"A spare yet eloquent, bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future"--
Review of 'Unsere Seelen bei Nacht' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Kent Haruf gehört inzwischen eindeutig zu meinen Lieblingsautoren - und gerade dieses Buch finde ich besonders berührend.
Diese Geschichte von zwei alten Menschen, die sich noch einmal füreinander öffnen, eine Vertrautheit aufbauen und so zu verhindern versuchen, im Alter einsam zu sein, hat in mehrerer Hinsicht sehr bewegt - zum einen habe ich den Mut der beiden bewundert, auch gegen mögliches Gerede in ihrer Kleinstadt eine Beziehung aufzubauen, die ihnen gut tut, zum anderen hat aber genau das potentielle Gerede und die Reaktion des Sohnes, der sogar seinen Sohn instrumentalisiert, um Druck auf seine Mutter auszuüben, mich wütend gemacht.
Schade, dass es nur so wenig Bücher von Kent Haruf gibt.
Meh, I didn't really care for this. Nothing about it seemed realistic other than the need of humans to love and be loved. That's it. People don't act like the people in this book. #cornballandsappy.
This is a very sweet, human and simply - yet subtly - told tale of two people meeting each other in old age. The language is the sublime, and the tale is the vessel for the content. The care...the words!
They lay next to each other and listened to the rain. So life hasn’t turned out right for either of us, not the way we expected, he said. Except it feels good now, at this moment. Better than I have reason to believe I deserve, he said. Oh, you deserve to be happy. Don’t you believe that? I believe that’s how it’s turned out, for these last couple of months. For whatever reason. You’re still skeptical about how long this will last. Everything changes. He got up again from bed.
I cried a few times as I read this book, which is really a sum total of what matters most …
This is a very sweet, human and simply - yet subtly - told tale of two people meeting each other in old age. The language is the sublime, and the tale is the vessel for the content. The care...the words!
They lay next to each other and listened to the rain. So life hasn’t turned out right for either of us, not the way we expected, he said. Except it feels good now, at this moment. Better than I have reason to believe I deserve, he said. Oh, you deserve to be happy. Don’t you believe that? I believe that’s how it’s turned out, for these last couple of months. For whatever reason. You’re still skeptical about how long this will last. Everything changes. He got up again from bed.
I cried a few times as I read this book, which is really a sum total of what matters most to some people. In love, in life.
Aren’t you afraid of death? Not like I was. I’ve come to believe in some kind of afterlife. A return to our true selves, a spirit self. We’re just in this physical body till we go back to spirit. I don’t know if I believe that, Addie said. Maybe you’re right. I hope you are. We’ll see, won’t we. But not yet. No, not yet, Addie said. I do love this physical world. I love this physical life with you. And the air and the country. The backyard, the gravel in the back alley. The grass. The cool nights. Lying in bed talking with you in the dark.
I love the dialogue, and how it's written.
We’re not even old news. We’re not even news of any kind at all, old or new, Louis said. Do you want to be news? No. Hell. I just want to live simply and pay attention to what’s happening each day. And come sleep with you at night. Well, that’s what we’re doing. Who would have thought at this time in our lives that we’d still have something like this. That it turns out we’re not finished with changes and excitements. And not all dried up in body and spirit. And we’re not even doing what people think we’re doing. Do you want to? Addie said. That’s entirely up to you.
I won't tell more about the synopsis or plot, but it kind of thickens, without being vulgar. This is a book that will stick with me for some time to come.
This is a very sweet, human and simply - yet subtly - told tale of two people meeting each other in old age. The language is the sublime, and the tale is the vessel for the content. The care...the words!
They lay next to each other and listened to the rain. So life hasnât turned out right for either of us, not the way we expected, he said. Except it feels good now, at this moment. Better than I have reason to believe I deserve, he said. Oh, you deserve to be happy. Donât you believe that? I believe thatâs how itâs turned out, for these last couple of months. For whatever reason. Youâre still skeptical about how long this will last. Everything changes. He got up again from bed.
I cried a few times as I read this book, which is really a sum total of what matters most …
This is a very sweet, human and simply - yet subtly - told tale of two people meeting each other in old age. The language is the sublime, and the tale is the vessel for the content. The care...the words!
They lay next to each other and listened to the rain. So life hasnât turned out right for either of us, not the way we expected, he said. Except it feels good now, at this moment. Better than I have reason to believe I deserve, he said. Oh, you deserve to be happy. Donât you believe that? I believe thatâs how itâs turned out, for these last couple of months. For whatever reason. Youâre still skeptical about how long this will last. Everything changes. He got up again from bed.
I cried a few times as I read this book, which is really a sum total of what matters most to some people. In love, in life.
Arenât you afraid of death? Not like I was. Iâve come to believe in some kind of afterlife. A return to our true selves, a spirit self. Weâre just in this physical body till we go back to spirit. I donât know if I believe that, Addie said. Maybe youâre right. I hope you are. Weâll see, wonât we. But not yet. No, not yet, Addie said. I do love this physical world. I love this physical life with you. And the air and the country. The backyard, the gravel in the back alley. The grass. The cool nights. Lying in bed talking with you in the dark.
I love the dialogue, and how it's written.
Weâre not even old news. Weâre not even news of any kind at all, old or new, Louis said. Do you want to be news? No. Hell. I just want to live simply and pay attention to whatâs happening each day. And come sleep with you at night. Well, thatâs what weâre doing. Who would have thought at this time in our lives that weâd still have something like this. That it turns out weâre not finished with changes and excitements. And not all dried up in body and spirit. And weâre not even doing what people think weâre doing. Do you want to? Addie said. Thatâs entirely up to you.
I won't tell more about the synopsis or plot, but it kind of thickens, without being vulgar. This is a book that will stick with me for some time to come.
