John of John
About the book
Author: Douglas Stuart
Publisher: Grove Press
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My review
I read and enjoyed Douglas Stuart’s previous two novels, but John of John was easily my favorite. It’s got all of his signature gorgeous, transportive, deeply affective writing without being quite so rooted in trauma, which makes it feel gentler without sacrificing quality.
John of John is so named because it focuses on a young gay man from a remote Scottish island who is named John after his father, although the son goes by Cal. They rarely, if ever, see eye to eye, but as you might imagine, the book shows us all the ways parents and children — as well as elders and new generations — echo, resist, and yet depend on one another. I have greatly enjoyed debating with friends whether the ending was hopeful or tragic (or probably both?).
The thing about Stuart’s novels is that it’s so obvious that he deeply loves each of his characters that we can’t help but love and root for them to, even when they are at their worst. I particularly loved Cal’s grandmother, who starts as a bit of an archetype (in a way that I appreciated as I was getting oriented in the story) but also eventually gains a lovely richness.
Another thing that I personally loved, as a knitter myself, was how rooted this particular story is in the fiber arts. John cares for sheep and uses their wool for his trade. He and Cal are yarnmakers and weavers, which anchors their worldview in the beauty and richness of color. And of course, there is plenty of rich metaphor to be found there in their relationship to the island and their community as well.
I’m rooting for this one to be on this year’s Booker shortlist!
Content and trigger warnings
Homophobia
Religious bigotry
Alcoholism
Death
Animal death
Pregnancy
