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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
I tried reading another novel by Anita Shreve, The Last Time They Met, and didn't like it. I think that Shreve has an interesting and unique writing style, it's just important for me as a reader that I am able to identify with the characters in a story.
This is a very mediocre book by a very good writer. Skip this one.
It was nice to read one of Anita Shreve's books after a long time but it was not as good as previous novels that I've read. The last two I read were 'Body Surfing' and 'Testimony' which I preferred to 'Rescue'.
Rescue is a book about a man named Webster and his life as an EMT. The beginning is in the present with him and his 17 year old daughter. The second part is 18 year earlier. This is when you learn all about how Webster became a father.
Webster is an EMT and him and his partner get a call. The call is for a single automobile accident. The woman involved in the accident is drunk and Webster is drawn to her. He thinks about her and follows up on how she is after the incident. The woman is named Sheila. She is an alcoholic but Webster is blinded by love.
I found the story interesting but at the same time parts of it bothered me. After Webster and Sheila are married and their daughter Rowan is born, Sheila starts drinking again. Webster gets Sheila to go to AA and thinks things will be fine. One day Webster and his partner get a call and when they arrive the accident involves Sheila, drunk and with Rowan in the car. Sheila will go to jail because this is her second DUI. I didn't like the fact that the cops, and his friends let him know and that they let her leave before they are going to pick her up. I know that it was that way so that the story would be the way it was. I just felt that if that happened in real life the husband would be accused of letting the criminal escape and would be sent to jail too.
That was the only thing I didn't like. I recommend reading the book and forming your own views of the story.
Webster is an EMT and him and his partner get a call. The call is for a single automobile accident. The woman involved in the accident is drunk and Webster is drawn to her. He thinks about her and follows up on how she is after the incident. The woman is named Sheila. She is an alcoholic but Webster is blinded by love.
I found the story interesting but at the same time parts of it bothered me. After Webster and Sheila are married and their daughter Rowan is born, Sheila starts drinking again. Webster gets Sheila to go to AA and thinks things will be fine. One day Webster and his partner get a call and when they arrive the accident involves Sheila, drunk and with Rowan in the car. Sheila will go to jail because this is her second DUI. I didn't like the fact that the cops, and his friends let him know and that they let her leave before they are going to pick her up. I know that it was that way so that the story would be the way it was. I just felt that if that happened in real life the husband would be accused of letting the criminal escape and would be sent to jail too.
That was the only thing I didn't like. I recommend reading the book and forming your own views of the story.
As with many Shreve novels, this one starts you in the present, flashes you back to the beginning of the story, and then brings you back up to speed by revealing the many mysteries along the way. I love that format of writing and it definitely works well here.
Although the ending is a bit "open ended" for my taste, I've gotten used to that in Shreve's novels, so I wasn't really disappointed by it. The relationship between Webster and Sheila is definitely unlike any other one I've seen in literature for a while. Watching them navigate marriage, baby, and separation over two decades is both fascinating and heartwrenching. If you've enjoyed novels like Testimony, Body Surfing, The Pilot's Wife, etc. then this one will do ya just fine.
Although the ending is a bit "open ended" for my taste, I've gotten used to that in Shreve's novels, so I wasn't really disappointed by it. The relationship between Webster and Sheila is definitely unlike any other one I've seen in literature for a while. Watching them navigate marriage, baby, and separation over two decades is both fascinating and heartwrenching. If you've enjoyed novels like Testimony, Body Surfing, The Pilot's Wife, etc. then this one will do ya just fine.
2.5 Stars
The more I've thought about this book, the less I've liked it. When I finished it the other day, I rated Rescue three stars on Goodreads. Since I've finished it, I've just got irrationally annoyed by an awful lot of the book. It's a shame, because I think the synopsis on the novel had potential, even if it was incredibly misleading as to what actually happens in the novel. I'll say now that there will be minor spoilers in this review.
