A friend recommended Allen Levi’s sole novel as a heartwarming tale of the simple pleasures of giving, and that’s about the best summary of it one can imagine. The titular Theo is a distinguished octogenarian who makes an unexpectedly extended visit to Golden, Georgia. Once arrived, he discovers a collection of portraits drawings, done by a local artist, hanging for sale on a coffee shop wall, and embarks on a long project of purchasing each one and gifting them to the various coffee shop patrons they depict. While slightly odd by modern standards, this seems like a nice thing to do, and also great way to meet people and hear their stories. So for most of the novel we get to enjoy the fruits of Theo’s random acts of kindness. It’s a lovely sentiment, much needed in our current world. The novel then concludes with a surprising and touching twist that I won’t spoil.
After reading such warm and redeeming sentiments, it feels a little catty to mention that it’s not actually an especially good novel from a literary perspective. The writing is mediocre, with a tendency towards effusive description that nevertheless remains rather unevocative due to its lack of craft. The plot is basically just one damn thing after another, and is only given shape by the few surprising pages at the end. I guess I’m glad to find that such an ethically uplifting story is a NYT best seller, but it does point to the fact that, regrettably, it’s true, standards have fallen in adult entertainment.
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