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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
I know that this is a beloved book by so many-but I honestly really struggled through the majority of it. The fact that I started it 3 different times should have made it clear that this wasn't the book for me-and I can't even properly articulate why this was. The writing was beautiful-the topic was friendship and family. Usually I love a story of a family. Those are often my favorite. So many of you late this as your favorite all time read. I cannot not. There wasn't a character that I lived-in was all plodding and just a running ramble. Actually it reminded me of how I felt when I was reading The Great Gatsby-that was 30 odd years ago and I haven't forgiven that English teacher for assigning us such a pointless book. This was my thinking back then...have always thought that I should give it another try-Frossing to Safety reminded why I probably shouldn't. Perhaps it is these times-too much family! Just kidding- but I have noticed I am needing something more than I usually do. Don't let my thoughts on this one dissuade you from picking it up.
I loved this book. I loved how real it felt, how honest the narrator seemed to be. The characters seemed like real people - multi-faceted, with admirable qualities and not-so-admirable qualities. It made me feel nostalgic and committed to living in the moment all at the same time. I envied the people their time to explore themselves and their world, and I appreciated the intellectual stimulation of their environs. I liked how the book was structured with long, extended memories interspersed with the book's present. It felt authentically like how it would be to be visiting a place where you had spent a lot of time after an extended absence, to be visiting a dying friend who was closer to you than family, and what you would be thinking about.
“I hope they have done more than survive. I hope they have found some ways to impose some sort of order on their chaos. I hope they have found enough pleasure along the way so that they don’t want it ended.”
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a quietly beautiful novel. It’s about deep friendship, the bonds of marriage, academia and writing, and how all of those things may or may not change over time. A lovely, thoughtful, though-provoking read.
In this exquisitely written novel about the lives and marriages of two couples, Stegner manages to find the extraordinary in the everyday. The story begins and ends with the final days the four of them have to spend together before death makes them three. In between are the stories of family, friendship and the moments that defined them. Quiet and poignant, this book would appeal to readers of Kent Haruf and Richard Russo.
Slow. Beautiful. Perfect.
I have come back to this book at least five times to reread. There is something to be said for the quiet beauty of a life lived. Well or otherwise.
I have come back to this book at least five times to reread. There is something to be said for the quiet beauty of a life lived. Well or otherwise.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've read a few Stegner books, and love every one of them.
He is a magician for the written word, evoking feelings we learn to admit to ourselves.
Without fanfare, he stages a scene where the true self emerges, without apology, and without artificial healing.
He is a magician for the written word, evoking feelings we learn to admit to ourselves.
Without fanfare, he stages a scene where the true self emerges, without apology, and without artificial healing.