Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The Longest Road is a clever, fascinating memoir that continues the story of Joe Calendino's spiral into addiction and journey back to sobriety; it is the sequel to To Hell And Back, but can be read as a standalone book.
Prose: Calendino and Little's prose is by turns blunt ("The drug had me by the balls.") and poetic. ("I lived in a state of absolute and constant disarray, another zombie like so many other lost souls down there.") The co-authors pull zero punches, frankly and brutally describing Joe's descent, ascent, and relapse.
Originality: Memoirs about addiction and recovery abound, but few like The Longest Road. The authors offer a grueling yet engaging story, told via differing points of view and tenses that uplift it from typical memoir fare.
Character/Execution: Calendino emerges as a full, complex figure who proves to be more than the sum of his parts or the demons that plague him. The authors also bring humanity and nuance to additional friends, family, and adversaries who appear throughout Calendino's story.
Date Submitted: October 01, 2024
