French Braid

by Anne Tyler | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 059332109X Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingMmeClintonwing of South Berwick, Maine USA on 10/1/2022
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingMmeClintonwing from South Berwick, Maine USA on Saturday, October 1, 2022
Review: French Braid (Anne Tyler) I have always liked the writing of Anne Tyler, even when, as with this latest novel, there is no real "story line", but rather the intricate exploration of an extended family. This was a book chosen by my new 4-person local book club, the Rebels (not sure why, but we like the sound!). We enjoyed talking about it, although again, other than commenting on big ideas, it was mostly commenting on characters and personalities in the context of "big ideas"... what constitutes a "good mother", for instance. I think Anne Tyler excels in the creation of dialogue and in being able to develop and maintain distinct characters. There is never a wrong note in the development of personalities. I did find the huge cast of characters over the generations confusing; a family tree in the beginning would have been helpful. And the first chapter of the book introduces a character who will come up in the family quite a way later, Serena who has gone to meet her fiancé's family, a trip which does not actually go comfortably for either her or James, and the accidental meeting of a "distant" relative, Nicolas. We never find out why that engagement fell apart (although the dialogue between the two makes the reader understand that this is most likely to lead to such an outcome). Serena becomes a not particularly important character, in the end, which feels hollow. The anchor of the book is the story of Mercy and Robin, and we did not all agree on the worthiness of their chosen paths, although there are also rich tellings of the lives of their three children.... and the eventual grandchildren, too. A nice read overall.

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