THE VERY LONG, VERY STRANGE LIFE OF ISAAC DAHL by Bart Yates offers a glimpse into Isaac Dahl's life through twelve distinct days. It felt like visiting an acquaintance you like, rather than really getting to know someone deeply. While the format was creative and the book was enjoyable, it lacked the depth I was hoping for. The adventures and life experiences of Isaac Dahl reminded me a bit of Forrest Gump. I switched between the book and the audiobook, and Paul Bellatoni's narration definitely enhanced the experience, making it a light, entertaining read with some memorable highlights.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl was an excellent read. I liked the character exploration and the writing was propulsive. I would read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
A storied life in 12 snapshots of pivotal days in Isaac Dahl's life. I loved the structure that all adds up to a life well lived with determination and positivity. It's beautifully written and as we jumped over a century of historical and personal events, you felt the growth of Isaac and the society he moves through.

The narrator, Paul Bellantoni, did a good job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, and with what expression/intension. It felt very intimate, which was perfect for this story.

Thank you to HighBridge Audio, NetGalley, and author Bart Yates for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl is out July 23, 2024.

I received an advanced reader copy of this from NetGalley. (I listened to the audiobook version) I really appreciate how the format of this book was more of a snapshot of 12 important days in Isaac's life rather than just a story from the beginning of his life to the end of his life. It was interesting to see different perspectives of different events throughout different ages for the main character.

Thank you, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this audiobook for review. It is a very long, very strange life, indeed. Isaac Dahl is 96 years old and telling the tale of his life in 12 stories (or 12 significant days) over 12 chapters in the course of the book. These stories seem like ordinary days, but alas as the book references, there really are no ordinary days. The time periods range significant historical events over the last 100 years: dust storms in Oklahoma, segregated schools, AIDS, WWII, living as a gay man when it was definitely not accepted, Civil Rights movement, and more.

“Ordinary moments often resonate the most…” and so goes the story of Isaac Dahl. Isaac tells the story of his life through 12 experiences that though, on the surface, may seem ordinary, are all eye-opening, and often heartbreaking. I cried many times while reading this book because of the beauty of a life well lived—not perfectly lived, and not easily lived, but really and truly lived.

I read this as an audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley and High Bridge for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

96 year-old Isaac Dahl writes about his very long, very strange life... and the reader is taken up in the tale! The reader gets to learn about 12 days in the life of this beloved character, including an avalanche in Utah, a day during World War II, and important men throughout his life. Every single chapter was beautifully done and made me feel something - it was all about making sure that the people he loved were safe and cared for.

Paul Bettantoni did a wonderful job narrating, especially with different moments in Isaac's life sounding a bit different. Really wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

As the title suggests, this was indeed a very strange story.

It's a compilation of 12 chapters that discuss the 12 significant days of Isaac's life and take you deeper into his memoir. It's notable to see that this is a commendable work at the age of 96, where you have surfed your way through life and can now share the magical essence of life.

The author does mention that no life is an ordinary one and if we pay close attention we all have those stories to share (which I absolutely agree with). The book starts with young Isaac and the story of 1st survival that rolls down into a snowball of incidents shaping his life. It is a one-of-a-kind book, where i got glimpses of his life in a distilled manner. I would love to have a chance to discover more about his life and everything that shaped him into this version.

Read this book if you enjoy memoirs with a zest of survival instinct and a will to live each day to the fullest.

Going in, I wasn't sure I would like the book's format of each chapter focusing on one day of Isaac's life, skipping 8 years in between and spanning almost 100 years. However, the book, the characters and amazing events of his life immediately drew me in. I loved the relationships between the main characters, including their humor and quirks...especially Aggie and sweet Bo. Some of Isaac's life events reminded my of Roald Dahl's autobiographies (Boy and Going Solo)--not only because of the shared last name but also because of the humor, historic events and extraordinary stories. I loved both of those books, so the similar feel of this book to those was a positive for me.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent, his voice inflection really fit the various characters' personalities and accents and added to my enjoyment.

