As you can see from the sidebar, I've been reading up a storm. The Amateur Marriage was one of the saddest books I've ever read - Anne Tyler has outdone herself. I've read all of her previous books, loved them all, but none as much as this one. Though sad, I think it is her best book yet. Before this my favorite was Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, which my youngest sister claims I relate to all too well. Amateur Marriage is the story of, yep, a marriage, beginning in 1943 in the midst of the War and continuing up to the present day. It's a simple story of life as lived by real people, no fancy plotline, no exotic locale, just very real people living very real lives. with all the twists and turns, pains and joys, problems and sorrows that entails. to say more would be unfair; as i said, the plot is simple: two people meet, marry, have children, grow older. a lot happens along the way, but much of it will happen unexpectedly (again, as in life). i don't want to spoil it or give anything away to anyone who might plan to read this marvelous book.
A Certain Slant of LIght probably suffered from being read immediately after Anne Tyler's novel. I might have liked it better if I had read it long before or long after. It's a good story, a man living alone in a cabin in rural Maine, who has become a sort of hermit after a terrible family tragedy destroyed his previous life. He's been there for twenty years, with only animals and a few neighbors for company, when his solitude is interrupted by the arrival, in the midst of a late-winter ice storm, of a mysterious pregnant woman. He unwillingly takes her in, what else can he do? fully intending to "get rid" of her as soon as the roads are once again passable. and thereby hangs the tale. It's a story of guilt, pain, loss, redemption, ultimately, not to sound totally hackneyed, of the triumph of life over death. The writing style occasionally annoyed me; it's written in the present tense, and though I understand why - it grated now and then. I've registered this book with Bookcrossing and will "release" it in the coming days.
I've been neglecting Bookcrossing, but have just registered three books and look forward to following their journeys. Three of the six books I released earlier have been "caught" and enjoyed by other readers, one just yesterday.
Currently I'm back to trashy mystery reading, nothing heavy or deep. Jenny Siler's most recent book, FlashBack, is keeping me intrigued and puzzled. The library called to say they have three books I've ordered, so I'll pick them up on my way out of town.
2 comments:
I wanted to read The Amateur Marriage based on the description. But,it wasn't available at the library, and I've been too broke to buy more books. :-X
Nevertheless, if it's just sad and nothing happy whatsoever, maybe I shouldn't read it! lol But, I did enjoy that other Anne Tyler book I read. (The first time I ever read her). It was.... @@ Now I've forgotten the title.
no no no, i'm sorry if i gave the impression that it was entirely and only sad. it's not! the greatest sadness lies in the mismatching of the two main characters, people who actually love each other quite a lot, yet can't manage their marriage at all. because i am in a relationship of, god i don't even remember how long now, it's maybe approaching 23 years! i can relate to the problems in a marriage, and how they just get worse - if you let them. we've had to work hard on our problems, learn that our differences complement each other and fulfill each other. these characters never quite learn that lesson. anyway - if you've only read one Anne Tyler i recommend reading them all. she's quite simply one of our best chroniclers of life's quirks and kinks.
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