My real problem with the novel was that I couldn't work out if Webster was supposed to as unlikeable as I found him. At first he came across as incredibly naive, in fact his character reminded me a fair bit of Gordon in Kate Atkinson's Human Croquet. However, in that novel it was pretty clear that he was not really supposed to be all that sympathetic. In Rescue, I really couldn't tell what Shreve's aim was with him; whether we were purposely supposed to see him as unlikeable or whether he was supposed to actually be a sympathetic character. His actions as the novel progressed really confused me as well; firstly, the fact he told his daughter that her Mum was an alcoholic when she was only eleven seemed a bit weird but most of all, it was the fact that he forced Sheila to leave the state rather than face her drink-driving charge when Rowan was a baby. So, far from 'a mother leaving her family', a mother is pretty much exiled from her family. That scene pretty much removed any kind of care I had for Webster's character.
The other main characters were Sheila and Rowan, the estranged wife and daughter of Webster. Rowan was a pretty believable teen, dealing with not having a female figure in her life. Sheila again reminded me of Eliza from Human Croquet, a woman who essentially finds her trapped in a place and a role that she does not really want. Her change later in the novel was pretty nice to see, part of me can't help but think that it's a shame the novel wasn't told from her perspective-I think it would have maybe been a little more interesting.
Shreve's writing style is pretty engaging, the novel passed really quickly, so I would guess that with better characters I would probably enjoy her work more. Judging by the other reviews on Goodreads, most fans of her work say that this is their least favourite, so I guess I started reading her with the worst possible one! I think I will probably try so more Shreve at some point, but not until I've made a substantial dent in my TBR pile.
The more I've thought about this book, the less I've liked it. When I finished it the other day, I rated Rescue three stars on Goodreads. Since I've finished it, I've just got irrationally annoyed by an awful lot of the book. It's a shame, because I think the synopsis on the novel had potential, even if it was incredibly misleading as to what actually happens in the novel. I'll say now that there will be minor spoilers in this review.
My real problem with the novel was that I couldn't work out if Webster was supposed to as unlikeable as I found him. At first he came across as incredibly naive, in fact his character reminded me a fair bit of Gordon in Kate Atkinson's Human Croquet. However, in that novel it was pretty clear that he was not really supposed to be all that sympathetic. In Rescue, I really couldn't tell what Shreve's aim was with him; whether we were purposely supposed to see him as unlikeable or whether he was supposed to actually be a sympathetic character. His actions as the novel progressed really confused me as well; firstly, the fact he told his daughter that her Mum was an alcoholic when she was only eleven seemed a bit weird but most of all, it was the fact that he forced Sheila to leave the state rather than face her drink-driving charge when Rowan was a baby. So, far from 'a mother leaving her family', a mother is pretty much exiled from her family. That scene pretty much removed any kind of care I had for Webster's character.
The other main characters were Sheila and Rowan, the estranged wife and daughter of Webster. Rowan was a pretty believable teen, dealing with not having a female figure in her life. Sheila again reminded me of Eliza from Human Croquet, a woman who essentially finds her trapped in a place and a role that she does not really want. Her change later in the novel was pretty nice to see, part of me can't help but think that it's a shame the novel wasn't told from her perspective-I think it would have maybe been a little more interesting.
Shreve's writing style is pretty engaging, the novel passed really quickly, so I would guess that with better characters I would probably enjoy her work more. Judging by the other reviews on Goodreads, most fans of her work say that this is their least favourite, so I guess I started reading her with the worst possible one! I think I will probably try so more Shreve at some point, but not until I've made a substantial dent in my TBR pile.
I feel like this book went from "Oooh!" to "Aaah" and then finally, just when I was hoping for a twist or a turn or another reason to go "Oooh!" or "Aaah!" it went decidely "meh".
Usually I have mixed feelings about Anita Shreve books, but end up loving them by the end. This one began with me not really getting into the story; like it was a two dimensional world and I just didn't connect. By the end I still only felt ambivalent about it . I was happy that all the conflict was worked out, but wasn't sure the resolution was believable.