A subtle masterpiece about a quiet man whose carefully ordered life shifts, gently and profoundly. Tyler spins vivid characters from silky strands of detail so you feel you know each one of them, their present, past and unwritten future. Whilst it seems as though nothing is happening, you know that you are in the hands of a brilliant storyteller and become aware that everything is changing and building to a moment of total transformation. No fireworks, just brilliant writing.

One of my favourite books of the year, brilliantly characterised, and such a vivid, emotive quaint tale. My first Anne Tyler and I'll definitely be reading more!

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

A perfect love story for imperfect people.

Micah Mortimer measures out his days running errands for work, maintaining an impeccable cleaning regime and going for runs (7:15, every morning). He is in a long-term relationship with his woman friend Cassia, but they live apart. His carefully calibrated life is regular, steady, balanced.

But then the order of things starts to tilt. Cassia is threatened with eviction, and when a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son, he is confronted with another surprise he seems poorly equipped to handle.

Can Micah, a man to whom those around him always seem just out of reach, find a way back to his perfectly imperfect love story?

Anne Tyler is brilliant at capturing seemingly mundane characters and events and turning them into something really beautiful and profound. Redhead at the Side of the Road is no different. It explores the life of Micah, a fortysomething guy who is very stuck in his ways. His well ordered life is disturbed by an arrival that is linked to his past.
Not much happens in this short novel, but if you're looking for nuanced character portrayals and subtle humour interspersed with melancholy reflections on life then I'd recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I found it very compulsive and finished it in two sittings. Anne Tyler is such a highly experienced and accomplished writer. I loved how all the different threads of the story (which centered around a single reclusive man with obsessive compulsive tendencies) were skillfully interwoven. It was one of those books that you miss as soon as you have read it.

Anne Tyler is one of those writers where you know in advance what you're getting. If I were to sum her work up in a word, I would say 'kind'. There is a theme across her novels which celebrates the heroism of the everyday. She even makes a sly wink to this in her latest book's opening line, 'You have to wonder what goes through the mind of a man like Micah Mortimer', listing his scruffy clothes, unvarying daily routine and apparent solitary life. He seems hardly worth a second glance. But as Tyler proves time and time again, appearances can be deceptive.

I decided to read this in response to lockdown - I've been actively seeking out 'up-lit' to get me through the dreary rainy days of not-quite-spring. It's a short novel coming in at under two hundred pages but still manages to be a lovely comfort read. Micah Mortimer is a middle-aged perfectionist. Youngest child behind a long line of sisters, Micah was once his family's rising star. He was the first to go to college but now he spends his days running a computer support company called Tech Hermit and moonlighting as the caretaker of his building. He does his household chores on a strict rotating timetable, looking upon his own discipline as a virtue. When he drives, he imagines himself being watched by the Traffic God who admires his attention and care. Micah has a relationship with Cass, his 'woman friend' (Micah refuses to call someone in their late thirties a 'girlfriend') but there is again that feeling of routine and detachment. Micah feels pride that they have 'it down to system, you could say'.

On the surface, very little happens. Cass frets over whether she might be up for eviction due to issues around a cat. A teenager turns up at Mortimer's house claiming to be his son but Micah is confident from early on that this is not so since he had never slept with the boy's mother. Like the great Jane Austen herself, Tyler abandons plot in favour of feeling. It is the introspection that these events occur which prompt shifts within Micah himself. He sits in a room at his sister's house, the chaos of his vast extended family going on around him. We see him as they all do - finicky, loner, awkward - but then we are also privy to his inner thoughts.

I can think of few writers who equal Tyler in compassion. I think back to the quiet tragedy of The Amateur Marriage and how Tyler emphasised how despite their mismatched partnership, Pauline and Michael were two good people. But also that their unbalanced union had wrecked both of their lives. Here, Tyler is again promoting greater empathy in society. Throughout the novel, Tyler is answering her own arresting first line. What goes through the mind of a man like Micah Mortimer? Any number of things. So please don't dismiss him.

But more than that - and terribly pertinent in the midst of a global pandemic - Redhead by the Side of the Road is a softly-spoken rallying call against loneliness. Micah may seem set in his ways, fated to fend for himself forevermore but all is far from lost. As we all drift ever further away from one another, it can be easy to fall into solitary patterns and it takes courage to take a risk and break free. Every time I read a Tyler novel, I find myself thinking about ways that I can try to be a better person - I think this is the highest commendation of all. A warm and wise novel rich in the knowledge of the human heart, this is a highly recommended comfort read.

