The Good Luck of Right Now
For thirty-eight years, Bartholomew Neil has lived with his mother. When she gets sick and dies, he has no idea how to be on his own. His redheaded grief counselor, Wendy, says he needs to find his flock and leave the nest. But how does a man whose whole life has been grounded in his mom, Saturday mass, and the library learn how to fly?
Bartholomew thinks he’s found a clue when he discovers a “Free Tibet” letter from Richard Gere hidden in his mother’s underwear drawer. In her final days, mom called him Richard—there must be a cosmic connection. Believing that the actor is meant to help him, Bartholomew awkwardly starts his new life, writing Richard Gere a series of highly intimate letters. Jung and the Dalai Lama, philosophy and faith, alien abduction and cat telepathy, the Catholic Church and the mystery of women are all explored in his soul-baring epistles. But mostly the letters reveal one man’s heartbreakingly earnest attempt to assemble a family of his own.
A struggling priest, a “Girlbrarian,” her feline-loving, foul-mouthed brother, and the spirit of Richard Gere join the quest to help Bartholomew. In a rented Ford Focus, they travel to Canada to see the cat Parliament and find his biological father . . . and discover so much more.
Review: I received an Advance Reader's Edition of this book from HarperCollins.
Told in a series of letters all written to the actor Richard Gere, The Good Luck of Right Now tells the story of Bartholomew Neil, who is set adrift after his mother dies of cancer. Bartholomew, who appears to be social stunted (perhaps by autism?) is a very innocent middle-aged man who must try to assemble his own family after the loss of his only relative. Over time, he grows closer to an alcoholic priest, a man grieving the loss of his cat, and a girl who volunteers at the library.
Bartholomew's narrative voice is almost that of a child. His relatively simple understanding of the world is first apparent in his decision to write to Richard Gere after discovering a form letter from the actor in his mother's underwear drawer. Bartholomew refers to incidents in school when classmates referred to him as a "retard." Additionally, although approaching 40, Bartholomew has never had a job and has no friends his age. However, although socially delayed, Bartholomew is clearly bright. He continually quotes the Dalai Lama and lines such as "I listened to you speak so sonorously in my mind" reveal his advanced vocabulary (88).
This book is heartbreaking in the small tragedies that befall each of the characters. The title refers to Bartholomew's mother's theory about the reason behind why bad things happen to everyone at times. "Whenever something bad happens to us [...] something good happens - often to someone else. And that's The Good Luck of Right Now. We must believe it. We must. We must. We must." (153).
This book seemed like a very modern day version of the quest to find meaning and build relationships. The family that Bartholomew builds over the course of the novel is unconventional, but it works for him, and saves each of them from a worse alternative.
This was a very simple, quick read. Bartholomew as a narrator is endearing. I was frustrated by only seeing the world through his lens, which is blurred by his inability to fully grasp the social contexts in which he is enveloped. Additionally, I found the decision to travel to Canada rather perplexing and without purpose. The decision to have the book composed of letters written to Richard Gere seemed quirky and amusing, but also random and without a satisfying conclusion, although I recognize that the name Richard has significance in the end.
Stars: 3
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