REVIEW – Lean on Pete
Willy Vlautin
Lean on Pete tells the tale of Charley Thompson, a lonely and desperate 15 year old, and a tired racehorse named ‘Lean on Pete’.
After fate deals Charley a terrible card, he pursues his only hope – to find his Aunt in Wyoming – by hopping from place to place through theft, generosity, heartless employers, and a horse he rescued from a ruthless and decaying race track.
Charley’s search for a friend, father, or child, has been seen before. The novel has elements of Free Willy and The Horse Whisperer, with a troubled youngster seeking solace in an equally lonely animal. And like these films, the scenes in which Charley confides in Pete with complete conviction, and works tirelessly to keep him well, are incredibly touching.
What is interesting about Vlautin’s novel, in particular, is that the futility of Charley’s situation, compounded by the brutal bare-as-bones style of writing, is one of its main draws. At times you feel that a profound desolation typifies the novel, with each character and event seeming ultimately disposable. However, this very emptiness immerses you in Charley’s limited world, leaving you willing him to just carry on.
It is better than it looks.
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