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A review by deedireads
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The third in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series, Oh William! is another quiet but beautiful little novel. I loved how reflective this one was, both similar to and different from the first two.
For you if: You like books about relationships, and those that get really interior with their first-person narrators.
FULL REVIEW:
Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, Oh William! is the third book in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series. If you’ve read Elizabeth Strout before, you know what to expect with this one: a quiet novel that beautifully explores humanity by examining the motivations and relationships between lifelike characters.
Oh William! returns us into the mind and perception of the first Amgash book’s narrator, Lucy Barton. In this book, she’s a bit older; her daughters are adults, and she just lost her second (and much loved) husband. Then her first husband, William, is left by his new wife and finds out his recently deceased mother had a secret daughter before he was born. He asks her to accompany him on a trip to learn more about his half-sister, and she agrees.
I loved the opportunity to come back to a character we know and love and watch her reflect on her own life. Lucy has so much more self-awareness now, but she gains even more of it throughout the book. I also loved how Strout used the relationship between Lucy and William to explore how those we love, we love. in some way forever, even when they aren’t necessarily good for us anymore. And honestly, I think Strout’s ability to pinpoint what motivates people and how they interact is unmatched by any other writer.
I’ve heard that Lucy by the Sea is many people’s favorite Amgash book. I’m excited to read it next!
TL;DR REVIEW:
The third in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series, Oh William! is another quiet but beautiful little novel. I loved how reflective this one was, both similar to and different from the first two.
For you if: You like books about relationships, and those that get really interior with their first-person narrators.
FULL REVIEW:
Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, Oh William! is the third book in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series. If you’ve read Elizabeth Strout before, you know what to expect with this one: a quiet novel that beautifully explores humanity by examining the motivations and relationships between lifelike characters.
Oh William! returns us into the mind and perception of the first Amgash book’s narrator, Lucy Barton. In this book, she’s a bit older; her daughters are adults, and she just lost her second (and much loved) husband. Then her first husband, William, is left by his new wife and finds out his recently deceased mother had a secret daughter before he was born. He asks her to accompany him on a trip to learn more about his half-sister, and she agrees.
I loved the opportunity to come back to a character we know and love and watch her reflect on her own life. Lucy has so much more self-awareness now, but she gains even more of it throughout the book. I also loved how Strout used the relationship between Lucy and William to explore how those we love, we love. in some way forever, even when they aren’t necessarily good for us anymore. And honestly, I think Strout’s ability to pinpoint what motivates people and how they interact is unmatched by any other writer.
I’ve heard that Lucy by the Sea is many people’s favorite Amgash book. I’m excited to read it next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, and Death of parent