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book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
From the book jacket: Mr Ives has a successful career in advertising, a wife and two children, and believes he has achieved the typical American dream. But that is shattered when his son Robert is killed at Christmas. Overwhelmed by grief and threatened by a loss of faith in humankind, Mr Ives questions the very foundations of his life.
My reactions:
I came across this book only because my Hispanic book club was looking for a Christmas book. I’d read Hijuelos’ Pulitzer-winner The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love before, but had not heard of this work. I loved it, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was a Pulitzer finalist in 1996. It is a lovely, contemplative novel – a character study and philosophical exploration of one man’s search for spiritual peace.
Ives (yes, he has a first name – Edward – but he’s always called Ives in the book) starts his life as a foundling, and is adopted by a man who was also a foundling. He never really knows his background – is he Italian? Cuban? Greek? – but he finds a great affinity for the people in the Brooklyn neighborhood where he is raised, and comes to know the Spanish-speaking workers in the printing plant where his adoptive father is a foreman. Hijuelos paints a picture of a gentle man, with a quiet strength born of his circumstances, and of the influences of both the Church and his adoptive father. It is through them that he learns to love and to endure.
There is much sadness in this book. Certainly the murder of his only son is a horrific event (and one which is referenced very early on, so is no spoiler here). But there are also the kinds of daily disappointments and sorrows any one of us might encounter – a friend’s accident, a burglary, a loved one’s illness, a financial setback. These are balanced by the joys of life – blossoming love, great friendships, camaraderie, favorite books, the birth of a child, or success at work. And that balance, that sense of perspective is what this beautifully written novel is all about.
A couple of quotes:
Of course, while contemplating the idea of the baby Jesus, perhaps the most wanted child in the history of the world, Ives would feel a little sad, remembering that years ago someone had left him, an unwanted child, in a foundling home.
A family photo evokes this:
He loved that photograph because he and Robert were holding hands, and although they did not look particularly alike, they were standing in nearly identical positions, their feet planted wide apart, and each regarding the other with a slightly tilting head, eyes a little sad and enchanted at the same time, smiles nearly forming on the edges of their mouths.
A different view of a city snowfall:
Then they rested, side by side, on the frigid pavement like dummies, wistfully looking upward at nature’s swirling activity. A kind of magnificence, heaven, as it were, coming down on them.”
The quiet love between a husband and wife:
She remembered a time when, without saying a word, she would have a sad thought and he, sitting by an easel or by his drawing board, would somehow know. Putting aside his brushes or pen, he would throw on a jacket and step out to hunt down some chocolates, which she loved, and a bouquet of flowers.
I will be thinking about this gem for a long time, and I’m certain I’ll re-read it.
My reactions:
I came across this book only because my Hispanic book club was looking for a Christmas book. I’d read Hijuelos’ Pulitzer-winner The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love before, but had not heard of this work. I loved it, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was a Pulitzer finalist in 1996. It is a lovely, contemplative novel – a character study and philosophical exploration of one man’s search for spiritual peace.
Ives (yes, he has a first name – Edward – but he’s always called Ives in the book) starts his life as a foundling, and is adopted by a man who was also a foundling. He never really knows his background – is he Italian? Cuban? Greek? – but he finds a great affinity for the people in the Brooklyn neighborhood where he is raised, and comes to know the Spanish-speaking workers in the printing plant where his adoptive father is a foreman. Hijuelos paints a picture of a gentle man, with a quiet strength born of his circumstances, and of the influences of both the Church and his adoptive father. It is through them that he learns to love and to endure.
There is much sadness in this book. Certainly the murder of his only son is a horrific event (and one which is referenced very early on, so is no spoiler here). But there are also the kinds of daily disappointments and sorrows any one of us might encounter – a friend’s accident, a burglary, a loved one’s illness, a financial setback. These are balanced by the joys of life – blossoming love, great friendships, camaraderie, favorite books, the birth of a child, or success at work. And that balance, that sense of perspective is what this beautifully written novel is all about.
