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itsgg's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautifully deconstructed memoir, not so much a story as a constellation of moments that make up a life. Shapiro's prose is captivating, the glue that holds everything together. This passage from the book itself is, I think, the best way to describe it: "But like every fixed idea, this one has lost its hold on me as years have passed and the onrushing present — the only place from which the writer can tell the story — continues to shift along with the sands of time. Our recollections alter as we attempt to gather them. Even retrospect is mutable. Perspective, a momentary figment of consciousness. Memoir freezes a moment like an insect trapped in amber. Me now, me then. This woman, that girl. It all keeps changing. And so: If retrospect is an illusion, then why not attempt to tell the story as I’m inside of it? Which is to say: before the story has become a story?"
branda_b's review against another edition
5.0
Such a beautiful book. There’s nothing else I can say that is adequate enough to describe it. I started this on my 11th wedding anniversary and I really feel I was meant to read it. Dani Shapiro really has a way with words, without being too verbose, and a way of describing marriage and love and time.
lynnaeaowens's review against another edition
1.0
This was difficult to get through, but it was short so I stuck with it. This is a memoir about Shapiro's marriage. It reads like a collection of notes. Almost as if she opened a Word document and would free-write for a few hours, then directly add that into the book along with random excerpts from her honeymoon journal. Journal excerpts were not interesting thoughts reflecting her younger self, but just random notes about tourist destinations they visited while on their honeymoon. There is no cohesive narrative, no sense of organization and the final result felt lazy to me. I feel like there were some pretty phrases and interesting ideas buried in here, but I would've preferred to read those directly without wasting my time wading through the rest of the random thoughts.
1.5/5
1.5/5
lgadzik's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written memoir that reads as small glimpses into a marriage. I think I would have gotten more out of this book if my own life experience included a years-long partnership with someone.
lynburn's review against another edition
4.0
Hourglass by Dani Shapiro is a beautifully written account of marriage. While I struggled at first that the book is not organized into chapters and doesn’t flow chronologically, or logically at all, I gave myself up to the flow of the writing. D and M have a lovely marriage, but not a perfect marriage. Ms. Shapiro is very honest in her recounting of milestones in their union: her past marriages, their meeting, both their parents marriages, their sons health struggles, their career struggles, and impending empty nest. I felt at times that a mirror was reflecting my own life and marriage. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this memoir.
lauraa06's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite authors whose sentences frequently make me pause to let them sink in. Here she looks at the strengths and challenges of her long-term marriage and how time and memory loop back on themselves as we get older.
charlottaliukas's review against another edition
5.0
Everyday first-person essay(s) in delicate prose about a literary power couple’s marriage (it doesn’t feel voyeuristic at all!), rich internal worlds and monologues, thoughts about creative professions and travelogues. Really want to read more of the author.
wrh121's review against another edition
5.0
This book is perfect. So well written, so honest, absolutely stunning. Somehow she manages to capture the light and the dark of real life and it left me feeling hopeful and thankful. I checked it out from the library but am now going to go out and buy a copy for myself and maybe one for a friend or two.