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A review by suvata
As We Are Now by May Sarton
5.0
So, last night I was listening to some podcasts when I came across the latest episode of "The Readers" (http://bookbasedbanter.co.uk/thereaders/2015/12/30/ep-143-thomas-simon-recommend-seven-books-to-each-other-and-you/). One of Thomas' choices was As We Are Now by May Sarton. It sounded like something I would enjoy and couldn't believe that I had never heard of it before since it was published in 1973.
So, I went to Amazon.com to check for the title only to find that I could read it for free since I am an Amazon prime member. BONUS! Serendipity?
Since it's such a short book at about 120 pages, I finished it in a day. And I absolutely adored this book. So much so that I went back to Amazon.com and ordered a hard copy. This is a deliciously dark novel that will give you a lot to think about and even give you something to laugh about now and then.
What's it about you ask?
From the publisher:
"I am not mad, only old. . . . I am in a concentration camp for the old."
So begins May Sarton's short, swift blow of a novel, about the powerlessness of the old and the rage it can bring. As We Are Now tells the story of Caroline Spencer, a 76-year-old retired schoolteacher, mentally strong but physically frail, who has been moved by relatives into a "home." Subjected to subtle humiliations and petty cruelties, sustained for too short a time by the love of another person, she fights back with all she has, and in a powerful climax wins a terrible victory.
It's great to start off a new year with a five star read. Thanks to Thomas and Simon for recommending it.
So, I went to Amazon.com to check for the title only to find that I could read it for free since I am an Amazon prime member. BONUS! Serendipity?
Since it's such a short book at about 120 pages, I finished it in a day. And I absolutely adored this book. So much so that I went back to Amazon.com and ordered a hard copy. This is a deliciously dark novel that will give you a lot to think about and even give you something to laugh about now and then.
What's it about you ask?
From the publisher:
"I am not mad, only old. . . . I am in a concentration camp for the old."
So begins May Sarton's short, swift blow of a novel, about the powerlessness of the old and the rage it can bring. As We Are Now tells the story of Caroline Spencer, a 76-year-old retired schoolteacher, mentally strong but physically frail, who has been moved by relatives into a "home." Subjected to subtle humiliations and petty cruelties, sustained for too short a time by the love of another person, she fights back with all she has, and in a powerful climax wins a terrible victory.
It's great to start off a new year with a five star read. Thanks to Thomas and Simon for recommending it.