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An Unfinished Life
by
Mark Spragg
In an extraordinary tale of love and forgiveness, Mark Spragg brings us this novel of a complex, prodigal homecoming. After escaping the last of a long string of abusive boyfriends, Jean Gilkyson and her ten-year-old daughter Griff have nowhere left to go. Nowhere except Ishawooa, Wyoming, where Jean's estranged father-in-law, Einar, still blames her for the death of his s...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
August 9th 2005
by Vintage
(first published 2004)
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The very best thing about this book is the epigraph:
These wrinkles are nothing.
These gray hairs are nothing.
This stomach which sags
With old food, these bruised
and swollen ankles,
my darkening brain,
they are nothing.
I am the same boy
my mother used to kiss.
- Mark Strand
What folllows those beautiful words is a classic redemption tale, in which a child is the catalyst for reconciliation and a new start. The story had some depth and some nicely done prose. There were descriptive bits that felt as rea...more
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Audio book performed by Tony Amendola and Judith Marx
Jane Gilkyson has finally decided to leave her abusive boyfriend. With her 10-year-old daughter, Griff, she takes off in her ancient car, headed for the Pacific Ocean. But when the car dies and she’s left stranded, she has nowhere to turn but to her father-in-law, a man who blames her for the death of his son, and who is living his life in bitterness and misery on a small ranch in Ishawooa, Wyoming. Einar Gilkyson would probably be dead by now...more
Jane Gilkyson has finally decided to leave her abusive boyfriend. With her 10-year-old daughter, Griff, she takes off in her ancient car, headed for the Pacific Ocean. But when the car dies and she’s left stranded, she has nowhere to turn but to her father-in-law, a man who blames her for the death of his son, and who is living his life in bitterness and misery on a small ranch in Ishawooa, Wyoming. Einar Gilkyson would probably be dead by now...more
One of the finest books written about growing up in the West is Mark Spragg's memoir, "Where Rivers Change Direction." He's also a talented screenwriter whose "Everything That Rises" is a touching film about a rancher father and young son. So I've found myself expecting probably too much from his fiction. "The Fruit of Stone" and "An Unfinished Life" seem to lack the sparkling brilliance and deep truth of his earlier work, and I wish it wasn't so. When Spragg is good, he breaks your heart.
"An Un...more
"An Un...more
I did not like this book as much as many people did. I actually found the portrayal of the mother contradictory. The author wanted to create a good mother down on her luck but instead she created a down on her luck woman who also sucked as a mom. But the author didn't realize that she failed to create a good mom. She wrote the dialogue as if the mom was really good to her daughter but yet her actions were those of a mom who should have her child taken away (well maybe not that bad). But the auth...more
Jul 25, 2009
Scott C
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those interested in the west or who like well drawn characters
I recently wrote a review for another book, Northwest of Normal, in which the main character, Andy, made poor choices and didn't have what I thought were admirable character traits. One of the main characters in An Unfinished Life, Jean, fits into much the same mold. I never cared much for Andy or what happened to him, yet in this novel I cared what happened to Jean. In the other review I asked how an author makes a reader care and I pointed out that one way is through the character's traits. So...more
J'avoue avoir trouvé la trame de ce roman assez classique, ce qui rend la lecture très fluide. Une histoire de seconde chance et de rédemption, avec une femme qui fuit une relation violente avec sa fille, et retourne au pays d'où elle vient. Un retour aux sources, chez le père du mari qu'elle a tragiquement perdu... Les personnages ont tout perdu. Ou c'est ce qu'ils croient.
Mais au-delà de cette base plutôt déjà vue, il y a tellement de bonnes choses... Avant tout, l'écriture de Mark Spragg, dan...more
Mais au-delà de cette base plutôt déjà vue, il y a tellement de bonnes choses... Avant tout, l'écriture de Mark Spragg, dan...more
Не че е чак толкова трагично лоша, но книгата е дразнещо еднопластова. Типично американска, такава, каквато познавам Америка. Една твърде плоска история, в която всичко е ясно от самото начало.
Тя се събира с все един и същ тип мъже, които живеят в каравана, пият и я бият. Един ден взема дъщеря си и си тръгва завинаги от поредния. Няма пари, няма къде да иде, затова се сеща за своя роден край и за ранчото на свекър й, бащата на починалия й съпруг, който не бил като другите. Свекърът не може да й...more
Тя се събира с все един и същ тип мъже, които живеят в каравана, пият и я бият. Един ден взема дъщеря си и си тръгва завинаги от поредния. Няма пари, няма къде да иде, затова се сеща за своя роден край и за ранчото на свекър й, бащата на починалия й съпруг, който не бил като другите. Свекърът не може да й...more
Nov 03, 2010
Garlan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2010-reads,
little-gems
This is one of the best books I've read this year. An excellent story with lean prose and great characters. The book blurbs compare Spragg to Kent Haruf, another great "western" writer, but this book at least beats out the ones I've read by Haruf.
