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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Read a long time ago and know that I enjoyed it.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Anne Tyler books are a bit like life itself; nothing much seems to happen day to day/ page to page but when you look back, a whole lot has changed. It took me an age to read this (just due to life interruptions) and it is slow paced. But this is usual for AT and it takes an adjustment to get back to reading that way. It’s not my favourite plot of hers but I love her writing, her way of depicting the realities of being human in general & being female in particular.
I particularly loved her observations of parenting children who are now young adults & that at the same time you’re often dealing with ageing parents, “ didn’t it often happen, she thought, that aged parents die exactly at the moment when other people (your husband, your adolescent children) have stopped being thrilled to see you? But a parent is always thrilled, always dwells so lovingly on your face as you are speaking. One of life’s little ironies.”
Definitely one which will stay with me.
I particularly loved her observations of parenting children who are now young adults & that at the same time you’re often dealing with ageing parents, “ didn’t it often happen, she thought, that aged parents die exactly at the moment when other people (your husband, your adolescent children) have stopped being thrilled to see you? But a parent is always thrilled, always dwells so lovingly on your face as you are speaking. One of life’s little ironies.”
Definitely one which will stay with me.
I had mixed feelings about this novel. While I could understand Delia's need to live on her own terms, as the mother of two grown sons myself, it was hard to relate to leaving one's children (of any age). I did enjoy Anne Tyler's renowned warmth and subtle humor (the newspaper article about Delia's disappearance in the first pages says it all). I talk more about this book at 14:18 in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ZqkhcUI9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ZqkhcUI9Y
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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:
No
Delia is a doctors wife, married for over 20 years with 3 almost grown up children who still live at home. She has reached a point in her life where she fees invisible to her family, her children barely acknowledge her when she speaks and her husband not listening or valuing any of her opinions. One day while on a family vacation at the beach she just walks away from it all just wearing her bathing suit and without so much as a word to her family an without anything other than her beach bag to her possession and five hundred dollars of the family's vacation money. Interesting concept, though I couldn't imagine how anyone could do anything like that for the reasons she did it. The author just didn't make her life seem that bad.