Book Review: The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

The Rabbit Hutch was a hard read for me and took much longer than I anticipated considering it was a book I was so looking forward to reading. The first chapter was very intriguing and exciting. Excellent writing, and it proved to be a promising read. Now, the second chapter and beyond was really throwing me for a loop, and my thoughts were confused. When I say confused, I don’t mean that in a bad way. Sometimes being confused sets you up for an incredible story experience.

Our main character is Blandine, and the story takes place in the Midwest, more specifically Indiana. We get some shifts to Southern California a tiny bit, but our setting is really in Indiana. Right away, you realize Blandine does not know how to socialize or hold a conversation with people unless she is spouting off facts or philosophical monologues. And while I found this initially intriguing, that intrigue didn’t last long for me. It became too much, drawn out, and ultimately, it didn’t add to the plot the way one would expect it to considering how extensive it is throughout the book. Side note: This inability to have “normal” conversations with other people seems to be a theme and issue amongst nearly all the characters in the book. There’s only one endearing character for me, and that’s Hope’s husband who is not even a main character or given much a character at all. Yet, he is my favorite character in this book with Hope being my second favorite.

So why was this a hard read for me? And why did it take me so long? It was hard to stay motivated to read it all the way through. About a third of the way in I was very hopeful we were going to get “The Shadow of the Wind” meets “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” type story, so I really wanted to read it all the way through, but it didn’t hit. Why was it a miss? Interestingly, I don’t think our main character, Blandine, is developed enough and there are few times in the book where I’m drawn to her. Our side characters and stories are at times better developed than Blandine, and the ultimate letdown are the relentless monologues which I found to be completely boring. I found myself skimming over them and skipping lines of the book to the point where I had to go back and read a page because I realized I didn’t really read it. So many details proved to be irrelevant and drawn out. I was a bit annoyed that I held onto them thinking everything was going to come full circle. I know thinking it was going to be all beautifully tied together the way things are in “The Shadow of the Wind,” was a big mistake on my part, but it really felt like we were being set up for something amazing. While some reviewers felt that it was all tied together nicely, in my opinion, it was not. I will give it loose, vague ties at best, but even that is generous. It was a disappointing read for me.

Now for the positives… there were some very real and admirable conversations surrounding some of the characters. And while some of these characters really didn’t add to the book, I appreciated their stories and their relationships because their relationships were beautiful or difficult, but in either event the conversations were refreshing. One aspect of Blandine’s story that I liked is her inappropriate relationship with a trusted, authority figure. While this theme is old and tired, I liked it because this aspect of the story gave Blandine depth, and I really liked the conflicted and confusing feelings, the conversations around it, etc. And to be honest, there is good, pointed dialogue throughout the book. I really liked the characters Anthony and Hope; they are the most enjoyable parts of the book to me. I did like Blandine’s rant about social media amongst other rants.

Ultimately, I must circle back around to the fact that the positives are lost and stalled throughout what feels like unnecessary, long, and irrelevant details - details that don’t even have to do with Blandine, and side stories that may or may not get tied up in the end. I would have loved being spared of the extensive use of paper on Elsie Blitz, mystics, weird Catholicism injections, and so much more. The book feels like it’s 85% descriptive/explanation, 15% substance.

My final thoughts? This book was disappointing and is a “no” for me. With that said, this is just my opinion. If you liked the book, please share in the comments what you liked about it. This book did receive a National Book Award, and plenty of reviewers gushed over it. One reviewer said it was the best book they ever read. The reviews are ultimately mixed, although slightly on the higher rated side. If you’d like to read the hype and decide for yourself here is my Amazon link for it.