She seems to write about weak women…little mice who play the victim until some magical moment toward the end when they find their voice. I just find such women rather boring.
On the contrary, she tends to write about how what seem to be meek or ordinary women find the confidence to accept the imperfections of their lives with courage and equanimity.
@Carol That, to me, IS a weak woman. Weak women have helped men lord over us since humans crawled out of caves. Zero respect for them. To each his own.
@Janet . I accept your viewpoint, but I’ve never seen that the women in Tyler’s novels are subservient to men. In Ladder of Years, the protagonist actually walks away from her family at a beach celebration to run off to and find a new identity and meaning in her life. Her characters are usually wrestling with how to reconcile their devotion to their often less-than-perfect family members with their own needs to self actualize. I see them as being strong in a quieter rather than in an “in your face,” confrontational way. And this kind of examination and conversation is just what a good book should provoke.
@Carol Just read Ladder…that silly woman spent years groveling at the feet of her ungrateful and neglectful husband and children. She never got appropriately angry at them. She seemed apologetic about finally wanting to live life for herself, and then she went back to that idiot husband instead of exploring an equal relationship with the other man! If you don’t see how weak and inconsequential that makes her…well we live on different planets.
To me, your debate proves that her characters are complex and real. As with everything, perspective is key. You are each viewing the character from diametrically opposed stands, and you won’t ever agree. One off you sees the character in a positive light, the other in a negative. And one of you will continue to appreciate Anne Tyler, while the other will choose to move on to a different author.
@Renee , I think that’s somewhat true., although I like to think I’m open to changing perspectives and enlightenment through discussion about other views.
@Carol me too! I like to try and see other perspectives, though I may not agree with them. It’s for people like me I wish America would adopt a third “middle of the road” political party, haha
@Janet I think she was doing her share in their family enterprise — a medical practice. Her ‘revolt’ showed remarkable courage. I could never walk away from my whole life with nothing but a beach coverup. How many of the ‘strong’ women here calling her weak are ‘career women’ working full days, rushing home to shop, cook meals so laundry, take the kids to baseball practice, have their hair done, tidy the house, save to pay off the mortgage and the car payments?. .
Not at all. I found it to be her weakest book. Trying to fit the Taming of the Shrew story in a modern container just didn’t work. I wish they would stop doing this with Jane Austen novels as well.
Loved Spool of Blue Thread. I can so easily get into the settings of her books…. which book has the first chapter with her character in the super market and the young guy gets her to pretend she’s his new girlfriend. Laughed and laughed
Sometimes I think she’s probably a Monty python fan when she makes me laugh. Remember in the Accidental Tourist, when the phone would ring, and they’d all sit around and speculate on who it could be, but no one would answer it? Hahaha. Or in Morgan’s Passing, when he was mad at his family because no one told him his daughter was engaged, yet he’d watched them making wedding plans for the last year? Lol
I love anything Anne Tyler! Digging to America is my favorite! I don’t read much fiction anymore, but I have every novel she has written!
Me too. My daughter asked me to pick one for her to read and it was hard to choose.
Anne Tyler is my favorite author. I just finished Clock Dance and loved it.
Love everything by Anne Tyler!
Yes
My favorite author !
I love everything by Anne Tyler?
Yes! I always love Anne Tyler and Shakespeare inspired books. The combo was lovely!
It helped if you knew the play
Don’t know it at all.
Anything Anne Tyler
I disliked it
I liked it a lot!
I haven’t read it yet but I do love Anne Tyler!
Yes. I’ve been reading Anne Tyler for decades. Really. Since the 80s.
Me too, Slipping Down Life e.g.
Homesick Restaurant and Accidental Tourist were my gateway drugs. 🙂 Quirky character. Not a lot of plot. Not everyone’s cup of tea.
I just started reading Breathing Lessons but can’t get into it, should I continue?
Love her! My fav is Digging to America.
@Ronda My book club loved that one also
@Judy yes
I’m about to start it!
I thought it was just okay.
I too have been reading everything by Anne Tyler since the 1980’s.
We can be best friends!!
Never been a huge Anne Tyler fan, but I really liked this one. My book club liked it, too.
My favorite Anne Tyler is The Accidental Tourist.
Me too, followed by Morgan’s Passing and A Spool of Blue Thread
Love Morgan’s Passing
Reading her latest Clock Dance now.
I was disappointed in both Vinegar Girl and Clock Dance. Tyler rarely lets me down but lately, … meh.
