So, if you’re a big reader, it will have been hard for you to have missed hearing about Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden. With over 2.5 million copies sold, it’s one of the biggest books of the year and has captured the hearts and minds of many. It’s also caught a lot of flak. Some people have been upset with the portrayal of some characters as being too stereotypical or the character of Theo being too representative of a patriarchal society. My only real issues with the book, without stating too many spoilers, were that the gifting sessions Theo conducts became a little repetitive and I wished the ending didn’t take the turn it did. Again, I don’t want to spoil it, but I thought the ending negated what I came to know about Theo a little and I was hoping for something more unique.
But that being said, there were parts of this book I absolutely loved. Especially the first hundred pages, where I felt like I was glowing from the kindness that leapt off the page. I kept thinking as I read, why can’t there be more stories like this? It has a similar effect as the TV series Ted Lasso: it was so incredibly nice to finally read about a good guy, doing good things. Not to be thanked or for some kind of reward, but simply out of love for other people, which is the ultimate expression of art (a fitting quality since it’s revealed Theo is an artist himself.)
In most modern storytelling, guys are typically portrayed as buffoons, or misogynistic, or selfish beyond belief. It’s tiresome. Soul-crushing even. Especially if you’re a guy. In a society where it seems like men are being called out as amoral pigs every time you turn on the television, it’s nice to see a story about a guy just trying to spread a little kindness. That’s my major takeaway from this book.
Now all of this is not to say that Theo is beyond reproach. I have serious questions about why he chose to stay silent about his true identity. Ah, it’s so hard to write a review without giving away a spoiler! Okay, what I’ll tell you is that Theo is more closely tied to someone in the Golden community than you’d expect, and basically, he made a promise that he would keep that connection a secret. But when he reveals his truth, it reads a little more like a convenient way to justify how Theo lived his life before arriving in Golden, rather than as an honorable approach to someone’s wishes.
Either way, even though the book at times makes Theo sound infallible, this is definitely not the case. He can get angry. He can wish things to go in a manner according to his liking. He can overplay his hand. All human attributes. Human attributes that I feel people are leaning on as their major criticism of the book, while also complaining that Theo isn’t human enough. No one is that nice, they say.
I would argue that some are. And many are trying to be. But rather than rely on what I, or the naysayers say, do yourself a favor and read it for yourself. Even if you don’t like the story, I bet you’ll feel like being a little kinder afterwards, and Lord knows we could all use more of that. Especially on the internet. Yeepers.
Seekers Bookshop
As always, when I review a book that I think deserves a spot in your own library, I add it to my online bookstore, “Seekers.” You’ll find Theo of Golden under the category: Worth Your Time