193 pages
English language
Published 2016
Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn't spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy's childhood in Amgash, Illinois, seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lie the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy's life: her escape from her troubled family, her desire to become a writer, her marriage, her love for her two daughters.
Well written and a good read on a business trip - looking forward looking at her other books and Lucy's stories
Jeg ble helt oppslukt av denne boken. Har lest at bl. a. Morgenbladet har nevnt Elisabeth Strout som en aktuell nobelpriskandidat, og uten å ha lest henne tenkte jeg at hun ikke passet inn i bildet av finslige litteratur. Men du verden, dette er dyp og gripende litteratur skrevet på en like gripende enkel måte, og for en gangs skyld er jeg glad for at det fins en fortsettelse. Jeg er som sagt helt oppslukt.
You get such a sense of the reality of the people in this book. They're alive and annoying and curious and beautiful.
I love Elizabeth Strout's writing. She's a master of character, including details that are so familiar that a novice wouldn't think to include them, but that have me nodding my head thinking, "Yes, I know this person."
In addition, most of her books tie together in subtle ways that makes reading feel like I'm solving a puzzle. Some books are collections of seemingly unrelated stories that have discreet threads (a minor character in one story becomes the focus of another story) tying them together; some of the books repeat this trick on a larger scale.
In the case of this book: it's a zoomed-in look at author Lucy Barton, her difficult childhood, her emergence as a writer in NYC, her flawed marriage, and her tenuous identity as a mother. And if you'd like to zoom out and hold Lucy in a broader context, read Strout's book, "Anything Is Possible," which …
I love Elizabeth Strout's writing. She's a master of character, including details that are so familiar that a novice wouldn't think to include them, but that have me nodding my head thinking, "Yes, I know this person."
In addition, most of her books tie together in subtle ways that makes reading feel like I'm solving a puzzle. Some books are collections of seemingly unrelated stories that have discreet threads (a minor character in one story becomes the focus of another story) tying them together; some of the books repeat this trick on a larger scale.
In the case of this book: it's a zoomed-in look at author Lucy Barton, her difficult childhood, her emergence as a writer in NYC, her flawed marriage, and her tenuous identity as a mother. And if you'd like to zoom out and hold Lucy in a broader context, read Strout's book, "Anything Is Possible," which focuses on the town she grew up in and references Lucy only through the eyes of others.
After reading the wonderful "Anything is Possible," I feel compelled to read all of Strout's previous books. This one did not disappoint.
I'm not quite sure how I felt about this one. The book was kind of bittersweet, bordering on sad in a strange kind of vague way. I don't get people saying it was Hallmarky and sappy. It didn't feel that way to me. It wasn't exactly a feel good, soft and fuzzy kind of story. It's hard to get a real feel for it because most of the reading was to be done between the lines. It's about damaged people forgiving and forging ahead... I THINK... LOL It's a quiet, contemplative read about not getting exactly what is needed from loved ones, but loving them regardless. It's about love then, I guess. Mostly self love. Letting go of self pity and self righteousness. Seeing the beauty in simple things. The wonder of being open, accepting and human.
Okay so maybe more like 3 1/2 stars.
