180 reviews for:

Ladder of Years

Anne Tyler

3.63 AVERAGE


3.5

I found the ending a little abrupt, but I loved it.
emotional reflective relaxing

Starts so well but oh dear ! Becomes so dull ! Life’s too short , didn’t care about the protagonist so gave up and it’s on the way to the Oxfam
book shop !

I enjoy Anne Tyler's writing, which is thoughtful and nuanced, and remarkably grounded, as well as being easy to read. When I read the back of this book, though, I was worried that I wasn't going to enjoy this book as much as I wanted to, because it was clearly about a woman who left her family.

For me, the impulse to leave is relatable, but actually doing so is unthinkable, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy thinking about it for the length of a book. So I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book, not in spite of, but even, perhaps, because of the plot. Such a long consideration of what could happen is so interesting because I can never think about the possible consequences of such a thing for more than a few seconds on my own. It is perhaps because she doesn't think about it that she's able to go at all.

Characters' motivations are so thoughtfully handled. It's fascinating, too, to see how misunderstandings develop--to see how Delia can defend herself with a false argument, and then believe in it herself enough to feel as if it were a legitimate grievance, or to see how a letter composed without enough care for expression of tone, and with too much self-editing can produce an impression of the emotional state of her husband which is very far from the truth. Most impressive to me, is how the author makes people who are managing their relationships with such difficulty so likeable, and people with thought patterns so different from mine so comprehensible.

Beautifully written book and I enjoyed it but struggled to relate to the main character. Well worth a read.

Housewife starts new life elsewhere.

2.5
juneofthemoon's profile picture

juneofthemoon's review

1.0

This book was really slow and the writing was a bit archaic. I had a hard time believing it was about a 40 year old woman in current times. I couldn't finish it.

This was one of my favourite books when I was 15, but when I tried reading it again a few years later it didn't have quite the same appeal. My first Anne Tyler novel! Also, I've always had a thing for books where people reinvent themselves and start a new life.

Borrowed from the shelf in Roy and Alma's flat.