The Loop

by Joe Coomer

Lyman, a 30 year-old orphan, is sipping coffee on the front steps of the trailer he calls home one morning, when a 90-year-old parrot arrives with a mysterious past and beakful of cryptic sayings - such as "That which hath wings shall tell the matter."

Convinced that heeding the bird's wisdom will lead him to answers about himself he so desperately seeks, Lyman combines his night job as a courtesy patrolman, circling the highway that loops around Fort Worth, with days in the library.

Together with Fiona, the loquacious and sexy librarian, he traces his adopted pet's origins, and while what Lyman ultimately discovers may not help him piece together his own past, it paves the way for a future he never imagined.

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Contemporary, Literature, Relationships, Audiobook, Adult Fiction

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Joe Coomer is a fiction and nonfiction writer who lives outside of Fort Worth, Texas, and on the coast of Maine. He "spends his winters in Springtown, Texas, where he runs a pair of large antique malls. He lives in a fairly new Victorian house that he spent a year and a half building in the late eighties, a project he wrote about in Dream House [1991]. His wife, Isabelle Tokumaru, runs her paintings conservation practice in the third story, while he writes novels in the kitchen, where the food is close. Summers, they live in Stonington, Maine, an active fishing village on the coast. When the weather's nice, he takes his old motor sailer, "Yonder", on day sails and cruises down east. He chronicled her purchase, restoration, and his stupidities at sea in Sailing in a Spoonful of Water [1997]."

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I added this to my TBR list back in Dec 07.
I couldnt find it in any store I shopped at.
When I finally found it sitting on the shelf at a library sale back in January, and almost squealed for joy.

Then, for whatever reason, once I brought it home, it wasn't calling out to me to be read just then. I put it off, and put it off, and finally picked it up yesterday.

I want to kick myself in the butt for not having read it sooner. I read it in just over a day. The main character Lyman is goofy, and needy, and confused about his place in this world.. a place that he sometimes feels he doesn't deserve. In drops a talking green parrot, literally. Lyman is so taken with this bible-verse spouting bird that he makes it his mission to locate its original owner, in the hopes of finding the deeper meaning behind all it says. To help him in his search are Fiona the librarian and her fearless, and gravity challenged, pooch Floyd.

The funny thing about this novel is that constantly, throughout the entire thing, I kept reading it in my head in the first person, and would suddenly realise that Coomer is writting in third person. Hmmmm.. Strange, I think to myself. I can't tell if it that is a compliment to the writer; That he is writing the story so well that I am pulled in so deeply that the writing seems to fade to the background, and I am actually EXPERIENCING the book...... OR..... He messed up and would have had an even more powerful novel had he written in first person. Hmmmmm....

Then, second chapter from the end, I actually get the first person narration I felt I had been reading the entire time, only...there's a catch. It's not from Lyman (our main guy's) point of view. Double Hmmmm....

Overall, excellent story about a guy who gave up on trying to find his meaning in life, and actually found it as he attempted to find meaning in his parrot. Or... something like that!

I would recommend this to anyone who likes birds, dogs, bird who like dogs, dogs who like birds, goofy leading men, whacky leading ladies who like our goofy leading men, and the search for the meaning, any meaning, any meaning at all......

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyman works nights, driving around and around the Loop that circles Ft. Worth, assisting drivers with stalled cars, removing suitcases and furniture and other things fallen from a moving car, burying dead animals that wandered into the path of cars.

As a hobby, he takes college classes, classes of a practical nature, delving into languages, and discovering how to repair plumbing, and learning first aid.

Then a parrot flies into his trailer and, with the help of an equally flawed college librarian, Lyman sets off in search of the bird's owner. Or, as we soon discover, the bird's many, many previous owners.

I loved this little story of a lonely man who connects with a lost bird and a zany librarian.

