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kwonset's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? No
2.5
inkedmusingshi's review against another edition
2.0
The repetitive nature of one irish family's life shown through the eyes of 3 children as their mother Lucy Towne makes weekly visits to her step mother and sisters was engaging at first but turned challenging to get through. A tough tale to get through.
spahade's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a while to get my bearings on this book. The author's change in the tenses made it hard to know what was happening, what had happened, or what was going to happen. I finally got into the rhythm of the book and then I found it hard to put down.
sami_petersen's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
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? No
3.25
lazygal's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe it was when I read this, or maybe I'm not as appreciative of these "sweeping family sagas" as I once was, but this was really a "meh" for me. It also took a lot of time for me to get into the story as I teased out the relationships between Momma and the aunts and the children and everyone else. The pacing,by nature slow, wasn't as much a problem as the time shifts were. As with who was who, when was when was occasionally a problem for me.
It's too bad, because previously I'd loved books that writers like Belva Plain wrote - I'd hoped this would be a mix of Plain and Maeve Binchy but, well, no.
It's too bad, because previously I'd loved books that writers like Belva Plain wrote - I'd hoped this would be a mix of Plain and Maeve Binchy but, well, no.
booksrockcal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
5.0
aimeekrs's review against another edition
5.0
In my top five favorite books of all time! I love the writing style, the story, the setting, everything.
cmclarabee's review against another edition
2.0
Alice McDermott can create a sense of place like almost no one else, and her minutely observed descriptions of people and use of language are head and shoulders above the skills of most writers. Unfortunately, in the case of At Weddings and Wakes, all of that was not enough to overcome what at times felt like a glacial pace and, more important, a terribly awkwardly executed shift in time. The way she handled the fate of one of the main characters was both confusing and, ultimately, took away from the impact of what happened, which is really a shame.
edwarde3ddd's review
4.0
What is required for this book is patience. It is not a quick read. It is not Charming Billy. If you are familiar with Robert Olen Butler's view that the novel should be viewed as art like work in an art gallery or a composition of music, then At Weddings and Wakes would be such a book. These vignettes weave back and forth in time of one extended family with all its histories and complications. These very struggles often come to a climax or find some resolution in the most joyous and somber occasions. I can't stress enough how important endurance is in getting to the end. It's not an easy read. Why should it be?
beckyjenson's review
3.0
A somewhat rambling, slice-of-life story about a family in New York in the 40's.
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