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19th out of 36 books
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183 voters
Illumination Night
Vonny lives on the island of Martha's Vineyard with her husband Andre and son Simon. Their neighbour Elizabeth, a woman in her seventies, falls from an upstairs window and her granddaughter Jody is summoned to nurse her through her convalescence.
The scene is set for a magical story of love and loneliness, of terror and human frailty, of the mystery and grace of ordinary ex...more
The scene is set for a magical story of love and loneliness, of terror and human frailty, of the mystery and grace of ordinary ex...more
Paperback
Published
April 4th 2002
by Vintage
(first published August 5th 1987)
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one of my favorite alice hoffman books, aside from "the river king". her old stuff is soooooooo much better than the new.
so. much. better.
anyhow, it takes place on the vineyard, which was excellent, becuase i could picture everything in my brain. also, her imagery and prose is aMAZing; it's like one really long poem, rahter than a novel. the characers are facinating too--they are flawed, but you love them, and you hurt for them, and you wish they were actual people that lived next door. and then...more
so. much. better.
anyhow, it takes place on the vineyard, which was excellent, becuase i could picture everything in my brain. also, her imagery and prose is aMAZing; it's like one really long poem, rahter than a novel. the characers are facinating too--they are flawed, but you love them, and you hurt for them, and you wish they were actual people that lived next door. and then...more
Alice Hoffman can write. She can really write. She knows characters, and she knows how to plot, and there's that other thing she does. Atmosphere, perhaps? I don't know exactly what it is she does, but I like it.
That said, her style is maybe a bit too idiosyncratic, especially in this book. Viewpoint changes from character to character all the way through, but it's not a classic omniscient viewpoint, we're straight in the character's heads exploring their hopes, dreams, past and future, then str...more
That said, her style is maybe a bit too idiosyncratic, especially in this book. Viewpoint changes from character to character all the way through, but it's not a classic omniscient viewpoint, we're straight in the character's heads exploring their hopes, dreams, past and future, then str...more
I picked up this book on a summer vacation in Martha's Vineyard and was both charmed and entertained by it. The tradition of Illumination Night and the summer gatherings of Methodist families on the island make a kind of magical, firefly-lit ambiance for this tale of people, young and old, whose lives intersect in unexpected ways.
The most fascinating character for me was the agoraphobic young wife, trapped in her house by fears she can barely articulate. Hoffman's treatment of this characters is...more
The most fascinating character for me was the agoraphobic young wife, trapped in her house by fears she can barely articulate. Hoffman's treatment of this characters is...more
This is one of the most beautiful and haunting novels that I've ever read. Hoffman's words flow out with so little perceived effort, almost carelessly rendering our most minor and most deep-seated fears, hopes and dreams in so mystical yet so pragmatic a manner. She combines mysticism, psychological insight and magical realism so that the three get immersed as one. What occurs is a poetic structure of intensity in the simple and benigh aspects of human existence. The ordinary becomes bizarre, wh...more
Nothing magical in this book by magical realism author, Alice Hoffman. Basically a two year chronicle of people living on Martha's Vineyard, "Illumination Nights" is a lesson in tedium.
First we have Vonny who is treated horribly by her father (a stereotypical New York millionaire) but never deals or reacts to it except to develop a crushing case of agarophobia. Vonny is married to Andre, a man who doesn't communicate. They have a son, Simon, who goes from 4-6 with all of the baggage of a toddler...more
First we have Vonny who is treated horribly by her father (a stereotypical New York millionaire) but never deals or reacts to it except to develop a crushing case of agarophobia. Vonny is married to Andre, a man who doesn't communicate. They have a son, Simon, who goes from 4-6 with all of the baggage of a toddler...more
Illumination Night was my favorite book for about a decade of my life. I haven't read it in over ten years so, after my sister re-read my copy at my house over Thanksgiving, I decided to. God, how I love this book. It and Josephine Humphryes book Dreams of Sleep are the two books I'd pick as books I'd give anything to have the talent to have written.
Illumination Night tells the story of a couple, their son, the old lady who lives next door and her rebellious granddaughter. All live in Chilmark...more
Illumination Night tells the story of a couple, their son, the old lady who lives next door and her rebellious granddaughter. All live in Chilmark...more
This book gets a big fat MEH, from me. It’s not horrible, it’s just boring. I’ve read and enjoyed some of Hoffman’s other books, like Practical Magic and Blue Diary, so I thought I’d try this one. The novel, set on Martha’s Vineyard, introduces us to a variety of characters, but never really settles into a groove.
One of the major problems is that Hoffman is trying to tell too many stories at once. First there’s Vonny, who has issues with her rich father and is suffering from agoraphobia. Then we...more
One of the major problems is that Hoffman is trying to tell too many stories at once. First there’s Vonny, who has issues with her rich father and is suffering from agoraphobia. Then we...more
Jan 01, 2009
Terri Ann
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed,
magical-realism
Yeah. Hrm. Creepy that I picked up a book about a 34 year old agoraphobe. Well, not so much about but certainly plays a significant part in the plot. Yes, thank you universe for reminding me to leave the house without invitation. I get it.
