Wade, a gay metrosexual (unlike me), and his partner Gary, leave the city and all its trappings (Starbucks, Banana Republic,, etc.) for a cottage in snowbound Saugatuck, MI. The book is a very funny slice-of-life about the trials an tribulations of giving up everything they know--the gym, the spas, the restaurants, the nightlife--for racoons and birds and pine trees. Using Thoreau's Walden as a guide, they try to acclimate to often inhospitable nature, and neighbors, and present it in a novel that you can dive into at any chapter and still have a fun time--there's no plot to get in the way. It's more of a journal than a story.
The book's a blast; there's no doubt that it has one chuckle per page, and at least a full-on belly laugh every chapter. But I prefer a book with a plot, character growth, and conflict on a large scale--not just simply "putting out fires" every day, as in this novel. The characters are also openly homosexual, and quite hilarious about it (e.g putting a stick for a penis on their snowman), but again, no plot. If one likes Forrest Gump, which is just moving through someones life, then they'll like this book--the humor alone makes it a page-turner. But if someone is looking for depth and meaning and a complete ride from start to finish, this book is mediocre. 3.5 bookmarks.
