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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Did not like the ending at all, it was too abrupt and ruined it
I read this for a book club and would never have chosen, or finished reading once started otherwise. It ended better than it began, but I found the characters to be too stereotypical and exaggerated than true to life, especially at the beginning. Macon, the main character, seemed like cardboard cutout of an OCD man. Muriel's dog training abilities are great, if a little rough, but just a tad too perfect for real life. I can see why it would be easy to convert into a decent movie.
That said, the book deals with relationships and parents with the death of a child. It is done in a format that is sometimes humorous and also showing that each character has different forms of scarring in their lives. The book moves quickly and at times the prose is quite beautiful. In fact the prose becomes more interesting as Macon starts to open up his life and be able to see the people and places around him as interesting. So overall I found it interesting and would recommend you keep going if put off by the first quarter of the book.
That said, the book deals with relationships and parents with the death of a child. It is done in a format that is sometimes humorous and also showing that each character has different forms of scarring in their lives. The book moves quickly and at times the prose is quite beautiful. In fact the prose becomes more interesting as Macon starts to open up his life and be able to see the people and places around him as interesting. So overall I found it interesting and would recommend you keep going if put off by the first quarter of the book.
A decent read, but I didn't love it, for the following reasons:
1. The dog training scenes were unrealistic, and borderline cruel. I realize this isn't a dog training book. I only hope that Anne Tyler is a cat person.
2. Muriel's desperation was overwhelming, and off-putting.
3. My usual complaint about character development and show-versus-tell. I did not discover Macon, he was handed to me as a pre-packaged collection of quirks and tragic back story.
1. The dog training scenes were unrealistic, and borderline cruel. I realize this isn't a dog training book. I only hope that Anne Tyler is a cat person.
2. Muriel's desperation was overwhelming, and off-putting.
3. My usual complaint about character development and show-versus-tell. I did not discover Macon, he was handed to me as a pre-packaged collection of quirks and tragic back story.
Ugh. Boring, dull, depressing. Infuriating and annoying characters. I came here from Phaedra Patrick, but this book about mature characters lacks the charm of her titles. What a terrible idea that you become stuck and can’t change and must be utterly dull?
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
Macon and Sarah Leary have been married for 20 years when tragedy strikes them. Being such different people doesn't serve them well during the grieving process. Neither can be what the other needs during their time of need. While driving home in the rain, Sarah asks Macon to pull over because of her rising anxiety over driving in the torrential rain. When he refuses, she asks for a divorce. Macon is at a loss. He thought they were trucking along as best as they could considering their son was just brutally murdered. *All this is revealed chapter 1 so it's not really a spoiler*
What follows is Macon's journey of discovery. He's a travel writer who caters to the traveler that wants to know where the American hotels and McDonald's are when they travel to Timbuktu. Wait, his reader would never travel to Timbuktu - to Prague, then. He revels in the comforts of routine and consistency. He is a passive man who allows life to happen to him. He was an obedient child, grew up into a steady man, married the first girl he was ever with and takes comfort in having an orderly life. All this is destroyed when Sarah leaves him. He must learn who to be without her defining him.
Enter Muriel - headstrong and lively, Muriel. She tenaciously pursues him and teaches him to step outside himself - to consider something other than everything he's ever done and known. In the end, Macon must do something he's never done before - make a choice. Frankly, I think he made the wrong choice, but hey, that's what happens when you're not used to making choices.
What follows is Macon's journey of discovery. He's a travel writer who caters to the traveler that wants to know where the American hotels and McDonald's are when they travel to Timbuktu. Wait, his reader would never travel to Timbuktu - to Prague, then. He revels in the comforts of routine and consistency. He is a passive man who allows life to happen to him. He was an obedient child, grew up into a steady man, married the first girl he was ever with and takes comfort in having an orderly life. All this is destroyed when Sarah leaves him. He must learn who to be without her defining him.
Enter Muriel - headstrong and lively, Muriel. She tenaciously pursues him and teaches him to step outside himself - to consider something other than everything he's ever done and known. In the end, Macon must do something he's never done before - make a choice. Frankly, I think he made the wrong choice, but hey, that's what happens when you're not used to making choices.