I picked up this book because a) Anne Tyler is a respected literary novelist worthy of emulation, and b) the story intrigued me: middle aged housewife wanders away from her family while vacationing at the seashore -- just gets up and walks off into a new, solitary life for no apparent reason.
I've read other Anne Tyler novels in the past and I saw the film adaptation of The Accidental Tourist, so I knew that she favored flat, staid (even emotionally dwarfed) characters -- they are in this book as well. Even Delia, the main character, flattens before she gradually expands. (Her life becomes excruciatingly dull while she's 'on the lamb,' because she's on a vacation from all emotion -- at least I think that's why.) I found Delia's husband Sam to be unrealistically dull and humorless. I'm not sure that such people actually exist. Everyone, in my experience, takes some pleasure in life and has some moments of levity -- everyone has some emotional range -- but not Sam. When her husband, her children, her mother-in-law, and her siblings interact with her while she's away, they are unrealistically polite and composed. Delia's 15-year-old son is slightly belligerant, but not as belligerant as he might reasonably be after being abandoned by his mother.
As the book progressed, I kept expecting Delia to suffer some negative consequences for leaving without saying a word to anyone. I wanted someone to yell at her. I wanted her to miss someone inconsulably, realize her mistake, and go home. While I liked the ending (which I will not divulge), I thought it still lacked some satifying emotional quality for me.
But then who am I to criticize when on the whole I really liked it? Anne Tyler's writing is good, simple, and clear. She invokes the sense of smell frequently throughout the book (from the very first sentence), which was very effective in making me feel present in many of the scenes.
2 comments:
I love Anne Tyler, though some of her books are a bit depressing. In fact, I've sort of avoided the really depressing ones. But I like her writing style. I loved "The Patchwork Planet." The main character is one of my favorites, though there's no way I can write about him like you would. I just know he's "real" and he's supposed to be a loser, but he's about the only NON loser in the book. There. Like my literary analysis? Deep thougts...by Ivy. Ah well...
I also liked "Back When We Were Grownups."
Have you seen or read "Saint Maybe?"
I think I read "Ladder of Years" (not one I remember much). You said a lot of what I remember feeling, even if I couldn't have thought or written it like you. :)
Ivy, I love your writing and your insights! My emphasis in college (which I didn't really make my emphasis intentionally -- it just worked out that way with credits) was literary criticism -- so I had to read and write a lot of criticism, which affected my style, but I prefer how you can just get right to the point and summarize like that. I read Patchwork Planet, too and I remember that guy! Some of her characters do seem like real people. I'm glad you check my blog -- I peak at yours, too. LOVE the picture of the boys beside the lake!!!
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