You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I love the writing style, but did not think this book was nearly as good as some of the author's other works. I was very engaged by the present tense portion of the story, but found the flashback parts that form the real narrative of the novel less interesting.
Three and a half.
What I liked:
It's by Wallace Stegner - though previous to this I've only read Angle of Repose, I loved that book!
This is a quiet, character-driven novel focused on an older adult couple in a long, successful marriage.
Stegner's insights about marriage and aging are sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes sharp as a knife and just as devastating.
What I didn't like as much:
The character of Joe Allston himself is sometimes very annoying! He's definitely a curmudgeon, he's crotchety, he complains a lot, and he doesn't have much nice to say about some women or many young people. He did make me cringe from time to time, and I'm really not sure how his wife Ruth puts up with him. But, having this many strong opinions about him demonstrates what a masterful job Stegner has done in creating him.
The central idea behind this book is that Joe (age 70+) is looking back on his own life and feels he's been a spectator in it, not making many momentous decisions, not making waves, not leaving anything behind. He has found his own diaries he kept 20 years earlier when he and Ruth took a trip to Denmark; Ruth requests that Joe read the diaries out loud to her each evening so they can relive some of their memories.
They went on the trip because Joe's late mother had been from Denmark and they go to the town she grew up in; the trip was also a recovery period for Joe and Ruth following the death of their only son as a young adult. So, the book goes back and forth between time periods based on whether we're in Joe/Ruth's "present time" or their past time in Denmark.
In his mother's village, Joe and Ruth stay with a financially distressed Danish countess. The story of the countess and her family is needlessly confusing within the framework of this short novel, and the sudden introduction of some disturbing and potentially triggering topics was, I felt, not handled well. Ha, for once, I would have liked some foreshadowing! I'm just not sure all of it was necessary. The countess could have remained beautiful, poor, and mysterious, and the quiet little plot would have been just as poignant.
Through the process of reading the diaries together, Joe and Ruth connect to one another about an episode they had glossed over, and Joe realizes that perhaps he has made some big life decisions after all.
What I liked:
It's by Wallace Stegner - though previous to this I've only read Angle of Repose, I loved that book!
This is a quiet, character-driven novel focused on an older adult couple in a long, successful marriage.
Stegner's insights about marriage and aging are sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes sharp as a knife and just as devastating.
What I didn't like as much:
The character of Joe Allston himself is sometimes very annoying! He's definitely a curmudgeon, he's crotchety, he complains a lot, and he doesn't have much nice to say about some women or many young people. He did make me cringe from time to time, and I'm really not sure how his wife Ruth puts up with him. But, having this many strong opinions about him demonstrates what a masterful job Stegner has done in creating him.
The central idea behind this book is that Joe (age 70+) is looking back on his own life and feels he's been a spectator in it, not making many momentous decisions, not making waves, not leaving anything behind. He has found his own diaries he kept 20 years earlier when he and Ruth took a trip to Denmark; Ruth requests that Joe read the diaries out loud to her each evening so they can relive some of their memories.
They went on the trip because Joe's late mother had been from Denmark and they go to the town she grew up in; the trip was also a recovery period for Joe and Ruth following the death of their only son as a young adult. So, the book goes back and forth between time periods based on whether we're in Joe/Ruth's "present time" or their past time in Denmark.
In his mother's village, Joe and Ruth stay with a financially distressed Danish countess. The story of the countess and her family is needlessly confusing within the framework of this short novel, and the sudden introduction of some disturbing and potentially triggering topics was, I felt, not handled well. Ha, for once, I would have liked some foreshadowing! I'm just not sure all of it was necessary. The countess could have remained beautiful, poor, and mysterious, and the quiet little plot would have been just as poignant.
Through the process of reading the diaries together, Joe and Ruth connect to one another about an episode they had glossed over, and Joe realizes that perhaps he has made some big life decisions after all.
every time I pick up Stegner I'm amazed at his craft. Even if I'm not wild about the story line, his talent keeps me riveted. This one really had me thinking about my aging parents, my aging self, and comfort/complaints in long-term relationships.
