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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
Probably the best book I’ve read in a while WOW
There are books that will take your breath away. Others will just make you breathe, takes you back to your most elemental state, one breath in one breath out. These are the rarer novels, it is like holding a golden ticket when I come across one. Crossing to Safety' is one of those special books that takes away the chaos of the world and locks you in an isolation chamber. I am having trouble understanding why Stegner is not one of those lauded great American writers. He writes like a artistic craft's man. Though this is not surprising considering that this was his last book at a spry age of 78. Stegner has built a chair, but not just any chair, it moves to mould your back, the softest leather, spring out foot stool, even with a soft vibration. A chair made by a genius craftsman.
That is why I cannot imagine this book being written on a computer, other books pre processor and internet I can see, 'Great Gatsby' on a new Mac, 'Great Expectations' on Windows. Hemmingway sitting in a Bar with a 1999 laptop being served whisky chasers one after the other. Austen posting a monthly blog. Capote having numerous Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Tumblr accounts bitching up a storm. But not 'Crossing to Safety', each letter was plucked on a mechanical key board, punched perfectly on a crisp white page.
This is a story of friendship, love, marriage,beauty, leisure and all the obligations that come with it. This is a love letter to the mid twentieth century.
That is why I cannot imagine this book being written on a computer, other books pre processor and internet I can see, 'Great Gatsby' on a new Mac, 'Great Expectations' on Windows. Hemmingway sitting in a Bar with a 1999 laptop being served whisky chasers one after the other. Austen posting a monthly blog. Capote having numerous Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Tumblr accounts bitching up a storm. But not 'Crossing to Safety', each letter was plucked on a mechanical key board, punched perfectly on a crisp white page.
This is a story of friendship, love, marriage,beauty, leisure and all the obligations that come with it. This is a love letter to the mid twentieth century.
It was a pleasant book with strong characters but with ordinary lives. I loved how he explained through the book that it wasn't a work of twists and plots, but of relationships of friends and families with everyday dramas. It wasn't a work i couldn't put down but I did want to know how it ended.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5
A really beautiful semi-autobiographical tribute to Stegner's wife and one that I feel would benefit a rereading in a decade or so. As Charity discusses early on, artistic pursuits necessitate some substantial life experience to produce/understand.
A really beautiful semi-autobiographical tribute to Stegner's wife and one that I feel would benefit a rereading in a decade or so. As Charity discusses early on, artistic pursuits necessitate some substantial life experience to produce/understand.
I read this on a whim when a former co-worker (in the sense that he worked in the same building) commented on Facebook he was reading it.
I gave it three stars because it did manage to engross me at some points. I know Stegner's reputation and I admire his clear love for nature and conservancy.
However, this was a book about women and marriage from a man's point of view. And it viewed marriage as a prison in different ways, contrasting the two main couples. I felt the view taken towards both Charity and Sally was one of distaste and pity, respectively. That by turn saddened and angered me.
However, in the end you see that the narrator of all this, Larry, is nothing more than an observer. While he may not understand the way others live their lives, they are living it while he sits back and comments and judges.
Definitely a book to make you think about many things - marriage, indebtedness, being chained to another person by choice or chance, and dying.
I need something light, next.
I gave it three stars because it did manage to engross me at some points. I know Stegner's reputation and I admire his clear love for nature and conservancy.
However, this was a book about women and marriage from a man's point of view. And it viewed marriage as a prison in different ways, contrasting the two main couples. I felt the view taken towards both Charity and Sally was one of distaste and pity, respectively. That by turn saddened and angered me.
However, in the end you see that the narrator of all this, Larry, is nothing more than an observer. While he may not understand the way others live their lives, they are living it while he sits back and comments and judges.
Definitely a book to make you think about many things - marriage, indebtedness, being chained to another person by choice or chance, and dying.
I need something light, next.
Terrific. Excellent writing. No real plot. Just a story of two couples. Read it for book group but not really good for discussion.
I can see that this is an excellent book. But just not for me.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No