This is a heavily metaphoric book, I think, so I'm sure I can't articulate it's true meaning, but I certainly get its flavor. I found it to be about endings, including death, but it wasn't depressing. It was more about surviving endings I suppose; that's it's...more
This is a heavily metaphoric book, I think, so I'm sure I can't articulate it's true meaning, but I certainly get its flavor. I found it to be about endings, including death, but it wasn't depressing. It was more about surviving endings I suppose; that's it's...more
Andre and Vonny have been married and living on Martha’s Vineyard for five years, but their marriage is strained to near the breaking point. Part (though far from all) of the problem is their worry over their son Simon, who is tiny for his age and may have a growth disorder. Their next-door neighbor, Elizabeth, is a seventy-nine year old woman recovering from a fall (jump?) from her second-story window. (Was it an accident? A suicide attempt? A momentary belief she could fly?) Elizabeth’s sevent...more
It's been a while since I picked up a novel, so I was looking for something quick, easy, and entertaining. This novel definitely delivered. About a decade ago, I read Hoffman's "Practical Magic" and wasn't much a fan. (Could be because I was 18.) I enjoyed this novel much more though. It included a pretty interesting cast of characters all struggling with their own small-town drama.
This book was weak in developing certain characters and was cheesy in many areas, so it lost a lot points with me t...more
This book was weak in developing certain characters and was cheesy in many areas, so it lost a lot points with me t...more
For a book called Illumination Night , there sure is a shadow over this story. The majority of the time, the characters are all in significant inner turmoil. They have their brief glimpses of joy, but then the perspective shifts back to another character in angst. I also find the dolefulness of the characters overly-contrived for the sake of soap-opera-esque melodrama. It evoked for me the mental eye rolling previously reserved for the Twilight series. The book plays out somewhat like a fairyta...more
Okay, so whatever I read right after Bitterblue was bound to suffer in terms of my expectations being super high, etc. but... I just don't think this was executed well at all.
The plot and the characters are all kind of simple, and I don't actually mean two-dimensional in this case - they all seem to have some depth - but it's just, there's nothing very original about any of it - not the people nor the events.
And in almost every person's case, I feel as if the story could have been fleshed out be...more
The plot and the characters are all kind of simple, and I don't actually mean two-dimensional in this case - they all seem to have some depth - but it's just, there's nothing very original about any of it - not the people nor the events.
And in almost every person's case, I feel as if the story could have been fleshed out be...more
The first time I read this book I was in my early twenties and never married. At that time, I remember rooting for Jody. I recently re-read Illumination Night and now I find myself looking at the characters in a different way since I am in my early thirties and married. This time I rooted for Vonny instead. My favorite characters in the story are Eddie and Elizabeth Renny.
I love the way so many different phases of life are represented in one story.
Another cool aspect of the book is the town; whe...more
I love the way so many different phases of life are represented in one story.
Another cool aspect of the book is the town; whe...more
Perhaps it is this book's misfortune that I read it while reading two other vivid, passionate books. (One comedy, one tragedy.) They were so full of life and colour and character that Illumination Night definitely suffered in comparison.
The characters in Illumination Night are painted in pastels, and not terribly detailed pastels at that. By the end of the book, with the exception of maybe one character, I couldn't have told you a damned thing about who any of them were or how they got that way....more
The characters in Illumination Night are painted in pastels, and not terribly detailed pastels at that. By the end of the book, with the exception of maybe one character, I couldn't have told you a damned thing about who any of them were or how they got that way....more
Very, very good. Compelling characters with serious flaws who are nevertheless still quite likeable. I love Alice Hoffman! There's no one else quite like her.
It's so rare that I'll pick up an adult shelf from one of our bookshelves, but I'd forgotten to bring home more YA from the library...so...
I really loved this book for the lyrical language, the intensity of the relationships and the unpredictable (yet SO right) twists and turns of the plot. The novel is set on Martha's Vineyard and at first follows the marital strife of one young couple after a young, hot teenager moves in next door and tempts the young husband. It seems like that will be the st...more
I really loved this book for the lyrical language, the intensity of the relationships and the unpredictable (yet SO right) twists and turns of the plot. The novel is set on Martha's Vineyard and at first follows the marital strife of one young couple after a young, hot teenager moves in next door and tempts the young husband. It seems like that will be the st...more
Alice Hoffman is such a wonderful writer. I have enjoyed every book that I have read so far and I anxiously await the next one. She writes lyrically and with such wonderful description that you are easily transported in to the story and the scenes created in each moment. I have never read an author that is so good and writing characters you truly detest - those women who are never satisfied and are always bitter with resentment along side characters that are so pure and so wounded, while not per...more
My last trip to the library didn't seem promising when it came to Hoffman books, but this weekend I got lucky and scored three of them, one of the being "Illumination Night." (I'm hesitating on putting any on reserve due to the weather and craziness of the holiday season). Way past the point I was at a few months ago, I know look forward to her books, optimistic that they'll be a good read.
