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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “This book is beautiful and moving, but a bit hard to take at times. The prolonged death of the main character is frank and graphic and thus somewhat startling. It's a very cerebral book, and much like "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" I don't see how it could be made into a film without losing...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “I'm sure that many people would find this book to be wonderful, but it's not my style. The story is depressing to me and often I found it too jumpy and hard to follow. It doesn't help that I didn't really like any of the characters, either. The one quality it has that kept me reading is its...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“The concept of writing from the perspective of a dying woman was very interesting, and well executed. However, the character was a bit flat, and not all that sympathetic or interesting.
Anita V wrote this review Tuesday, November 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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“seamless transition between past and present.. nice in depth exploration of wandering mind ”
Vikas Chandra wrote this review Thursday, October 29 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“An excellent, though somewhat sad, account of a woman's preparation for death as she relives the most vivid memories of her life”
Barb N wrote this review Wednesday, October 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Gave this book to two of my friends...they gave it back. They only read half. Her writing style is unique, and you have to pay attention. However, one of my favorite books of all time. I stayed up til 1AM reading this....had to get out of the bed to blow my nose. Hated the movie. Book was incredible.”
angela b wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Depressing”
Beau T wrote this review Tuesday, September 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The craft and style of this book were breathtaking. For me, it read like a beautiful poem, and I found it helped me in my own writing. However, I struggled at points to see past the craft and found myself lost at important parts of the book, which led to more confusion later. I would recommend this for more advanced readers and those who appreciate the figurative and need little guidance from the author. If you like black and white, this isn't the book for you!”
Allison B wrote this review Thursday, September 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“From Publishers Weekly
Christy T wrote this review Thursday, June 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
"A dying woman's abiding passion for a lover she met in her 20s propels this eloquent third novel by the gifted author of Monkeys and Folly. As 65-year-old cancer patient Ann Grant Lord drifts in and out of a morphine-induced haze, her recollections range back and forth between 1954 and 1994, mulling over the influences that have shaped her life. In particular, she clings to the memory of Harris Arden, the young doctor she met at the wedding of her best friend, Lila Wittenborn, and their brief affair, which he ended to marry another. Resigned to a life without bliss, Ann subsequently sang in cabarets and accumulated husbands, survived motherhood, widowhood and the death of her 12-year-old son but never knew another passion like the one she felt for Harris."
"In the porous world between conscious and unconscious the protagonist of Evening revisits the great passions of her life, along with its considerable disappointments. The boy in the dark remains the fixed point--not so much because he is the most important man in her life, but because of the untapped possibilities he represents. Meanwhile, friends and relations come to sit by Ann Lord's side as she veers between clarity and feverish recollection
I found this book to be an evocative, memorable and sometimes gut-wrenching read, although the morphine induced ramblings were often difficult to get through.”
“I liked how it was different. The way it was written. You can't make it too easy for the reader. I think it suited the state of the narrator/main character. I thought the book was very touching.”
Mari wrote this review Sunday, February 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Story of an older woman on her death bed. As she lies in bed, she thinks back on her life, her motherhood and the man she feel in love with. I enjoyed the book. It was very touching. A bit sad, but life often is.”
Abigail Christy wrote this review Monday, November 10 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Whatever We May Think of at the End of Life
Norabee wrote this review Saturday, October 11 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This was truly a striking story. I didn’t like it much at first, but as I continued reading I saw there was something beautiful being realized. I had a good feeling after I finished reading it – I enjoyed the story and admire Susan Minot’s confidence to write a novel in this way – her loose, rambling style captured the subconscious mind.
It’s true that this is a sprawling story which was sometimes hard to follow but I think that often, that’s the way memories get tangled up at the end of life after an illness. It gives the reader an inside view of dying, which is very thought-provoking. I’m intrigued to see the movie and to see how their treatment affects the plot and storyline.
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