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241st out of 2,658 books
—
7,355 voters
Crossing to Safety
Called a "magnificently crafted story . . . brimming with wisdom" by Howard Frank Mosher in "The Washington Post Book World," "Crossing to Safety" has, since its publication in 1987, established itself as one of the greatest and most cherished American novels of the twentieth century. Tracing the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who move between Vermont and Wis...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
April 9th 2002
by Modern Library
(first published 1987)
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Apr 24, 2012
Melody
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
wow-bookgroup,
favorites
There are some books that seem to have tiny leaks in their spines and covers and pages and release almost unnoticeable misty, smoky particles of their story – well not so much their story but the mood that is created by the story – out into the “real” world. And when reading these books you find – or at least I find (I should shift my point of reference to me not you) that I am seeing things in my daily routine through a sort of cloud that at first I don’t recognize but then suddenly it dawns on...more
This could be the anti-Gatsby. As the description says, there's no illicit sex, no conspicuous waste, no death wishes, and no (overt) violence. Things that other writers would seize upon and conflate into enormous crises - poverty, disappointment, illness, violent accidents - come across as ordinary and unremarkable, a part of the regular tapestry of a person's life.
But this portrait of a decades-long friendship between two married couples is so well written and so emotionally resonant that it s...more
But this portrait of a decades-long friendship between two married couples is so well written and so emotionally resonant that it s...more
As I am waiting for Angle of Repose to arrive for me to read, I started going back through CTS and skimming through it. These years later the passage that has remained closest to me is this:
You can plan all you want to. You can lie in your morning bed and fill whole notebooks with schemes and intentions. But within a single afternoon, within hours or minutes, everything you plan and everything you have fought to make yourself can be undone as a slug is undone when salt is pured on him. And right...more
You can plan all you want to. You can lie in your morning bed and fill whole notebooks with schemes and intentions. But within a single afternoon, within hours or minutes, everything you plan and everything you have fought to make yourself can be undone as a slug is undone when salt is pured on him. And right...more
How do you make a book that anyone will read out of lives as quiet as these?
Stegner did it.
We follow two married couples from their bright eyed 1930s youth to their retirement years. There's no razzle dazzle, no shocks or mysteries, no scandals or horrors . Their hurts are subtle and familiar.
The writing is solid and reflective and downright beautiful.
I found the story to be mostly about acceptance. Loving people even when you don't like them. Finding satisfaction in life even when your plans f...more
Stegner did it.
We follow two married couples from their bright eyed 1930s youth to their retirement years. There's no razzle dazzle, no shocks or mysteries, no scandals or horrors . Their hurts are subtle and familiar.
The writing is solid and reflective and downright beautiful.
I found the story to be mostly about acceptance. Loving people even when you don't like them. Finding satisfaction in life even when your plans f...more
Aug 09, 2007
Steel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Married people or those about to wed; current or future graduate students
So I read this book in Boise just before moving to Madison to start grad school. I had purchased it at Pioneer books in Provo (I think that's what the place with the millions of books and the tall strange owner who wears sandals with socks) a few years ago and then had never read it. I was at my parents' house one day when I decided to go out to their garage and try to find a couple of interesting books to read. I just felt like I should read this book, and I did. I felt like I had been purposef...more
This book was my introduction to Wallace Stegner. Since then, I have read all of his novels with the expception of his first, Lucky Star (I think). I am forever grateful to the women of the Reading Group I was then a member of for bringing me to Mr. Stegner, one of the finest writers I've read.
A wonderful story of friendship and the power and suprises it can bring you. Stegner's amazing ability to present things in new ways never disappoints me. I was quite surprised by the twists at the end tha...more
A wonderful story of friendship and the power and suprises it can bring you. Stegner's amazing ability to present things in new ways never disappoints me. I was quite surprised by the twists at the end tha...more
Jan 10, 2009
Jan C
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Stegner fans
Shelves:
lit
This was my first Wallace Stegner book (other than my high school English Composition book). I kind of picked it up by accident. But I just loved it. I read it in one afternoon. I just couldn't put it down.
Much of it took place in a college town - that's mainly where Stegner had lived throughout his life. And I could identify with that, having lived in college towns both as a student and a resident.
And I suppose it reminded me of some of the people I have known. People who are such good friends...more
Much of it took place in a college town - that's mainly where Stegner had lived throughout his life. And I could identify with that, having lived in college towns both as a student and a resident.
And I suppose it reminded me of some of the people I have known. People who are such good friends...more
This is another book where nothing out of the ordinary happens, that doesn't particularly go anywhere, isn't thrilling or depressing or elicit any overpowering emotion...but it's ok. There are little ups and little downs and Stegner's writing is all very calm and calming, and my main motivation for finishing the book was making sure that everyone got through relatively unscathed. Which they do, sort of, since even what tragedy there is exists on a smaller, quieter scale than one might expect fro...more
A story of love and friendship, marriage, and career aspirations, this book is on my top 10 list. The characters will remind you of people you love and people that challenge you.
The bonus for me is that part of the book takes place at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where the protagonist is a professor!
