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A review by leland_hw
A Widow For One Year by John Irving
5.0
In what I am told is an Irving trait, this novel is told in an epic 3 part series spanning approximately 40 years of Ruth Cole's life.
In the first part (which was adapted for the screenplay for 'The Door in the Floor') The story opens when, Ruth Cole at 4 years old, is awakened by the sounds of her mother making-love with her husband's 16 year old writing assistant. A young man who happens to resemble her deceased eldest son Thomas.
Thus we are introduced to the dysfunctional family Cole of A Widow For One Year . Crippled by the death of their two boys, Ted and Marion Cole cannot seem to return to life. Father Ted, a children's book author, finds solace in drinking and the utter degradation of women who find him at first charming. Mother Marion, however, finds no solace and becomes a zombie unable to bond with youngest daughter Ruth.
Leaving them all behind Marion disappears into parts unknown, leaving Ted as Ruths most stable role model.
The second third is Ruth as an adult writer of fiction with an unsurprising distrust of men.
The culminating third of the novel focuses on Ruth in her 40's a widow and young mother about to fall in love for the first time in her life.
This book touched me deeply. The characters were written so expertly that there was sympathy and forgiveness for them as human beings. The descriptions of the books written by all the members of the Cole family were also so well done that they could have been real books. I grieve that I won't ever find Ruth or Ted Cole on the shelves. And the photographs! Spellbinding!
In the first part (which was adapted for the screenplay for 'The Door in the Floor') The story opens when, Ruth Cole at 4 years old, is awakened by the sounds of her mother making-love with her husband's 16 year old writing assistant. A young man who happens to resemble her deceased eldest son Thomas.
Thus we are introduced to the dysfunctional family Cole of A Widow For One Year . Crippled by the death of their two boys, Ted and Marion Cole cannot seem to return to life. Father Ted, a children's book author, finds solace in drinking and the utter degradation of women who find him at first charming. Mother Marion, however, finds no solace and becomes a zombie unable to bond with youngest daughter Ruth.
Leaving them all behind Marion disappears into parts unknown, leaving Ted as Ruths most stable role model.
The second third is Ruth as an adult writer of fiction with an unsurprising distrust of men.
The culminating third of the novel focuses on Ruth in her 40's a widow and young mother about to fall in love for the first time in her life.
This book touched me deeply. The characters were written so expertly that there was sympathy and forgiveness for them as human beings. The descriptions of the books written by all the members of the Cole family were also so well done that they could have been real books. I grieve that I won't ever find Ruth or Ted Cole on the shelves. And the photographs! Spellbinding!