The Motel Life

by Willy Vlautin

Book Overview

With echoes of Of Mice and Men(The Bookseller, UK), The Motel Life explores the frustrations and failed dreams of two Nevada brothers--on the run after a hit-and-run accident--who, forgotten by society, and short on luck and hope, desperately cling to the edge of modern life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061171115
• ISBN13: 9780061171116
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

how much did i like this book....

let me count the ways. I love books about loners and losers and good-hearted people who fall into events spinning out of control. I now own three cd's by Richmond Fontaine, Vlautin's band, and they are a perfect accompaniment to the book. I hear the author's voice as I read, as though this is a book on tape. Willy, I want to sit with you at Portland Meadows as you write. So as not to interrupt your concentration, I will run and place the bets for you.

Rooms with no view

It's about two alcoholic orphaned brothers in Reno. Jerry Lee tries to escape from a fatal hit and run and Frank tries to help him by embarking on a pointless panic flight across Nevada and Oregon. Frank is also vaguely thinking of reuniting with his ex-girl friend Annie James, the abused hooker daughter of a hooker. Everybody's alcoholic, broke, dying, promiscuous or suicidal, sometimes all five together, but it's still quite entertaining. It's Raymond Carver country, both stylistically and geographically. There are slight plot affinities with Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." Frank makes up consoling fantasies of a better life to comfort Jerry Lee, somewhat as George does for Lenny in OMAM. The illustrations by Nate Beaty are great. The marvelous thing about them is that they are just crude little black and white sketches but they absolutely capture and enhance the atmosphere of the story.

The Motel Life hits home!

This book haunts me days after I've finished it. I'm from Reno and the desperation and monotony of the area he captured authentically. I found the book to be very realistic considering the situation Jerry Lee and Frank found themselves in. The writing is simple, not heavy on metaphors so that the message of the book comes through loud and clear. Willy Vlautin is truly a gifted writer and storyteller. The novel was sad without being melodramatic, it had me convinced the two brothers were going to make it and everything would work out for them somehow, because it had to! Something happened in the end that truly shocked me and rocked me leaving my mouth hanging on the floor, I felt like these two guys could have been some of my oldest and best friends and I was on their journey with them. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book demonstrates that when life seems bleak, you feel completely worthless, and are down on your knees struggling in the darkness, if you follow your heart you will find a sliver of light somewhere.

Memorable Characters

Vlautin's simple, spare prose brings his characters as well as downtown Reno to life. The Flannigan brothers may live on the fringe of society, but they stayed central in my thoughts long after I turned the last page. I was pleased to see that Vlautin's skill as a songwriter for Richmond Fontaine translates equally well to his written work.

A heartbreaker for sure

I picked this one up on the strength of the copy on the back page and critic's quotes on the cover, and I'm glad I did. The setting is so bleak and the characters so desparate and destitute that it was hard for me to get started, but once I settled in, I found plenty of warmth and tenderness to balance out the hard luck stories of the two main characters. The novel isn't perfect - it's a little too derivative of "Of Mice And Men" to be considered an original work. And the plot simply doesn't have a lot of depth or development to it; the flashbacks and the stories the younger brother makes up to pass the time aren't enough to flesh the book out into a major work. But you can't beat "The Motel Life" for atmosphere or dialog. The "extras" at the end of the book (interview with the author, author's guide to Reno. etc) are a nice touch, so I can't really complain about the short page count for the price of a trade paperback. Really good stuff. I hope Vlautin continues to write and to grow as an author. I liked this book a lot.