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bianca89279's review against another edition
5.0
Am I allowed to declare my undying love for Stegner's writing after only reading two of his books? Is it presumptuous, hasty? I do not care. I love his writing!
The Spectator Bird is narrated by Joe Alston, a depressed, morose, seventy-year-old, retired literary agent. He lives with his devoted wife, Ruth, in Northern California. Their life is quiet and he seems to be happier with just staying home reading rather than socialising.
There's a more exciting, distracting episode relating to the couple's visit to Denmark twenty years prior when Joe attempted to track down his roots of his Danish-born mother, while recuperating from illness. They rent a room in the house of mysterious countess Astrid, a striking woman, down on her luck. While spending time with her, they find out about her family's strange history and a few other things.
The indignities of ageing, long marriage, grief, depression, making choices vs just falling into things are some of the prevalent themes of this relatively quiet novel.
This novel was published forty-two years ago. It aged really well because of its universal themes.
The Spectator Bird is literary fiction of the highest calibre, the type that makes me think "This is why I read".
I forgot to mention, this audiobook was narrated by the incredible Edward Herrmann, who gets a million stars.
The Spectator Bird is narrated by Joe Alston, a depressed, morose, seventy-year-old, retired literary agent. He lives with his devoted wife, Ruth, in Northern California. Their life is quiet and he seems to be happier with just staying home reading rather than socialising.
There's a more exciting, distracting episode relating to the couple's visit to Denmark twenty years prior when Joe attempted to track down his roots of his Danish-born mother, while recuperating from illness. They rent a room in the house of mysterious countess Astrid, a striking woman, down on her luck. While spending time with her, they find out about her family's strange history and a few other things.
The indignities of ageing, long marriage, grief, depression, making choices vs just falling into things are some of the prevalent themes of this relatively quiet novel.
This novel was published forty-two years ago. It aged really well because of its universal themes.
The Spectator Bird is literary fiction of the highest calibre, the type that makes me think "This is why I read".
I forgot to mention, this audiobook was narrated by the incredible Edward Herrmann, who gets a million stars.
wsk56's review against another edition
4.0
Joe Allston feels that he has always been a spectator in life. He was a literary agent instead of a writer. He finds some old diaries he had written of a trip to Denmark he and his wife had made some twenty years earlier, trying to find his mother's roots. This book is about discovering what it means to fully participate in life.
karnaconverse's review against another edition
3.0
A nice, quiet read that may hold more meaning for those who are close to retirement than those who are not.
The aging main character, Joe, finds a long-packed-away journal written when he and his wife spent several months in Denmark, searching for his family roots. As he rereads the journal--aloud to his wife--he contemplates whether or not his life has made an impact. The story is easy to believe, the characters recognizable, and the ending . . . comfortable. It's easy to see why the book was awarded the National Book Award for Fiction (1977).
Read as part of my local library's book club.
The aging main character, Joe, finds a long-packed-away journal written when he and his wife spent several months in Denmark, searching for his family roots. As he rereads the journal--aloud to his wife--he contemplates whether or not his life has made an impact. The story is easy to believe, the characters recognizable, and the ending . . . comfortable. It's easy to see why the book was awarded the National Book Award for Fiction (1977).
Read as part of my local library's book club.
shaunireads1's review against another edition
5.0
This was my second Wallace Stegner book, and I loved it almost as much as the first (Angle of Repose). The protagonist is a cranky sixty-nine year old man who is reflecting on his life and the path his past decisions have taken him. I think that if I read The Spectator Bird again in 30 years, I'll probably appreciate it even more.
keight's review against another edition
4.0
I can’t say I was at all familiar with Stegner when I found this book on a giveaway pile with two books that I loved. This could be a rather melancholy book to some as it’s written by a retired literary agent supposedly cajoled into penning his memoirs at his wife’s behest, despite feeling this “implies an arrogance, or confidence, or compulsion to justify oneself” that he doesn’t claim. But I think ultimately there is a sense of resigned hope. Read more on the booklog
gilmoreguide's review against another edition
5.0
Love loved this book. Enough to recommend it to my husband who does not read fiction. It is short and very sweet- one man's contemplation of life.
raychelllibby's review against another edition
5.0
Audiobook |
Wow. This author writes so beautifully and clever that he has potentially ruined me for so many other authors.
There was one point in time in this book that I laugh cried. I was moved to tears but laughing at the simplistic relatability of it all.
If you are stumbling across this review because you are wondering if you should read this book after reading the summary, just read it.
Wow. This author writes so beautifully and clever that he has potentially ruined me for so many other authors.
There was one point in time in this book that I laugh cried. I was moved to tears but laughing at the simplistic relatability of it all.
If you are stumbling across this review because you are wondering if you should read this book after reading the summary, just read it.
schwertfeger49's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.0
epl's review against another edition
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
4.25