The Nix – Nathan Hill
100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: When Samuel Andresen-Anderson’s estranged mother Faye makes headlines for, literally, throwing stones at a political candidate, he’s provided an opportunity to jump start his stalled writing career by telling her story, and in the process learn the motivations behind her departure decades earlier.
Expectation: A mother-son family drama.
Reality: A pitch-perfect dramedy — and quasi political satire — with a lot of heart and told from multiple POVs. Spanning the 1960s to the 2010s, many watershed political moments serve as a backdrop to the plot in a way that feels authentic.
Recommended For: Fans of historical fiction and the “great American novel.”
Why I Read It: When scrolling through my sister-in-law’s (SIL) Audible account the colorful cover caught my eye, and the description sounded interesting.
My take:
Much of this review has nothing to do with “The Nix.” So, in the spirit of TL;DR, this is an amazing novel that everyone should read. Now, if you’ll indulge me…
If you would’ve told me that my completely random decision to download and listen to “The Nix” would become the catalyst for renewing my interest in reading in general, and audiobooks as a viable format, I would’ve thought you were crazy.
It was a gloomy Labor Day weekend in Minneapolis. I was feeling crummy and had spent most of the day in bed watching trashy gay cinema on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Around Memorial Day I had started working out again after a several year slump — and I was just starting to see results — which meant I couldn’t let a day to go by without some form of intentional movement out of fear that I’d fall off the wagon again.
Begrudgingly, I took the elevator to our condo building’s gym and committed to walking on the treadmill for an hour. After not being able to find any music to keep me motivated, the Audible app called to me.
In 2015, my SIL gave me access to her account, and I’d tried a book or two over the years, but I was far from a consistent audiobook listener. But once my new fitness regime meant I was walking 5+ miles almost daily, I needed something other than music to offset the tedium.
Enter “The Nix.”
I loved this book, plain and simple. When it was finished in October 2017, I declared that it was the best book I had read in the past seven years — the Harry Potter series not included — and that sentiment stands today. Although I’ve read, and listened to, many amazing books since then, it’s only because “The Nix” opened the door for it to happen.
Each character, perfectly flawed in its own way, was interesting enough to sustain its own novel, but when combined into one amazingly intertwined story, even 620 pages (or 22 hours as an audiobook) was not enough time. Each character lived and breathed. I was invested in their journey, and I didn't want it to end.
The flashback format gave decade-spanning views of several characters — placing them in moments like the riots of the 1968 Democratic National Convention to the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests. This aided to a depth of character development you often don't have in multiple POV books.
In the years since, I've often thought of this novel, but one section in particular, "A Body for Each of Us," where Samuel and his long-time friend and childhood crush, Bethany, participate in a 2004 anti-Iraq War demonstration to honor someone close to them.
The writing is gorgeous, nuanced and devastating; its unique structure could be a standalone novel. It is one of several sections like this, and that's why "The Nix" is one of a handful of books I regularly recommend to others.
There's no need to further recap the plot — the description in the dust jacket gives you enough detail. Just know that it's not exactly as described, in the most surprising, delightful and heartbreaking of ways.
It takes a lot of talent to tell a multi-generational story with intertwined plots that mirror true events. Hill not only pulled it off, he raised the bar — and in a debut, no less. I cannot wait to read what he does next.
Similarly, the audiobook is probably one of the best I've ever listened to, fantastically narrated by Ari Fliakos who brings humor, warmth and emotion to even the most ridiculous situations. I would gladly listen to any book he narrates.
In fact, I loved the book so much that I bought a physical copy — something I now do for audiobooks that become favorites. It is one of my quirkier habits. If you've read it, what did you think? If you haven't, what are you waiting for?
Rating (story): 5/5 stars
Rating (narration): 5/5 stars
Format: Audiobook (SIL’s library)
Dates read: September 4 – October 4, 2017
Multi-tasking: Yes, but make sure it is an activity where you can still focus on the story.