My second book by Anne Tyler is a novel of quiet profundity on an unremarkable man’s stirring quest towards kindness and empathy in middle age. Like in Clock Dance, nothing particularly significant happens in this story - its beauty is in the quotidian opportunities for growth and redemption that present themselves to us. ⁣
⁣
Micah is a freelance computer troubleshooter for the clueless elderly who finds joy in the mundanity of his firmly established routines, his rigid personal boundaries with his lady friend Cass, and his orderly world apart from his chaotic family. Micah’s world is jolted out of its scheduled calm when the son of his university girlfriend shows up at his door, and this most stubborn of men begins to reevaluate what is truly important to him and what he will do to preserve that.
⁣

Redhead by the Side of the Road is the latest book by Anne Tyler. This novella-length story is about Micah Mortimer, who is janitor for the residents of his building, and a freelance computer technician, Tech Hermit. His life is very ordered and organized; I would say he has Asperger’s or something similar. Set in Baltimore, as all Anne Tyler’s novels are, Micah’s quiet life goes off-course, when the son of a former girlfriend turns up at his door thinking Micah might be his real father.
He is not, but tries to help and gives Brink a bed for the night. His lady friend, Cass, is facing eviction, but is upset when Micah does not offer her somewhere to stay; she breaks up with him.
Their relationship had seemed to be built on habit rather than passion, but Micah only appreciates what he had when it is too late. The book ends a bit abruptly, but perhaps Anne Tyler was leaving it to the reader to decide what happens next.
This character-driven narrative is about the minutiae of everyday life, and what it is to be human. It is not Anne Tyler’s best novel (my favourite is The Accidental Tourist), but it is still a joy to read.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

In the UK, Anne Tyler has always felt like one of the best-kept secrets in the book world. I was delighted to see her nominated for the Women's Prize for this book, though Maggie O'Farrell deserved her win. I always buy new books by Anne Tyler and love the richness of the worlds she creates and the subtlety with which she paints portraits of families. This one also had some arresting images and funny lines - my parents are obsessed with the protagonist's car, and praying to the gods of traffic and tech! Another lovely read.

44-year-old Micah Mortimer has a steady life. He lives alone; he keeps to himself; his routine is etched in stone. He works as a superintendent at the building he lives in and runs his own tech company, mainly sorting out the computer woes of elderly women. He has a girlfriend – Cass, a teacher – who he sees several nights a week.

Two things happen to disrupt Micah’s quiet existence: Cass thinks she’s going to be thrown out of her apartment and when Micah doesn’t suggest she move in with him, Cass is annoyed, and Brink, the son of Micah’s first girlfriend shows up unexpectedly, thinking that Micah might be his dad.

Like many of Tyler’s novels, this could be described as a quiet book. While nothing much appears to happen, Micah is forced to recalibrate his entire view of himself and his life so far – the redhead of the title doesn’t exist, it’s a fire hydrant that Micah repeatedly mistakes for a small person while running without his glasses on. There’s a superb set piece of a dinner with Micah’s family that is vintage Tyler and much to admire in the novel as a whole.

I love Anne Tyler's novels, and this one - although too short - didn't disappoint.

Our main character Micah is a typical Tyler creation, complete with strange quirks and very set in his ways. I loved the scene where he eats dinner with his family, who are completely chaotic and so unlike Micah - I could have read another 100 pages of this scene!

As with most of Tyler's novels, it is all about the characters and this one doesn't disappoint. My only criticism is that it was too short - I wanted more of the mad family!

I really enjoyed this story and the incisive look into the lives of the main character and the family and women around him. I'm a big Anne Tyler fan and this book is one of her best yet.

Loved this so much. My first time reading Anne Tyler, but definitely not the last one. It was a quick, suprising read, very much recommended!

A short novel but one rich in character.
Anne Tyler is a master at writing books about ordinary people and this is another fine example.
This isn't a book with a plot or mystery but a simple but rich tale of our protagonist Micah, a forty-something guy with a one man computer support company. At only 192 pages this is a short tale, that glimpses into the life of Micah charmingly describing his current day to day life and delightfully looks back at his family and relationships. With a small story line of the son of an old girlfriend this is a warm and pleasant read. This author has a marvellous way of describing people and I was vividly able to see our main character in my minds eye down to the clothes he wears, the way he walked and talked. A charming quick read.