The story line begins with Griff Gylkinson and her mother, Jean, fleeing an (another) abusive relationship. When their vehicle breaks down somewhere in western Iowa, they are forced to turn to Jean's father-in-law for a place to stay until she can get b...more
The story line begins with Griff Gylkinson and her mother, Jean, fleeing an (another) abusive relationship. When their vehicle breaks down somewhere in western Iowa, they are forced to turn to Jean's father-in-law for a place to stay until she can get b...more
Usually I read the book before I see the movie. This time I did it in the reverse. Pro's and Con's to that approach. Pro-I wasn't disappointed in the movie because I had seen it before. Pro - I was able to visualize the characters quite clearly having seen them brought to life on screen. Con - The actors were in my head the whole time. So I couldn't interpret the author's characters in my imagination. Morgan Freeman wasn't bad in my head, but J-Lo drove me nuts.
Anyway, on to the review.... The f...more
Anyway, on to the review.... The f...more
An Unfinished Life follows on the heels of Spragg's memoir about growing up on a Wyoming ranch, Where Rivers Change Direction, and his Western debut, The Fruits of Stone. This latest effort, which raises comparisons to Kent Haruf's Plainsong and Eventide (*** July/Aug 2004), delves into the world of fractured families. Memorable secondary characters contribute a great deal of spirit to this emotionally charged story of love, loss, betrayal, and reconciliation. Although most critics adored An Unf
...more
Mark Spraggs' An Unfinished Life by starts with a short poem by Mark Strand
Recognized as one of the premier contemporary American poets as well as an accomplished editor, translator and prose writer.
These wrinkles are nothing.
These gray hairs are nothing.
This stomach which sags
With old food, these bruised
and swollen ankles,
my darkening brain,
they are nothing.
I am the same boy
my mother used to kiss.
It set the tone for this lovely book about the Iowa boondocks. A mom Jean Gilkyson, who lives with...more
Recognized as one of the premier contemporary American poets as well as an accomplished editor, translator and prose writer.
These wrinkles are nothing.
These gray hairs are nothing.
This stomach which sags
With old food, these bruised
and swollen ankles,
my darkening brain,
they are nothing.
I am the same boy
my mother used to kiss.
It set the tone for this lovely book about the Iowa boondocks. A mom Jean Gilkyson, who lives with...more
May 07, 2010
Maggie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bookcrosser-s-gift,
fiction
Rating 4-1/2. One of the reasons I find book reviews so valuable is that they bring books like this to my notice, which otherwise would be unknown to me.
The writing in this book reminded me of Cormac McCarthy, except that it held more hope. The family made me think of Lark & Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips, another excellent book. The characters became my family and I laughed and cried with them.
I loved the characterizations in this book, especially Einar, Mitch, and Griff. Because the stor...more
The writing in this book reminded me of Cormac McCarthy, except that it held more hope. The family made me think of Lark & Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips, another excellent book. The characters became my family and I laughed and cried with them.
I loved the characterizations in this book, especially Einar, Mitch, and Griff. Because the stor...more
This book had all the makings of a Hollywood Robert Redford movie...and by golly, I discovered that it WAS made into a movie! With Robert Redford in the lead, no less. The usual, predictable characters are all here: the grumpy old cowboy with a chip on his shoulder but a soft heart in his chest, the good-hearted friend-of-cowboy who shows more courage than you'd expect, the lost and miserly single mom who is addicted to love, the eager and intelligent (and still trusting) little girl who is the...more
I loved this book, even after loving the movie. It grabbed me from the go and I found myself dreading that last turn of the page. It is so well-written, that the book provided vivid details of characters and settings to further support the movie clips that played in my brain.
This is a story of relationships. It's about being hurt by the people you love and learning to live and forgive. The author does an excellent job of developing the characters and presenting the conflicts and interactions amo...more
This is a story of relationships. It's about being hurt by the people you love and learning to live and forgive. The author does an excellent job of developing the characters and presenting the conflicts and interactions amo...more
Nov 24, 2010
Dawn Michelle
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-in-2010
Read~October 29, 2010
4 Stars
Basically, I am giving this book 4 stars for two reasons. #1 is that this is a really well-written book. The author is able to convincingly convey the emotions of each character, which isn't always the easiest thing to do, especially when one of the characters is a 10 year old girl.
#2 is because of said girl. Griff. The author has created an amazing character in this child. SHE is what MAKES this story. Griff is what MADE me continue reading this story!
This IS...more
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.
2 likes · like · see review
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. The author is very talented with creating scenes and with dialogue. The book's prose displayed a simple kind of beauty that is actually very hard for an author to capture. What I really missed in the book was character development, most notably with the Jean, Griff's mother. She was painted as a fairly negligent mother that forced her daughter to grow up quickly. Yet, several times people in the book said Griff was such a wonderful girl becau...more
Griff and her mom, Jean, head to Wyoming. Griff has convinced her mom to leave her physically abusive boyfriend and not go back. They head west and end up at the ranch of Griff's grandfather. Griff didn't know her father who died before she was born. She didn't know she had a grandfather.
