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hazelgirl21's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia and Fatphobia
karmapen's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Vomit, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
fast-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
3.0
Easy, quick read at less than 200 pages. I read this in one sitting, and only finished because I have book 2 and have heard it’s better than Lucy Barton, plus as I said it’s a quick read.
Stream of consciousness writing style with chapters jumping from different points of time which could be confusing at times. I’m not a big fan of this writing style because it usually lacks depth and the characters felt one dimensional.
I felt detached to the characters because there’s a lot of telling instead of showing. Maybe it’s because of how short the novel is and it tries to span so much time in so few pages.
The book is an interesting exploration of a childhood lived in extreme poverty, neglect, tense mother-daughter relationships, and loneliness. I did appreciate some quotes that made me think but overall it’s not bad or great, just average and forgettable. I’m hoping other reviewers are right and book 2 (as well as another of Strout’s novels, Olive Kitteridge) is better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: War, Murder, Genocide, and Homophobia
thesaltiestlibrarian's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Medical trauma, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Child abuse
shelfofunread's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
Minor: Infidelity, Homophobia, and War
tanyafrey's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Homophobia
notartgarfunkel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: War, Death of parent, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Fatphobia
deedireads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
My Name Is Lucy Barton is everything you hope for in an Elizabeth Strout novel: warm and simple on the surface, but layered with emotion and nuance underneath.
For you if: You like character-driven books with quietly impactful prose.
FULL REVIEW:
Elizabeth Strout is one of those authors on my list — I read and loved Olive Kitteridge, and I know I’ll love more of her backlist, but I just haven’t gotten there. Well, having the third book in this Amgash series (Oh William!) on this year’s Booker Prize shortlist was the kick in the pants I needed to get started! And, of course, I loved this one too.
My Name Is Lucy Barton is a slim, fun-structured novel narrated by (as you might guess) the main character, Lucy Barton. She’s looking back to the period of time when she was in the hospital recovering from surgery and her mother came to sit by her bedside. It was essentially the only interaction she had with her mother in her adult life, ever since she left her family’s cycle of extreme poverty and abuse to go to college on a scholarship and then moved to New York to become a writer.
I don’t know how Elizabeth Strout manages to write characters that feel 100% fully formed from the first sentence they speak, but it’s really amazing. And her writing is always warm and simple on the surface, but layered with emotion and nuance underneath. She’s cozy and moving at the same time. This book is no different; the depth of Lucy’s relationships not only with her mother but also her ex-husband, her children, her brother and father, and even her West Village neighbors are rich with joy, pain, and humanity. She also deftly tackles the complexities and conflicting emotions of changing class, breaking free from a familial cycle of poverty.
This is a super fast read — less than 4 hours on audio at 1x, but it’s worth it. If you loved Olive Kitteridge, you’ll love this. But it’s also different enough that I think you might love it even if Olive wasn’t your jam. I’m very much looking forward to reading more from Amgash!
TL;DR REVIEW:
My Name Is Lucy Barton is everything you hope for in an Elizabeth Strout novel: warm and simple on the surface, but layered with emotion and nuance underneath.
For you if: You like character-driven books with quietly impactful prose.
FULL REVIEW:
Elizabeth Strout is one of those authors on my list — I read and loved Olive Kitteridge, and I know I’ll love more of her backlist, but I just haven’t gotten there. Well, having the third book in this Amgash series (Oh William!) on this year’s Booker Prize shortlist was the kick in the pants I needed to get started! And, of course, I loved this one too.
My Name Is Lucy Barton is a slim, fun-structured novel narrated by (as you might guess) the main character, Lucy Barton. She’s looking back to the period of time when she was in the hospital recovering from surgery and her mother came to sit by her bedside. It was essentially the only interaction she had with her mother in her adult life, ever since she left her family’s cycle of extreme poverty and abuse to go to college on a scholarship and then moved to New York to become a writer.
I don’t know how Elizabeth Strout manages to write characters that feel 100% fully formed from the first sentence they speak, but it’s really amazing. And her writing is always warm and simple on the surface, but layered with emotion and nuance underneath. She’s cozy and moving at the same time. This book is no different; the depth of Lucy’s relationships not only with her mother but also her ex-husband, her children, her brother and father, and even her West Village neighbors are rich with joy, pain, and humanity. She also deftly tackles the complexities and conflicting emotions of changing class, breaking free from a familial cycle of poverty.
This is a super fast read — less than 4 hours on audio at 1x, but it’s worth it. If you loved Olive Kitteridge, you’ll love this. But it’s also different enough that I think you might love it even if Olive wasn’t your jam. I’m very much looking forward to reading more from Amgash!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, and Child abuse
Minor: Bullying
carlytenille's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
liannaengland's review against another edition
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Medical content