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A review by theinquisitxor
The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alice Munro
3.0
"...but some glaze remained, a haunted rigidity- as if people were content to become memories of themselves, final photographs."
This was the last Munro story that I read for my Women Writers class. It was one that I generally thought was just okay when I finished reading it, but discussing it in class made it much better. Alice Munro has a way of reminding you that you will never truly know anyone. No matter if they're your parents, siblings, spouse or children, you will never truly know them. It's a little depressing to think about, but Munro weaves this thought into her stories so well you almost don't even realize it.
This is a story about a married couple, Grant and Fiona. Fiona gets dementia and is sent to live at a nursing home. While she is there, she strikes up a relationship with another man. She seemingly doesn't remember her husband during his visits, and instead has found a new life. The story is told from Grant's perspective as he tries to navigate this new relationship and lifestyle. It's a bit of a 'taste of your own medicine' scenario, as Grant had been cheating on Fiona with many different women for quite a while. Even though he obviously deeply loves her, he still would routinely have other affairs.
The ending is a bit bittersweet, and leaves a many unanswered questions in the typical Munro style. Questions we're then left to ponder and try to figure out. I definitely liked this story much more once I had a class discussion, and I'm glad I have this large collection of her stories so I can hopefully read more in the future.
This was the last Munro story that I read for my Women Writers class. It was one that I generally thought was just okay when I finished reading it, but discussing it in class made it much better. Alice Munro has a way of reminding you that you will never truly know anyone. No matter if they're your parents, siblings, spouse or children, you will never truly know them. It's a little depressing to think about, but Munro weaves this thought into her stories so well you almost don't even realize it.
This is a story about a married couple, Grant and Fiona. Fiona gets dementia and is sent to live at a nursing home. While she is there, she strikes up a relationship with another man. She seemingly doesn't remember her husband during his visits, and instead has found a new life. The story is told from Grant's perspective as he tries to navigate this new relationship and lifestyle. It's a bit of a 'taste of your own medicine' scenario, as Grant had been cheating on Fiona with many different women for quite a while. Even though he obviously deeply loves her, he still would routinely have other affairs.
The ending is a bit bittersweet, and leaves a many unanswered questions in the typical Munro style. Questions we're then left to ponder and try to figure out. I definitely liked this story much more once I had a class discussion, and I'm glad I have this large collection of her stories so I can hopefully read more in the future.