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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
While I was reading this, I thought it was so boring. I thought the characters were boring, especially Macon, the main character. And I never felt that I got to know the woman he began dating while he was separated from his wife. By the end, though, I was reading it a lot, partly just to get it done, but also because I wanted to know if he finally chose to be with Muriel, or if he stayed with his wife, Sarah. He finally chose Muriel, which I wanted, but I had the feeling that no matter what his choice was, he wouldn’t ever truly be happy. I give it a C-.
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like me some Anne Tyler, and the woman writes believable characters, which have some natural humor to them, because, after all, the real world is funny. Having said that, this seems to have a bit of forced humor. It may be my imagination, but I think she left too many fingerprints of her writing around.
Muriel, in particular, was clearly created as a delightful eccentric. There's nothing wrong with that except that she seems too created. I can almost see the scratch page Tyler wrote on for her Muriel character, where every time Tyler had a strange dream or thought of something offbeat, she wrote it down in the Muriel cloud. In fact, what made Muriel feel the most real to me is the picture of Geena Davis on the cover. Knowing Geena Davis played Muriel in the movie made her much easier to believe.
From Muriel's archetypal role, the rest of the formula falls way too cleanly into place. We've got staid Macon Leary whose marriage is crumbling and who hates to travel and experience anything new - hmm, I wonder what the delightful eccetric is going to do?
Still, I give it three stars, and considered four, because of what a good writer Tyler is. Her writing reads so effortlessly, and most of the characters feel like they could be waiting for you in the next room.
Muriel, in particular, was clearly created as a delightful eccentric. There's nothing wrong with that except that she seems too created. I can almost see the scratch page Tyler wrote on for her Muriel character, where every time Tyler had a strange dream or thought of something offbeat, she wrote it down in the Muriel cloud. In fact, what made Muriel feel the most real to me is the picture of Geena Davis on the cover. Knowing Geena Davis played Muriel in the movie made her much easier to believe.
From Muriel's archetypal role, the rest of the formula falls way too cleanly into place. We've got staid Macon Leary whose marriage is crumbling and who hates to travel and experience anything new - hmm, I wonder what the delightful eccetric is going to do?
Still, I give it three stars, and considered four, because of what a good writer Tyler is. Her writing reads so effortlessly, and most of the characters feel like they could be waiting for you in the next room.
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Macon Leary is not necessarily likable. Perhaps that's why I like him. I have a tendency to just want to burst with my love for characters that everyone else finds "mopey" or "depressing." I mean, I read The Catcher in the Rye and all I wanted to do the entire time was give Holden Caulfield a big hug. But unlike (many people's perceptions of) Holden's depression, Macon's depression came from a very clear source. The problem it sounded like others in my class had was that his grief was "wrong." So he wanted to give Ethan's bicycle away, so he never said out loud "Ethan is dead." These things were touching, terrible aspects of how Macon expressed his grief. He curled further into himself, and he was already a shell. His character was so well fleshed-out. I understand all of his motives. I loved all of these characters; everyone was quirky and believable. The Learys all did a sort of dance with each other. The book explored the different ways people love, grieve, and hurt, and how all of these ways are valid and make us "us." I'm already curious to pick up another Anne Tyler novel.