from the March 18th issue of THE NEW YORKER
I initially read this story in the traditional way and although I enjoyed the writing did not get a lot out of it. It seemed very old-fashioned, like a story written by a European emigrant a half-century ago. In the story, a young man, who made a fortune in the nineties, takes over the care of a dog for a neighbor who is ill. He also reads to his neighbor in the hospital and various other things happen. He spends a lot of time thinking about the meaning of life (nota bene) I did not get much out of it. However, this story is available as read by the author and that version seemed like a skilled reader telling me a story that was charming and worth hearing. The voice in my head was clearly less worth listening to.
5 comments:
I haven't read MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON, but I am nearly done with ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, Elizabeth Strout's followup book, a collection of inter-related stories, set in the same town in Illinois where Barton came from. She and her siblings appear, but it is mostly about other people. I like her writing, but frankly, I prefer the Olive Kitteridge stories to these and don't think I'm going to read the Lucy Barton novels. I see she has a collection coming out this summer that brings Barton to Maine, where she meets Olive Kitteridge. That might be more interesting.
I am also reading a Gil Brewer collection of short noir stories from the '50s/
I like anything she writes. Would have liked seeing Laura Linney play Lucy Barton on stage. Olive is more of a "character" though so I see what you mean.
I like anything she writes as well! Loved Oh William! which is of course also a Lucy story.
That is interesting about the difference between reading the story and listening to it. I have not tried that option at the New Yorker website. And I will have to go back and read the story one way or the other.
I did not know that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE is a collection of related stories. Good to know. I am planning to read one of Strout's books that I have on my shelves until I can get some others.
Oh, William is terrific. A great character.
He, of course, was a really good reader, Tracy. When I write something, rare lately, I always have the computer read it to me because it even sounds better in the computer voice than the one in my head.
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