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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
One of the best books I have read in a long time, Lila is the story of John Ames' wife from the book Gilead. I suggest you read Gilead first, as it was written first, and in order to understand Lila better, it is important to already have the bit of her you will have gotten from reading Gilead. I was very curious about her, because in Gilead we know she is much, much younger than her husband, and we know that she is very different, semi-educated, kind of wild, has a past but we're not sure what kind of past. In Gilead, the extraordinary man John Ames falls almost instantly for this young woman who shows up at his church during a rainstorm, but why? What is it about her that draws the Reverend to risk so much by falling in love with her?
Lila herself seems baffled by how she survived so much hardship only to end up married, to a preacher no less, living in a nice house. As she says later, after she has settled down s the preacher's wife, if her younger self had known what was coming she might not have been so hard on herself.
Abducted from the people who were taking care of her at a tender age by a young woman called Doll, Lila is undernourished, sick, and infested with lice. Doll nurses her back to life and they begin their travels, living on the road in Iowa during the 1930's. I don't mean driving, when I say on the road. They are itinerant laborers, traveling on foot from farm to farm to get whatever work they can. For many years they are joined up with a small group of laborers, for safety mostly. But when the Dust Bowl happens, times get hard for everyone, and Lila and Doll go their separate ways.
Lila spends one school year in the same town so she can learn to read and write and "do sums". Before the year is finished though she and Doll leave hurriedly, because Doll is worried about being caught by Lila's family.
Everything that happens before Lila arrives in Gilead propels the story on and slowly sheds light onto her character. Aside from her connection with Doll, Lila's life is one of extreme lack and hardship. At first it is hard to see what it is that she and the Reverend share. Lila had never even been in a church until the day she came in out of the rain into John Ames' church when he was preaching. Lila may be uneducated, but she is not stupid, and the way in which she questions the Christian teachings of her husband, and the Bible are compelling, and partly her curiosity is what her husband loves about her.
I felt like I knew her by the things she said, or didn't say, and I found myself loving this character, so proud and self-sufficient, so deprived of safety and security for most of her life, so looked down upon by society, and yet with such a fierce strength and good heart. I also loved the tender way she was courted by the Reverend, who seemed to understand her innate wildness, and to respect her, mightily, from the start. Lila is not only the story of the title character, it is a moving and beautiful love story.
Lila herself seems baffled by how she survived so much hardship only to end up married, to a preacher no less, living in a nice house. As she says later, after she has settled down s the preacher's wife, if her younger self had known what was coming she might not have been so hard on herself.
Abducted from the people who were taking care of her at a tender age by a young woman called Doll, Lila is undernourished, sick, and infested with lice. Doll nurses her back to life and they begin their travels, living on the road in Iowa during the 1930's. I don't mean driving, when I say on the road. They are itinerant laborers, traveling on foot from farm to farm to get whatever work they can. For many years they are joined up with a small group of laborers, for safety mostly. But when the Dust Bowl happens, times get hard for everyone, and Lila and Doll go their separate ways.
Lila spends one school year in the same town so she can learn to read and write and "do sums". Before the year is finished though she and Doll leave hurriedly, because Doll is worried about being caught by Lila's family.
Everything that happens before Lila arrives in Gilead propels the story on and slowly sheds light onto her character. Aside from her connection with Doll, Lila's life is one of extreme lack and hardship. At first it is hard to see what it is that she and the Reverend share. Lila had never even been in a church until the day she came in out of the rain into John Ames' church when he was preaching. Lila may be uneducated, but she is not stupid, and the way in which she questions the Christian teachings of her husband, and the Bible are compelling, and partly her curiosity is what her husband loves about her.
I felt like I knew her by the things she said, or didn't say, and I found myself loving this character, so proud and self-sufficient, so deprived of safety and security for most of her life, so looked down upon by society, and yet with such a fierce strength and good heart. I also loved the tender way she was courted by the Reverend, who seemed to understand her innate wildness, and to respect her, mightily, from the start. Lila is not only the story of the title character, it is a moving and beautiful love story.
I love this book. I think I may read it again very soon, but first I need to reread Gilead and read Home. Robinson is amazing!
I was going to write a review but then realized I'd probably just gush. Read it.
A gorgeous, dreamy look at the life of woman named Lila. Neglected as a toddler, she lived much of her life as a drifter, with the woman who rescued her and a ragtag clan. Finally, she finds herself married to a preacher. The novel contemplates questions of God, afterlife, and forgiveness with a graceful love. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
4.5 - 5. If that wasn't just the loveliest thing I read all year. Writing like that is so beautiful. Reading Gilead beforehand is helpful, but not absolutely necessary. (I have a strong desire to go back an reread it, actually.)I appreciated the way the author didn't present this uneducated woman as being an ignorant woman - no stereotypes. It's a story about redemption and grace without being preachy or overtly religious. So if you enjoy those themes, I recommend it. Others have said it's too slow and plodding (I suppose working out the problem of existence can appear that way.) It may be the kind of book you have to read at the right time in your life. But for me it was a very soul-satisfying book.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best of the trilogy, in my opinion. Perhaps the view of the world through the eyes of a woman schooled by hard knocks is more to my liking than that of a pious-but-genial Reverend. Lila is a wonderful character, and along with her you cherish the sweet good fortune she finally allows herself to accept, and you gain a greater appreciation for the theology she instinctively understands. Sent me back to reread Gilead partly for the delight in viewing her from a distance, and I'm finishing Home now, though finding it a bit of a slog.
The quality of the writing would earn this book 5 stars, I've given it four just because my mind wandered from the narrative so much. It's very satisfying to hear Lila's version of events and her perspective. Other reviews have mentioned the jumping around the timeline as an issue but having read Gilead and Home I didn't find this as a distraction as you already know the general direction in which the story is going. Reading some of Lila's thoughts made me doubt her feelings for Ames, Marilynne Robinson really captures the uncertainty of Lila's feelings on finding herself with all this love and stability after years, a whole life of hardship. From the later timeline of Home, you know how this relationship plays out, and in the end I was convinced of Lila's love for Ames. I'm not sure this would work as well as a standalone novel as I thought Home would, but the trilogy works beautifully together, and I feel enriched for the time I've spent with them.
Can't believe I'm just discovering Marilynne Robinson, thanks to Librarian Jennifer who suggested something of hers for book club at one point, which stuck with me even though we didn't choose it. Now can't wait to read Gilead and Home.
After putting down so many mediocre books this year and not being thrilled with the ones I did read, this is the second in just a couple of weeks that remind me of my love of reading.
This one is worthy of reading again to catch all the nuances.
This one is worthy of reading again to catch all the nuances.