

Throughout the book there’s a sense of hopefulness and community. It’s a very character driven book, not a lot of action but the characters are great and so interesting. There’s wonderful phrasing, great writing. My literary book loving friends will love this one.

Dinosaurs is a quick read that follows our main character Gil, through both flashbacks and the present day.

Gil lives in Manhattan but then buys a house in Arizona to make a change. Gil does not just take a plane or drive cross-country to Arizona. He decided to walk. Taking five months he completes his journey, and that sounds like one of the worst experiences I could ever imagine.

Once Gil gets to his new home he can see his neighbor's house is for sale. There is an interesting design to the house. The side of the house facing Gil is completely made of glass.

The house is bought by a family of four and with the glass wall, Gil can see right into their house. I liked Gil's struggle with wanting to look but also trying hard not to look. It’s exactly what I would have been doing. The family even recognizes it and describes themself as being in a fish tank.

Gil develops a relationship with the family, especially the son Tom. Gil is protective of Tom and the whole family, and I enjoyed watching the bond grow.

This book was filled with metaphors, some of them better than others. There was some humor throughout the book but not as much as I was expecting. There was a lot of Sadness surrounding Gil but overall Gil's story is a feel-good story and he is a genuinely good person.

Our protagonist, Gil, is a middle aged white man who has inherited more wealth than he knows what to do with. He spends his time walking extremely long distances, volunteering, and getting to know his new neighbors. This book was well written and had a lot of potential but it just didn't work for me. Despite the obvious intention, Gil was never quite as endearing as he was supposed to be. Similar vibes to [book:Less|39927096] by [author:Andrew Sean Greer|24892] but turns out I don't give a damn about a Less-type character that isn't gay.

The next door kid was sweet and the whole neighbor family seemed like it was going to be interesting...and then, it wasn't. Just the whole "woe-is-me I'm a rich white man who had a rough childhood" existential, midlife crises did not work here. Pretty sure people are tired of that storyline period. The characters weren't developed very well and the gratingly slow pace combined with the loose, anticlimactic plot made for a very slow read. I did enjoy the writing style and the narrator really fit the tone of the novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audio ARC!

DNF @ 19%

Was hoping the story would improve, but it didn’t. It just wasn’t interesting at all. Really disappointed because I thoroughly enjoyed “A Children’s Bible” by this author. This book just wasn’t for me.

(ALC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you.)

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard such great things about Lydia Millett; she's definitely a critics' darling, but her material doesn't really go anywhere in my library. I'm not sure why, because this book is weirdly good. There's nothing unapproachable about it, or esoteric, really; it's about an odd single middle aged guy and the friendship he strikes up with his neighbors after he moves to Phoenix on the heels of a bad breakup.

There are times Millett's writing is just lovely. She has some wonderful, evocative prose, and I feel like she probably really loves the desert just based on her fluid descriptions of it and its flora. But that's a small part of the story, which is really just a slice of the life of this man, Gil. Despite his austere upbringing and lonely adulthood, he's a relatively nice, well-adjusted guy. That's it, that's the book. lol. I kept waiting for him to be a serial killer or a child abuser since he's a single man who *walks* from NYC to Phoenix after buying his house, sight unseen aside from internet photos.

The voice actor, Paul Heitsch, has a pleasantly gravelly voice that lends itself surprisingly well to feminine tones. I do wish there had been more differentiation between male voices, especially when Gil is talking to his neighbor, Ted.

My only complaint with the novel is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt. It just sort of ... stops. I guess I was hoping for more closure with the story, but it's a small compliant.

A nice book! I feel like I should be thinking deeper thoughts about it since it's Lydia Millett.

I love the way Lydia Millet writes. While I had been disappointed in the story within her last novel, I’m very much in love with one of her short stories. Knowing the writing style in Dinosaurs would work for me, even if the story didn’t, made me want to give it a try.

The story DID work for me, even though I wasn’t madly in love with it. It just felt like something was missing. I did, however, enjoy the characters. I felt deeply touched by certain moments and I especially loved Gil’s perspective on his wealth. There were other great social commentary aspects in this, as well.

