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blaineduncan's review against another edition
3.0
Maxwell writes succinct and masterful prose yet the three men at the center of this novel were only on the cusp of having an emotional impact on me. For it to be as short as it is, the novel is worth the time.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Our book club had an interesting discussion of the complex book, which at first glance we expected to be similar to our previous month’s read ("Crow Lake"), but which was really very different. We talked about whether the age in which it was written (and about which it was written) was partly the cause, or whether it was the author’s gender. (We found "Crow Lake," written by a woman, more engaging.) We thought Maxwell’s own history of having lost his mother at a young age affected how closely he could get to these characters; he seemed to be holding them at arm’s length. Particularly interesting is that the author manages to paint a portrait of the mother, yet gives her virtually no voice.
kailey_alessi's review against another edition
4.0
A bittersweet story about family and the love that binds families together.
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
Longtime New Yorker fiction editor Maxwell had a reputation as an author’s author. He guided writers like Updike & Cheever while publishing his own much-admired stories & novels, including 1979’s So Long, See You Tomorrow. Swallows (1937) came a full 40-years earlier, but it shares his trademark Midwestern milieu, with farmhouses, fishing holes & mysteries seen through children’s eyes. A family quietly—Maxwell characters do everything quietly—endures tragedy during the 1918 influenza pandemic. (They closed the schools then too.) Restrained but powerful. Reminded me of James Agee’s A Death in the Family, which it predates by decades.
azu_rikka's review against another edition
4.0
3.5☆
Tenderly written account of a family during a pandemic. It subtly explores each relationship between the members and their grief and feeling of guilt, but also hopefulness at the end of the story.
Tenderly written account of a family during a pandemic. It subtly explores each relationship between the members and their grief and feeling of guilt, but also hopefulness at the end of the story.
mary412's review
4.0
So glad that I heard Inside the New York Times podcasters talking about their love of William Maxwell. I would never have thought to pick up these books.
libbydmccarthy's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure what to say about this book. The writing was excellent, but the story left me wanting more. Maybe I should not have read it after a page-turner (The Help). Be forewarned: it's very sad.
rainbowjawn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0