Reviews - Tom Lake | The StoryGraph

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18.9k reviews for:

Tom Lake

Ann Patchett

4.06 AVERAGE

chloee894's review against another edition

4.0

reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

choc's review against another edition

5.0

Didn’t get the hype at first but what a beautiful capture of life and its nuances and intricacies. The audiobook was also beautifully performed by Meryl Streep. What a delicious audiobook it was. She took audiobook reading to a level I never knew existed. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

bekahwright's review against another edition

2.0

I did not enjoy this book. I’ve read a few other Ann Patchett books, and they are pretty solid. This one was slow, overly sentimental, repetitive and so boring. Even Meryl Streep couldn’t fix this for me.

This story is related by Lara and covers how a brief relationship 30 years prior with an up and coming movie star is credited for their marriage and family, without any jealously or regret.

When Duke comes to visit the cherry orchard because he remembers it as his happy memory, he didn’t remember Joe, and didn’t remember that he went there with Lara. She was not part of his happy memory, just the farm (ouch). She was just a blip for him and he’s got legend status in her family.

hangryspice's review against another edition

4.0

emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

While it was a bit of a slow burn at first, I enjoyed this book. I liked how various plot points unwound as you read it, and more things started to make sense.

jennyblah's review against another edition

4.5

emotional lighthearted reflective

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Lovely little love story

shannonbooks14's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH

I loved Bel Canto. It was unusual--a universe of its own. I was excited to read more Ann Patchett, but this was entirely of our world. Or, of a world that exists but that I am not a part of and do not like or have an interest in. A bunch of uninteresting, shallow people talk about uninteresting, shallow things. And I don't know anything about Our Town, which seems like a prerequisite towards enjoying this book.

I think I have come to realize that I just don't like characters who are wealthy and "artistic" and completely removed from any of the realities and pains of real life because they are so busy being creative and free-spirited. I'm maybe a bit stone-hearted and definitely too pragmatic for that bs.