From the author of While I Was Gone, a stunning new novel that showcases Sue Miller's singular gift for exposing the nerves that lie hidden ...
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Apr 17, 2008
Alyson
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I really enjoyed this book. I loved the image of the town below the lake. I also loved the grandmother's journal and how the granddaughter learns not only about he grandmother, but herself by reading it.
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Jul 02, 2011
Rebecca
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God, I totally forgot what happened in this book. I think I carried it around with me for a long time as something better kept coming up, but as I neared the end of my travels, it was either read it, or leave it. So because I had like 4 days to kill in Alice, I read it. There were two stories going on at once here. Women leaves her world on the West Coast to take over a house that was left to her by a relative on the East Coast and she discovers what she thought about her relations, wasn't what
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May 16, 2011
Sarah
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"The World Below" tells the story of a woman who goes back to her grandmother's home and unravels some of the details of her grandparents' lives when they were young. The novel writes alternately about modern-day Cath and Georgia, her grandmother. The parts detailing her grandmother's life are compelling and rich and make for pleasurable reading. The transitions back to Cath's life are jarring and just a teeny bit dull.
Many books successfully employ this method, but Miller's cha More...
Many books successfully employ this method, but Miller's cha More...
Oct 01, 2009
Kim
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I like Sue Miller. I have read a few of her books and rub my hands in excitement at the fact that I have unread offerings on my bookshelves.
The story of this book revolves around two women, Georgia the grandmother and Catherine her granddaughter. Catherine is all grown up and becomes a grandmother herself by the end of the book.
The book very easily and clearly moves between the stories of the women. Georgia’s grandmother is also a character, briefly, as is Catherine’s g More...
The story of this book revolves around two women, Georgia the grandmother and Catherine her granddaughter. Catherine is all grown up and becomes a grandmother herself by the end of the book.
The book very easily and clearly moves between the stories of the women. Georgia’s grandmother is also a character, briefly, as is Catherine’s g More...
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Jun 11, 2010
Shauna
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A good book about relationships through generations of time. I prefered the storyline of Georgia and her life rather than that of present day Cath. At times I felt the author was forcing the parallels betweeen the two characters. They both lost their mothers in their youth, they both were given a chance to live with their grandparents after the death of their mothers, they were both able to have their lives changed by being away from family for a time; Georgia in the sanitorium and Cath in Pa
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Mar 30, 2011
Kim
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This title was suggested to me during a reader advisory class last quarter based on my interest in Anita Shreve, stories about "the human drama", and split narratives. This title indeed fits that bill - its tone and its frame will feel very familiar to Anita Shreve fans who like a great deal of internal dialogue. The story elements of loss, aging, divorce, and mid- to late-life changes will also resonate for Shreve readers.
Perhaps it's because I didn't know my own grandpare More...
Perhaps it's because I didn't know my own grandpare More...
Jul 24, 2009
Amy
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At first glance this book is deceptively simple. I loved that the whole story was about Cath, the main character, discovering the history and life of her grandparents. It's about her life and her grandparents, how it enterwined, how they influenced each other's, growing up and understanding your parents or grandparents as complete people and not just in the role you're used to seeing them in. My grandparents recently visited and getting to know them as adults is entirely different then spending
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Jun 22, 2011
Kathleen
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I read this book 5 years ago and really enjoyed it. Some members of the book club I belonged to at that time were offended by portions of the book which I did not understand at all. I think it is dangerous to make value judgements about book character's decisions especially when we are talking about fictional characters. To me, every character's actions and thoughts present an opportunity to learn something. It is usually the mark of a good author because these decisions and actions by chara
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May 26, 2010
Mary
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This novel was, for me, by no means a page turner. I did like reading about young Georgia's life, but not so much about her granddaughter Cath's. I wanted to like this book a lot more. Ms. Miller's switching back and forth between Cath in the current day, Georgia's youth, then teenage memories of Cath, then Georgia's diary excerpts, just didn't come across smoothly enough to me as a reader. (I'm finding this review difficult to articulate here, so I sound to myself as self-involved as Cath does
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Aug 20, 2010
April
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The thing that stuck with me about this novel was the image of those houses below that resevoir. It reminded me of the novel Evidence of Things Unseen.