Tension runs high between Jean and her father-in-law, both of whom are struggling to live with guilt over having failed to protected a loved one. Griff, unaware of the big issues, only knows that she feels like...more
Tension runs high between Jean and her father-in-law, both of whom are struggling to live with guilt over having failed to protected a loved one. Griff, unaware of the big issues, only knows that she feels like...more
After escaping the last of a long string of abusive boyfriends, Jean Gilkyson and her ten-year-old daughter Griff have nowhere left to go. Nowhere except Ishawooa, Wyoming, where Jean's estranged father-in-law, Einar, still blames her for the death of his son. Though Einar isn’t glad to see either of them, Griff falls in love with his sprawling ranch and quiet way of life, as she slowly gets to know his crippled old friend Mitch, the cats that lurk in the barn at milking time, and finally the gr...more
I instantly loved this book, and it held my interest all the way through as might be noted by the two day reading time. I read twenty four chapters the first day and stopped at chapter 25 when I sensed something scary was about to happen and it was too close to my bedtime to read it. I read the other thirteen chapters this afternoon. I’d give it six stars, as it surpasses many of my five star favorites.
An Unfinished Life is full of real, likable characters. It’s a safe place. Jean finally wakes...more
An Unfinished Life is full of real, likable characters. It’s a safe place. Jean finally wakes...more
Une vie inachevée nous plonge dans une petite bourgade isolée au fin fond du Wyoming. Einar, un vieil homme bourru et taciturne subit sa vie depuis la mort accidentelle de son fils. Il en veut terriblement à sa belle-fille d’avoir survécu à l’accident et la tient responsable de la mort de son fils. Incapable de surpasser son chagrin, l’arrivée inopinée de Jean et de sa petite-fille Griff, dont il ne connaissait pas l’existence, viendra bousculer ses habitudes et celle de son fidèle ami Mitch. Gr...more
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 family saga, and...more
An Unfinished Life is at its heart a family saga, and...more
I read this book after watching the movie with the same title. It starred Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Lopez. I loved the movie, however, I found the book and thought it would be more indepth, and it was. The movie followed very closely the book except for the ending. Both movie and book were enjoyable. The language was a little saltier than I usually read, however, characters in the book were that way too. I recommend it for more adult readers if you can get past the language.
Spragg has written an excellent novel, whether classified as western fiction or not. The prose is tight yet descriptive. The characters are strong while their flaws are upfront. And while it is western fiction, it ranks with the work of Stegner, Kittredge, Watson, McCarthy, and anyone else you'd like to add. Like an unbroken pony this story takes you for a wild ride from the moment you saddle up with it and carries you through until you're both broken, tamed, and ready for a well-earned rub down...more
Story of a disfunctional family -- Jean, the abused spouse, her young daughter, Giff and her recent brutal boyfriend, Roy. Jean and Giff escape and run to Einar, her father-in-law who lives in a run down ranch in Wyoming. Einar takes care of his Korean war buddy, Mitch, who was mauled by a bear. This is a story of forgiveness and reconciliation. I enjoyed the story from Giff's point of view. The language of of the boyfriend, Roy is strong and obscene. The ending seemed rushed and sketchy.
I consider myself a consistent reader, finishing about a book a week. I have a regular routine. It is unusual that I stay up past midnight to read. I read this story in a single sitting, starting at about 7:00pm and ending, well, pretty early.
I agree with much in the other reviews here. I found this story to be a very visual experience, a testament to Spragg's talent in describing the Wyoming landscape. The characters are interesting and believable, but not always predictable (in other words, ve...more
I agree with much in the other reviews here. I found this story to be a very visual experience, a testament to Spragg's talent in describing the Wyoming landscape. The characters are interesting and believable, but not always predictable (in other words, ve...more
I had to read this for a Film Literature course I took in High School. Overall its a pretty good book and I probably would have given it a 3 but I was fortunate enough to meet the author, Mark Spragg. I absolutely adored listening to him talk and even read a section from his book.
The most memorable part of this book was when the male character is rubbing his African American friends back...it's written beautifully.
The most memorable part of this book was when the male character is rubbing his African American friends back...it's written beautifully.
This was a simple story, well written, but very predictable. I never felt I truly understood Jean and her feelings, but then she also never seemed to be very warm towards her daughter. The story of an abused woman taking her child away and ending up having to face her past problems is interesting enough and situations were resolved neatly - so, I guess, it was worthwhile reading - just not one of my all-time greats.
When I began reading it I thought it could have been written by Kent Haruf and was interested to read at the very end that he did have a hand in editing it. I loved the story but then again I love to read about women escaping abusive partners with children in tow only to find love and comfort in a small sleepy town oh, and throw in a couple of old sad men too and I'm really hooked.
Jean and her daughter, Griff are trying to start over and they have no place to go except for her dead husband's father's place and she is not exactly welcome there. I enjoyed the fact that the book was set in Wyoming. One of my favorite states and he described it perfectly. I couldn't put the book down. I saw that there was a movie made from the book and I am going to have to check it out.
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Mark Spragg is the author of Where Rivers Change Direction, a memoir that won the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers award, and the novels The Fruit of Stone and An Unfinished Life, which was chosen by the Rocky Mountain News as the Best Book of 2004. All three were top-ten Book Sense selections and have been translated into fifteen languages. He lives with his wife, Virginia, in Wyomi...more
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