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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lives of Girls and Women is brilliant. I knew from the second or third short story that Munro was one of my favourite writers; the rest of the book unfolded even more beautifully. Page to page, paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, Munro transfixes you. I'd started writing out my favourite quotes from this book, but gave up very quickly; turn the page, and there are seven more things I'm rapt with.
At the heart of this book is a tender relationship with provinciality; Lives bleeds quotidian charm, thick with small-town texture. We learn about Del Jordan's world as she is negotiating her place within it. Del is a sharp, funny, and honest narrator: she grew up in Jubilee, and more or less knows how to play-act the textbook provincial, but she also shares her mother's intellectuality and restless ambition. Far from being uncomfortable with this tension, though, Del uses her vantage point to explore every corner of Jubilee.
As charming as Jubilee and its bricolage of vivid characters may be, what Lives does best is explicit in its title. I struggle to name another work of fiction that better represents the sharp growing pains, and all their counterpart pleasures. Munro's narrator is sharp enough to recognise what is happening as it does, but never so detached as to make the reader indulge in spectacle. Del is perpetually self-aware, but this acuity never stops her from sincerely thinking and doing and feeling.
In short, this ticks every box. I'm left greedily wanting more of Munro's work, but perfectly satisfied with Lives.
At the heart of this book is a tender relationship with provinciality; Lives bleeds quotidian charm, thick with small-town texture. We learn about Del Jordan's world as she is negotiating her place within it. Del is a sharp, funny, and honest narrator: she grew up in Jubilee, and more or less knows how to play-act the textbook provincial, but she also shares her mother's intellectuality and restless ambition. Far from being uncomfortable with this tension, though, Del uses her vantage point to explore every corner of Jubilee.
As charming as Jubilee and its bricolage of vivid characters may be, what Lives does best is explicit in its title. I struggle to name another work of fiction that better represents the sharp growing pains, and all their counterpart pleasures. Munro's narrator is sharp enough to recognise what is happening as it does, but never so detached as to make the reader indulge in spectacle. Del is perpetually self-aware, but this acuity never stops her from sincerely thinking and doing and feeling.
In short, this ticks every box. I'm left greedily wanting more of Munro's work, but perfectly satisfied with Lives.
This book tells the coming of age story of a young girl through her observations of the women (and men) around her. There are some very interesting moments, but overall I found the book kind of slow. It is definitely not my favourite book, but I know that for a lot of people the writing style was poetic and really touching. I didn't connect with it that way, but I could see how others might. As a reader, when I'm struggling to finish a book I often go to the reviews and see if I'm the only one feeling that way. If that's you reading this: don't stress, I felt the same way. In my opinion you're not missing much if you decided to abandon it. If you're reading a review in hopes I convince you to pick this book up, you should, it might be the perfect book for you! If you enjoy reading works from Canadian authors, if you enjoy fictional stories about life in a small town in the past or coming of age novels definitely give this book a shot!
Not at all what I was expecting, and it took me a little while to get into, but enormously enjoyable.
Mira que m'havien dit que m'agradaria i són aquelles coses que penses: sí, però ja veurem. M'han entusiasmat les històries que explica, que em podrien haver passat a mi o a la veïna; no li cal ser grandiloqüent per parlar de temes grandiosos. M'ha entusiasmat aquest narrar com si res, la companya de feina que, allà dretes a la màquina de cafè, t'explica que li ha passat tal cosa, i que us en torneu a la feina com si res, i que després de camí a casa penses: però què collons. M'han entusiasmat els personatges, perquè no són gens plans i tenen tantes arestes i grisos que no m'estranyaria que fossin persones ben reals en realitat. M'ha entusiasmat que pugui ser tan crítica sense ser gens pamfletària i que pugui acompanyar el malestar que tota dona pot haver sentit en algun moment de la seva vida amb una calidesa tan palpable.
A series of loosely connected snapshots in the life of Del Jordan, growing up post WWII in a rural town in Canada. So much detail of the crushing conventionality of the town, the people, even of Del’s interior life, left me bored and rather depressed. The word I would use to describe this is joyless. Coming of age stories usually have to be a balancing act, between the horrors and mysteries and uncertainties, but also the joys of discovery and love and knowledge. There wasn’t much balance in this novel, and though I could admire the technical skill on display, the whole thing was just a downer.
I was recently in Ontario and knew I wanted to purchase something by Munro, and ended up with this, her only novel. Despite being a novel, it does feel a bit more like a string o f connected short stories. Munro's writing is exquisite. Her prose is clear yet descriptive but never overdone, and just somehow flows so well you can't stop reading even when nothing is happening. The scenes in this book are for the most part everyday moments, but Munro shows how they combine to create a life. Except the scene with the pervert! Not an ever day type of occurrence!
I particularly liked the description of her friendship with Naomi. It so reminded me of one my former friendships. Like them, we became friends more out of being in the same place than having much in common, as became evident as we got older. We went very different directions after high school. But what was interesting was that I kept yelling at Del to just stop being friends with her NOW, long before they drift apart.
I also liked that this story was both universal - most of it felt like it could take place today - yet it also captured a time period of great change for women during the 50s-70s. I thought the observation about women's lives changing, yet not really because most of them still wanting children, being quite true (although I'm one of the exceptions). Despite the problems they cause, that's still what most women are going to choose. She showed that in such a powerful yet quiet way.
I particularly liked the description of her friendship with Naomi. It so reminded me of one my former friendships. Like them, we became friends more out of being in the same place than having much in common, as became evident as we got older. We went very different directions after high school. But what was interesting was that I kept yelling at Del to just stop being friends with her NOW, long before they drift apart.
I also liked that this story was both universal - most of it felt like it could take place today - yet it also captured a time period of great change for women during the 50s-70s. I thought the observation about women's lives changing, yet not really because most of them still wanting children, being quite true (although I'm one of the exceptions). Despite the problems they cause, that's still what most women are going to choose. She showed that in such a powerful yet quiet way.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Yes
可能是我最没读懂的一本门罗了，第一篇非常非常好，但从第二篇开始就越来越不喜欢。确实有不少写得很精彩的段落，但总体像是一次从短篇转长篇的尝试
challenging
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No