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162nd out of 363 books
—
144 voters
Mason's Retreat: A Novel
This superb novel by the author of In a Father's Place confirms Tilghman as one of America's finest writers. Set on the Eastern shore of Maryland, on the eve of World War II, the story concerns the decline of the once-grand Mason family.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Hardcover edition.
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
November 14th 2006
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 1995)
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An author with the name of Tilghman who writes about the Eastern Shore has got to have an interesting perspective on life here, where I live. The Tilghman name is ubiquitous, and now I learn that his family's roots go back to the earliest settlers, escaping persecution in England. This novel is the story of the Mason family moving to the crumbling family estate on the Chester River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Tilghman is a superb writer in capturing the feel of the land, the water, and...more
Harry Mason tells this story of his grandfather Edward, who with his wife Edith and sons Simon and Sebastian, comes to take over an inherited estate on Maryland's eastern shore as World War II nears. Edward is a bumbling soul who never does very well at anything, but he tries to revive the estate and make it run. Actually, he hates it there, and when the company he owns in England starts to show a profit (because he isn't around to mess things up!) he decides to return to England. Edith and the...more
This was a memorable book for me, recommended by a friend who lives on the Eastern Shore where the story takes place. It whetted my appetite to read more about the area and its history. Apparently the author, who shares the name of Tilghman seen recorded in Maryland history, spent summers on a farm owned by his family since the seventeenth century, which would explain his ability to describe the Mason family and their two sons sailing from England in 1936 when the machine tool business failed to...more
An interesting novel about a family estate on the Eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Taking up a number of regional themes - the legacy of slavery in Maryland, the dynamics of agriculture and industrialization in the interwar period, the tensions between Baltimore and the rest of the state as well as between Britain and the US, Tilghman builds the foundation for a powerful historical epic. Armed also with an impressive slate of characters, it is all the more disappointing that Tilghman chooses to...more
May 20, 2012
Kristine Brancolini
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
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I heard Christopher Tilghman speak at this year's L.A. Book Festival. He was on a panel about families with Janet Fitch and Julie Otsuka. The prequel to Mason's Retreat had just been published and it sounded wonderful, but I wanted to read the first book first. I just finished it and now I can't wait to read The Right-Hand Shore.
Mason's Retreat tells the story of the Mason family, from 1936 to 1939. Edward and Edith had moved to England soon after their marriage in the 1920s. They have two sons...more
Mason's Retreat tells the story of the Mason family, from 1936 to 1939. Edward and Edith had moved to England soon after their marriage in the 1920s. They have two sons...more
Edward Mason and his family live in England. His business there is failing and he looks to his family's home in America as a place to retreat to and try to earn enough money to support them. His wife and two sons learn to like living there but Edward as always fails to do well. He finally decides to return to England to run his plant there as business is picking up due to the upcoming war. His family learns to live without him, except for his youngest son, Simon who misses his father very much....more
The brand new prequel to this book has gotten a lot of buzz, so I figured it'd read the one written first. Mason's Retreat is a waterside plantation on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and the Masons in the novel have never been there. Edward, the depressive father, inherited it, but wouldn't have dreamed of visiting until his fortunes in pre-WW 2 England turned sour. He brings his wife and two sons to the Retreat, which sets up the events of the novel. I enjoyed it very much.
Mason’s Retreat was a bland and depressing novel in which Christopher Tilghman tries to create a historical epic peppered with what if done well are meaty issues. Unfortunately Tilghman falls terribly shorts. The story takes place on a family estate on the Eastern shore of the Chesapeake. The pre-WWII time-period and themes should have led to a more dynamic tale. To read my complete review visit: www.opinionatedbookreviewer.blogspot.com
Just completed "The Right-Hand Shore" and enjoyed the book immensely so wanted to read more about the Mason Family and their lives. "Mason's Retreat" moved the family and the story forward to pre-World War II. Tilghman's prose beautifully describes life and people who live on Mason's Retreat which may very well be cursed. The place has a strange and mysterious hold on people.
