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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A really good look at grief and how losing someone is an imperfect, and how losing someone is complex and fraught with ups and downs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*In yer best Randy Newman voice*
White people got no reason
Old people got no reason
Privileged people got no reason
No reason to read
It's boring, y'all!
White people got no reason
Old people got no reason
Privileged people got no reason
No reason to read
It's boring, y'all!
I'm not usually a fan of books that are more of a character study. There really isn't a 'plot' here in the traditional sense. What you have instead is a beautifully told story about a marriage and how a woman feels about her role in that marriage. As someone who's been married a long time, this was a gripping read that made me very aware of my own husband asleep next to me as I read and the terror of waking up some morning to find him no longer breathing.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this is like if normal people was written by boomers if i’m being totally honest. i enjoy the writing style and the whole “lots of words to say little” thing going on. it’s nice rhythm to read, definitely a bit dramatic.
but the characters kinda suck. graham is kind of a dick and is written off for cheating by being a man who needs “pleasure” in his life. annie has a complicated relationship with her daughter who she repeatedly called fat and big boned. the men often talk about sex before anything else when they’re with a woman. the women forgive their men for anything.
i did enjoy the conversation on grieving imperfect people and what that may look like from different peoples perspectives. it also made me think way too much about life after losing a significant other of 30 years which was truly devastating.
but the characters kinda suck. graham is kind of a dick and is written off for cheating by being a man who needs “pleasure” in his life. annie has a complicated relationship with her daughter who she repeatedly called fat and big boned. the men often talk about sex before anything else when they’re with a woman. the women forgive their men for anything.
i did enjoy the conversation on grieving imperfect people and what that may look like from different peoples perspectives. it also made me think way too much about life after losing a significant other of 30 years which was truly devastating.
Sue Miller is a gifted writer who burrows deep into the interior thoughts of her characters, and the dynamics that drive their relationships to others. This book is no exception, and it’s a good read, looking at love, loss, betrayal, and coming at these from different character POVs so the reader has access to a richer perspective of what has happened. Recommend.
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very very glad I stuck with it through the first 70 or so pages. A good practice for me to tune my own pace to match this book's. I loved this complicated portrayal of such real people. Everything happens and nothing happens here. Brilliant.