Wednesday, October 07, 2020

First Wednesday Book Review, MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM, Anne Youngson

Anne Youngson has written her first novel at age 70. And it is a fine one, too. It is an epistolary novel, but since I listened to it rather than read it, it didn't bother me as much as it usually does. In fact, it was enjoyable with the two readers, one with a Danish accent, one British. 

The British woman and the Danish professor are brought together over their shared interest in the Tollund Man, a anthropological find that resides in a Denmark museum. Both have had disappointments in their life and their attempts to overcome them brings them closer together. The "niceness" of these people might have been too sacharine in other times, but right now it was a tonic.

Youngson does a very good job of slowly opening each of them up, not rushing things but also not belaboring them. You can probably guess the ending but would the reader want it any other way. 

You can find more reviews on Barrie Summy's blog.



 

 

13 comments:

George said...

Diane's Book Club has MEET ME AT THE MUSUEM on their list of books being considered for 2021.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I think it would make a good book club choice.

Rick Robinson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rick Robinson said...

Not familiar with this one, but it sounds interesting.

BTW, I just bought Home Invasion. I'm eager to read it.

Jeff Meyerson said...

I like epistolary novels - THE MOONSTONE, DRACULA, THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE, 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, CARRIE, LAST DAYS OF SUMMER (Steve Kluger), YOU KNOW ME AL (Ring Lardner), the Adrian Mole series, ANNA's BOOK (Ruth Rendell as Barbara Vine).

Linda McLaughlin said...

Sounds good, Patti, though I'm generally not overly fond of epistolary novels, the Guernsey... Literary Society notwithstanding. I did like that one.

Phyllis Wheeler said...

I'm very interested in the fact that her first novel was published at age 70. Why did it take so long? My career is heading in that direction too!

pattinase (abbott) said...

I am not generally fond of them either and the audiobook really helped it work for me. It was well done.
Yes,, I am going to find out more about her.
Hope it is not too violent for your, Rick! Thanks!

Margot Kinberg said...

That's a really interesting premise for a story, Patti. And I think it's particularly interesting that you liked it better on audio than you might have in book form. I think that's probably true of a lot of people, that one or another format works better for them for one or another sort of book.

pattinase (abbott) said...

The readers did such a great job.

Powell River Books said...

I guess that means there's still home for me to write a book. - Margy

Barrie said...

I loved this book. I listened to the audio version. And how fun that the author first published at age 70. I didn't know about that. Thanks for reviewing!

Sarah Laurence said...

How amazing to have a debut at 70! I had heard of this book. Thanks for the reminder to listen to it.