This uniting feeling of annoyance, boredom, and malaise is what originally perked my interest in Dear American Airlines. I also happened to catch Jonathan Miles in an interview on NPR sometime in the past year or so and the premise of the book was intriguing.
What I knew: A man is stuck in an airport, presumably trying to get somewhere on American Airlines. He begins writing a letter to said airline, outlining his predicament and generally lamenting the situation.
What I actually found: Dear American Airlines is little gem of a book. In 180 pages, Miles manages to give the reader a window into the life of Benny, the letter writer. It's not a pretty life and Benny isn't the best man you've ever met but the book feels honest and forthright. It feels true in an entirely unexpected way and I found myself really routing for Benny, really wanting everything to work out, really hoping that he'd find a way to redeem himself in his own eyes. It's really quite lovely.
A short review but I really do recommend that you check this out. I'm not even a fan of shorter stories or of novellas typically. But this book... just trust me on this one.
Read another review of Dear American Airlines over at Pie Not Included (BTW, she's also written a review of Julie and Julia - you remember, I read that too)
Some more thoughts about Dear American Airlines over on My Big Fat Book Blog
Interested in what Jonathan has to say for the book? Check out a WETA Interview from 2008.
As a side note, you can follow the path of Jonathan Miles over at www.dearamericanairlines.com - and hear a blip from John Hodgeman (who also seems to have thought the book was beautiful).
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