An Author: Jess Walter

Rather than write about one book, I’m highlighting an author. Jess Walter is a novelist and writer of short stories who lives in Spokane, WA. We had previously purchased a trade paperback copy of Beautiful Ruins on a trip to S.F. - in maybe 2012? It kicked around the house for a decade without getting read by either of us in the house, so I took it to the used bookstore. Shame on me. 

Reading a mention of his newest novel reminded me of Jess Walter. I decided to read the unread Beautiful Ruins at long last, and I loved it. It is set partly in 1962 Italy, and partly in the present day U.S. including Hollywood and the Pacific Northwest. The book involves, in part, the movie industry though the main character is a resident of a small town on the Italian Coast just south of the Cinque de Terre. 

Walter’s characters are great, being distinctive and relatable. The story involves relationships in complex ways, and the story bridges several decades very successfully. We coincidentally attended a private viewing of the 1988 movie Cinema Paradiso on a big screen when I was midway through the book. The juxtaposition of the movie and book both being set in Italy of the past was magical to me. They are now fused in my memory. 

I’ve since read the new Walters novel Far Too Gone about an older former newspaperman who has taken a seven year break from his family and all else, living off the grid in rural Washington. The tale is about reestablishing family relationships, in light of some current day issues that are complicating factors - extreme religion and men with guns. 

I’m now working through a book of Walter short stories on audio, We Live in Water. An audio book is an experiment for me, that I am listening to while exercising. I usually listen to music. 

I heartily recommend Jess Walters. I will read the rest of his catalog.