Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson
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Book Reviews of Home: A Novel
Book Review: After Gilead, the best book I've read in years
Summary: 5 Stars
Marilynne Robinson's last novel, Gilead, reminded me why I love to read. Robinson's books are absolutely absorbing, written in prose that manages to be unpretentious and astoundingly beautiful at the same time. Where so many contemporary writers lean on gimmicky, affected writing, her talent flows naturally onto the page and needs no stylistic crutches.
"Home" is a serious book that is both aesthetically and substantively meaningful. It is definitely not for everyone. Its brilliance is not in its plot but in the beauty of its writing and the depth of its characters and ideas. Those who are looking for a potboiler or a thriller will be disappointed.
Having said that, lately I've found it difficult to find a novel that could draw me in like this one. I've abandoned book after book because they were boring and I felt like I was wasting my time. As with Gilead, I didn't want to miss a sentence of "Home," so I gave it a degree of attention I haven't given a book in years, and was so absorbed I read the second half in one day.
For me, this book was a page-turner. I hope Robinson writes another one soon.
Book Review: I was crying with Gloria at the end
Summary: 5 Stars
Tears come easily for Gloria for understandable reasons: 1) she's 38 years old, recovering from a long-term relationship that did not end well; 2) her father is dying, and 3) her long-lost brother has returned home.
I cried with her because I watched for almost ten years my brother cope with mental illness, which for a time resulted in homelessness and, to the devastation of my family, resulted ultimately in his suicide.
I cried with her as Jack struggled with his desire to reassure their father of his soul's salvation even as he knew the most he could admit to is that he was a seeker. I loved that Robinson did not neatly tie up the package in her ending in regards to faith issues.
My final tears could not help but come watching Rev. Boughton as he drew closer to the end. Glory may have annoyed some readers with all her tears, but I cried with her. Some of us just do.
Book Review: A beautiful, contemplative book
Summary: 5 Stars
In Home, 38-year-old Glory Boughten returns to her childhood home to care for her dying father, a retired Presbyterian minister. Not long after Glory's arrival, her wayward brother Jack arrives after a twenty-year absence. By returning home, Glory and Jack are fleeing unhappy pasts and confronting inner turmoil. Robinson shows Glory and Jack reconnecting in slow, weighty dialog that emphasizes just how serious things are. The story is filled with religious discussions, regretful confessions, and also plenty of forgiveness. Movements are small, comments are oblique, and nothing much happens. Eventually, a secret is revealed about Jack, but, by that point in the story, we realize Home is not about what happens. Instead, it's about revealing the meaning of this life by understanding where we come from. This is a beautiful, contemplative book.Book Review: CSLA Rodda Award Nomination
Summary: 5 Stars
HOME has been nominated for the 2009 Rodda Award sponsored by the Church and Synagogue Library Association (CSLA), an international organization serving congregational libraries of all faiths. CSLA's Rodda Award is named for Dorothy Rodda Sargent, a lifetime member and one of the founders of the organization. This award recognizes a book which exhibits excellence in writing and has contributed significantly to congregational libraries through promotion of spiritual growth. The award is given to books for adults, young adults, and children on a three-year-rotational basis. The 2009 Rodda Award focuses on books for adult readers and this year's winner will be announced at the CSLA annual conference to be held at the McKinley Grand Hotel in Canton, Ohio, July 26-28. To learn more about CSLA and the Rodda Award go to [.... ]Book Review: Rated PG. Wonderful Read.
Summary: 5 Stars
Be aware that "Home" deals with some tough stuff - suicide, adultery, and more. But that's not the focus of the book and there's not one instance of foul language or a "sex scene".
I suppose the Boughtons could be considered a dysfunctional family. And I usually don't go near books about "dysfunctional" families. But I'd read "Gilead" and I trusted Robinson. I was rewarded by a deeply moving tale about a family that may not function perfectly (what family does?), but does love perfectly - a family that extends beyond any nuclear borders to include friends and community.
"Home" is not a page turner. Be prepared to put in some time and even then one reading probably isn't enough to plunge the depths of Robinson's lovely prose...