She seems to write about weak women…little mice who play the victim until some magical moment toward the end when they find their voice. I just find such women rather boring.
On the contrary, she tends to write about how what seem to be meek or ordinary women find the confidence to accept the imperfections of their lives with courage and equanimity.
Me too!
I didn’t care for Vinegar Girl.not a huge fan of Tyler’s although I liked Accidental Tourist
@Carol That, to me, IS a weak woman. Weak women have helped men lord over us since humans crawled out of caves. Zero respect for them. To each his own.
@Janet . I accept your viewpoint, but I’ve never seen that the women in Tyler’s novels are subservient to men. In Ladder of Years, the protagonist actually walks away from her family at a beach celebration to run off to and find a new identity and meaning in her life. Her characters are usually wrestling with how to reconcile their devotion to their often less-than-perfect family members with their own needs to self actualize. I see them as being strong in a quieter rather than in an “in your face,” confrontational way. And this kind of examination and conversation is just what a good book should provoke.
@Carol Just read Ladder…that silly woman spent years groveling at the feet of her ungrateful and neglectful husband and children. She never got appropriately angry at them. She seemed apologetic about finally wanting to live life for herself, and then she went back to that idiot husband instead of exploring an equal relationship with the other man! If you don’t see how weak and inconsequential that makes her…well we live on different planets.
To me, your debate proves that her characters are complex and real. As with everything, perspective is key. You are each viewing the character from diametrically opposed stands, and you won’t ever agree. One off you sees the character in a positive light, the other in a negative. And one of you will continue to appreciate Anne Tyler, while the other will choose to move on to a different author.
@Renee , I think that’s somewhat true., although I like to think I’m open to changing perspectives and enlightenment through discussion about other views.
@Carol me too! I like to try and see other perspectives, though I may not agree with them. It’s for people like me I wish America would adopt a third “middle of the road” political party, haha
@Janet I think she was doing her share in their family enterprise — a medical practice. Her ‘revolt’ showed remarkable courage. I could never walk away from my whole life with nothing but a beach coverup. How many of the ‘strong’ women here calling her weak are ‘career women’ working full days, rushing home to shop, cook meals so laundry, take the kids to baseball practice, have their hair done, tidy the house, save to pay off the mortgage and the car payments?. .
She’s my favorite author, the book is on my nightstand!
Like her too but haven’t read this one yet. Esp. liked The Accidental Tourist.
Not at all. I found it to be her weakest book. Trying to fit the Taming of the Shrew story in a modern container just didn’t work. I wish they would stop doing this with Jane Austen novels as well.
I often like story retellings, and I love Anne Tyler, but I really did not like this one. It didn’t work for me at all.
I’ve enjoyed some of the modern retellings, but didn’t really care for this one.
Let me go see what this is all about…
It was just okay. Not terrible but not that memorable either.
It was okay.
I love Anne Tyler but I haven’t read this one yet.
It was fun! Love these updates to Shakespeare’s plays.
I liked it!
I was not a fan.
I didn’t finish it.
I enjoyed it myself.
It was a romp! I like her when she lets her hair down.
Love Anne Tyler from way back, but haven’t read that one yet.
Great book! Loved the humor in it!
I just read it and loved it. It was sweet.
I love Ann Tyler! Digging to America was great
I love Anne Tyler. Haven’t read Vinegar Girl yet though. Just checked Breathing Lessons out at the library. 🙂
Breathing Lessons is on of her best!
Yes! And Accidental Tourist.
I didn’t like it as much as A Gap in Time and some of the other Hogarth Shakespeare books
She’s a wonderful writer. Love her keen sense of humor.
I did enjoy it. Morgan’s Passing and Breathing Lessons are two of my favorite books.
Haven’t read that one but haven’t really like her other books that I read.
Very good read
I haven’t read this one! Love Anne Tyler, though
Loved Spool of Blue Thread. I can so easily get into the settings of her books…. which book has the first chapter with her character in the super market and the young guy gets her to pretend she’s his new girlfriend. Laughed and laughed
Sometimes I think she’s probably a Monty python fan when she makes me laugh. Remember in the Accidental Tourist, when the phone would ring, and they’d all sit around and speculate on who it could be, but no one would answer it? Hahaha. Or in Morgan’s Passing, when he was mad at his family because no one told him his daughter was engaged, yet he’d watched them making wedding plans for the last year? Lol
My favorite Anne Tyler book is The Beginner’s Goodbye.