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Annet's Reviews > Commonwealth
Commonwealth
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Annet's review
bookshelves: coming-of-age, literature-pure, classics, have-to-read-again, wow-impressive, brilliant, age-ing, family-ties, wilderness-books-can-usa
Oct 30, 2016
bookshelves: coming-of-age, literature-pure, classics, have-to-read-again, wow-impressive, brilliant, age-ing, family-ties, wilderness-books-can-usa
Well, I simply loved this book. 4.5 going on 5. One of the highlights in 2016.
Wonderful storytelling about two families getting 'intertwined' by changed marriages, affected by a family tragedy that hit them all in some way. The story is written going to and fro in time, and we follow several family members in their personal lives at some point in time. It's a story full of emotion, tragedy, love...
Beautiful & heartfelt... and highly recommended.
Thanks to all Goodreads friends who brought me to this book!
Note, and when I started reading I realized I have 'State of Wonder' of the same author in my library 'collection'. Never got round to reading it yet, although it passed thru my hands several times ;-) Will read it soon :-)
Beginning lines of Commonwealth sets the stage: The Christening party took a turn when Albert Cousins arrived with the gin. Fix was smiling when he opened the door and he kept smiling as he struggled to make the connection: it was Albert Cousins from the district attorney's office standing on the cement slab of his front porch....
Wonderful storytelling about two families getting 'intertwined' by changed marriages, affected by a family tragedy that hit them all in some way. The story is written going to and fro in time, and we follow several family members in their personal lives at some point in time. It's a story full of emotion, tragedy, love...
Beautiful & heartfelt... and highly recommended.
Thanks to all Goodreads friends who brought me to this book!
Note, and when I started reading I realized I have 'State of Wonder' of the same author in my library 'collection'. Never got round to reading it yet, although it passed thru my hands several times ;-) Will read it soon :-)
Beginning lines of Commonwealth sets the stage: The Christening party took a turn when Albert Cousins arrived with the gin. Fix was smiling when he opened the door and he kept smiling as he struggled to make the connection: it was Albert Cousins from the district attorney's office standing on the cement slab of his front porch....
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Reading Progress
June 10, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
June 10, 2016
– Shelved
October 2, 2016
–
Started Reading
October 30, 2016
– Shelved as:
coming-of-age
October 30, 2016
– Shelved as:
literature-pure
October 30, 2016
– Shelved as:
classics
October 30, 2016
–
Finished Reading
November 2, 2016
– Shelved as:
have-to-read-again
November 2, 2016
– Shelved as:
wow-impressive
November 3, 2016
– Shelved as:
brilliant
June 1, 2017
– Shelved as:
age-ing
April 13, 2018
– Shelved as:
family-ties
January 25, 2020
– Shelved as:
wilderness-books-can-usa
Comments Showing 1-29 of 29 (29 new)
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Canadian Jen
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rated it 4 stars
Oct 30, 2016 11:59AM
I'm just starting this - glad you enjoyed it!
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Let me know what you think! I loved it.
Terrific review, Annet!! I'm so glad that you liked this so much! I really found this to be a book that grabbed me from the first lines, and held onto me. I've read State of Wonder, and I enjoyed it, but it is *nothing* like this story.
It's a great book, hope you like it too Linda!
Nice review Annet. I have a copy of this book and hope to start it soon. Patchett is my favorite author. State of Wonder is good, but I think her best is Bel Canto.
Hey PorshaJo, try it soon I would say, it really is a great book. I'll see if I can get my hands on Bel Canto soon :-)
Annet wrote: "Hey PorshaJo, try it soon I would say, it really is a great book. I'll see if I can get my hands on Bel Canto soon :-)"I will! I got a copy of it when I saw her speak recently but didn't want to start it immediately. I have plans to start in a few weeks when I get a break from work. Happy reading to you. :-)
You are so lucky to see some of the authors speaking. Where do you go, NYC? They hardly come near Netherlands. Let me know when the next interesting author is speaking near you and I'll fly out and we can go together :-)
Annet wrote: "You are so lucky to see some of the authors speaking. Where do you go, NYC? They hardly come near Netherlands. Let me know when the next interesting author is speaking near you and I'll fly out and..."Ha - Deal! :-) I live in Pittsburgh, PA, which over the years has become a very literary city. They have been bringing many authors to town and I decided this year to go see those authors I want to read, but have yet too. Patchett is different, I've seen her multiple times. So far I've listened/seen perhaps 6 this fall season and just this week I saw Alice Hoffman. But I would love to go to NYC to see them (I love NY). :-)
I love NYC too :-) Do hope we can meet today, that would be fun!
Annet wrote: "I love NYC too :-) Do hope we can meet today, that would be fun!"Agreed! You let me know when you visit and I'll be there. I know a few book stores we can hit. :-) I have been bugging my husband constantly about going. Though he's not as enamored by the city as I am.
That would really be great. Let's see if we can make this happen! :-)
Good to see your response to this book, Annet. Your lovely review bodes well. It, somehow, missed the mark for me and left me with a bitter-sweet (more sweet though) feeling.
Hi Seemita, Goodreads proves to me every day that books are a matter of very personal view and taste. And so it should be, otherwise it would be pretty boring out here ;-). I found this book to be a surprise for me: intriguing, wonderful storytelling, intelligent, emotional, overall not really immediately my cup of tea type of book but ended up loving it and thinking about it.... Happy reading!
Wonderful review, wonderful book! I've enjoyed all of her books, and each is very different than the others which is really very nice! Commonwealth is a favorite, though!
Thanks Renata :-), what is your favorite of Patchett, next to this one of course?
Annet, wonderful review. I need to try this author. I love family drama (except in my family, of course)!
:-) I can imagine so Chrisine, same here :-)Commonwealth was one of 2016's best for me.
Love this review Annet! Great job!
Thanks Susanne, you made me look back at this book, which really surprised me. Great book!
One thing I loved about this novel was how she wrote the dialogue. I've been told as a composer who would like to learn more about orchestration to just study the scores of Maurice Ravel. I would say to aspiring writers that if they want to know how to write dialogue for a novel, just study this wonderful book.
Beautiful observation Robert, thanks for that inspiring note before the weekend!Yes, an inspiring book...
This is a great review, Annet - and I really enjoyed Robert's comment as well. :)
I'm excited to finally start reading this. It's been on my shelf since pub date (I kept hoping the Kindle price would go down). I've read and loved all Ann Patchett's novels beginning with her wonderful debut, Bel Canto, years ago. They all have a subtle and unobtrusive element of magical realism which I find beguiling, and she does dialogue so awfully well. Run and The Magician's Assistant are also favorites.
Mary Ann, I do think you are going to love Commonwealth!
Excellent review, Annet!!
I loved this one too Annet. Great review!
Terrific review, Annet.