Just finished the spectator Bird. I'm thinking a 3.5/5. It was good, I was engaged for almost the whole thing. And even though it was writing in the 70's it didn't feel too timely expect for a few time specific verbage. Definitely a good piece for any decade and it was sweet. Just following the live and love of our main character and his wife, friends, and journals leading up to his retirement.
A great short novel with an aging couple that is dealing with health problems and a past for which they both are unsure. I found this to be a page turner, though not in the typical way (i.e., rapid plot twists), but in a way that I enjoyed Stegner's gentle reflective prose unfolding.
I love novels about aging and this was a good one!
I love novels about aging and this was a good one!
There is not a single author I love more than Wallace Stegner.
I love Marilynne Robinson deeply, I love Roger Martin du Gard, Simon Vestdijk, and Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz. God knows I love Charlotte Brontë, and Emily, too.
But I love no one more than Wallace Stegner.
There’s something about his writing that makes me feel as if I’m touching the truth of the universe. It’s not what he is writing, per se, but what he is able to convey. You know how there are moments in life where you just feel very strongly “yes, this is what it’s all about”? That’s what I feel when reading his work.
I felt it most strongly with Crossing to Safety and All the Little Live Things, but also with his other works, and certainly with this one. He is just so skilled at sketching real, nuanced human interactions, and real human lives.
The relationship between Ruth and Joe strikes me as so authentic, so true to what it must be like to have been married forty years or more. Their familiarity, their small annoyances, their “attunedness” to each other. Their warmth.
In general, this book feels like a resting place. I felt that with All the Little Live Things too, although there’s a lot more happening in that one and it’s significantly sadder. But that little house Ruth and Joe have, up in the mountains, and only a telephone to reach people (if a storm doesn’t knock it down) and all the neighbors as familiar to them as family — I love that, and I miss it in that weird way you can miss things you haven’t actually had.
I’ll continue to read everything Wallace Stegner has ever written, and when I finish I’m going to start all over again. Thank you, thank you. You don’t know the gift you’ve given us.
I love Marilynne Robinson deeply, I love Roger Martin du Gard, Simon Vestdijk, and Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz. God knows I love Charlotte Brontë, and Emily, too.
But I love no one more than Wallace Stegner.
There’s something about his writing that makes me feel as if I’m touching the truth of the universe. It’s not what he is writing, per se, but what he is able to convey. You know how there are moments in life where you just feel very strongly “yes, this is what it’s all about”? That’s what I feel when reading his work.
I felt it most strongly with Crossing to Safety and All the Little Live Things, but also with his other works, and certainly with this one. He is just so skilled at sketching real, nuanced human interactions, and real human lives.
The relationship between Ruth and Joe strikes me as so authentic, so true to what it must be like to have been married forty years or more. Their familiarity, their small annoyances, their “attunedness” to each other. Their warmth.
In general, this book feels like a resting place. I felt that with All the Little Live Things too, although there’s a lot more happening in that one and it’s significantly sadder. But that little house Ruth and Joe have, up in the mountains, and only a telephone to reach people (if a storm doesn’t knock it down) and all the neighbors as familiar to them as family — I love that, and I miss it in that weird way you can miss things you haven’t actually had.
I’ll continue to read everything Wallace Stegner has ever written, and when I finish I’m going to start all over again. Thank you, thank you. You don’t know the gift you’ve given us.
4.25. Stegner's style of writing is straightforward and effortless. He can set a scene so well and do so without being overly descriptive - it's impressive. I found the premise to be unique but also had universal themes which you could relate to.
Wow, Stegner was an incredible writer. His characters, their humanity, and his timeless take on the world all stand out. And on top of that he tells a damn good story.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A bit slow at the beginning, but the last five-ish chapters were absolutely beautiful and amongst the best I’ve read.