You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Rereading for a book club
Stegner has to be one of my favorite authors. Stegner's writing cuts deep and lays open some of the most intimate of human relationships -- marriage and close, long term friendship. In doing so, he captures the love, respect and affection that drive these relationships, but also the resentments, insecurities, and mutual toleration that inevitably play a part. Crossing to Safety points to a truism that we all intuitively understand: those you love will be your source of greatest joy and pain.
Stegner has to be one of my favorite authors. Stegner's writing cuts deep and lays open some of the most intimate of human relationships -- marriage and close, long term friendship. In doing so, he captures the love, respect and affection that drive these relationships, but also the resentments, insecurities, and mutual toleration that inevitably play a part. Crossing to Safety points to a truism that we all intuitively understand: those you love will be your source of greatest joy and pain.
Slow to get into (as always with Stegner), but a beautiful and poignant story about two couples' friendship.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A quiet understated novel that drifts along the lives of two married couples that meet during the Great Depression. Syd and Charity, well-to-do socialites and Larry and Sally, wholesome and poor. Their lives ebb and flow through children, different jobs and tragedies of life.
The book itself notes that nothing terribly dramatic happens or will happen to them, which is kind of the point. The couples detach and find themselves together again. All told through the wonderful prose of Stegner, the novel's flat plot is both its strength and its weakness. Ease back in the chair of your Vermont cottage and drift.
The book itself notes that nothing terribly dramatic happens or will happen to them, which is kind of the point. The couples detach and find themselves together again. All told through the wonderful prose of Stegner, the novel's flat plot is both its strength and its weakness. Ease back in the chair of your Vermont cottage and drift.
A slow, low-key, nearly drama-free story of love and friendship. This was a solid okay read for me by the end of the novel.
Great book about nothing more spectacular than a friendship between two couples. Wonderful writing!
My sister gave me this one for Christmas. A few years ago, we started a tradition where as siblings, we only exchange one book we've read that year with one another. This is my favorite gift every year and it's my favorite gift to give, as well. I wish my entire family wanted this gift from me!
At first, I was hesitant about this book. I thought the narrator a little full of himself, to be honest, but he wasn't. He was just setting the stage. In the end, I couldn't stop reading. It was a well-told story and I will read more by Stegner. The characters were well developed and it was an interesting story spanning the depression until after WWII, but not historical fiction. It's really a character novel. Loved it.
At first, I was hesitant about this book. I thought the narrator a little full of himself, to be honest, but he wasn't. He was just setting the stage. In the end, I couldn't stop reading. It was a well-told story and I will read more by Stegner. The characters were well developed and it was an interesting story spanning the depression until after WWII, but not historical fiction. It's really a character novel. Loved it.
I have read this book multiple times, and have loved it every time. But couldn't get through to Charity's death this time--the pain of it was more than I wanted to deal with, in addition to the other things going on in my life. It's probably time to take it off my "currently reading" list!