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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This is a very slow moving novel, quite like it's main character. Emily is an older woman living alone and the author drags you through her daily life. It is the routine of a woman living alone, where the author describes her every thought and movement. I realize this author is known for writing about daily life but this story was not quite boring but certainly close to it.
The story left me feeling very sad for the future, in fact, somewhat weary of being old. I am a person who is enjoying aging very much, so it is not that I am afraid of being old. This story just dragged on and on and it didn't feel like Emily enjoyed life very much.
This story left me feeling tired and more than once I thought about not finishing it. Further, the story ended right where it might have been a little more interesting. Thus, I was very disappointed. I am not sure I will try another of his books.
The story left me feeling very sad for the future, in fact, somewhat weary of being old. I am a person who is enjoying aging very much, so it is not that I am afraid of being old. This story just dragged on and on and it didn't feel like Emily enjoyed life very much.
This story left me feeling tired and more than once I thought about not finishing it. Further, the story ended right where it might have been a little more interesting. Thus, I was very disappointed. I am not sure I will try another of his books.
This is a sweet story of Emily, a widower, who is going about her life. Nothing much happens, but Stewart O'Nan writes a great story on what it is like to get older and how we trudge through each day. Emily is a wonderful character. I found that once I started reading this book, I just had to keep reading to see what Emily would do next.
I've enjoyed other books by this author, but not this one. I know it's supposed to be a great character sketch, but I didn't like Emily and found it boring.
So close to being 5 stars, O'Nan is at the top of his game. I simply love his work. He brings aching beauty to the little details of a life. In "Emily, Alone" we witness the everyday life of an older woman in the gentle throes of a good life, yet faced with reminders of her increasing age and solitude. There are no major plot shifts or mysteries or conflicts here, but the breathtaking, exquisite depiction of life. Far from mundane, O'Nan infuses heart and soul into his characters and their stories. Simply elegant and a joy to read.
This is an extremely sensitive look at old age, and the thought processes of a widow, living alone, including the ups and downs of family and friends. It is refreshingly honest and beautifully written. It's a sequel, and I am looking forward to reading the first one, Wish You Were Here.
Amazing. Opening up the pages of this book is like going over to visit Emily for the afternoon. I've never met another book character who is so very real. When I finished the book, I missed her.
Emily, Alone tells the story of Emily Maxwell, an elderly woman who spends much of her life alone. She is a widow, her children are off living their lives without her, and her neighborhood is no longer what it once was. Emily spends quite a bit of time with her sister-in-law, Arlene, and the pair spend time chatting and frequenting a breakfast buffet.
This sequel from O'Nan--which can be read without having read the previous book, Wish You Were Here--is a character study. It isn't driven by any engaging plot but rather offers a window through which the reader can observe the life of an individual nearing its end. As I read, I found myself thinking about my grandmothers and wondering if they ever felt the same way as Emily. Were they constantly thinking of their (grand)children? Did they lament the changes in their environment? Were they haunted by their mortality? We watch Emily navigate the complexities of the latter-half of her life and her story borders on uninteresting at times, saved only by O'Nan's writing style.
As long as your expectations are set properly before cracking the spine, Emily, Alone will be enjoyed by anyone interested in being a fly on the wall of Emily’s home and in the cabin of her Subaru.
This sequel from O'Nan--which can be read without having read the previous book, Wish You Were Here--is a character study. It isn't driven by any engaging plot but rather offers a window through which the reader can observe the life of an individual nearing its end. As I read, I found myself thinking about my grandmothers and wondering if they ever felt the same way as Emily. Were they constantly thinking of their (grand)children? Did they lament the changes in their environment? Were they haunted by their mortality? We watch Emily navigate the complexities of the latter-half of her life and her story borders on uninteresting at times, saved only by O'Nan's writing style.
As long as your expectations are set properly before cracking the spine, Emily, Alone will be enjoyed by anyone interested in being a fly on the wall of Emily’s home and in the cabin of her Subaru.
There was nothing wrong with this book. It was nicely written and I got through it quickly. But it certainly lacked conflict and there were many times when I thought we were building to some and then...no. So, this book was fine, just not my personal taste. (Although, it served it's purpose which was to give me a little break from "Atlas Shrugged" which is epic and wearing me out!)
A bittersweet story about widowhood -- Emily's life is not depressing and "where are my pills" -- but not a Jane Fonda workout, either. Emily reminds me a lot of women I know her age. Her good days are triumphs, her bad days are sad. It reads like real life on the page.