Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler

 

The Amateur Marriage

  • Paperback: 306 pages
  • Genre:  Fiction
  • Publisher: Vintage Random House Group 2004
  • Source: On our bookshelves since 2006.
  • First Sentence : ‘Anyone in the neighbourhood could tell you how Michael and Pauline first met.’
  • A Favourite Quote: ‘He had the feeling that if he held his breath , the two of them could stay suspended forever in this moment of stopped time.
  • Review Quote : ‘Tyler is an exquisite chronicler of the everyday. Her fiction is a quiet, gentle reminder of the goodness to be found in most ordinary lives. In a noisy, violent world, this is surely not to be sniffed at – and neither is her fine writing’ Observer.
  • My Opinion:  An everyday family's experience elevated to a good read.

    The story of the marriage of Michael and Pauline, a mismatched couple if their ever was one.  The main dramatic event in their marriage is the disappearance of their eldest daughter in the sixties, but that is jumping ahead rather.  Michael Anton is of Polish descent and works in the family grocery business, his world changes when Pauline Barclay walks into the store in December 1941. To Michael she is from an exotic world and he finds himself irrevocably drawn to her even making the patriotic or was it romantic gesture of joining the armed forces because of her influence on him. Their marriage becomes somehow inevitable.when before his training is even completed he gets wounded so badly that he is invalided out.

    Pauline believed that marriage was an interweaving of souls, while Michael viewed it as two people traveling side by side but separately. Two such different opinions of course lead to resentments but somehow they stay together. The birth of three children, a move to the suburbs, all normal life events for many but then their daughter disappears, a catalyst for the cracks to deepen.

    Each chapter of the book leaps ahead in time to different stages of their marriage with changes having taken place that you have not actually read about, but somehow this does not spoil the narrative. In fact for me it helped make it more readable, otherwise it may have been a rather long winded marriage tale!

    Anne Tyler’s characters despite their idiosyncrasies seem very feasible and familiar to me. I have not read that many of her books but I found the previous ones interesting for the same reasons. Back When We Were Grownups and Digging to America.

    If you are a fan of Anne Tyler you have probably also already read this one, I am somewhat behind. If you are new to her work, I think it is a good  introduction to her writing.

     

    Author Profile

    Anne Tyler

    Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1941 and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated at nineteen from Duke University and went on to do graduate work in Russian studies at Columbia University

    Author photo and biographical information courtesy of authors Goodreads Profile.

     

    I have chosen to read this title as the letter A for this challenge which I have decided to attempt, for now anyway, to achieve in alphabetical order. I have a good selection of titles to choose from on our bookshelves so will see how it goes. You can follow my progress here.

  • 28 comments:

    1. I purchased this in a charity shop a few weeks ago. I havent read this author before but I liked the cover! Thansk for the review

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      1. I know we should never judge a book by its cover, but they do still tend to draw you in! I will look forward to your review Jessica.

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    2. People have recommended this one to me, but I haven't picked it up yet. I read Back When We Were Grownups and enjoyed it, but it didn't blow me away. This one sounds similar.

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      1. I think they are very similar, although it was ten years ago I read the one you mention!

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    3. Hi Linda,

      This is in fact the only Anne Tyler book I have read and it was some time ago, long before I started the blog, so there is no review of it.

      I found it to be a very emotional read, from what I can remember, with the characters being very believable, enhanced with what I thought was quite a strong storyline.

      I must get around to trying some of her other books, they have received some good reviews on various sites, with 'When We Were Grownups' seeming to be the most popular..

      Nice review, by the way.

      Yvonne

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      1. Thankyou Yvonne, I have only read three of her titles, so will certainly look out for more. I agree with you about her characters being believable. Your comment seems to have been published twice, so I am going to delete the duplicate one.

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    4. Hi LindyLou! So nice to talk again! I aree, life first, then blog. Hah. I must get this book and read it...this week I'll join your linky reading party . Huggs, Sunny109 (Dianna) Are you near Santa Margherita? Several yrs ago we visited there.

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      1. Hi Dianna, you have reminded me that I must go and link up! Do let me know how you get on if you decide to read this one. Santa Margherita is in Liguria, we live a lot further south in Lazio, north of Rome.

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    5. Never read this author before but it sounds good, thanks for the review

      Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

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      1. Thankyou do let me know if you do read this Lainy.

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    6. I have not read this one, but I have read a couple of Tyler's books. I loved The Accidental Tourist. :D Thanks for yet another well-written review.

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      1. Thankyou Ricki Jill, The Accidental Tourist is one I need to look out for.

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    7. I've read a few of Anne Tyler's books and really liked The Accidental Tourist. I find her style noncommital but good entertainment.

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      1. Noncommital but good entertainment, what a great description of her writing. I must definitely look out for The Accidental Tourist as it has been mentioned by a couple of you here.

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    8. This one looks good, Lindy. I especially love the cover. Glad you enjoyed it. I'll try to add it to my reading list.

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      1. As I said to Jessica above, I know we should never judge a book by its cover, but this one certainly attracted my interest.

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    9. Hi Lindy, I have just caught up with your last 3 book reviews! I think that 'The Postmistress' is the one for me. Good luck with your A-Z challenge.

      Many thanks for your comments, I am afraid the dog is long-suffering, he normally doesn't mind being dressed, but he did look quite annoyed in these pics. It's coming up to the weekend again, I don't know where the time goes to. Love Linda x

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    10. Thanks Linda, delighted you found something of interest amongst my recent reviews. I think the challenge will be fun and hopefully help me clear my TBR shelves.

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    11. LindaLouMac just incase you don't see the comment back at mine

      Mandasue Heller is very similar to Martina Cole, I don't think you would cast her in YA as some of it is cutting the edge but do think mature teens would enjoy her

      Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

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    12. Hi Lindy! I've just found your book blog via my email!
      I read Digging To America a couple of years ago and enjoyed it as I liked the subject and the writing style. I've got A Patchwork Planet on my TBR shelf for this year so thank you for reminding me of this author and I shall move it nearer the top of my list.

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      1. I thought you had commented on Book Reviews before Linda, but guess it must have been on News From Italy during the Italy in Books Challenge last year. Anyway delighted to welcome you here, I have enjoyed her writing so far and will definitely be keeping a look out for more.

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    13. Wonderful book review! Thank you for some much information about the book. I am following you now... I too love to read.. I don't read as much as I want to... but love it none the less. :)

      Thanks!
      ~Liz

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      1. Thankyou so much Liz and welcome as my latest follower. I do hope you will continue to find reviews of interest to you here.

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    14. :) ! It is a nice plot :) !!

      Thank Lindy

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      1. It was interesting as they were such a mis-matched couple!

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    15. Lindy Lou, this sounds like a good book. I'm adding it to my list. I've enjoyed Anne Tyler's work in the past.
      Thanks for the recommendation. ~ Sarah

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      1. How lovely to see you here Sarah, I hope you enjoy this one. I am definitely keen to read more of her work.

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