Anne Tyler is one of my favourite writers, so elegantly understated, so spot-on with her characters. Her latest ‘Redhead by the Side of the Road’ is slim, at 180 pages, but a delight. Why? Because she writes about what it is like to be human, the everyday things, the ticks, the habits, the way we are and the subtle ways we change.
Hers are not plot-driven page-turning books, they are thoughtful portraits of people who seem to be like us – they chop vegetables and mop the kitchen floor, like Micah Mortimer, an unmarried 44 year old self-employed IT specialist and janitor of his apartment block. His family teases him about his finicky household habits and he accepts the teasing with good grace. He is infinitely patient with his elderly clients, going round to reboot computers and routers. No scene is wasted in this novella. I particularly loved Micah’s visit to new client Rosalie Hayes who has inherited a house, and computer, from her grandmother. Rosalie cannot find her grandmother’s passwords and is tearing her hair out. This is how we see Micah’s world, through his interactions with neighbours, family, clients, girlfriend Cass and a stranger who turns up on his doorstep – the student son of Micah’s old college girlfriend. Brink’s arrival precipitates change.
Because we see and come to understand Micah’s thought processes, we see how he misunderstands Cass and fails to say the right thing. And we see him find the right thing to say to student Brink who knocks on Micah’s door under a misapprehension and stays because of a problem he cannot express. It is Micah’s gentle nature which finally reveals Brink’s difficulties. Anne Tyler is brilliant at creating characters who, whether you love them or hate them, make you want to read about their story.
A definite 5*. A book you will read and enjoy, wanting to get to the end while at the same time wishing it would last longer.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

Life is simple for middle-aged Micah Mortimer. He has his steady job as a handyman/Tech Hermit, his steady relationship with fourth-grade teacher girlfriend Cass Slade, and his steady routine. Occasionally he’ll be reminded of family by one of his four older sisters and their sprawling families. A quiet, straightforward life. And then 18 year old Brink arrives on his doorstep claiming to be his long-lost son. Wuh-oh!

I’ve been meaning to read an Anne Tyler novel ever since Nick Hornby gushed about her in his much-missed Stuff I’ve Been Reading column in The Believer magazine and I’m glad I finally got around to it - Redhead by the Side of the Road was pretty decent. Though I’m not as smitten as Hornby was, I can see why people like this writer.

The title is a passing reference to Micah mistaking a red fire hydrant for a child, looking at it from the corner of his eye while driving. It’s summed-up later in the line: “He has noticed that his faulty vision most often reveals itself in attempts to convert inanimate objects into human beings.” This gets to the heart of the novel which is that Micah is too closed-off from human contact and almost treats them like he sees them: inanimate objects.

This isn’t a plot-driven novel but more of a character portrait of a man, a (tech) hermit if you will, realising his view of life is “faulty”, that he’s actually dissatisfied with his too-neat world - he’s entrenched in his routine and he needs the warming chaos of other people in his life to make him happy, imperfections included.

My only real critique is that there wasn’t a whole lot going on to really grip me. I can’t fault the clever writing, the sharp characterisation, the convincing dialogue, the concept - it’s all executed flawlessly by an obvious master. I also liked the odd quirk thrown in like Micah’s imaginary Traffic God commenting on his driving ability, which was an inventive touch.

I just would’ve preferred a bit more drama. The big set piece of the book is a family dinner that goes well - hmm. That and the kinda obvious lesson-learning at the end were the only aspects that felt a tad unimaginative. These things don’t leave much of an impression and made this relatively short book easy to put down.

Redhead by the Side of the Road isn’t that memorable though it’s still a pleasant, well-written, character-driven piece that provides a charming snapshot of this person’s life. Not a bad starting-point if you’ve never read an Anne Tyler before and encouraging enough for me to want to read more of her work in the future.

Thank you for another enthralling read Anne Tyler and netgallery
True to form, book draws you in to simple life of somewhat OCD or well organised Micah. Name Micah brings to mind a hippy type of laid back person, not this Micah.
Everyday events take on deep meanings and encourage the reader to look beyond the facts in an enjoyable voyeuristic way. Chaotic family life is well described and endearing.
Particularly like the traffic God and his comments.

As always Anne Tyler has written a superb, spellbinding and unputdownable novel. She is the most brilliant describer of detail and sits you down in the moment. I loved this book, just loved it.

A heartwarming story! Micah is really well written and surprisingly sympathetic. His restrained, regular life suits him well, but an ultimatum from his girlfriend and a visitor from his past make him re-evaluate his life. I really enjoyed this story, with its small domestic details.