hollagraph
she/her | I'm always searching for the next Cloud Atlas-meets-Outlander
433 points
hollagraph finished a book
2d
Country People
Daniel Mason
A rollicking work of lyricism and humor, about one family’s tumble into the unknown, from the Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of North Woods Miles Krzelewski is a devoted husband, a doting father beloved for his outlandish bedtime stories, and the proud owner of a truffle-hunting dog in a land with no truffles. He is also a bit lost, twelve years late with his PhD on Russian folktales, and increasingly haunted by a sense that he's become a disappointment to his family. So when his wife Kate accepts a visiting professorship at a prestigious college in the far away forests of Vermont, he decides that this will be his year to finally move forward with his life. But Miles is a man of many enthusiasms, one who possesses, in Kate’s words, “a great capacity to fall in with anyone, anywhere.” And no sooner does he arrive than he finds himself entangled with a cast of characters as colorful as any of his folktales, from a ghostly tree surgeon to a scythe-mad biochemist, a Shakespearean temptress and a photographer of snowflakes obsessed with chronicling, on thousands of index cards, the world’s delusions in a “Inventory of Wrong Ideas.” The new friends, the enchanted woods, the sure, no PhD, but all good fun. Until Miles stumbles upon a bizarre—perhaps ridiculous—local legend, which, he soon suspects, might not be just a legend after all. Joyous, absurd, and life-affirming, Country People is a luminous exploration of marriage and parenthood, the nature of belief and the power of stories, and the ways in which we find connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
hollagraph started reading...
1w
Country People
Daniel Mason
A rollicking work of lyricism and humor, about one family’s tumble into the unknown, from the Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of North Woods Miles Krzelewski is a devoted husband, a doting father beloved for his outlandish bedtime stories, and the proud owner of a truffle-hunting dog in a land with no truffles. He is also a bit lost, twelve years late with his PhD on Russian folktales, and increasingly haunted by a sense that he's become a disappointment to his family. So when his wife Kate accepts a visiting professorship at a prestigious college in the far away forests of Vermont, he decides that this will be his year to finally move forward with his life. But Miles is a man of many enthusiasms, one who possesses, in Kate’s words, “a great capacity to fall in with anyone, anywhere.” And no sooner does he arrive than he finds himself entangled with a cast of characters as colorful as any of his folktales, from a ghostly tree surgeon to a scythe-mad biochemist, a Shakespearean temptress and a photographer of snowflakes obsessed with chronicling, on thousands of index cards, the world’s delusions in a “Inventory of Wrong Ideas.” The new friends, the enchanted woods, the sure, no PhD, but all good fun. Until Miles stumbles upon a bizarre—perhaps ridiculous—local legend, which, he soon suspects, might not be just a legend after all. Joyous, absurd, and life-affirming, Country People is a luminous exploration of marriage and parenthood, the nature of belief and the power of stories, and the ways in which we find connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
hollagraph started reading...
1w
The Road to Tender Hearts
Annie Hartnett
A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush—bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death—from the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already. But when PJ reads an obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back. Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also figures he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter, adrift in her 20s, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home. This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a second shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.
Overall, what a lovely little read about secrets, family, and coming to an understanding about what we want and need as adult humans. I thought the main character, Dora “Polly”, was incredibly well written, complicated and believable. Even following her mental collapse after finding herself neglected in marriage, emotionally manipulated by family, and caught up in an extramarital love affair, I found this book riveting. My only complaint is that the writing veered into repetitive territory: I understand that Polly’s cousins envied her and she was raised to be the perfect daughter. It did not need to be mentioned the last three or four times. Other than the editing issues, this book rips with resonate passages like “The pure feelings one had in adult life were complicated and mitigated, and they were dearly paid for, but worth everything they cost.”
hollagraph finished a book
1w
Family Happiness: A Novel
Laurie Colwin
A modern classic from Laurie Colwin (Home Cooking), one of the most beloved romantic comedy authors of all time; the story of a woman who has everything... at least on the surface. Polly Solo-Miller Demarest has it all: a dashing lawyer husband, two beautiful children, and a cushy Uptown apartment. And yet... she feels trapped. Trapped by the pressure to be the perfect daughter to a distinguished family. Trapped in her marriage. Which is why Polly, much to her own shock, finds herself embarking on a thrilling affair with a painter--and a search to discover what she really wants from life. A thoroughly charming novel about finding balance and content, Family Happiness is a delightful yet thought provoking work of romantic comedy from an author at the peak of her powers. The cover for this 2021 reissue is by Olivia McGiff.
hollagraph started reading...
1w
Family Happiness: A Novel
Laurie Colwin
A modern classic from Laurie Colwin (Home Cooking), one of the most beloved romantic comedy authors of all time; the story of a woman who has everything... at least on the surface. Polly Solo-Miller Demarest has it all: a dashing lawyer husband, two beautiful children, and a cushy Uptown apartment. And yet... she feels trapped. Trapped by the pressure to be the perfect daughter to a distinguished family. Trapped in her marriage. Which is why Polly, much to her own shock, finds herself embarking on a thrilling affair with a painter--and a search to discover what she really wants from life. A thoroughly charming novel about finding balance and content, Family Happiness is a delightful yet thought provoking work of romantic comedy from an author at the peak of her powers. The cover for this 2021 reissue is by Olivia McGiff.
“Time happens all at once for Helm, more or less, relative to longevity.”
I believe this opening line is meant to set the tone for an elaborate chorus of voices through the ages that collectively tell the stories of Helm, a named wind in north central England. The concept is strong, writing is gorgeous, the first and last chapters are brilliant. I especially loved the Bronze Age story.
What kept this from being a runaway success for me was the chopped up editing of each story. I think the novel would have worked better with the stories told coherently, sequentially, and with clear titles to orient the reader to some anchor of time or name. Unfortunately, I also think most of these unconnected stories lacked compelling stakes and cut away right at any point of action in favor of introspective inner dialogue (which Helm admits to “Helmself” is not totally clear). So while I see the rational from an artistic standpoint, the structure interrupted the reading flow without adding any deeper surprise or meaning for me.
hollagraph finished a book
3w
Helm
Sarah Hall
Helm is a ferocious, mischievous wind - a subject of folklore and awe, who has blasted the sublime landscape of the Eden Valley since the very dawn of time. Through the stories of those who've obsessed over this phenomenon, Helm's extraordinary history is formed: the Neolithic tribe who tried to placate Helm, the Dark Age wizard priest who wanted to banish Helm, the Victorian steam engineer who attempted to capture Helm - and the farmer's daughter who loved Helm. But now Dr Selima Sutar, surrounded by infinite clouds and measuring instruments in her observation hut, fears human pollution is killing Helm. Rich, wild and vital, Helm is the story of a unique life force, and of a relationship: between nature and people, neither of whom can weather life without the other.