I will keep reading Millet and still have many of her older works to get to. Her words come out in a smooth, sometimes poetic fashion, and her content is always thought provoking.

3.5 stars

I am immensely grateful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for my audio review copy. All opinions are my own.

Lydia Millet is such a talented and efficient writer and broad thinker. I’ve only read one other work by her, “A Children’s Bible” and “Dinosaurs” contains the same sense of introspective searching and bright humor. She explores themes of love and friendship, dynamics between adults and children, death, loneliness and being alone, and contains observations and appreciation of nature - specifically birds and plant life. One of the major ideas posed and explored by Millet is; what does it mean to be a good person, is it even possible and if you are good how do you reconcile the effort with the lack of a guarantee that that goodness will come back to you. “Dinosaurs” is a philosophical novel but one that is accessible through its tactile sense of place and quietly interesting characters. Set in both New York and Arizona and observing recognizable people, nuanced and complicated, this novel has a familiar feeling. She leads us to the inner discussion by showing us what we already live through.

The premise is that an extremely wealthy and privileged man decides to walk across the country, 2000+ miles, and while we don’t see a lot of that journey, it does parallel the journey he is taking in life. He has only worked once, in his life, for a short time and chooses to give to charity and engage in volunteer work. He is bothered by his wealth and where it’s come from, and has complicated feelings about holding so much wealth in a world where so many have so little. He is open to many experiences and also to the people he meets, and yet he struggles to reckon with his inner dilemmas. As he starts to settle into life in Arizona he forms a friendship with his neighbors, a family of four.

The narrative is pacey, Millet never lingers too long on a scene and allows our main character, Gil, to reflect on the past while reacting to the present. It’s compelling and earnest, and - dare I say - kind. You become invested in the unknown about Gil’s life before Arizona, his relationship and it’s demise. His connection to the young boy in the house next door and, likewise, his interactions with a co-worker, is tender and full of fumbling good intention and an honest empathy. The vulnerability felt by the characters around Gil lead to a proverbial wall coming down between people and the society they are a part of. If all of this sounds like a lot, I can assure you it’s not. The audiobook is less than seven and a half hours, and read by by a pleasant narrator (Paul Heitsch), the hardcover wraps up in under 250 pages. This will keep you reading till the end, I couldn’t put it down, and give you lots to think about after you’ve finished.

I really enjoyed the unraveling of the story. We build towards a natural understanding, deepening our relationship to Gil. We see the ways that his past has shaped his perception of certain people and his patience with predatory situations. We watch as the veneer of suburbia falls away and needs, wants, feelings of being unfulfilled surface in those nearby. There is inevitable selfishness and juxtaposed selflessness. A climax happens at the very end that gave me chills. I felt a sense of closure in a way that you don’t always get with life, or in books, but it remained realistic and a bit sad, but with an acknowledgment of privilege.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape for access to this title! I’d definitely recommend this audiobook to listeners! The audio truly enhanced the reading experience for me!

Out October 11, 2022, in the US I highly recommend this W. W. Norton Company release. 4/5 thought provoking stars. What a wonderful writer.

"You walked 3000 miles across the country?" Dinosaurs is a great tale, with Gill a fascinating character. Born into extreme wealth but seemingly with a guilt complex, Gill professes he wanted something to cost him, so he walks across the country. Dinosaurs tells a portion of Gill's story with compelling characters surrounding him. A quick and interesting read!

3 stars

This is a character and setting driven book that uses descriptive prose to paint some obvious metaphors. I didn't find a lot very believable, or likable with some descriptions of dead animals; but it is well written. If you like quiet literary fiction about the suburbs and lonely people, I imagine you will love this book. For me, I needed a little more "showing" than just telling us things. Gil is supposed to be not good in social situations, but he constantly is interacting with people and having the right sage advice and fitting in sort of fine. I like my lit fic to be a little less heavy handed, but I know many people who will appreciate the clear concepts.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.