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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I liked how real the characters seemed and it was a fun little story but it kinda just felt like it went on forever and I wanted it to be done
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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'm still undecided in how I feel about this book, six months after I read it. I really like the the two main characters...they were different than any other people I've found in stories, but I didn't really like the ending.
Contextually, this novel is a true and honest representation of 1980s family life. The characters are plain, unassuming and set in their ways, a little boring if anything. However, the way Ann Tyler feeds the reader with snippets of character profiles, idiosyncracies and habits of her characters in a gentle but steady manner throughout her early chapters feeds a reader addiction for her characters. We are led to question why particular family members react in certain ways to each other and what characters' motives have been, are and will be in their futures.
Ann Tyler's choice of setting is visually strong and timeless because she picks on the smallest of details to emphasise the weather or significance of place to her storylines.
I was drawn to read this novel since it has a male protagonist and I was also pleased to read the methods Tyler uses to comment on relationships and the contrariness of humans. Grief, unhappiness, marriage, parenthood and pet ownership are also themes that are touched upon in this simple but poignant novel.
The description of the aeroplane, its central characters of Sarah, Muriel and Macon, and their travels in Paris in the final chapter was an enjoyable way for the novel to end.
A favourite novelist of my mother-in-law who has recently passed away. I will sorely miss our book chats, hence I intend on reading many of her recommended titles such as this one. I know she also had A Spool of Blue Thread and hope to read her copy.
Ann Tyler's choice of setting is visually strong and timeless because she picks on the smallest of details to emphasise the weather or significance of place to her storylines.
I was drawn to read this novel since it has a male protagonist and I was also pleased to read the methods Tyler uses to comment on relationships and the contrariness of humans. Grief, unhappiness, marriage, parenthood and pet ownership are also themes that are touched upon in this simple but poignant novel.
The description of the aeroplane, its central characters of Sarah, Muriel and Macon, and their travels in Paris in the final chapter was an enjoyable way for the novel to end.
A favourite novelist of my mother-in-law who has recently passed away. I will sorely miss our book chats, hence I intend on reading many of her recommended titles such as this one. I know she also had A Spool of Blue Thread and hope to read her copy.
DNF. All the characters in the book were just wildly annoying to me and I was unable to become invested in them. Totally un relatable book. Even some how the dog was an obnoxious character.
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
It's hard to love a book with really unlikeable characters, but as the story went on, everyone grew on me. They seemed authentic despite the overall quirkiness of the story. I was surprised at how the book ended, even though I shouldn't have been. Perhaps had I read this vs listening to the audiobook, I may have liked it even more. The narrator's Muriel voice made me want to punch someone.