"Illumination Night" is set in Martha's Vineyard, where a young couple, Vonny and Andre, are struggling wi...more
"Illumination Night" is set in Martha's Vineyard, where a young couple, Vonny and Andre, are struggling wi...more
I fell in love with all of the characters in this book, especially Jody. There was so much "meat" to this book; rich and beautifully tragic lives brought together, so characteristic of Hoffman. The ending was disappointing though, primarily because I felt that there were too many unanswered questions. Ultimately, it felt very "rushed", as if the author was on a deadline, and had to wrap it up before she could see it all the way through.
Illumination Night gets its name from a festival of lanterns held yearly on a summer night on Martha's Vineyard. Most of the characters in the book have troubles or needs. Vonny and Andre's marriage is strained, and Vonny is having panic attacks. Jody, the teenager next door, is running wild, but her relationship with her grandmother benefits both of them. A young boy has problems because he is growing at an abnormally slow rate, while a gigantic neighbor down the road keeps himself hidden becau...more
Not quite what I expected. Perhaps the title was meant to be ironic...the characters never seemed to find illumination, and I found myself wanting to shake some of them. Despite that, there were several for whom I developed an attachment, and I felt compelled to learn what happened to them. This was one of Hoffman's earlier books, and I prefer some of her more recent work.
This was the first Alice Hoffman book I ever read and I will always remember the way it made me feel.
As a writer, I am always interested in improving my own work and what I'm working on now is figuring out what emotional experience I want to deliver (thanks to a fantastic workshop I took with Alexandra Sokoloff).
Hoffman delivers that emotional experience beautifully.
As a writer, I am always interested in improving my own work and what I'm working on now is figuring out what emotional experience I want to deliver (thanks to a fantastic workshop I took with Alexandra Sokoloff).
Hoffman delivers that emotional experience beautifully.
I knew when I was in my bookbuying phase that I was building a book IRA. This 1987 novel was waiting in my bookcase like a hidden jewel. I opened it and it started to glow, an illumination that didn't let up through the entire novel. The title refers to a summer celebration on Martha's Vineyard, but the illumination carries through to the reader.
This book has the kinds of characters you fall immediately in love with, from the rebellious teenage girl, to her elderly grandmother, the sullen motorcycle enthusiast and his tiny four year old son who just can't grow fast enough and his mother who has severe anxiety issues. Every character is someone you want to know. Every character is beautifully created and woven into the story.
I flew threw this book very quickly, but it was the last chapter that stopped me. I read the last chapter of this book three times, and I just sobbed. I don't think I've been moved by a piece of literature like this since reading Time Traveler's Wife. The writing was so heartbreakingly beautiful... it just blew me away. This is a real gem!
So this was not my favorite of Hoffman's books, but the story grew on me and became more hopeful by the end. Once the Giant was introduced, I was more attached to the story. For some reason it was hard for me to believe at the beginning and through the middle of the book that Andre, a father and husband, would fall in love with a stupid high-school girl. I enjoyed the characters themselves more then their drama at some points. Vonny's hereditary agoraphobia seems to be what ultimately saves her...more
A story of family and neighbors that covers all ages - 4 year old Simon to the elder neighbor. While I found myself very involved in the lives it seemed to stretch the imagination - a young granddaughter falls in love with the neighborhood 'giant', tragic death, unexplained end of a relationship.
I loved this book through most of its 250 or so pages, though I felt that the author ran out of steam towards the end. The first two-thirds of the novel were extremely well-written and very engaging. However, when the book was finished I felt a little let down, as if the resolution was incomplete.
I appreciated the narrative, especially that there was no supernatural element. However, the storyline ends with little finality. I don't need a happily-ever-after ending, but it just felt like there could have been more to wrap up the various plots. Also the title is misleading because the illumination night is not an integral part of the plot or theme. It wasn't a cheery plot, but it wasn't nearly as dark as Story Sisters.
This is good. Once again, Hoffman has an array of characters who are "the walking wounded" yet when their stories and lives all interconnect, they are able to help/save one another. Hoffman is good with characterization. I like her books which have a bit of magical realism to them.
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Alice Hoffman was born in New York City on March 16, 1952 and grew up on Long Island. After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Adelphi University, from which she received a BA, and then received a Mirrellees Fellowship to the Stanford University Creative Writing Center, which she attended in 1973 and 74, receiving an MA in creative writing. She currently lives in Boston and New York...more
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“He fell in love with the way she closed her eyes, long before he fell in love with her.”
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