A paragraph from *Commonwealth*... in These titles mean nothing.
- April 23, 2017, 12:04 p.m.
- |
- Public
… by Ann Patchett.
“Franny opened the car door and picked up her father’s feet from the floorboard, swinging them gently out and then taking his arm. “Count of three,” she said, and together they counted while he rocked back and forth to gain momentum. The car that could catch a stolen Ferrari could not help him up, Franny pulled him out and Caroline caught him in the chair the moment he stood. Even a month ago Fix had fought this. A month ago he wouldn’t use the walker, insisting on holding on to Marjorie, even after the falls. But that was behind them now. Now he let Franny put his feet on the paddles. He said thank you.”
There is a lot in the book. It starts with a very long orange juice squeezing sequence, but it moves on and covers a lot of territory.
It has:
- a book inside a book
- a famous writer, who happens to be Jewish and drinks a lot, and has writer’s block until....
- the Palmer House in Chicago
- Buddhism in Switzerland
- guns
- cops
- lawyers
- kids, not treated very well
- divorce
- a dash of Catholicism
- booze and drugs
- bad luck
- less bad luck
Patchett says it was somewhat autobiographical. He father was an LAPD captain. Her parents divorced when she and her sister were quite young and she and her mother and sister moved to Nashville with her mother’s new husband.
I don’t think I’ve read her other books. I will look for them now though.
BTW, the dust jacket has oranges on it.
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Last updated April 23, 2017
NorthernSeeker ⋅ April 23, 2017
It's a good read...she certainly kept the reader on the hook for a long time over what the family tragedy was involving the children. I like the one chapter per person approach but I didn't like the juxtaposition of the first two chapters. I've read a lot of Ann Patchett's novels. Read "Bel Canto" if you haven't read it yet although somehow I thought we had discussed Bel Canto at some point in time.. I bought her novel "Taft" at the second hand book store in Lacrosse with you.
woman in the moon NorthernSeeker ⋅ April 23, 2017
http://lacrossetribune.com/business/local/after-four-decades-pearl-street-books-owner-still-enjoys-the/article_80dc7b2d-e9d4-5ff9-8195-f7b540e094f4.html
Deleted user ⋅ April 24, 2017
Some of her books I like , some I don't .
WhatDreamsMayCome ⋅ April 24, 2017
But there isn't any sex?!?!?!
;-)
Serin ⋅ April 25, 2017
I'm reading Messy, by Tim Harford. It doesn't have anything that makes me want to quote it yet. On the other hand, I've quoted The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy a few times this week.
Not sure what that means.