An Unfinished Life
by Mark Spragg
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 345)
Jean Gilkyson has a history of choosing the wrong men. When she leaves the last one, she finds herself with no money, no car, no luck. They only thing she has is her daughter. So she takes her daughter to her father-in-law's ranch, hoping for a fresh start. What she finds is a bitter old man who's life is all but done, and who still blames her for killing his son is a car wreck. The only thing holding them together is her daughter, his granddaughter, but is she enough?
Let me start by saying ...more
Let me start by saying ...more
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Read in April, 2008
This book had me at hello. In the fashion of Plainsong, Snow Falling on Cedars and the short stories of Rick Bass the west is brought to life.
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Read in August, 2007
Griff has spent her short life growing up in trailer houses owned by her mother, Jean's, string of ne'er do well boyfriends. She never did know her father, as he was killed, before she born, in an accident. This accident left Griffin Gilkyson's life unfinished (the novel title is the inscription on his tombstone) though in many ways Griffin's life is the most "finished" in this elegant novel because it is done, even if it was cut off too soon.
An Unfinished Life is at its heart a fami...more
An Unfinished Life is at its heart a fami...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommended to Charlie by:
Stumbled on it.
Some have felt this book had stereotypical characters and didn't shine anything new on the battered woman theme. I found that I really liked the characters and have found myself thinking about them throughout the day. While there is a battered women theme in the book it was not what Spragg was writing about. The story is about the redemption of an extremely dysfunctional family. It is about a 10 year old girl, Grif, in need of a family and in need of being allowed to be a child. Spragg has ...more
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Read in January, 2005
recommended to Angela by:
Joan
I liked this book, but didn't love it. The relationships were well developed, but I just couldn't get into the story.
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I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up and was pleasantly surprised! The characters are fascinating, the tension well built and the story sometimes heartbreaking. They supposedly made a movie on this book so I want to look for that!!!
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A remarkable book of homecoming, forgiveness, redemption and love. Very touching story of an estranged families path to re connecting and acceptance.
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I watched the movie version of the novel one evening and was drawn into the landscape and the characters. I did my best to ignore Jennifer Lopez. Reading the book validated what I suspected as I was watching the movie - she was sorely miscast. Luckily, the movie did not color my enjoyment of the book. Spragg's writing is beautiful, the language is poetic, and the relationships between the characters are touching.
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Read in September, 2008
Really liked this book. An easy read that kept me turning the pages. Agree with Readers' Guide comment "Immediately compelling and constantly surprising, rich in character, landscape, and compassion, An Unfinished Life shows a novelist of extraordinary talents in the fullness of his powers."
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Read in September, 2007
I was not expecting much from this book. The movie, which I saw first, was mediocre but had merit. I came across the novel and thought 'sure.' I was really surprised how much I liked it. These are fantastic characters, much more in-depth and developed than the two-dimensional performances in the movie. Definitely recommended. It is, in a word, tender. Very tender. The genuine kind.
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Nice portray of male friendship in latter years among two broken down cowboys living as well as they can on a beat up ranch in Wyoming. In addition, it is a tale of forgiveness and reconcilation as one of them re-encounters a daughter in law who survived a distant fatal accident that his son did not survive.
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