I read this memorable book in 1997. The story takes place on the eve of World War II on the shores of Maryland. Without rereading it for details, I can say it had everything that a fine, literary novel could have: excellent prose, a stunning sense of place, suspense, romance, wisdom, all leading to a greater understanding of humanity.
Looking forward to hearing the author speak at the Oxford Community Center later this month. This book gave an interesting glimpse of life on the Eastern Shore pre-WWII though the story is really about family issues. I hope to read Tilghman's latest, related book The Right-Hand Shore soon.
This was my first Christopher Tilghman novel and I wasn't disappointed. A probing look at family life in the late 1930's Chesapeake Bay area of New England, great language and an altogether good read. My affair with Mr. Tilghman's books is not over.
I really enjoyed this quiet novel, set on the Eastern Shore. It captures the sounds and scents of a time period that you can still sense when in the area. This is a very satisfying novel to curl up with on a languid summer day.
This was a book club selection or I wouldn't have picked it up. Once I started reading it, I wouldn't have finished it, except for book club. It took 125 pages for me to become engaged. I am glad to have finished it. It probably rates 2.5 stars, but I gave it 3, because it did pick up somewhat.
Makes you want to rush out and get it, huh?!?
Makes you want to rush out and get it, huh?!?
This is a story of a family set in Maryland in the late 1930s. Edward Mason relocates his family from England where he has had a number of failed ventures and still retains an engineering workshop in Manchester. They settle at Mason's Retreat, an old family estate previously owned by his late Aunt Mary.
The story is suffused from the first page with a sense of approaching doom - an accident waiting somewhere to happen. None of the characters is happy, even when doing something of their choosing....more
The story is suffused from the first page with a sense of approaching doom - an accident waiting somewhere to happen. None of the characters is happy, even when doing something of their choosing....more
Though Tilghman tends to write about the same location, I never tire of his books. A skilled author.
I read it because it was set along the Chesapeake. I liked it and recommend it.
St. Martin's Press, 1996. Everyday Bookshop, Burlington. UU Book Club.
A modest love story/dysfunctional family story set on the Eastern Shore of Maryland on the eve of WWI.
May 2008 book club selection (Eastern Shore theme).
Woohoo. I finally finished reading a book!
This book was okay. Written from several different perspectives, but a big chunk of the book is written from a woman's perspective, and frankly, I think that men writing sex scenes from a woman's perspective is really weird. In general, it was a depressing read for me. Every character is unhappy and bitter in some respect. Sigh.
The May meeting of the book club was postponed at the last minute, so I'm not...more
Woohoo. I finally finished reading a book!
This book was okay. Written from several different perspectives, but a big chunk of the book is written from a woman's perspective, and frankly, I think that men writing sex scenes from a woman's perspective is really weird. In general, it was a depressing read for me. Every character is unhappy and bitter in some respect. Sigh.
The May meeting of the book club was postponed at the last minute, so I'm not...more
Fussy English novel. Long on atmosphere, short on plot.
Precursor to new novel (2012) which continues the story
Dec 03, 2008
Yuliana
added it
I studied with him.
a friend loaned me this book w/ the distressing comment that she had not finished it because she did not like any of the characters. I didn't like them, either, but I did finish it. it seemed to me an interesting reflection on the ways in which we make decisions that determine our lives without knowing what we are doing. for that alone it's worth reading.
A description of Maryland's Eastern Shore during the 1930s. The novel is a bit cloying in its portrayal of race relations and the concept of motherhood. Still, it has a dramatic, predictable, and beautifully written ending.
Generally very enjoyable book with some fabulously insightful passages.
May 14, 2013
Laura Rasmussen
marked it as to-read
May 03, 2013
Gail Rand
marked it as to-read
May 01, 2013
Beverly
marked it as to-read
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Jan 26, 2013 01:54pm