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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Heartwarming, quirky, and weirdly uplifting. The main characters had a refreshing realness to them making them quite likeable.
Tyler’s talent is not creating exceptional characters, but it is describing the type of people that you might meet on any given day. In this book in particular, the characters are so real you can sometimes get bored with them or little things they do might irritate you. Your relation to them is like that cousin you care about, but you’d rather not spend too much time with. I am constantly impressed with her ability to show humans as they are, not as they ought to be.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
A really good read, Macon’s complicated emotions were heartbreaking at times but beautiful to witness.
This is the story of a man coming to terms with where he stands in his own world after having it turned around on him. Macon seems to be set in his ways and while he has a reason for every little decision he makes, he rarely looks at them from any perspective other than how they directly impact him. After losing a child to senseless violence and then having his wife walk out on him shortly thereafter, Macon is left to fend for himself. He makes some mistakes and eventually starts a self examination of growth that's so gradual you hardly see it coming. He growth comes with new love, whimsical mistakes, and humerus interludes that all culminate in unexpected interactions in the end. I enjoyed this one a lot as I can be overtly practical and rational to a fault at times and related a lot to Macon's journey. A good, quick read with just enough going on to keep you interested and turning the page to see where it goes next.
This was a quick and easy read, but the plot didn't talk to me as much as I hoped it would.
This is a story of how a man who is about to be divorced but still is in love with his wife goes on to fall in love with another woman, someone who is strong, independent, whimsical and persistent about her presence in his life.
This is a story of how a man who is about to be divorced but still is in love with his wife goes on to fall in love with another woman, someone who is strong, independent, whimsical and persistent about her presence in his life.
Beautiful piece of work. I'd seen the film but never read the book. I listened to the audio version, which was great to a point. The character of Macon was great, with his hesitancy and fear of anything out of the norm. However he made Muriel a little screechy. I presume this was to create a divide between Muriel and the softly spoken, cultured Sarah but it just got a bit much. In the film Geena Davis (who won an Oscar) had her exuberance and joie de vivre just right.
It is a gorgeous book though. Heartbreaking but so hopeful. Anne Tyler rarely disappoints because her plots are so tight and the dialogue is always spot on.
Highly recommended. The film adaptation followed it very closely but you still get more from reading a book.
It is a gorgeous book though. Heartbreaking but so hopeful. Anne Tyler rarely disappoints because her plots are so tight and the dialogue is always spot on.
Highly recommended. The film adaptation followed it very closely but you still get more from reading a book.
DNF at 25%, I found it very boring. Life is too short/long to read this book.
Eh, it was ok, but in the book’s defense I didn’t really want to read it, so I knew I probably wouldn’t be a huge fan, lol. I needed to read a book published in 1985 for Book Bingo and I’ve never read anything by Anne Tyler, so I figured I would give it a shot. It wasn’t terrible or anything, and it was well written, but wasn’t really my thing, either. *shrug*
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is my favorite Anne Tyler novel. I read it years ago and I still remember how hard I laughed at Macon and his crazy family. But don't go thinking this is a cheery beach read. Tyler's books always tackle the pain and sadness lurking in everyday life.