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Loading... Saint Maybe (original 1991; edition 2010)by Anne Tyler (Author)
Work InformationSaint Maybe by Anne Tyler (1991)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Von Anne Tyler habe ich schon einiges gelesen, insofern waren die Erwartungen hier sehr hoch. Für mich ist dieses Buch definitiv nicht eins ihrer besten, trotzdem hat es mir gut gefallen. Der siebzehnjährige Ian versucht mit seinem schlechten Gewissen klarzukommen, als sein Bruder nach einer Bemerkung von ihm wütend aus dem Haus stürmt und in einem Autounfall stirbt. Er versucht mithilfe einer Kirche, auf die er eher zufällig stößt, gelebte Widergutmachung zu betreiben, indem er für dessen Kinder die Rolle eines Ersatzvaters übernimmt. Die Autorin zeichnet ein gelungenes Bild einer ungewöhnlichen Familie, die nach einem Verlust versucht, die Schäden zu begrenzen und Einschränkungen in Kauf nimmt, um den schwächsten Familienmitgliedern zu helfen. Die Kirchengemeinde, der Ian sich anschließt, wirkte auf mich ein wenig bizarr und streng, aber durchaus praxisorientiert. Das letzte Viertel des Buches wirkte auf mich deutlich flacher als der Reste des Buches, gerade die hier neu eingeführten Figuren blieben mir fremd. Oy. Really having trouble with the beginning, meeting Agatha & Thomas and their so-called mother. But it's Tyler, who usually gives me hope that we'll all work through our foibles and come out better people in the end, building a better world, bit by bit, together. If this book won't do that for me, tell me now before I spend any more time on it. --- p. 113 Too hard. I've not even gotten to the Church, to Ian realizing he's going to be the children's guardian, the build-up is agonizing. I'm 1/3 done but don't have the strength to go on ... how ppl can think this is comforting or funny is beyond my understanding. I've not given up on Tyler, but this one is not for me. It's been a great long while since I've been this let down by a book. The first half or so I was really interested and was excited to see where it was all going. Turns out, it really wasn't going anywhere at all. Too much time was spent cleaning out a house (seriously??) and the ending was so dull. "The Church of Second Chances" is a really weird name for what was a really weird church. no reviews | add a review
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Ian Bedloe is the ideal teenage son, leading a cheery, apple-pie life with his family in Baltimore. That is, until a careless and vicious rumor leads to a devastating tragedy. Imploding from guilt, Ian believes he is the one responsible for the tragedy. No longer a star athlete with a bright future, and desperately searching for salvation, he stumbles across a storefront with a neon sign that simply reads: CHURCH OF THE SECOND CHANCE. Ian has always viewed his penance as a burden. But through the power of faith and the love of family, he begins to view it as a gift. After years spent trying to atone for his foolish mistakes, Ian finds forgiveness and peace in the life he builds for himself. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I give a lot of book recommendations and often get suggestions from library patrons. Last week I was helping someone who wanted to know the title of all of Anne Tyler's books; she was going into the hospital for a hip replacement and wanted to have something to read. Saint Maybe is her favorite book and she wanted to make sure she hadn't missed a Tyler title along the way.
We had a real conversation about the book and I gave her some other authors that I thought she would enjoy. After a few minutes of me running back and forth to stacks, she checked out Blessings by Anna Quindlen and I took home Saint Maybe.
I enjoyed Saint Maybe. The only other Anne Tyler I've read is The Accidental Tourist, which really seems more like two novellas. This book veered slightly more towards religious philosophy than I'd normally read, but it was part of the main character's life track.
Tyler is a writer and storyteller. It's always nice to feel like you can trust the author to guide you through the book, even when you're not sure where you're going.
Getting book recommendations right is a hit and miss game, especially if you haven't read the patron's favorite book. After reading Saint Maybe however, I'm 99% confident that the patron in the hospital is going to devour Blessings...and probably go back for more Anna Quindlen. ( )