In the Country of the Blind by Edward Hoagland is a so-so novel set in the 1960's.

At 47, Press is losing his sight. Due to his loss of sight, he has already lost his job as a stockbroker and his wife, who doesn't want to care for him. He moves to a cabin in Vermont, near a couple helpful neighbors, a hippy commune, and, apparently, drug runners, while he, rather aimlessly, tries to figure out how to live the rest of his life. Carol, an artist and hippy who lives nearby takes an interest in Press and shows up unannounced and visits, takes him to the commune, entertains him, cooks and eats with him, teases him, and provides sex. Melba, a local woman comes to clean his cabin and provides conversation. And random stuff happens.

At age 83, Hoagland, himself, is going blind, which provides some buzz about his novel. It does allow him to describe the loss of sight and the challenges facing Press, but that doesn't seem to be enough to carry the whole novel. Press comes across as a foolish man who is purposefully choosing to be oblivious to certain facts and is making odd, rather self-destructive choices. Additionally, all the characters seem to speak in the same, hesitant voice which results in the conversations all feeling awkward, which were already awkward due to the content.

Even with some parts that were beautifully descriptive, this novel just never hit the right note for me. I finished it feeling dejected and desiring a better novel, or at least one with a plot and more focus.

Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher/author. ( )

In the Country of the Blind tells the story of Press, a man who has lost a lot. He lost his sight to a degenerative disease, and his losses accumulated, his job, then his wife and children as she tossed him out, fearful of care taking. Fortunately, his Vermont neighbors are friendly and oriented toward care taking. He has two sets of neighbors whom he visits, who feed him, take him to church, and welcome him into their hearts.

Even better, on a walk in the woods, he meets Carol. She lives at a nearby commune with her children. The kids enjoy his company and he feels a bittersweet fondness; his pleasure in their company reminding him of his children whom he misses. A visit home helps him realize that his kids love him and that he can’t lose them that easily.

I enjoyed the conversations among the characters. They have that unfinished and random quality of real life, conversations that happen without advancing a plot point. I loved the characters, their authenticity and complexity. Press was the main character and his infatuated relationship with Carol made her the second most important character. Frankly, they were less interesting than Melba, and several of the other minor characters. With Press and Carol, it was hard to tell who they really felt about each other and how much of their relationship was convenience. Press seemed the kind of guy who wanted a relationship with someone, anyone, without regard to which woman.

I am ambivalent about In the Country of the Blind. The idea that a 47 year old man who loses his sight thinks that is it, considers assisted living seems strange in today’s world. Blind people are not incapacitated. How is that someone as well off as Press has not had therapists teach him how to cope. He’s knocking food all over himself, for pity’s sake. I have known several blind people and that is so not typical. From that fundamental flaw, everything feels wrong.

The writing is beautiful, engaging and flows with this headlong pace that carries the reader forward without a break. It’s compulsive, but in the end, it is difficult to understand why Hoagland spent so much good writing on such a little story. There’s not much meat here, just interesting people having conversations and puttering around. Is there a resolution, does Press change over the course of the story? I wanted something more.

In the Country of the Blind will be released November 1st. I was given an e-galley by the publisher through NetGalley.

★★★

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