Thorn Tree by Max Ludington is a puzzling novel, difficult to categorize.
On the one hand, it is partly a meandering tale of experiences in the counterculture of California during the 1960s and 70s, with scenes involving drug use and abuse, music, and commune life. But it is also a character study of a complicated man, Daniel, age 68, who has lived a lifetime of personal tragedy, love lost, brushes with the law, and prison time. He tends to self-isolate, and now, in 2017, is retired and living alone in a rented guest house in Beverly Hills. The residents of the main house are a famous beautiful young actress Celia, her 6 year old son Dean, and her irascible father Jack.
Told in two timelines—past 1968 onward—and present—2017—the story wanders through their lives, told in long chapters and a stream of consciousness writing style. There are many words and long-winded descriptions of places and events.
I found most of the characters to be unlikeable, as they are generally unscrupulous and self-serving. They wallow in introspection and retrospection, and it is hard to feel a connection or sympathy for them and their unfortunate or downright unpleasant life choices. I did like Dean, the young boy, who is amazingly unspoiled in spite of all the damaged adults in his life.
The plot is decent, but again is not well-served by the very long chapters and philosophical ramblings. I did guess the story’s twist early on, and I think the ending touching, and very much in keeping with the general tone of the story.
I really wanted to like this ARC, since I requested it in part because I lived the 60s and 70s in this milieu of experimentation and counterculture. But the lack of focus and rambling writing left me wanting tighter plotting and focused storytelling, and less hand-wringing by the main characters.
While this is a “miss” for me, I appreciate Ludington’s writing skill and imagination. I would definitely give his future novels consideration.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

A swirling novel of past and present centered around Daniel, a sculptor who has become reclusive as he ages. This moves back and forth between the 60s and 70s and the present, with trauma from the death of Daniel's girlfriend Rachel at its center. Does Daniel's new neighbor Jack- a scary raging man-really know what happened to Rachel? I struggled a bit with this at first but then found myself caught up in the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This won't be for everyone but it's an interesting read for fans of literary fiction,

I have to say that I am glad I am done with this book! It was ssoo slooow. The chapters are extremely long. Characters come and go for no reason, I could understand. I kept losing interest and fell asleep reading it a couple of times. I got to 70% in the before it finally dawned on me what it was all about. Then it just abruptly ended. Of course, this is just my opinion and some others liked it and even loved it. Read it and find out what you think about it.

Tentative Publishing Date April 16, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Ludington for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#netgalley #stmartinspress #maxludington #thorntree #arc #readaway2024

Not a bad or un-interesting book. I think many readers will enjoy it. I found it plodding due to the lyrical prose. My dad would have loved this--more than likely he would have been quoting parts of it out to me. I, on the other hand, skipped and skimmed through the book, wishing it would have been 1/3 of the words. I averaged it out o a 3 star read. The digital ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This review is my own.

4.5 stars

Daniel Tunison, a reclusive artist now in his late sixties, lives in a quietly appointed former guest cottage in Hollywood Hills. Known for one briefly monumental and massive sculpture, Thorn Tree, that he constructed from scrap metal in the Mojave desert in the 1970s, Daniel is haunted by past tragedy and a lifetime of mistakes made along the way.

Daniel's neighbor is Celia Dressler, a fragile actress hoping for a career resurgence following her own series of personal setbacks. While Celia is away filming a movie, she entrusts the care of her young son, Dean, to her enigmatic father, Jack, who has been living with them. As Dean befriends Daniel, Jack's increasingly unsettling presence leaves Daniel feeling hesitant and wary as he gets glimpses of another man lurking just beneath the surface. As Ludington begins filling in both Daniel's and Jack's pasts, we discover hidden depths and long-held secrets in the gritty and tumultuous scene of late 1960s Los Angeles.

Thorn Tree is a masterful piece of gorgeously constructed literary fiction from new-to-me author, Max Ludington. Filled with interesting characters, the pull of Thorn Tree was not only discovering more about the burgeoning story, but also in spending time learning about Daniel, the backbone of the novel. From the first page, the depth and care in the creation of Daniel was evident. The allure of Thorn Tree is an increasingly tension-filled tale and the convergence of the past timeline and the present, unfolding in degrees so subtle that I gasped out loud at one part. Before I knew it, the book simply became unputdownable.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC on Netgalley.

This novel has a good plot however it jumps from character to character and time period too quickly. It made it difficult to follow along.

Readers who enjoy reading about the 60’s in Hollywood and cults like the Manson family will enjoy this novel.

