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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Stegner writes with phenomenal tenderness and intensity. Charity and Sid, and Larry and Sally, are drawn so relatably. Their stories are compelling, uplifting and tragic. The plot moves seamlessly between the past and present. Setting is beautifully painted and the novel is full of profound quotes. An all time favourite!
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A silent masterpiece à la Stoner by John Williams. Nothing happens and so much happens at the same time. I wanna read more Stegner now.
Before my book club discussion I would have rated this a 3... but after I'm rating it a 4. The writing is great, and it's a beautiful story about friendship. This is not a thriller and there aren't big drama moments so read it through the lens of human connection and appreciation for true and long-lasting friendships. And definitely read in your book clubs - we had such a great discussion about it!
This is the first serious literary fiction I have read ☀️ALL SUMMER☀️ but it is so excellent and high brow that it probably makes up for the fluff of the rest of my summer. Vivid, quiet, character-driven, intense, and shockingly compelling given its subject matter.
One thing that struck me while reading was how taken for granted it was that the wives (Charity and Sally) would not pursue academic careers, despite how their backgrounds had prepared them for exactly that: their education, talent, intellect, personalities, etc. You can look up when the first women professors were hired at Berkeley or Yale (the schools where these pairs studied) and it was the very recent history for these characters.
One thing that struck me while reading was how taken for granted it was that the wives (Charity and Sally) would not pursue academic careers, despite how their backgrounds had prepared them for exactly that: their education, talent, intellect, personalities, etc. You can look up when the first women professors were hired at Berkeley or Yale (the schools where these pairs studied) and it was the very recent history for these characters.
I have quibbles, but the good kind of quibbles. I want to recommend everyone read this so that we can quibble about it together, and discuss the people, and revel in the scenery and place, and talk about time and memory and love and relationships. This book was rich, complex, mature, & meditative.
Wallace Stegner's writing is beautiful, warm, rich, and sensitive. He writes about the complexities of the human heart and soul with subtlety and simplicity, without ever over-simplifying them or avoiding the attempt to explore them. This book is one of his best I think - it is one character's account of his marriage and the friendship he and his wife have with another couple over the course of their lives over the 1930s to the 1950s in the US. They lead a charmed existence in some senses - liberal midwestern academia, wealthy New England money, European cultural interests - and while the Second World War gets some passing attention, the novel confines its characters in a social, racial, and political bubble. Nevertheless, it addresses some of the pain and confusion of two different marriages and the imperfections and joys of friendship in a way that draws out universal themes. The joys and suffering of all human relationships are beautifully woven into this very fine account of a particular quartet of unique characters.
I debated between 3 or 4 stars for this book. It was the writing style that pushed it to 4. This is my first Stegner and I liked his style enough that I want to read more of his work. I liked this book and knew going into it that there would not be a driven plot but rather a slow, contemplative story about lifelong friendships. I believe I read it at the right time for if I were younger, I would not have understood or possibly valued the messages in the story. For me, the main messages were acceptance and tolerance of faults in the people we love and that friends can truly be family. Friends can play a major role in our lives and we should treasure them. There's a lot of wisdom in this book and while I got a lot out of the story, it didn't knock my socks off. All the same, I'm glad I read it and suspect it's going to be one of those slow burn stories that I'll be thinking about long after I've finished reading it.
Wow - When I sit down to read a book that comes with so much hype, I'm very skeptical. This one lived up completely. What is most astonishing to me is that, when I look back at the book - nothing really huge happens, which is exactly Sid's point at the beginning - how can you write a story about ordinary people living an ordinary life. But, Stegner does so beautifully, and I think that is in large part because Sid is the story teller and is written so well that the reader can almost be brought to feel what and how Sid is feeling. In the times when Sid can hardly stand Charity, I felt like I could hardly stand her. Really, truly disliked her. In other times, you felt their friendship.
I can see why people spend so much time talking about it - why would Charity only recognize the sunny days, was Larry as imprisoned as Sid, was Sid ok in the end, etc.
Really, really good book.
I can see why people spend so much time talking about it - why would Charity only recognize the sunny days, was Larry as imprisoned as Sid, was Sid ok in the end, etc.
Really, really good book.
I first read this when I was 28 and then again when I was 37, and now I'm revisiting it again. So much has changed for me since I first read it, but what hasn't changed is that this is, of course, a beautifully written book with musings about friendship, art, and, specifically, writing and what it means. What also hasn't changed is my dislike for the main character, Larry. I kind of want to pinch him.
What has changed for me is all of a sudden noticing the homoerotic, uh, thing, I guess, that Larry has for Sid. And that he describes him as a Greek god is even more, well, it made me giggle like a little girl. For this modern reader, the sexism is sometimes hard to take, with a lot about women's and men's "places" in the world and the roles they are expected to play. However, who expected Stegner to see the future? In any case, if you want to experience good, quiet writing, this is the book to experience.
What has changed for me is all of a sudden noticing the homoerotic, uh, thing, I guess, that Larry has for Sid. And that he describes him as a Greek god is even more, well, it made me giggle like a little girl. For this modern reader, the sexism is sometimes hard to take, with a lot about women's and men's "places" in the world and the roles they are expected to play. However, who expected Stegner to see the future? In any case, if you want to experience good, quiet writing, this is the book to experience.