One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating's christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny's mother, Beverly, thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and the joining of two families. Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. Spending summers together in Virginia, the Keating and Cousins children forge a lasting bond based on a shared disillusionment with their parents and the strange and genuine affection that grows between them. When in her twenties Franny begins an affair with the legendary author Leon Posen and tells him about her family, the story of her siblings is no longer hers to control. Their childhood becomes the basis for his wildly successful book, ultimately forcing them to come to terms with their losses, guilt, and the deep loyalty they …
One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating's christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny's mother, Beverly, thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and the joining of two families. Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. Spending summers together in Virginia, the Keating and Cousins children forge a lasting bond based on a shared disillusionment with their parents and the strange and genuine affection that grows between them. When in her twenties Franny begins an affair with the legendary author Leon Posen and tells him about her family, the story of her siblings is no longer hers to control. Their childhood becomes the basis for his wildly successful book, ultimately forcing them to come to terms with their losses, guilt, and the deep loyalty they feel for one another.
The book's well written, (Patchett is great). There were many characters (I confused myself) and some frustrating events (by design). But then the book ends.
When I think about it, all the themes were tied up, but I'm just not sure how to feel about it. Didn't get a sense of what she was saying either.
Maybe I'll reread it some day.
I'm a sucker for multi-generational family dramas, and this one did not disappoint. I was really enamored with how charming each and every one of the characters were, complete with each of their flaws. Despite some characters getting far less attention than others, I still felt a deep connection to the full cast. That deep connection allowed me to really feel the emotions and pain the family went through over the years, from tragedy, to reconciliation, acceptance, and death. This is the story of a very modern family that I think we can all relate to in many ways. While I think some of the later chapters could have been shifted around for a more impactful message, I really enjoyed this book a lot.
Doesn't hold a candle to her other books. Characters are not different enough--they blurred together too easily for a big ensemble like this.
Who owns your story? Interesting question that doesn't get any answers here--unless the answer is "You own it, but only until you tell it to anyone--at which point everyone owns it"
Actually 3 1/2 stars.
This was a pretty good book, I liked it. Only I could never keep the families straight for some reason and which wife was which. Plus there was something kind of cold and unemotional about it that kind of kept me at a distance. I never really did bond with any one character so I wasn't that emotionally invested in the story.
So yeah, it's pretty good. Only, it's not great.
Oh, my, this is going to make for an interesting discussion. Commonwealth, the latest novel by Ann Patchett, is mesmerizing. I found myself enthralled with the characters--interested, angry, sad, and scared.
In the beginning, there are two separate families, the Cousins and the Keatings. After infidelity and divorce occur, they become a blended family. Patchett's story follows the six children of these families for decades, and it is fascinating.
It's important not to reveal too much in a review, since the essential magic of this story is the reader's discovery of certain facts a little at a time.
Read this! It's a gem.
For people who prefer plot to character, this book will be a snooze. I enjoy dipping into the worlds Patchett creates, and this was no exception. A story of family, this is akin to seeing where the various pieces land after a plane crash.
