I love the way you chat about the books with little excursions into rant territory. I don’t think I would contemplate a series of a dozen or more books if the first one wasn't great but as you can say you can jump ahead. I was interested in your reaction to Troubles. I was drawn in by it but agree The Siege of Krishnapur was better. I must get to The Singapore Grip.
Ha, got to have a little spice with the nice! I think my reaction to Troubles was just that I was reading it at the worst possible time. All I wanted from a book last month was to be completely absorbed in a story, and Troubles isn't really built for that. I may try again later, and I will carry on to The Singapore Grip at some point, too.
I read all the books in the Lucy Barton series except “Lucy by the Sea.” I enjoyed them but by the time “Lucy by the Sea” was published, I was through with the character. You’ve changed my mind.
I really do think it's Strout's best book, and given how much I love Olive Kitteridge, that's saying a lot! Fair warning, though: there's a lot about Covid, and it's a bit dark.
So good to enjoy this nice long catch-up with you. Thinking about Lucy, my reaction to her as a character is probably melodramatic, but if it's possible, I *love* her because Strout has done such a good job of slowly revealing her childhood harms that let me understand why she is how she is. And maybe I also identify with her? I don't know. It took me forever to read Troubles, but in the end I was so glad I did. Yet I totally get why you didn't want to. And that's a good lesson, to get out if a book is driving you crazy. I'm curious about Lillian Boxfish. For some reason I've never wanted to read it because I think it will be a certain way but have no justification to back that up. I haven't finished many books but am in the middle of four and am determined to get through them one by one. One is The Bee Sting and I love the writing. Very Franzenesque but if you don't like Franzen, don't let it stop you. It's a good story so far. Good luck on the exam tomorrow!
Such a lovely long comment! I don't think that's melodramatic at all. This book really opened me up to Lucy as a character. By the end of the book I felt much different--my resistance to her was gone. I don't want to say too much here because I'll talk about it in December when I re-read, but I'll voxer you a bit more. It was just the wrong time for me to read Troubles. I may pick it up again at another time, and I'd still like to read the third one. Ah, The Bee Sting is high on my TBR! I just ordered a copy. I loved Skippy Dies. Franzen and I have a complicated history. I read The Corrections right after it was published, and then I read Crossroads. I do greatly admire his writing.
I know what you mean about Lucy. I love those books but Lucy is a little tricky. I find the comments that her daughters make about her quite revealing. And William, what a baffling and complicated character. It's good stuff! You aren't selling me on Wellness, lol. I have been wondering about it. I liked the Nix but I can't remember it much now. Ahhhhh a Signal Fires teaser!
Yes, she is a bit tricky, but I definitely opened up to her more with this one. And you are right about the daughters--I also kept thinking about that and the mother/daughter relationships in Tom Lake, especially since both books cover the same time period (at least partially). Oh, Wellness. That first chapter is worth reading by itself! It's getting such amazing reviews, so it's definitely a me problem.
I have The Siege of Krishnapur on my shelf and now I really want to read it! Looking forward to our buddy read. I started it and it's oddly addictive...Best of luck on your exam tomorrow. 🥰
Good to see you again; I was missing you. I very much enjoyed Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad novels I had already discovered her Elizabeth MacPherson Mysteries, so I read Peggy-O when it came out. I think that Arrowwood's town is in Tennessee, where it abuts Virginia, with North Carolina just below. The last Ballad book came out in 2014. The first MacPherson book appeared in1984, Sick of Shadows; the ninth and last one, The PMS Outlaws, arrived in 2000. I highly recommend all of her work, even though there are several that I still want to read.
I have only read Lucy By the Sea by Elizabeth Strout. I felt really connected to the story. I have been picking up her other books when I can find them at book sales. I will probably reread it before I go onto the next in the series. The choir over here says Amen to your comments. I totally understand. Good to hear your laugh, your thoughts and again, your commentary. Thank you.
Marcia, lovely to see you! I do hope you get to the other books soon. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts since you'll be approaching them from having read Lucy by the Sea first.
Great video. Which books in your backlist are you most looking forward to reading? I really should start reading my own books too! I'm impressed you liked Lucy By The Sea as much as Oliver Kitteridge. I've bumped it up the list. Same as you - I've always found Lucy to be more a distant character, which is understandable after what she has been through, but find her harder to relate to as we only get her in slivers of information.
That's a great question. Looking at a nearby shelf: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann...I will definitely talk more about this as the new year approaches. You're right about Lucy, we really only get her in slivers, and some of it's not so flattering. I like that Strout is willing to let her be somewhat unlikeable even though as a reader you also clearly feel sympathy for what she went through as a child. She changed for me in this book, though.
