I'd read the previous two Lucy Barton books and loved them so was keen to read this one. Elizabeth Strout is a well respected novelist and I love her books but was still surprised (although delighted!) that this book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
It has 237 pages and the book is a continuous narrative not broken up into parts or chapters. There are frequent pauses though which help to slow down the reading pace. The font is slightly larger than normal and the lines are well spaced.
Every element helps to make this book quick to read but it is worthy of taking your time. Slow down and enjoy the subtlety of the prose.
Immediately I was reminded of how insightful this author's writing is. I can always see myself in her protagonists and Lucy seems to think just like me. One example is Lucy reminding herself that we all chose gifts that we ourselves love - how true is this? I do this all the time!
Having picked up the book I suddenly found I was 30 pages through it after only a few minutes, so I put it down and mulled through what I'd read so far. I really didn't want this book to end soon.
Her writing is thought provoking. It is made intensely personal by the first person narrative with the wonderful language being authentic as Lucy is a writer. At the same time the book looks at some huge issues that consume us all.
At many times I found myself pausing to ponder about what I had just read *who ever really knows the experience of another" is an example of that.
The writing style is conversational and jumps back/forward in time as you would if you were telling a story to a friend. This makes it easy to connect with Lucy and feel huge sympathy with her.
Another wonderful phrase is "whenever I don't know what to do I watch what I am already doing". Decisions are so much easier if you do this.
Lucy thinks she is invisible to others and lives her life accordingly. It is very clever how ES ties this assertion into Lucy's lack of self belief. It is such a relatable feeling.
This story is something of a quest for meaning and it's fair to say that Lucy/William both find out more about themselves and each other.
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Popular highlights in this book
This is the way of life: the many things we do not know until it is too late.Highlighted by 416 Kindle readers- People are lonely, is my point here. Many people can’t say to those they know well what it is they feel they might want to say.Highlighted by 339 Kindle readers
- A tulip stem inside me snapped. This is what I felt. It has stayed snapped, it never grew back.Highlighted by 189 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
About the author
Book was damaged upon arrival
Ordered as a gift and sadly the book arrived like this. Packaging was not damaged. My rating is purely in the condition of the book. This is not a book review.
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 February 2023
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2021
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2023
Top reviews from other countries
- Eve BotelhoReviewed in the United States on 18 February 2025
Oh William, oh all of us.
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ReaderReviewed in Italy on 28 May 2022
Storie di un matrimonio
Un flusso di ricordi che avvolge gli eventi descritti. Lucy Barton accompagna il suo ex marito in un viaggio per ricomporre gli ultimi tasselli della sua storia personale. A me è piaciuta tantissimo l'analisi - a volte spietata - che la protagonista fa di sé e dei suoi famigliari. È una lettura che prende e pone riflessioni su sé stessi. Scorrevole, si legge velocemente.ReaderStorie di un matrimonio
Reviewed in Italy on 28 May 2022
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