[Beauregard Bottomley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time and chance gives us meaning in the now and to see meaning beyond that only obfuscates us from our authentic selves. Fiona will tell Lyman that twice. The book of Ecclesiastes has that as a theme and this book has Ecclesiastes and that as a theme. The parrot that Lyman has is not the meaning bestower; Lyman is. The almost always but not ever perfect car the random man has on the side of the road is not the meaning bestower; the man is, but he can’t reconcile that to the point where he must shoot his car. Meaning is created by us and for us and faith beyond ‘what is right in front of your eyes’ is misplaced at least Fiona tells Lyman that.

I read this book because yesterday my wife and I watched on Amazon Prime ‘A Bird of the Air’ (2011) and we really enjoyed it, and we wanted to understand the movie a little bit better and I downloaded a copy of the audio version from Hoopla. Oddly, and coincidentally, my most recently read book was ‘Figuring’ by Popova and this book seemed to be a refutation of that book. Briefly, Popova believed ‘chance and choice’ guides us in a world where the figuring meets the transfiguring between being and non-being. This book, ‘The Loop’, would not appeal to the ‘transcendentalist’ of the 1840s as ‘Figuring’ did and assigns our meaning to time and chance not chance and choice; and this book makes no appeal to the infinite but only to the finite of the here and now such that being is presence that reveals itself in the now.

I would definitely recommend the movie or this book. I would actually recommend both, and not only that I would recommend watching the delightful movie first because that gave me insights into the book that might have gone past me if I hadn’t seen the movie first.

[Chrissie]

I feel like in the mood for this.


***********************
One Vacant Chair 3 stars

[Rick Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does so much with so little-only two main characters plus one parrot. It digs deep rather than wide. Lyman is an orphan whose parents died, anonymously, on the highway where he was found as baby, and now he drives around it each night as a road attendant, helping stranded motorists and burying dead dogs. By day, he takes class after class, but never gets a degree, and dodges the romantic interests of librarian Fiona, who helps him with his persistent search for the owner of a parrot that appears at his door. Lyman seems always to be searching until Fiona finally knocks him into his own life. A satisfying read.

[Romi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where has this book been hiding? Another absolutely gorgeous look at broken people and the transformations they go through to heal and love. Profoundly beautiful.

[wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

this here is the 1st from coomer for me...just finished Bend Sinister by Vladimir Nabokov...

this one doesn't have any quotes, no dedications, nothing, it simply begins:

it was winter now. the dry leaves ticked past, scudding across the rusting wire of the screen door. he sat here every morning, a few feet from the open door, looking out into his backyard though the screen, challenging his memory. what's changed since yesterday?

onward and upward

update, 4th of July...parade starts in a little over an hour
yeah, so i figure to add a bit, to page 32 here, and figure to look again at the reviews, the ratings, all low numbers (numerically) for a story that was published in 1992. 20 years and not much showing.

interesting, the 1st review, from Lori...says something about reading it as 1st person--this is 3rd--and i had the same sort of thought--would this have "sold" more had it been 1st person? reminded of some of the stories i've written...some of the feedback on the 1st big story--500+ pages...another shorter piece...well, the longer one someone said "1st person"....ummm. the shorter one, that was 1st, and someone suggested 3rd person from the pov of the cop.

anyway, this is a good story, lyman is this orphan who was raised in foster homes, never settling in one place long so he has developed a kind of withdrawn personality...karen horney's Neurosis and Human Growth: The Struggle Towards Self-Realization might be a tool useful in looking at lyman.

already, this parrot has flown into his separate world in his paid-up trailer life. his job is picking up crap on the loop around ft. worth, an interesting job, i think. what are the odds? and....this librarian likes him and he is thinking about it, but he is aloof, safe in that zone.

update, finished, 9:15 p.m. e.s.t. 4 jul 12, wednesday evening...rain passing over, thunderstorm

good story! there's not a long cast of characters, basically lyman, he 30-yr-old orphan and this parrot he names luke that flies into his life quoting previous owners...fiona, this librarian who has a basset hound name of floyd who has problems and deals with them best he can. lyman rides the loop, some sort of safety/courtesy patrol around fort worth, the wee-hours, burying dead animals, picking up chunks of tire...there's a comedic vein that helps the story move along...there's a cast of minor characters who have known lyman for years and there's new people he meets in his quest for knowledge about the parrot. there's a twist or two as the story develops and there's a thought or two that should keep most folk curious about life and its meaning...all-in-all a modern reflection of the way we live. good read.