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Jan 20, 2010
Colleen
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I found myself not liking the main characters in this book very much and either didn't think the novel had much to say or didn't care for what it did say. The women in the story had a frustrating way of blaming others or circumstances for the choices they themselves made. And they seemed to make a lot of baffling turns and sudden changes of direction that made no sense in the context of the novel to me. I couldn't relate to them and I couldn't appreciate them, either. Sometimes a novel with
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Apr 25, 2011
Laura
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The author told the story of a family in this book, so it switched between the past and the present to tell the story of a grandmother and her grown granddaughter. Normally, I really like this format. However, the story wasn't as compelling as I'd hoped. I really liked the grandmother's storyline, but got a little bored with the narrator (the granddaughter) and felt like her part of the story lacked direction.
I don't regret reading this book, but I wish Miller had focused on telling More...
I don't regret reading this book, but I wish Miller had focused on telling More...
Mar 09, 2011
Natalie
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Talk about "nothing happens." As a writer, I've heard editors whining about the importance of not only plot points, but many of them.
However, I'm 2/3rd's through this and cannot find ANY plot points! The result, a slow, slow read, even if I do like the characters.
OK, now I'm at the point where the plot unravels a bit with the narrator and her grandmother, Georgia. You see it coming a mile away, but you're relieved when you get there.
Finished it. More...
However, I'm 2/3rd's through this and cannot find ANY plot points! The result, a slow, slow read, even if I do like the characters.
OK, now I'm at the point where the plot unravels a bit with the narrator and her grandmother, Georgia. You see it coming a mile away, but you're relieved when you get there.
Finished it. More...
Nov 27, 2008
Melissa
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Sue Miller is one of my favorite authors. Her ability to tackle emotionally complicated characters is a true gift. Through small details she develops characters I feel I've met walking down any ordinary street. Not a bit formulaic or tidy, the characters are too lifelike for that. Its the kind of quiet resolve, an optimistic note at the end resembling brief moments I've had in my own life. While I enjoyed World Below, if I were to recommend one of Miller's work as her best it would be "Whi
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Nov 15, 2009
Lullyweb
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 19, 2009
Jennifer
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I will rate and discuss at bookclub
I'm sorry I didn't make it to bookclub. I'm sure this book brought a lot of discussion. I would really rate it a 3.5. This was definley two stories in one. I loved hearing about Georgias life and how she ended up in "the sans". It was interesting to me to hear about this part of american medical history. The sans was like its own culture and society with different rules. She was a wonderful character as for her grandaughter I had no More...
I'm sorry I didn't make it to bookclub. I'm sure this book brought a lot of discussion. I would really rate it a 3.5. This was definley two stories in one. I loved hearing about Georgias life and how she ended up in "the sans". It was interesting to me to hear about this part of american medical history. The sans was like its own culture and society with different rules. She was a wonderful character as for her grandaughter I had no More...
May 25, 2009
Emily
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This book was a quick read. If it had not been a quick read, I would not have bothered finishing it. I did not find the point of the story well-defined, and I also thought the parallel between the grandmother's and granddaughter's lives was weak. I was personally frustrated by the main character; I felt that she would find her life less confusing if she exercised some agency in instead of settling to being acted upon.
May 05, 2011
Amy
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I read this book after reading Miller's "The Senator's Wife" and wanting to read more by her. I really found the imagery in this book fantastic! Miller does an excellent job of placing people in real life scenarios and then giving a provocative twist. The images of cities below a lake and the stories of her grandmother were very engaging, and I kept wanting to find out what would happen next. A great read!
Feb 10, 2012
Amy
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This book focuses on Cath, who goes to live in her grandmother's house in Vermont as a break from her messy life in California. Cath tries to understand her own relationships while learning about her grandmother's youth through discovered journals. I liked the threads that wove together women and their relationships with their mothers and their attempts to navigate relationships with men.