A couple of quotes:
Of course, while contemplating the idea of the baby Jesus, perhaps the most wanted child in the history of the world, Ives would feel a little sad, remembering that years ago someone had left him, an unwanted child, in a foundling home.
A family photo evokes this:
He loved that photograph because he and Robert were holding hands, and although they did not look particularly alike, they were standing in nearly identical positions, their feet planted wide apart, and each regarding the other with a slightly tilting head, eyes a little sad and enchanted at the same time, smiles nearly forming on the edges of their mouths.
A different view of a city snowfall:
Then they rested, side by side, on the frigid pavement like dummies, wistfully looking upward at nature’s swirling activity. A kind of magnificence, heaven, as it were, coming down on them.”
The quiet love between a husband and wife:
She remembered a time when, without saying a word, she would have a sad thought and he, sitting by an easel or by his drawing board, would somehow know. Putting aside his brushes or pen, he would throw on a jacket and step out to hunt down some chocolates, which she loved, and a bouquet of flowers.
I will be thinking about this gem for a long time, and I’m certain I’ll re-read it.
cemoses's review against another edition
4.0
It was not one of Hijuelos's better novels but I still liked it. It could be slow in parts. The book is also very religious which not everyone will like.
sloatsj's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tender, emotionally open book that's almost surprising in our age of cynicism. I appreciated that. Even as a non-believer, I found this book extremely appealing and am grateful to have read it.
gitanita's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book in my library trying to find a LIGHT Christmas read. I came to a conclusion that, unless it's a historical/contemporary romance (a genre I am well versed in), I'm terrible at finding light reads. I finished the book, because, in a way, it kept me interested, but the main character's issues and his way of dealing with grief were too much for me (especially since I'm very familiar with this type of loss). Actually, this book might be used as a manual on what not to do to yourself when you lose a loved one.
bgg616's review against another edition
5.0
This 1995 short novel by Oscar Hijuelos tells the story of the life of Edward Ives. Ives was adopted as a young child by a man who had adopted 3 other children. Edward knows nothing of his birth parents but with his dark Mediterranean looks, he is sometimes discriminated against in New York City where he lives his entire life. Ives is a skilled artist, and goes on to have a long career as an illustrator in advertising. He marries an Irish American woman, Annie MacGuire. Ives is a deeply religious man, and a Catholic. His best friend is Ramirez, a Cuban immigrant who bartends at the Biltmore. Ives studies Spanish and has many Latino friends. He lives in upper Manhattan with his wife and two children, and early in the book we learn his first born Robert, dies as a teenager
Ives life is a story of faith, loss, grief, and considering what forgiveness means. It is a melancholy read but not depressing. Hijuelos paints a portrait of New York from the Depression years through the later decades of the 20th century. Many changes occurs including the closing of many New York landmarks particularly department stores. Ives finds life getting harder in the city as the years go by and his wife gives up teaching high school in NY as it becomes increasingly harrowing.
Not a typical Christmas read but one I highly recommend.
Ives life is a story of faith, loss, grief, and considering what forgiveness means. It is a melancholy read but not depressing. Hijuelos paints a portrait of New York from the Depression years through the later decades of the 20th century. Many changes occurs including the closing of many New York landmarks particularly department stores. Ives finds life getting harder in the city as the years go by and his wife gives up teaching high school in NY as it becomes increasingly harrowing.
Not a typical Christmas read but one I highly recommend.
arnoles's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mlafaive's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
teabooksandbreathe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sueking365's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 stars. This is a very quiet book, but it captures you and keeps you wondering what will happen in Edward Ives’ life. There is not a lot of action; but the prose is beautiful and New York City is a character of its own here. There is religion, spirituality, friendship, family, life and death. Mr. Ives is a complex man, but aren’t we all?
ilovelibros's review against another edition
2.0
I just could not stay engaged in this book. I read through 108 pages before calling it quits.