Contrappposto by Dave Eggers
There are 2 main characters in this story: a male (Cricket) and a female (Olympia). They meet when they're young and are, off and on, part of each other's lives for decades. I loved Cricket. He is a good guy who frequently has to make the best of a bad situation (ie, his mother's abusive boyfriend, lack of money for college). He is also a talented artist who hopes art will give him a better life, and in some ways it does. I did not like the character of Olympia. Cricket is in love with her and she does not treat him well. She is a loose cannon who bounces in and out of his life, always giving him hope that their relationship will grow, before disappearing again. All the way through this book, I wanted Olympia to do the right thing and leave him alone so he could find a woman who really appreciated him. But that never occurs to her. I was happy that Cricket seemed to be contented with his life, despite Olympia, but I did not love the ending of this book. Worth reading for ...