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279th out of 689 books
—
2,802 voters
Mrs. Caliban
"She looked over to where he was, seated at the other end of the kitchen table in the light which, since his arrival, she had blocked by curtains because of his sensitive eyes. He concentrated on polishing spoons with a silver cloth: six teaspoons from a great-aunt. One leg was slung over the other, which would have looked strange enough, but he was also wearing a flowered...more
Hardcover, 128 pages
Published
January 15th 1982
by Harvard Common Press
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Whoa I WAS wrong! This book turned out to be unpredictable and~ sad.
Oke, jadi buku ini menceritakan tentang Dorothy dan suaminya Fred. Bagaimana hubungan mereka merenggang setelah kematian anak mereka. Di awal, mereka berusaha memperbaiki hubungan itu, namun ternyata hubungan mereka yang seperti dulu tidak pernah kembali. Fred semakin jarang berada di rumah. Dorothy menduga bahwa Fred memiliki kekasih gelap, namun ia hanya bisa menduga.
Suatu hari, seekor (?) monster berwarna hijau dari laut, L...more
Oke, jadi buku ini menceritakan tentang Dorothy dan suaminya Fred. Bagaimana hubungan mereka merenggang setelah kematian anak mereka. Di awal, mereka berusaha memperbaiki hubungan itu, namun ternyata hubungan mereka yang seperti dulu tidak pernah kembali. Fred semakin jarang berada di rumah. Dorothy menduga bahwa Fred memiliki kekasih gelap, namun ia hanya bisa menduga.
Suatu hari, seekor (?) monster berwarna hijau dari laut, L...more
A quirky tale of middle aged angst in which a woman finds a 6’7” frog in her home. She hides him, and eventually comes to love him. This is about love, marriage, getting older, disappointment, amorous adventure, isolation. A nice small tale.
About thirty years ago I read another book similar to Mrs. Caliban called simply Bear by Marian Engel, which in turn is also similar to Kafka's Metamorphosis. All three deal with repressed, desperate individuals trying to discover who they are. Mrs. Caliban and Bear are about women who awaken to a new sexuality with fantastic creature. In this book it is a six foot, seven inch frog-like man who probably is simply a hallucination but very real to the title character. The language is straight forw...more
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I wouldn't say this is the oddest book I've ever read, especially since I read mostly paranormal fiction, but it is definitely one of many standouts. This is also really saying something as I've lost count of all the offbeat fiction I've read or paranormal fiction I've read. It was years ago that I read this, so I'm afraid I can't get more descriptive...
Sometime after its publication David Lynch's first wife Peggy recommended this novella as a possible film subject. As much as he identified with the book ("It's about grieving") he feared that physically portraying the romance between the woman and the amphibian might provoke mood-killing audience laughter: "after all," he said, "Larry would have to be green."
This book makes you think well after you read it. Something about the writing style was so artistic, I can't even describe it. The emotions of the main character were portrayed believably, and I found the entire story believable but in a fantasy way. It was just a really good book, and I bet the author herself is a very interesting person.
This is such an extraordinary work. I enjoyed it immensely!
Yes, you go on a journey that is unusual to say the least but Ms. Ingalls takes this seemingly ridiculous subject and weaves a tale that is so mesmerizing, echoing some of my own thoughts.
Clear writing and a deviation from the trend of Realists turning the cog. Overwhelmingly sad at the end and with a good kind of ambiguity. This book invites many interpretations and, therefore, enjoyment will vary from reader to reader.
More like a long short story--I basically read it in one sitting--than a novel. From the New York Times: "The British Book Marketing Council made ''Mrs. Caliban'' controversial by naming it one of the 20 ''greatest [ American :] novels since World War II."
A strange, sad, and amazing book. I read it many, many, MANY years ago and just reread it this weekend. I had forgotten exactly how sad it really was, although I remembered the bizarreness pretty accurately.
This book has been on my shelf for 15 years. It's one of the only ones I read over and over. Is it amazing literature? Probably not but its a good story and I pick it up when I need to.
A piece of near-magical-realism; entirely weird, dated, and oddly toned, but written and paced very well. Clearly an interesting piece of feminist lit. I found the ending predictable.
Mrs. Caliban is a novel about a woman who has an affair with a green monster from the sea. Sounds stupid, but it isn't. Rachel Ingalls is a very interesting, thought-provoking writer.
This is an unusual and quirky story. It's fairly short and beautifully written. The sort of book that doesn't make a huge impact as you're reading it, but stays with you thereafter.
This was a quick read, but it definitely stuck with me. If you are expecting a cute sci-fi comedy, keep looking, because that is not what this is at all.
Larry: frog or prince?
Was there even a Larry?
Dorothy: psychotic?
A devastating story of one woman' s betrayal and losses from every quarter of her life, even her dog.
Was there even a Larry?
Dorothy: psychotic?
A devastating story of one woman' s betrayal and losses from every quarter of her life, even her dog.
This is the kind of story I expect from Rachel Ingalls. Really unusual - some of it is hard to accept, but if you just go with the flow, it is a fun romp.
A housewife has an affair with a green monster.This is a great book with a great ending. Compare and contrast with Bridges of Madison County.
A quick and unsettling little read about an unhappy woman who finds brief happiness with a sea monster -- but it all ends badly for everyone. Thought provoking.
This is a weird weird book. It is unclear whether or not Mrs Caliban has gone crazy or had an affair. With a seamonster.
Brilliant. Imaginative. Funny. Heart-breaking. A quick read. I can't believe I've never read her work before.
What an odd and fascinating book. Great book club discussion over how much is real and how much is in her head.
Mar 05, 2013
Ayelet Waldman
added it
This book was completely fun, although I kind of wished for a happy ending with the sea creature.
Really interesting. Unpredictable plot, but very well woven.
This one made my lunches at a terrible job the best time of the day.
GAAAAAAAA!!! This novella is just freaky!
Strangest book ever! But really fun to read!
An odd little book. Tons to talk about herein.
This is the novel I wish I had written. Fantasy, reality, comedy, tragedy wound together. It's nearly perfect.
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