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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Oh......just a perfect gem. One of my all-time favorites.
It is so satisfying to read a book that is called a classic and great by others and to actually find it so. The writing is wonderful and we get to know 4 characters well through the eyes of an English college professor when two couples meet at a faculty party in the 1930s. The story follows their friendship over many years, and it seems like it could be a dull topic, but that is where the mastery comes in. This is a novel about life, relationship and how people can change each other's lives. I savored every word.
Well-written novel about the strong friendship between two couples. Beautiful meditations on the nature of work, privilege, marriage, joy and suffering, among other things. It didn't impact me nearly as much as his [b:Angle of Repose|292408|Angle of Repose|Wallace Stegner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1329151576s/292408.jpg|283706] did, which caused me to wonder how I'd have felt if I'd read this one first.
This must surely be a classic. Such descriptions and such reflective writing, yet I wanted to keep on reading. I had been wanting to read this for years. So glad I did.
the most impressive thing about this book is how often it infuriated me.
A bit conflicting feelings about this one. For the first 200 pages, I was annoyed by the nostalgic tone of the narrator Larry Morgan, a bit too complacently looking back on his paradisiacal days at a small university in Wisconsin; I was repelled by the stifling friendship between him, his wife Sally and the wealthy, snobbish couple Charity and Sid Lang who took them in tow; and I was angered by the WASP environment in which this novel entirely takes place. At the same time, I kept reading, somehow intrigued by the way in which the author broke through the cliché story, interspersed it with an older man's perspectives on his past, on ageing, on the meaning of his own life, and above all on the relationship with his wife and that friendly couple.
Stegner wrote this book when he was 78, and I assume narrator Larry is pretty much autobiographical. But Larry certainly not is the main character of this story; no, that’s the insufferable control freak Charity who managed to manipulate and win everyone over, even staging her own death. What is particularly clever is how Stegner puts the dramatic story of Charity at the center of the composition, but interweaves it with continuous evaluations of the relationship between the two couples, of their ambitions, their mutual dependence and independence. In other words, this is actually a very reflective novel, containing very little real action, but ingeniously exploring the unique nature of long-lasting friendships and relationships such as marriage. Another plus are the endless descriptions of the arcadian nature in some spots of northwestern United States (especially Vermont). So, in the end, both aspects compensate for the all too pervading snobbish, intellectualistic slant.
Stegner wrote this book when he was 78, and I assume narrator Larry is pretty much autobiographical. But Larry certainly not is the main character of this story; no, that’s the insufferable control freak Charity who managed to manipulate and win everyone over, even staging her own death. What is particularly clever is how Stegner puts the dramatic story of Charity at the center of the composition, but interweaves it with continuous evaluations of the relationship between the two couples, of their ambitions, their mutual dependence and independence. In other words, this is actually a very reflective novel, containing very little real action, but ingeniously exploring the unique nature of long-lasting friendships and relationships such as marriage. Another plus are the endless descriptions of the arcadian nature in some spots of northwestern United States (especially Vermont). So, in the end, both aspects compensate for the all too pervading snobbish, intellectualistic slant.
Stegner's Crossing to Safety is a quiet, retrospective character driven novel about the friendship of two young academic couples who meet at the University of Wisconsin during the Great Depression. Larry Morgan and Sid Lang are literature instructors at the university. hoping to survive the winnowing process to achieve tenure. Their wives, Sally Morgan and Charity Lang support this endeavor and each other albeit in very different ways.
I very much liked the tone of Larry's narration throughout the novel. Since a good portion of the story is told in hindsight, he (Larry) has some meta observations that coincided with my thoughts on the tale as I was reading it. Also, noteworthy was Stegner's look at what brings people together and makes them stay together, in marriage and friendship, especially in how words and intent can lead to very different outcomes when varied. I look forward to reading more of Stegner's work.
I very much liked the tone of Larry's narration throughout the novel. Since a good portion of the story is told in hindsight, he (Larry) has some meta observations that coincided with my thoughts on the tale as I was reading it. Also, noteworthy was Stegner's look at what brings people together and makes them stay together, in marriage and friendship, especially in how words and intent can lead to very different outcomes when varied. I look forward to reading more of Stegner's work.
emotional
sad
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:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Made me envious - I want friends like this! The ending was difficult to get through.