This book and its endearing characters will stay with me for awhile. One of those books where I wanted to meet the characters, they seemed so real. I look forward to reading other books by Bart Yates. Thank you so much to RBmedia and NetGalley for this advance audiobook. All opinions shared are my own, shared willingly.

Isaac Dahl is a 96 year old retired journalist who decides to write his memoir at the request of his twin sister, Agnes. Every chapter is a year in Isaac’s life, 12 days total, each 8 years apart. I thought this would be much more interesting than it was. There are definitely some interesting elements—surviving an avalanche, being at the heart of school desegregation in Mississippi, and living life as a gay man in a time when it was not only socially unacceptable but dangerous. The whole book is far too short to really dig into these concepts, though. I loved the constant thread of Isaac, Agnes, and Bo throughout the stories, but otherwise there is too much going on without a lot of depth. Thanks to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio, and Bart Yates for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable story. Lots of characters because it spans so long, but I liked all the individual pieces that made up the full life.

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by author, Bart Yates. It was a very uniquely but well written book. The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl captured the essence of Isaac’s life by delving into his character, relationships, experiences and accomplishments. Isaac, his twin sister, Aggie, and their best friend, Bo, were first introduced as young children. Bart Yates detailed their distinct personality traits, their strengths, their challenges, their aspirations and assumptions. All of their lives changed in a blink of an eye when an avalanche reared its ugly teeth and decided who would live and who would die. Miraculously, Isaac, Aggie and Bo all survived. Isaac, then continued to share and write about the most significant moments in his life which corresponded with significant historical developments and experiences over the course of his lifetime. These events spanned through nine decades of Isaac’s life. Those events, which totaled twelve in all, were the most memorable and important ones in Isaac’s life. They included but were not limited to the devastating dust storms in Oklahoma (where Isaac and Aggie were taken by their uncle after the avalanche), Isaac’s experiences as a journalist during World War II, living as a gay man when it was far from accepted, the Civil Rights movement, AIDS and more. Each new chapter in Isaac’s life took place eight years after the last one that had been previously described. Isaac’s life was challenging but he met each new struggle, test, new experience or dilemma with a remarkable determination, positive energy and the need to make sure all the people he cared about were safe, happy and loved.

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl explored Isaac’s life journey. I enjoyed how it took an up close view of the world of twins. Isaac’s and Aggie’s special bond and non-verbal communication revealed the fascination that only twins get to share. Bo’s relationship with both Isaac and Aggie was deeply rooted in his feelings he had for both of them. I enjoyed the times of his life that Isaac chose to share. They not only reminded each of us about the significance that time played in history but how it affected Isaac’s life and the impressions they left on him. The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl explored the meaning of family, the special bond twins share, friendship, putting someone’s happiness before your own, protecting those who are close, loss, grief and celebrating the gift of being alive for another year. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Issac Dahl by Bart Yates. The narrator, Paul Bellantoni was very good and made my listening experience a pleasure. I highly recommend this unique yet captivating audiobook.

Thank you to High Bridge for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl by Bart Yates through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

3.5 stars - The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl follows the life of a man born in 1920s Utah through 12 days. This is a beautiful saga about the trials and tribulations of family deaths, the Great Depression, wars and social issues.

Overall, I felt that it was a beautiful book with amazing imagery. However, the non-linear timeline became confusing at times, especially as an audiobook. The narrator was entertaining and made a strong effort to distinguish the various characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl was a delightful and poignant story. This story is told in twelve vignettes - twelve different points in Isaac Dahl long 96 year old life - from a disastrous avalanche, to World War II, to the AIDS crisis. I couldn't help but fall in love with Isaac - he is a thoughtful and compassionate character. Great story - highly recommend.

Imagine twelve significant days spanning nearly a century, all centered around one man's life. Starting from the 1920s in Utah spiraling onwards

Isaac Dahl, now a sprightly ninety-six year old, has decided to write his memoir, but this isn't your typical autobiography.
Each chapter summarises a pivotal day of Isaac’s life - distilling the very essence of his rich existence. After reading this, I can now imagine surviving an avalanche in Utah as an eight-year-old, trapped in an upside-down bathtub with my twin sister.

