The Ingram Interview: A Novel by K. B. Dixon

 

From back of book:

"As a rule I have a tendency to be in favor of moderation - except when it comes to temperature.  Sixty degrees, like it is today, is roughly speaking the climatic equivalent of the middle way.  It's bland - like modesty.  It's probably my least favorite temperature.  It's neither stimulating nor stupefying.  It's blah - like chicken broth."

The Ingram Interview, K. B. Dixon's unrepentantly quirky new novel, weaves its way interrogatively through the life of Daniel Ingram, a retired, none-too-healthy English professor who has been kicked out of an assisted-care facility, because he was depressing other residents.  Moving in temporarily with a former student of his - a young art-film maker named Michael Berger - Daniel works fitfully on a ramshackle memoir as he continues to pursue a reconciliation with his absent ex-wife. 

My thoughts:

This review will be short, since I can't seem to find much to write about this book.  All I can say about it is that I found it to be both interesting and odd.  This is a book told entirely in the form of Q&A, hence the term "interview" included in the title.  At first I was a bit put off by this format, but I quickly adjusted and found that I enjoyed reading the story unfold in this manner.  Actually, its not really a story, but more of a peek into the day to day life of  Daniel Ingram, a man who is not terribly likeable - mainly because he is not very interesting and rather aloof towards people.  However, I still found myself wanting to find out whether or not Daniel would be moving in with his ex-wife or if Michael's movie would be a hit - so, I kept reading.  At the end of the day, it was a strangely satisfying read.  I found myself dipping in and out of the book throughout this past week and enjoying the fact that I was able to do so with such ease and without any disruption to my reading flow.  Definitely a book I'm glad I read - mainly because it inspired me to start branching out a bit more with my reading habits.  Instead of picking up what is familiar to me, I need to start embracing the unfamiliar. 

Well, I'm off to read some Villette (which is unfamiliar to me, because I'm not a huge fan of the classics).  Happy Reading!

And, thank you, Ken for The Ingram Interview!