Customer Reviews

Grand Opening

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I seldom keep any of the many books I read, but this one is an exception. I first read this book at least 15 years ago and I still pull it out once in a while to reread. It is one of those stories that remain timeless in capturing small town America and the characters that make these small towns interesting. The story is told through the eyes of 12 year old Brendan, moving to a new town when his mom and dad took over a defunct grocery store. As Brendan and his family struggle to adjust, they meet people along the way that will change their lives. The writing is rich and draws you in to each character. I'm very surprised this hasn't been made into a movie, done right it would be a great one.

Jon Hassler is amazing, and I am amazed more people don't know about him. He has carved out a slice of Minnesota and made it his own as sure as John Cheever owned the New York suburbs and Faulkner staked out rural Mississippi. "Grand Opening" is a most satisfying book, a poignant coming-of-age about a 12-year-old and his family's attempt to make a go of a ramshackle grocery store during the waning days of World War II. Hassler's writing style is graceful, yet economical; his insights into small town life are dead-on. Without giving the plot away, there is more to this Lutheran "Mayberry" than meets the eye! Try it; you won't go away disappointed.

I own many books by John Hassler, and cherish them all. This is my favorite (except The Love Hunter).

The story is dark: about that child whom we've all met. Unruly, boistrous, unwanted, but terribly lovable. It is about the goodhearted family who takes in that child, and the disasters that occur thereafter. It is a tale of hope, love, redemption. It is a tale that makes one examine, oh so gently, ones responsibility to their bethren.

Like all of Mr Hasslers work, this is not a book which demands, threatens, accuses, or grabs you by the neck and throttles you. It is gentle and subtle and sweet. And in it's darkest moments, warm rays of light shine and you are left hopeful, albeit thoughtful. Read them all. Then read them again.

I absolutely loved this book. It started out slow for me, so I ended up putting it down to read a different book. But when I finished my second book I had nothing else to do so I started reading "Grand Opening" again. I could relate to a lot of the characters, and I found myself wondering what I would do if I found myself in this situation. This was my first Jon Hassler book, but you can bet that it won't be my last!

I first read this novel some years ago after "Staggerford" and it made me a true-blue Hassler fan. Its rich cast of characters keeps this novel moving along. Though a few of the characters are merely great window-dressing (for example, I wanted to see more done with grandfather), most are fully developed and integral to the plot. Overall, the theme of redemption through action is clear, and, sadly, many negative elements of small town life haven't changed in the 21st century.

"Staggerford (also by Hassler)," "Grand Opening", and "Passing through Paradise" by John Schreiber make a great trio of Minnesota novels. All are highly recommended.

This is one of those books that will stay with you for a while. I read it two weeks ago, and still find myself thinking about the characters, especially Dodger. Don't be fooled by the blurb, this isn't a cute story about a cozy, friendly town, but has darker undertones. The characters struggle to deal with intolerance, and indifference; Hassler really makes you care about all the characters, and the story. I think he is a wonderful writer, and would recommend this novel as a good start for anyone who wants to discover his works.

I would have to say that this is one of my favorite books that I've read the whole year in my Honors AM. Lit. class. My friend Megan says that it reminds her of Charles Dickins. But what I really love about this book is the characters and how they interact together in this tightly knited community. The ending was definitely surprising and I was kind of disappointed by it. However, over all the story has a great plot and I really enjoyed it.

GRAND OPENING is like taking a step back in time to 1944 and makes the reader both want to return to a simpler place and time while also being glad that times have changed and we don't have to live in Hassler's fictional town. In the book we meet the Foster family: Hank and Catherine and their son Brendan and Catherine's father. The family is staunchly Catholic and moves to the small town of Plum to open a grocery store. They soon discover that the town is evenly split between Catholics and Lutherans, neither of whom will socialize with the other. They also learn that small the politics of small town life are not always easy to navigate and that harsh judgments rarely go away. We see innocence in Brendan who loves his new home, and we see some quirks from the grandfather that can be amusing. We also meet a group of interesting characters: Wallace Flint, a man who is more disturbed than he appears; Dodger Hicks, a young man with few chances or saving graces in his life; Fr. O'Day, the parish priest without the finesse of Bing Crosby's famous Fr. O'Malley; Paul Dimmitburg, the son of the Lutheran minister taking a leave from his seminary studies; and Mrs. Brask, the mayor's wife and the worst kind of snob imaginable.

Hassler has a gift for creating good characters and he presents a slice of life in this novel that is both pleasant and dark. There are conflicts throughout the book, both large and small. Hassler does not immediately throw the reader into controversy as some writers do. Instead he brings the reader into the town itself and sets the reader on firm ground, and then the conflicts and tensions begin. It's almost as if we're being transported back to 1944 and we've moved to Plum. Hassler also doe a good job at creating a small Midwestern town at the end of World War II, keeping the historical circumstances in mind while not allowing World War II to envelope the entire story.

This book will be enjoyed by many of Jon Hassler's fans, and is a great introduction to the works of an enjoyable writer.

I have many different ways of rating a book; writing style, emotional impact, what it has taught me, etc.
Although I have read quite a few good novels this past year I think Jon Hassler's Grand Opening has been my favorite despite the fact there was really nothing spectacular in the style of writing. There was something very real about this book. It's the perfect portrayal of how certain individuals will just never be accepted into small town life. I have grown up in small towns all my life and have experienced this treatment because my family was never one for participating in small-town politics. It also didn't help matters that my mom was a "big city girl" from Minneapolis, MN. It's hard to be accepted in a small town unless you were born there, but really...even the people who are born there rarely make the cut themselves.

This book is full of bad things happening to good people. It's also full of good people having not-so-good thoughts and being hard on themselves for it. The beauty of Catholic guilt is well reflected in the character of Brendan.

The book had me split the entire time; I loved it for it's realism, yet I hated it because it wasn't an escape for me. People generally read to escape from the issues of daily life, yet this book paralleled the small town behavior I have viewed my entire life.

If you grew up in a small town in America, you will enjoy this book. The best book that Mr. Hassler has written. Hollywood should make a movie!