Today as I crunched through piles of brittle leaves admiring the fiery shades of autumn, I ruminated on Groundskeeping by Lee Cole. One word kept coming to mind – comparison.
Being a bookseller I often look at comparable titles or authors – if you liked this, you’ll like that, if you enjoy reading books by this person, you might like… Whilst helpful, most comparisons invariably fall short because each writer’s voice is unique. I’m sorry but I’m about to do it anyway.
This may come as a surprise but I found myself comparing Lee Cole’s debut to Sally Rooney, the obvious difference being that rather than a young female protagonist going through a crisis of self-doubt, it is a male suffering from a lack of self-belief. Both Cole and Rooney are clever writers, examining the layers of insecurities many young people find themselves wrapped up in.
Twenty-something Owen compares himself to his girlfriend Alma and feels in all areas of his life he falls short. She had a privileged upbringing, he did not; She comes from a close-knit liberal family, his family is fractured and unstable; She grew up in a well-to-do area, he is embarrassed to be living with his Trump-supporting Uncle and Grandfather in small town Kentucky; he works as a groundskeeper in order to attend free classes in creative writing, she is a respected writer in residence.
As Roosevelt said ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’ and we see this highlighted throughout the book. Alma herself is an accomplice, however unwitting, as she feeds into the inequity of their relationship. Both characters are infuriatingly insensitive, and yet they try so hard to understand and love one another.
Groundskeeping is a wonderful, insightful novel. Funny at times, heart-breakingly sad in parts. It’s a thoughtful examination of the challenges young couples face when they come from ‘opposite sides of the tracks’. Did Alma and Owen’s love for each other survive their differences?
I urge you to read the book to find out.
— Olivia