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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
I wasn't sure, 3+ or 4, but the writing is good, just not sure my cup of tea. But I confess that I am still thinking about the characters so that says a lot.
A moving and beautifully written story with much to say about the meaning of life.
I’d heard this book mentioned as an all-time favorite by some readers I follow, so the bar was set pretty high. I enjoyed it and I think the characters will stay with me. It wasn’t a 5 star for me, but a good,solid read. If you like a quieter book with an old-fashioned feel and well-drawn characters, this one could be for you.
This is a well written, non-flashy, moving tale of marriage and friendship. Nothing dramatic happens, just the unfolding story of two couples and their developing friendship as well as the various trials they encounter through the years. I miss reading about Larry, Sally, Charity, and Sid.
I first read this book more than 30 years ago upon a gushing recommendation from a close friend. At the time, I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. I realize now that my 20-something self hadn't enough experience with either friendship or marriage to "get it." This is a beautiful meditation on the way spouses sustain each other and on rare friendships that become just as sustaining--in all their human messiness.
The first 80% was near perfect for me. After Stegner switched from using the narrator to reflect on the past to following the narrator's current experiences as an old man, I wasn't as engaged.
This book was wonderful in many ways, and yet it didn't capture me in the way that it has so many others. What I liked: he makes a novel out of the ebb and flow of friendship, character development, and reflections on life. The novel doesn't try to shock the reader like so much fiction these days that inevitably takes a horrible, unsuspecting turn at some point. The story, the imagery, the relationships don't need a shocking plot to draw you in.
At the same time, I wasn't quite hooked. I found that the depiction of women was a bit outdated--perhaps reasonably so given the time period. However, I think there could be a difference between the societal expectations and the character development and insights. I didn't see that. I enjoyed the university setting, and at the same time it was hard not to read parts of it and sympathize with the current revolt against academic elitism.
I liked it enough that I'll pick up Angle of Repose at some point.
At the same time, I wasn't quite hooked. I found that the depiction of women was a bit outdated--perhaps reasonably so given the time period. However, I think there could be a difference between the societal expectations and the character development and insights. I didn't see that. I enjoyed the university setting, and at the same time it was hard not to read parts of it and sympathize with the current revolt against academic elitism.
I liked it enough that I'll pick up Angle of Repose at some point.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Full stars for setting, beautiful language, and a story atmosphere I was happy to live in for a while. I appreciate all those things. The ending left me cold, and then I didn't know what I thought anymore.
At it's core, it's a novel about friendship and how to navigate through it despite all the clashes in personality and beliefs, so yeah, it's kinda mushy - which isn't bad, considering you can see guys (the narrator and his friend Sid) getting mushy as well (then again, they are writers, so them being mushy isn't so hard to believe). A cozy read.