About Daniel - an artist in the 1960s and his neighbor an actress who isn’t the best of mothers - and of course a secret long held - a great atmosphere in Hollywood and what was going on and the artists struggles

Sadly, this one did not work for me! I did not like the portrayal of the sole female character at all — Celia seems to have been created exclusively by the male gaze which gave me the ick. I also found the book to be too long and slow for my personal taste, it dragged quite a bit. But it was an interesting setting and I loved Dean's character!

Drug scene in the late 1960's, flower power hippies living together, groovy fad. I was very young in the 60's so remember some of these things going on.
This was not an easy book to read. I had a really hard time getting into this book. For me it dragged and I found it difficult to keep my interest.
Interesting characters and story line.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Thorn Tree is not easy to dive into because the momentum of the story is interrupted with excessive description. The storyline is interesting, but it is difficult to stay involved with the slow pace of the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really dread giving a 3-star rating. I know the author and publishing company have all worked very hard to get a novel to the review stage. But we’re supposed to be honest, so here goes.
I tried so hard to get into this novel. It has all the required points: interesting characters, a plot that goes back years, and a beautiful landscape for the stage. But I kept losing the string we’re supposed to pull ourselves along with; the thought, the main backbone, the deepening plot. I feel sure this is unique with me and others will enjoy the story, so please give it a try. I am sorry, but I just couldn’t get there.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 16, 2024.

I had a hard time getting into this book as it jumps in time so easily, but once I had the characters straight I really enjoyed it. It involves many characters' Jack, Forest, Dean, Daniel, Celia--and that's just to name a few! It vacillates between the late sixties and the present, so we get scenes of the drug culture and LSD, along with the music world, art and sculpture, and "free love" and hippie cults. So buckle up and enjoy the ride as you may feel transported back to that crazy time when fantasies almost became an every day reality!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was invited to read this book by the publisher, and I have to admit, it just was not my cup of tea. It’s a me issue though, doesn’t speak on the book at all!

Daniel, a once famous artist, who sought and protects his now quiet life away from the turbulent 60’s, lives in a converted guest cottage owned by a movie star who is intent on re-awakening her flailing career. Her father, Jack, who has a bit of a nefarious past history of his own, lives there, taking care of his young grandson, Daniel can’t warm up to Jack ,who reminds Daniel of a period in his life he would just as soon forget, the reason he’s retreated from the public eye. An explosive twist that this reader didn’t see coming.

Mr. Ludington has delivered a well-written, compelling novel where the past collides with the present and which will stay with you long after reading the last page.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel pre-publication.

This was not the story for me with the scattered narrative and the drug use references. I am not able to recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to think about this book. In some ways it was a well written and engaging story, but in others, it was packed full of obscure words and jumped around so much it made my head hurt. I feel like this could’ve been done better. If this author had a better editor, some of the nonsense would’ve been stripped down, and the great parts would be left behind. I definitely don’t want to diminish from how great some parts of the book were. The characters were incredibly well done, and the overarching theme of the group was well done. I think it was mostly the descriptive areas that were faulty. I have a pretty big vocabulary, but had to look up at least 40 words in the story. I am all for some stretching yourself while reading, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. All in all a good book, but should have been better edited.

In the 1970s, after his first stint in prison, Daniel created a magnificent piece of art. That eventually led to a second stretch in prison, after which … with the help of a good friend … Daniel began a new life.

In 2017 he is living in what was once the guest house for the property now owned by a famous actor. She has her own demons and is trying to build a life with her young son Dean and father Jack. Dean and Daniel become quite close.

Jack and Daniel have a casual friendship that turns sour. Jack is a decade older than Daniel, but both of their lives are inexorably tied to the counterculture of the 1960s. I would say, though, that the primary focus of the author (born in 1967) was on the hedonism of that era.

This is a novel that has much darkness: I kept hoping for survival and forgiveness.

I felt this was ok . I didn’t mind the darkness so much or the time period. I didn’t like the writing style .

You know, I really really wanted to love this book. I guess I live my life through rose colored glasses having grown up in the 60’s. I found myself pushing to get through this book with feelings of anger and anxiety. I could force myself no longer and put it down. Maybe I will try again at another time. .

“Thorn Tree” is by Max Ludington. I have really mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, this book should have been one I really liked - as it ticked a number of boxes I enjoy (Hollywood, the 1960s, artists). However, this book was a lot darker than I thought it would be - between the exploitation (on so many levels), the drug usage (yes, part of the sixties, but something that doesn’t sit well with me), and the darker side of the 1960s - this book just felt more depressing and upsetting opposed to an enjoyable read. This book may be great for some people, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.