Its the human spirit defined... ok so maybe that is a bit melodramatic but the book is not!
The bonus for me is that part of the book takes place at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where the protagonist is a professor!
Its the human spirit defined... ok so maybe that is a bit melodramatic but the book is not!
Stegner has many beautiful little moments of writing in this book that made me pause for a few minutes to fully absorb his rich and subtle storytelling.
His characters seemed incredibly real and complex and their interactions rang really true; at times I was as uncomfortable reading some of the loaded exchanges as I might be in my own life when dealing with awkward or challenging relationships.
His characters seemed incredibly real and complex and their interactions rang really true; at times I was as uncomfortable reading some of the loaded exchanges as I might be in my own life when dealing with awkward or challenging relationships.
I really loved this book. I gave it five stars in spite of its failing to meet one of my three criteria for a five-star rating: that it be a page-turner, a book I can hardly stand to put down. This book is anything but a page turner--you won't find murder, violence, illicit love affairs, or any number of other elements that make for a cliffhanger. The story unfolds slowly, sweetly, and yet it is a story I was always anxious to come back to. Stegner manages to turn the very ordinary story of two...more
The stars I gave this book are for the writing quality. It is very good writing. The author was very good at metaphor, and a carrying the metaphor throughout the book. I also like his blunt analogies.
The author paints a picture by jumping from present to past, to not-so-far in the past, back to the further-back past, back to the present, etc. It's kind of interesting. I'm not sure I like it, but I guess I don't hate it either.
The story itself, was kind of boring. I'm not even sure what the book...more
The author paints a picture by jumping from present to past, to not-so-far in the past, back to the further-back past, back to the present, etc. It's kind of interesting. I'm not sure I like it, but I guess I don't hate it either.
The story itself, was kind of boring. I'm not even sure what the book...more
I have to respectfully disagree with a previous mention of the overuse of lugubrious.
5.0 STARS
I had to hold off on writing this review due the simple fact that it did have an emotional impact on me. I thought I may only give it 4 stars, due the casual, meandering way the story is told. But further consideration led me to understand the way in which the way the story was told is elemental in helping to understand a beautiful friendship and the inherent value of all the positives and negatives that come with that friendship.
After finishing this book I keep going back to Larry's mi...more
I had to hold off on writing this review due the simple fact that it did have an emotional impact on me. I thought I may only give it 4 stars, due the casual, meandering way the story is told. But further consideration led me to understand the way in which the way the story was told is elemental in helping to understand a beautiful friendship and the inherent value of all the positives and negatives that come with that friendship.
After finishing this book I keep going back to Larry's mi...more
For me this book is difficult to review. On the one hand I needed two weeks for 280 pages which is not a good sign, on the other hand I enjoyed reading it a lot. In the end I did not know how to rate it. Instead of deciding spontaneously I listened two the both voices in my head (yes, I hear voices), the Good Guy and the Bad Guy. I will give you just a short summary of their dialogue.
GG: "You must be kidding. Three stars for this excellently written masterpiece?"
BG: "I don't object that part, it...more
GG: "You must be kidding. Three stars for this excellently written masterpiece?"
BG: "I don't object that part, it...more
It is so beautifully written. It is like a song. I feel like I need to drink up all the words and savor this book.
I am finishing this book tomorrow. I am fity pages from the end. I will be sad when it is over.
Well, I finished the book. Usually, I read pretty quickly and can read more than one book at a time. However, this book captivated me. I love the language of the book. I would highly reccomend it to people who enjoy carefully crafted sentences. Despite the metphore, imagery, and many "quot...more
I am finishing this book tomorrow. I am fity pages from the end. I will be sad when it is over.
Well, I finished the book. Usually, I read pretty quickly and can read more than one book at a time. However, this book captivated me. I love the language of the book. I would highly reccomend it to people who enjoy carefully crafted sentences. Despite the metphore, imagery, and many "quot...more
Written by Wallace Stegner, author of one of my all-time favorite books Angle of Repose, Crossing To Safety describes with beautiful prose the art and act of friendship.