Or maybe… fast-forward to World War II, where he was, a rookie correspondent on the USS Houston, confronting the brutal reality of war.

But I believe the magic of this story is the narrator - Paul Bellantoni. The secret ingredient that turns my review from 4 stars into a five star.

The narration of this book is Pure enchantment, a natural storyteller who breathes life into every word.

As you listen, you'll find yourself attached to the characters, laughing at their humor, feeling their sadness, and embracing their unwavering love and dedication.

This tale isn't just about history…. it's about hope…. the kind that keeps us holding on, eager to discover the next…. Day!
no matter what life throws our way.

A huge Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio

I had a lovely time reading this book. My favourite ever book remains to be The Heart's Invisible Furies and this took me right there. The premise is pretty similar, popping in on 12 occasions in the life of a gay man over many years. This time though, it's set mainly in America and sees our protagonist ensure many hardships, including an avalanche, the dust bowl, WWII, earthquakes and tornados!

There was humour and light-hearted moments, but it was also hard hitting emotional at times. At the core of the story was Isaac's relationship with his twin sister and their childhood friend. I loved seeing it develop over the years and where it went. Cradle to grave stories (especially those covering the AIDS crisis) appear to be my favourite books, so I really was set up to love this.

I really would recommend this book widely, but especially those that enjoyed THIF by John Boyne. For me, it wasn't quite as good. It's not getting that fifth star, mainly because I didn't feel as emotionally connected to the characters as I wanted to, but I did really enjoy it and loved the writing style, so I'm keen to investigate other things this author has written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this audiobook.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique story of Isaac Dahl, his twin sister Aggie and his best friend Bo. It is told over the course of Isaac's life, with each of the 12 chapters being one day in his life. I have read previous books by this author and he does a wonderful job of developing characters and engaging the reader in the story. Even though each chapter is only a day, it also manages to catch the reader up on the events that have happened to the characters since the last chapter, which is usually about a decade apart. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Paul Bellantoni. Mr. Bellantoni did an excellent job of narrating this novel. He really was able to become the voice of the main character and help the reader get to know and care about Isaac. I highly recommend this book.

Written like a memoir (but is fiction) the life of Isaac Dahl IS in fact, a very long and somewhat strange/interesting one.

The story follows Isaac starting at age 8 in a mining town in Utah. His family are Swedish immigrants and we are introduced to his twin sister, Aggie.
It follows Isaac though 12 of the most pivotal days of his life, some more interesting/believable than others.

He struggles with his sexuality, finding his place in the world, questions of what if?, makes and loses friends and is told in a captivating yet relaxed way.

The narration is the best part of the book, I don't know that I would have stayed interested in print format.

A gentle book. Similar vibes as "Less" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/031631613X?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_4Z8P32NKBCE8FGZ84GVA&skipTwisterOG=2).

A weird writing style that I now love, the story of a man told in snippets, like sips of wine. A day, an event, we see our hero once every eight years. The day in his childhood when everything changes, a day when his adoptive family gets his heart broken, World War II, Civil Rights movement, everything moves on in between. Some days are dramatic, once-in-a-lifetime tragedies that we've all experienced, some are regular days that are so meaningful they help explain a life well lived.

I'm reminded of the lyrics to "Time Marches On" (https://genius.com/Tracy-lawrence-time-marches-on-lyrics), we see a photograph in the movie on life, and can guess how we got from Point A to B. The style allows a lot of flexibility that I didn't know I would appreciate so much.

I appreciate how things happen "off screen" but influence everything about our characters. Things from years ago still matter, sometimes. Sometimes we never get over that loss, that hurt, that triumph, and dwelling on the past can hurt so good sometimes. Sometimes those days are what defines us, and Yates does a good job finding those days for his characters. The events are a bit dramatic (several natural disasters), but the characters, they make the story. The love, the family they find and make and chose, make the story as wonderful and gentle as this.

A story read for the characters, the writing style breaks down any "plot" into something weird and squishy. But I'm a fan, and of course I'm not wondering what days define my life.

I really enjoyed this novel, it read like a memoir which I’m really into but it focussed on 12 seperate days of the main character’s life across his 96 years. I enjoyed it more than I expected to!