@@EveningReader You were absolutely right about Lucy By The Sea. Finished it last night and it's like all the three other books come into view. I want to have a deep discussion about William and his actions in this book. Such a complex, wonderful dynamic and I feel I understood Lucy's trauma a lot more. The squirrel story crushed me.
I’m sorry you DNFed it, but I can see the reasons why. _Siege of Krishnapur_ (for me) so soon after _Troubles_ was just too much Farrell. I plan on going ahead to _Singapore Grip_ but only _after much time._ I read a critical study - really glanced at it - in which it was pointed out that the three books share so many similarities in plot set-up and characters that I wonder if your distaste wasn’t in large part simply _because_ you had read the other one. I couldn’t stand the newspaper clippings but all in all the book remains one of my most memorable reads this year.
Oh David, it would be tough to read those close together. I don't blame you for waiting to read The Singapore Grip. I read a great article online from an Irish blogger who said much the same thing about the themes across the three books. I read Siege so long ago that I can't think it affected my reading, but maybe? Really I think it was just life at the moment...I wanted a book that would take me away.
Yay! Lovely to see you! Remember December ❤❤ excellent!
I love re-reading. It's going to be so fun!
Less than 8 weeks to 2024?! I'm with you on the being startled.
I'm still not quite believing it!
Loved your “review” of Lucy By the Sea and totally agree with you about Strout’s writing. Wondering when she’ll give us more!
Me too! I love how she's bringing all the different worlds of her books together. I want more!
I love the way you chat about the books with little excursions into rant territory. I don’t think I would contemplate a series of a dozen or more books if the first one wasn't great but as you can say you can jump ahead. I was interested in your reaction to Troubles. I was drawn in by it but agree The Siege of Krishnapur was better. I must get to The Singapore Grip.
Ha, got to have a little spice with the nice! I think my reaction to Troubles was just that I was reading it at the worst possible time. All I wanted from a book last month was to be completely absorbed in a story, and Troubles isn't really built for that. I may try again later, and I will carry on to The Singapore Grip at some point, too.
@@EveningReader could be our next buddyread?
@@scallydandlingaboutthebooks Oh, I think that's a good idea!
@@EveningReader early in the new year?
February?
October- I really loved Larkrise by Flora Thompson & Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Excited to read Now in November with you!
Now in November is a great read! Highly recommend it.
I had to look up Lark Rise--it does sound lovely! I can't wait to get started on Now and November.
@@marciajohansson769 Thank You!! 😊
@@EveningReader it’s set up as a novel of remembrances. A bygone era through the memory of the most gracious child - sweetness and light. ♥️
I read all the books in the Lucy Barton series except “Lucy by the Sea.” I enjoyed them but by the time “Lucy by the Sea” was published, I was through with the character. You’ve changed my mind.
I really do think it's Strout's best book, and given how much I love Olive Kitteridge, that's saying a lot! Fair warning, though: there's a lot about Covid, and it's a bit dark.
I'm okay with reading about Covid but thanks for the heads-up. I know a lot of people tend to be put off by that topic.@@EveningReader
So good to enjoy this nice long catch-up with you. Thinking about Lucy, my reaction to her as a character is probably melodramatic, but if it's possible, I *love* her because Strout has done such a good job of slowly revealing her childhood harms that let me understand why she is how she is. And maybe I also identify with her? I don't know.
It took me forever to read Troubles, but in the end I was so glad I did. Yet I totally get why you didn't want to. And that's a good lesson, to get out if a book is driving you crazy.
I'm curious about Lillian Boxfish. For some reason I've never wanted to read it because I think it will be a certain way but have no justification to back that up.
I haven't finished many books but am in the middle of four and am determined to get through them one by one. One is The Bee Sting and I love the writing. Very Franzenesque but if you don't like Franzen, don't let it stop you. It's a good story so far.
Good luck on the exam tomorrow!
Such a lovely long comment! I don't think that's melodramatic at all. This book really opened me up to Lucy as a character. By the end of the book I felt much different--my resistance to her was gone. I don't want to say too much here because I'll talk about it in December when I re-read, but I'll voxer you a bit more.
It was just the wrong time for me to read Troubles. I may pick it up again at another time, and I'd still like to read the third one.
Ah, The Bee Sting is high on my TBR! I just ordered a copy. I loved Skippy Dies. Franzen and I have a complicated history. I read The Corrections right after it was published, and then I read Crossroads. I do greatly admire his writing.
Say Nothing is awesome! Thanks for the video
It's absolutely gripping so far!