Two couples, Larry and Sally Morgan and Sid and Charity Lang, are both young couples living in Madison, Wiscosin during the Great Depression. Larry and Sid both have teaching jobs in the English Department at the university and Sally and Charity are both pregnant with similar due dates. The friendship between the four of them are...more
Two couples, Larry and Sally Morgan and Sid and Charity Lang, are both young couples living in Madison, Wiscosin during the Great Depression. Larry and Sid both have teaching jobs in the English Department at the university and Sally and Charity are both pregnant with similar due dates. The friendship between the four of them are...more
I've been thinking the last few days (that's what Stegner does best--makes one think), what IS it about this novel that's so incredibly profound? Why does this fine piece of literature affect me on so many levels? It's curious because there's not necessarily a rich plot, hardly any action to speak of, or even a real stand-outish climax per se... just a beautifully written story with relatable characters living life and facing its challenges as they come. I believe Stegner's real gift is the way...more
I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I liked it less than I expected to. At first it seemed to be a simple, fond memoir of a friendship between two couples. In the middle of the book, however, Stegner reveals a 'dark secret' -- the controlling nature of the female protagonist, Charity. Her fun-loving nature masks her deep need to orchestrate every aspect of her life with her husband, and indeed her friends. She comes across as a shrill, madcap Katharine Hepburn -- even in the deathbed...more
I liked this even better than Angle of Repose, his Pulitzer winner. Stegner's descriptions of people and places put me in the story and drive me to tears and smiles. I can practically smell the New England hardwoods and hear the creaks of doors and old floors. This is a gem of a story about two couples--their relationships, their friendship, and their lives--told across decades. The truths he tells about marriage and friendship are sometimes beautiful and sometimes merely hard to read, but alway...more
Wow. Just wow. Although the book slowed down a bit for me in the last half, Stegner is an amazing writer. I tend to like books with meaty plots, and I think it's fair to say this book has all but no plot at all, yet the first third of the book was as much a page turner as any other book I've read. I couldn't put it down. In fact, when I got to the end of the first section, I went back to read the opening chapter to see how he had set everything up -- even though there is no plot. If you are a wr...more
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Sublime and unutterably moving. At his best, Stegner is a master craftsman with sentences as clear and beautiful as Cather's. And this book is Stegner at his best.
Aug 22, 2007
Daniel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
academics, lovers, intellectuals
Shelves:
classics
There is an interesting story behind my reading of this book.
I had a copy on my shelf at home, which sat unread for almost two years. It had been given to me by my brother's girlfriend. My brother and his girlfriend raved about it, but I just never had the time to crack it open.
Fast-forward two years later and at their wedding, one of my brother's good friends read a passage from this book about living and loving. They had all lived together near each other in Madison, WI and all four of them...more
I had a copy on my shelf at home, which sat unread for almost two years. It had been given to me by my brother's girlfriend. My brother and his girlfriend raved about it, but I just never had the time to crack it open.
Fast-forward two years later and at their wedding, one of my brother's good friends read a passage from this book about living and loving. They had all lived together near each other in Madison, WI and all four of them...more
"Floating upward through a confusion of dreams and memory, curving like a trout through the rings of previous risings, I surface. My eyes open. I am awake."
Crossing to Safety probably isn't a novel for young people, unless they are curious to look into the minds and souls of people who have lived longer. This book is a meditation on time, place, and the nature of love and friendship. The characters, two sets of friends have a rich and complicated relationship, and their personalities call up ma...more
Crossing to Safety probably isn't a novel for young people, unless they are curious to look into the minds and souls of people who have lived longer. This book is a meditation on time, place, and the nature of love and friendship. The characters, two sets of friends have a rich and complicated relationship, and their personalities call up ma...more
I picked this up last winter in Bend, on a whim, in a little bookstore there. I'd read Angle of Repose and was blown away, so I thought this seemed like a good bet. Crossing to Safety reinforced my extremely high opinion of Stegner's writing, in a book that was as different from Angle of Repose as it could possibly be. It was so intimately written, the portraits of the main characters so finely drawn, that I felt like I had known these people for a long time, like they had somehow been my close...more
SWOON!! My first Wallace Stegner. I'm in love! Can I have a literary crush on someone who's been dead for fifteen years? Is that comme il faut?
It's hard to find anything to say about this book that wouldn't just muddy up the waters. Just giving a plot summary would make it sound like a plain old ordinary book. Stegner's writing is just......WOW!! The book is about friendship and generosity and youthful extravagant hopes and finding ways to be happy when fate betrays us and our dreams don't come...more
It's hard to find anything to say about this book that wouldn't just muddy up the waters. Just giving a plot summary would make it sound like a plain old ordinary book. Stegner's writing is just......WOW!! The book is about friendship and generosity and youthful extravagant hopes and finding ways to be happy when fate betrays us and our dreams don't come...more
I read this for the first time about eight years ago, when my roommate Katie recommended it. She was really moved by the book, and while I enjoyed it, I didn't feel much of an impact. Fast-forward to last wekk, when I decided to pluck it off my bookshelf for a re-read. I don't know what the difference is, precisely, but I thought it was beautiful. I think I'm in more of a position now to gain more from the novel--just more life experience, I suppose, much of which aligns with the plot of the cha...more
on my list as book 2 for our bookclub, ABC 1 First Tuesday Bookclub reviewed it and proposed by Charlotte Wood, had not previously heard of Wallace Stegner or Charlotte Wood. So new ground. I enjoyed it, found the writing easy and crisp, no lazy waffling - very visual; in the first few pages when Larry walks up thr hill in John Wrightmans' ruts..a road he has walked hundreds of times.. and there is the whole sky, immense and full of light.. its edges are piled with hills. Hooked by page 6. I hav...more
Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner, Narrated by Richard Poe, Produced by Recorded Books, Downloaded from audible.com.
Sid and Charity Lang make it a point to welcome the new faculty member and his wife, Larry and Sally Morgan, when they arrive at U. of Wisconsin Madison in 1938. