Play Book Tag discussion

In a Nutshell - I gave this book a second chance a couple weeks ago and I ended up liking it a great deal. I connected with the character this time, and I understood the undercurrents in the story. I followed it with the author’s next book. I’m very excited about the author’s upcoming book which will include characters from many of her different books.

The first time I read Lucy Barton, she was in the hospital and her mother came to visit. Their relationship felt sad, I hated her mother, and nothing seemed to happen. This time I came to understand all of the undercurrents in the story. While it was hard for me to relate to her life, I really felt the emotions. It’s still hard to understand her mother’s previous actions, but I got closer to understanding (and respecting) her reactions. The first time I was annoyed by the repetition in the story, but this time, I noticed the subtle nuances in the meanings of the repeated phrases. i seem to cringe at the very beginnings of all of her books, but now I know it will be worth it in the end. I couldn’t stand the beginning of her recent book (set during Covid), but now i know it will be fine.

Background - When we were reading our favorite authors for a challenge a couple years ago, I was struck by the different opinions about Elizabeth Strout’s books and characters, Some people loved My Name Is Lucy Barton and hated Olive Kitteridge or vice versa. I first read this book about Lucy about 10 years ago with a new bookclub, and I could barely stand it. I thought the books about Olive were brilliant, even though she was hard to like. (There was also an excellent mini series that I highly recommend for fans.). Since then I read Oh William, and I really liked the older Lucy Barton. I finally got her. My goal this month was to read several of her older books in preparation for her latest book, and the upcoming book. I’m having a really lousy month, and got stuck in The Burgess Boys, but I’ll try again.


Blurb
Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy’s childhood in Amgash, Illinois, seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lie the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy’s life: her escape from her troubled family, her desire to become a writer, her marriage, her love for her two daughters. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable.

I'm glad you liked this one better the second time around!