Good-bye and Amen
A Novel
گزارش تخلف
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
- دیدگاه کاربران
نقد و بررسی
Beth Gutcheon's sequel to the novel LEEWAY COTTAGE is ideally suited to the audiobook format. Although helpful, it's not necessary to have read the earlier work in order to understand and enjoy GOOD-BYE AND AMEN. The continuing story of the Moss family, following the parents' deaths, is told in a series of interviews. Each character is introduced before speaking, and every incident is developed from several points of view. Narrator Joyce Bean displays an impressive range of voices and accents that succeed in giving a clearly defined identity to each character. These voices, along with the introductions, allow the listener to follow the story with relative ease. Author and narrator combine to create a thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
June 2, 2008
Gutcheon concludes the Moss family saga that began with Leeway Cottage
in a disappointing fashion. Laurus and Sydney Brant Moss have died, and it's up to their three children, Eleanor, Monica and Jimmy, to divide up the estate. Naturally, the process exposes old frictions and creates new ones while sparking reminiscences of their lives, notably concerning their difficult relationships with their prickly mother, who hid venom beneath a veneer of social graciousness. The narration is many-voiced; the siblings, their spouses and children, their friends and neighbors, and even the dead contribute to the storytelling. While the points-of-view of the living are maddeningly self-involved, the dead really seem to understand what's going on. The effect is both tragic and mildly amusing, but gradually, it becomes difficult to feel for the characters. Though the novel is beautifully written, the narrative becomes frustrating and claustrophobic repetitive as it wears on.
دیدگاه کاربران