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A review by crazygoangirl
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
This is a re-read for me, in preparation of reading the series that Strout has since written. I first read it in 2017 and rated it 3 stars.
This time however it’s a 5 star read! I’m in love with Strout’s writing style and her characters, even though they are deeply flawed. I recognise that in any hands less skilful than hers, I would have probably hated them, but she evokes a deep compassion in me that I was unaware I possessed. If that isn’t great writing I don’t know what is.
The book reads like a memoir, and indeed is structured like one. Written by Lucy Barton in the first person, while she’s in hospital undergoing tests to determine what the disease is that ails her. During this 6 week hospital stay, Lucy’s mother visits her, quite unexpectedly, and there in lies a tale. Strout’s finely nuanced portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship pierced my heart. I have a loving mother but our bond though strong and vital is far from perfect. ‘I Love You’, is not something we say to each other, taking it for granted instead, hoping that we each understand that love exists without having to say it. I don’t know why it is so, perhaps it is the times we grew up in, or the family - which was loving and supportive without ever saying so. I know I said it often and purposefully to my son when he was a child and the utter joy it brought me when he said it to me - first 😊
Because the relationship between Lucy and her mother felt familiar to me, it was very personally unsettling. Barton is an expert at writing complex human interactions and at layering the subtext that makes them feel authentically complicated. They’re disturbing duality makes them feel real. Sometimes her chapters, if you can even call them that are just snippets of memories and yet they reveal another facet of Lucy or of her family and upbringing - often both.
This is a short book that packs a powerful punch! I love Lucy, no pun intended, and cannot wait to read where Strout takes her from here. Highly recommended especially for those who enjoy character studies in literature and character-based stories.
This time however it’s a 5 star read! I’m in love with Strout’s writing style and her characters, even though they are deeply flawed. I recognise that in any hands less skilful than hers, I would have probably hated them, but she evokes a deep compassion in me that I was unaware I possessed. If that isn’t great writing I don’t know what is.
The book reads like a memoir, and indeed is structured like one. Written by Lucy Barton in the first person, while she’s in hospital undergoing tests to determine what the disease is that ails her. During this 6 week hospital stay, Lucy’s mother visits her, quite unexpectedly, and there in lies a tale. Strout’s finely nuanced portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship pierced my heart. I have a loving mother but our bond though strong and vital is far from perfect. ‘I Love You’, is not something we say to each other, taking it for granted instead, hoping that we each understand that love exists without having to say it. I don’t know why it is so, perhaps it is the times we grew up in, or the family - which was loving and supportive without ever saying so. I know I said it often and purposefully to my son when he was a child and the utter joy it brought me when he said it to me - first 😊
Because the relationship between Lucy and her mother felt familiar to me, it was very personally unsettling. Barton is an expert at writing complex human interactions and at layering the subtext that makes them feel authentically complicated. They’re disturbing duality makes them feel real. Sometimes her chapters, if you can even call them that are just snippets of memories and yet they reveal another facet of Lucy or of her family and upbringing - often both.
This is a short book that packs a powerful punch! I love Lucy, no pun intended, and cannot wait to read where Strout takes her from here. Highly recommended especially for those who enjoy character studies in literature and character-based stories.