addition: information for me alone...or you if you choose...could be there is info below that constitutes spoilage...or maybe the info is obscure-enough for the yet-to-read...?

characters
lyman, a 30-yr-old orphan, is a courtesy patrolman on the loop around fort worth.
fiona, a traveling librarian...repairs books
floyd, fiona's basset hound...(steals the show...w/the parrot)
albert, at the part store...knows lyman, has known for a time
margie, at the waffle house...also works the wee-hours, knows lyman
tammy, at the gulf station...has known lyman
the 90-yr-old parrot...called "luke" by lyman, and the parrot has had a number of names in previous existences: polly, sherman, mccauley, tonto, mr. roosevelt
some previous owners of the parrot:
r. campbell
ivy campbell, ass't w/above
martha...?
ruby ballard
r.b.'s son, charles
stowalski or sotowaskie
ronald stolwalski
paul...librarian
david weber
d.w. jr. and bro john
melba is d.w.'s wife
mrs. hall and her son mike
robert campbell's wife, edith
capt. ernest trenton
tom...the dispatcher
carl mabry

i'd said earlier that perhaps karen horney's work might could be a useful tool in deciphering lyman. horney has posited three...ways...of dealing w/the world...neurotic behavior, one being "the resigned solution" that initially seems to fit lyman. and there is a time when fiona desires to accompany him on his rounds. coomer does use that situation to build on the lyman character--there is a kind of..."see i told you so" attitude that he has regarding his work, his desire to be left alone...

...curious, having just read Bend Sinister from Vladimir Nabokov, krug, a character there desires to be left alone, and paduk, the ruler of the world there, says that is like a cancer...the state is your only friend...

anyway...seems like more could have been done w/lyman's character in that regard...critiquing a story like this does seem a bit lame...but when i consider other stories--say like from George Eliot,Fyodor Dostoyevsky, William Shakespeare, each one w/telling examples of horney's theory...

...coomer does touch on "the withdrawn solution" as outlined by horney, but the potential for greater conflict was present, but i don't know that that conflict was developed as fully as the potential provided for? lyman does conflict w/his attraction for fiona and the attraction does win...and like i said, the one time we see that conflict--as horney describes it--at work, is when he struggles to permit/to not permit fiona to accompany him.

when she does and bad things happen...we learn that that is what lyman expected. we aren't privy to that expectation before, not to any great degree, anyway. and...perhaps when the separation occurs...making lyman's solution safe again...perhaps "the withdrawn" solution is visible....or touched on...yet it seems more could have been done with that. perhaps it was "too easy" for lyman to change his ways? expected? no surprises?

and in reality, the deuce coupe of diablo, that shows at the end...has therefore a kind of comedic-element to it...which, i suppose, does keep-in-line the comedic tone of the story...yet it is the deuce couple of diablo...ummmm

[Alec Downie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet Texas love story that would make a good movie

[Wyma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyman and the Librarian, that's what I call this book in my mind. The Loop is a good title, too. It describes the area of highway that Lyman drives each evening picking up litter, helping motorists, and rescuing who or whatever needs it. Right there you should be saying, "huh? They don't have a service like that in my neighborhood." No, and probably not in anyone's, but wouldn't it be nice? Lyman fixes tires, drives folks to gas stations, gets a herd of cows off the road as well as other not so nice duties of picking up and burying roadkill. We are not sure that the actual burial is part of his job, but then there is much in this book we are not sure of.

It is the funniest and sweetest book I have read in a long time, and I recommend it to anyone. My favorite moment is when the Librarian is screaming at Lyman in a library while explaining, "I just love to scream in other people's libraries."

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I watched the movie - Bird On A Wire - that was based on this book so ... Sadly, as with all books written these days - it is smutty.

The book is written in Fort Worth instead of Albuquerque. The philosophy is interesting and enjoyable, but the smut really takes away from the story. Limits the story. Disappointing.

p. 61. "He felt his own ignorance descent around him, like darkness, and had the frightening realization that wanting for God to come might be a lifelong process."

p. 82. "He'd made her blush. He'd never done that to a woman before. She was blushing and smiling a the same time. He felt as if he'd picked up a car and rolled it over by himself."

p. 91. "The people he met on the loop between midnight and six came and departed in darkness and seemed to be covered with darkness. He thought at times that only people with problems were out during these hours; people who were at peace were at home in bed with their families.... They were on their way to funerals, hospitals, courthouses, or from breakups, wearying jobs."

p. 96. "Do you know what I know... Meaning is a gift you give yourself. You make it and you give it to yourself. Sometimes it doesn't last very long. And it's funny, to think that something as important as your life's meaning is temporary, that when you find it you can only hold onto it for a little while, like a little goldfish dying in your hand. But then you just have to make it again."

p. 117. "It's the fist time I've every seen anyone in authority recognize that the universe is arbitrary. That goodness isn't necessarily rewarded. That evil isn't necessarily punished. That the schoolyard bully doesn't necessarily get his in the end. It's all caprice, and chance. It's the universal whim. The great big gotcha. And the only philosophy that seems to work is alertness, preparation. You've got to watch out."

p. 118. "There's meaning behind the universe and that Maning is vigilance. You watch my back and I"ll watch yours."

p. 172. "How did the past become the past without him noticing it?"

p. 197. "All I want him to understand is that he shouldn't deny the good just because it's as arbitrary as the evil."

[Benita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful book. Lyman works as a courtesy officer in Fort Worth TX. He works nights making the loop on the highway around the city. He helps stranded motorists, injured animals, and works with emergency personal when accidents occur. One morning after work Lyman sits at his kitchen table when a parrot flies in through his open door. Lyman is intrigued by the bird because it talks. The bird’s vocabulary is made up of a variety of phrases, everything from shut up to biblical references. Most of the story is light-hearted as Lyman goes the the search to find the bird’s owner. Enter Fiona the quirky and cute librarian that helps Lyman with his quest. She is a free spirit; unconventional and fun. She is forward and flirty where Lyman is shy and reserved. At the beginning of their relationship Fiona goes on a ride along with Lyman on night shift. Things happen on the road at night that upsets Fiona so much that she thinks she doesn’t want to see this part of Lyman’s world. It’s the mix of events, light and dark, that makes for a great story. I am happy to have met Lyman and Fiona (and the bird).

[Rrshively · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a unique premise and story line. An adult who never knew his parents is visited by a stray parrot one day. His attempts to find the parrot's owner and its past are fueled by his fascination with the parrot's cryptic sayings which Lyman somehow feels is a clue to the meaning of life and, perhaps, an explanation for his past. While maintaining his night job of making the Loop around Fort Worth as a courtesy patrolman, he uses the library and other sources to find the parrot's previous owners, the meaning of its sayings, and other information. In this process, he unwillingly becomes better acquainted with the brash young librarian who invades his space. Filled with details of being a courtesy patrolman and Lyman's search for truth, this book pulls at one's own ideas about life. Lyman may eventually find the meaning of life if this novel, but it comes from an unexpected source.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Anne Tyler moved to Texas and discovered she has a slightly dark side, this might be one of her books -- two quirky people, a quirky dog, and a mysterious parrot search for the meaning of life. Or something like that. The main character, Lyman, was orphaned as an infant in a highway crash. Now he works the night shift doing roadside assistance on the Fort Worth Loop. One morning, a parrot shows up at his screen door looking somewhat worse for the wear, and away we go. With the help of a somewhat unusual librarian, Lyman tries to track down the parrot's past and where it learned some of the quotes it keeps giving him, which he suspects may have special meaning for him. It's an old parrot, and Lyman learns a lot in the process. The book was published in 1992 and I just stumbled on it in 2024. I'm glad I did. A really good read.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lyman works the night shift driving around Fort Worth assisting stranded drivers. He is a strange, shy, lonely man whose parents died in a car accident when he was a baby. He has no family and grew up in foster homes. He believes that life and people are unpredictable. He has taken as many practical classes from the local college as possible so that he will be as prepared as possible for the unpredictable. Then one day a beautiful bird flies into his house. While learning about the parrot, he meets Fiona who is quirky in her own way. Lyman and Fiona try to interpret the cryptic things the parrot says while trying to find its owner and those who owned it during its 90 year life.

[Erin Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyman, our main character has been on cautious hold most of his life. He is an orphan whose parents were killed in a car accident which he survived as an infant. He has no idea who he really is but unwittingly begins a journey of self discovery when one day a parrot finds him sitting outside his trailer, a trailer that doesn't move. The parrot has QUITE the vocabulary and as he and his new and quirky girlfriend Fiona the librarian track down the parrots origins by using the odd and sometimes vulgar phrases the parrot often blurts out, he finally begins to live outside of himself. He joins the human race as a participant rather than just an observer. Highly recommended.

[Kim W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly don’t know how to rate it. As with all of Coomer’s books it’s beautifully, lyrically written. It expresses the complexities of human emotion without easy answers. It’s a story of love and persistence and honor. On the other hand the subject matter is devastating. If you’re an easily rattled animal lover there are scenes that will leave you sleepless. For me it was a hard book to read. Not fair to rate it low because I’m soft-hearted. I guess 4 stars because that’s my criteria for a story that stays with me. This one, maybe not for the good.

[Danielle Tourigny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book in a tiny eclectic book store in Deer Isle, ME. It was tucked on a shelf among local paintings and funny little dolls. When I checked out with the owner who was approximately 75 years old she said “oh what a delightfully charming little read.” And for the most part she was right! My journey reading this book felt similar to my journey finding this book: a little strange, a little unfamiliar from my normal life and definitely charming. Although there were a few excerpts from his job as courtesy patrol that made my stomach roil, overall it was a wonderful read.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect read for me right now. The Texas setting took me back to Home Place. A grey parrot found our family there. We were unable to keep him. Our cat wanted to hunt the bird. We found him a permanent home at the local school system’s nature preserve where he was part of the educational experience.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing read. It's so much more than just a love story (although the love story in it is delectable). It's a story of finding purpose for your life, of making your own meaning of life. The main character, Lyman, does his best to push people away, but in the end he finds despite how hard you try to, you aren't entirely alone in this world.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were very deep parts and others... not so much. I struggled to vibe with the main characters because at times their chemistry seemed forced. The best character is Luke, of course. The parrot doesn't have to deal with having sex in a tow truck then immediately obliterating a family of dogs on the highway.

[Amy Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for what it is, which is an allegory, but not really my thing. However the themes led to a great book group discussion.

[Dawn Fernald-Spruill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Quirky, funny, sad you follow the life of a very simple lovely man and a parrot.
A wonderful journey.

[John Stotesbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever, cheerful, a "good read" in the traditional, positive sense of the word. Maybe worth even 3½ stars. Recommendable, thoroughly.

[Dustin Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorites. The "Loop" is based off of loop 820 in the DFW area. The characters are fun and realistic in this fantastic story about a man, a woman, and a stray parrot.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique and quick read.

[Jenni Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and I liked the plot about the parrot potentially revealing the meaning of life through his utterances. Perfect length for a 2-hour plane ride.

[Bedeuxni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skurile Charaktere, aber eine sehr schöne Geschichte, die mir viel Spaß beim Lesen bereitet hat.

[Virna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story, characters are nice and quirky is the best way to describe.

[Journeyurbooksoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coomer hat das Talent, in allen Handlungsabschnitten nicht zu langweilen. Eine vielfältige Story und so viele verschiedene Themen. Genial geschrieben!

[Mark Laughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by my college pal and roommate, Joe Coomer.

Terrific movie version, A Bird of the Air.

"Lyman" is loosely based on Laughlin