I know what you mean about Lucy. I love those books but Lucy is a little tricky. I find the comments that her daughters make about her quite revealing. And William, what a baffling and complicated character. It's good stuff!
You aren't selling me on Wellness, lol. I have been wondering about it. I liked the Nix but I can't remember it much now. Ahhhhh a Signal Fires teaser!
Yes, she is a bit tricky, but I definitely opened up to her more with this one. And you are right about the daughters--I also kept thinking about that and the mother/daughter relationships in Tom Lake, especially since both books cover the same time period (at least partially).
Oh, Wellness. That first chapter is worth reading by itself! It's getting such amazing reviews, so it's definitely a me problem.
I have The Siege of Krishnapur on my shelf and now I really want to read it! Looking forward to our buddy read. I started it and it's oddly addictive...Best of luck on your exam tomorrow. 🥰
Thanks, Jess! Yes, I think we're going to have good luck with this one. 🙂
Good to see you again; I was missing you.
I very much enjoyed Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad novels I had already discovered her Elizabeth MacPherson Mysteries, so I read Peggy-O when it came out. I think that Arrowwood's town is in Tennessee, where it abuts Virginia, with North Carolina just below. The last Ballad book came out in 2014.
The first MacPherson book appeared in1984, Sick of Shadows; the ninth and last one, The PMS Outlaws, arrived in 2000.
I highly recommend all of her work, even though there are several that I still want to read.
Kay, that's great to hear about the McCrumb. I did like her writing...can they be read out of order?
I do not recommend it.@@EveningReader
I have only read Lucy By the Sea by Elizabeth Strout. I felt really connected to the story. I have been picking up her other books when I can find them at book sales. I will probably reread it before I go onto the next in the series. The choir over here says Amen to your comments. I totally understand. Good to hear your laugh, your thoughts and again, your commentary. Thank you.
Marcia, lovely to see you! I do hope you get to the other books soon. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts since you'll be approaching them from having read Lucy by the Sea first.
@@EveningReader Elder fan here with a case of CRS. I was wrong. I read My Name is Lucy Barton not Lucy by the Sea. Ugh.
@@marciajohansson769 Easy enough to mix up!
I still need to read Oh William and Lucy By The Sea to complete the series. Olive is the character I love though!
Me too! Olive Kitteridge will always be my favorite, even if I *may* think Lucy by the Sea is her best...
I could never do the read what you own challenge. I just like to look at the Kindle deals all the time. 😅
Stephanie, that's going to be the hardest habit to break!
I hate when a book kind of puts me in a slump.
It's the worst feeling.
Great video. Which books in your backlist are you most looking forward to reading? I really should start reading my own books too!
I'm impressed you liked Lucy By The Sea as much as Oliver Kitteridge. I've bumped it up the list. Same as you - I've always found Lucy to be more a distant character, which is understandable after what she has been through, but find her harder to relate to as we only get her in slivers of information.
That's a great question. Looking at a nearby shelf: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann...I will definitely talk more about this as the new year approaches.
You're right about Lucy, we really only get her in slivers, and some of it's not so flattering. I like that Strout is willing to let her be somewhat unlikeable even though as a reader you also clearly feel sympathy for what she went through as a child. She changed for me in this book, though.
@@EveningReader You were absolutely right about Lucy By The Sea. Finished it last night and it's like all the three other books come into view. I want to have a deep discussion about William and his actions in this book. Such a complex, wonderful dynamic and I feel I understood Lucy's trauma a lot more. The squirrel story crushed me.
@@tripmywire Excellent! I'm re-reading Oh William and Lucy by the Sea for Remember December, so more discussion shall ensue!
I’m sorry you DNFed it, but I can see the reasons why. _Siege of Krishnapur_ (for me) so soon after _Troubles_ was just too much Farrell. I plan on going ahead to _Singapore Grip_ but only _after much time._ I read a critical study - really glanced at it - in which it was pointed out that the three books share so many similarities in plot set-up and characters that I wonder if your distaste wasn’t in large part simply _because_ you had read the other one. I couldn’t stand the newspaper clippings but all in all the book remains one of my most memorable reads this year.
Oh David, it would be tough to read those close together. I don't blame you for waiting to read The Singapore Grip. I read a great article online from an Irish blogger who said much the same thing about the themes across the three books. I read Siege so long ago that I can't think it affected my reading, but maybe? Really I think it was just life at the moment...I wanted a book that would take me away.
Now I'm feeling guilty that Troubles nearly ruined your October!
Oh no! Not your fault at all. I kept thinking it would hook me!