In this fairly recent novel (2016) Just tells the story of newspaper man Ned Ayres, from his early days as managing editor of a small town paper in Indiana to editor of a major Washington, D.C. daily. Ned's long hours and total absorption in his work mean he isn't much of a "catch", despite his successful career. He has no interest in the kind of compromise he sees as necessary to a happy married life. He has a couple relatively serious long-term relationships, but there is never any commitment on either side, and in both cases the women move on, without drama, to pursue their own interests. Ned's choice of career alienated him from his father early on, so what we have is a man without personal attachments of any kind. He is perfectly capable of socializing, enjoying the details of other people's lives, but his favorite place to be, at any hour, is in the newsroom. The changing character of journalism and the rise of the internet as a source of information lead to Ned's retirement to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and a mansion he has admired for decades, but really has no use for. He spends his final years working on a memoir that we all know will never be finished...doing some mild soul-searching, but generally just fading away. As he observed about himself "he had no material. He edited material." Ned’s life makes a very suitable vehicle for Just’s own examination of the newspaper world, the question of personal privacy vs. the public’s “right to know”, and the decline of the traditional press. Good solid prose, interesting character development, an enjoyable read. ( )

I was drawn to this book because the main character is a newspaper editor and his reflections on his career and life. The book provides a hopscotch through his career ending with him making a weak effort to write his memoirs. The book itself becomes the memoir. I underlined many parts as they were telling for those looking for some insight into the news business. The book takes a look at the darker side of the biz. In fact, it felt like an apology. Like he was saying: "I am sorry to all those who were hurt by a news story. But that happens when you are in the business of telling the news. It comes with the job." Still, he felt guilty and when you read the book, you will understand why. His guilt hinges on a decision he made early in his career. I'm not sure what I would have done? Thus this book presents an important challenge for all newspapers: when does it stop being news? ( )

In The Eastern Shore Ward Just considers the life of a newspaper editor who works his way from small-town Indiana all the way to Washington, DC. In the nation’s capital he heads up a major, influential daily. He spends his career preparing each day’s newsworthy events for the world’s consumption, but … his life contains only a few those moments of drama - becoming estranged from his father after as a teenager incurring his wrath, finding out his onetime lover has died in Africa - that form a stark contrast from the lives he publicizes. The man spends his retirement struggling to write his memoirs, and eventually he figures out that he’ll never get it done. Even the stately country home he purchases for his golden years has fallen into disrepair and desuetude.

It’s a curious journey Mr. Just takes us on: he provides the life of an unappealing protagonist, a man who’s married to his job, and lives with it for better or for worse for 40 years or more. This hero sustains his bachelorhood throughout his life, and never has any very grand regrets about it, apparently, in spite of the fact that he loves and is loved pretty deeply several times in his life.

It could be that the title provides a major clue. When the chief character Ned reaches his (ineffectual, rather stilted) retirement in a crumbling estate on the Maryland shore, he has reached the end of the land, and is forced to stop. But it’s the only thing that’s stopped him. His focus is on other peoples’ news - those who are the subject of the stories, and those for whom the various newspapers are published, has dictated his life in spite of a handful of promising affairs. Even the journalism trade is reaching a retirement point: daily print withers in favor of real-time mass consumption of “news” on the internet.
The storytelling here adds to the art, and may be the main recommendation of this book. It’s bare-bones, almost like a news article in a big-city daily. The few excursions we have into Ned’s deeper self are the times when he frustrates his would-be life partners by preferring his career to any kind of close companionship. There are a few lessons learned along the way about journalistic responsibilities, and it could be we’re supposed to be touched and gratified that Ned learned the lessons and applied them to his work. ( )

There are so many 5-star reviews on this book, but the story just wasn’t for me. It didn’t hold my interest and I thought the main character Ned Ayres was dull. I couldn’t bring myself to care about him or his life. I finally came to the realization that there just wasn’t enough of a story to keep going and gave up at 50%. ( )

Well written. Good insights into the newspaper business, both financial and editorial. The stories just didn't seem to fit or flow. ( )