I found this book to be understated but enjoyable. I'm not sure I will remember it for a long time, More...
I found this book to be understated but enjoyable. I'm not sure I will remember it for a long time, More...
Nov 23, 2010
Elizabeth
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This book was pretty much like reading a Lifetime movie. Divorced woman finds her grandmothers diaries, uncovers pieces of her past at a time when she is trying to decide what to do with her future. It wasn't bad really, but it wasn't good either. I actually put it down for a few days to read another book, and when I came back to this book I realized I hadn't missed it at all. I was hoping for some sort of climactic ending, but no such luck.
Mar 11, 2011
Shauna
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I am intrigued by this statement: "For her it was, I would say, the central invisible fact of her life. And yet you could write her life’s story without including it if you didn’t know specifically about it. It was simply underneath everything else."
"My theory is everyone always wants to know, even when they don’t have an inkling of what they want to know about."
"My theory is everyone always wants to know, even when they don’t have an inkling of what they want to know about."
Dec 27, 2011
Dlittle
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Another book I had already read!!! UGGHHH! It was a good book about a woman after her 2nd divorce going to stay at her grandmother's house, where she had been raised. She finds a lot about her grandmother. Her grandmother had been to a TB sanitarium when she was younger before she married her grandfather and had a relationship with a boy she met there. OK book, not sure if I would recommend. Easy, light reading.
Nov 04, 2010
Beverlee
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I was underwhelmed by the book as I listened to it but after I was done - it lingered and really made me think. I think it would be a great book club book because there are lots of themes to discuss and tease out. The "world below theme" is very subtle at first but really comes through in the final chapter and I love when I can actually "get" a theme!
Mar 31, 2009
Shirley
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Perhaps I read this one too close to "The Senator's Wife", which I had enjoyed. This one just seemed to have no real point, except perhaps that our lives are never fully understood. We can see the impact of some events, but only hindsight gives us a bit of clarity as to what it all means.
Sep 19, 2009
Sera
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I found this book to be scattered at times. It was not my favorite book, but I also liked the story of Georgia. Georgia was a strong woman and did not always have the easiest life. In this book decisions that were made affected the lives of many people. Dr. Holbrooke made the decision to put Georgia in the San. He thought he was doing the right thing for her, but the bigger question was he doing it for himself? He finds out later in life that the decision had consequences and he couldn't b
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Mar 19, 2009
Heidi
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What a great book! I don't know how I've missed this one sitting on my bookshelves for years. Loved the way the story spanned generations, in such a well written way. I found the historical TB story line and the treatment by sending off to the 'sans' for months very interesting as well.
Most go to the library today for my next Sue Miller book!
Most go to the library today for my next Sue Miller book!
Jul 27, 2011
Veronica
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A well written novel about two women: Catherine, present time in her 50's and her grandmother, Georgia, who examine their lives and the changes and decisions each has made. Although years separate them, their life choices are similar and each grows with their experiences. A poignant story.
Oct 21, 2010
Mendy
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I started off loving this book, I think the plot really registered with me, my mom died when I was young and my grandmother became a very important figure. But as I got deeper into the plot it lost some of its allure. It was still enjoyable and an easy quick read. The ending was predictable but pleasant.
May 17, 2011
Denise
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I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book narrated by Judith Ivey and loved some of Sue Miller's evocative language. The dual narrative of Grandmother Georgia and Granddaughter Catherine explored both their worlds in various times of their lives and the parallels of experience for both women. I found this book to be a mature reflection on how events in a person's life can be seen so differently, based on one's experience and knowledge of the background leading to those events. I look forward
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Mar 15, 2010
Pamelarbroadley
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Sue Miller is always a great read-- good chick-lit stuff about the interwoven strands of a woman's life-- romance, family, sexuality, profession, personal history. Astute observations about motives, emotions and self growth. Believable details that pull you in to the story.
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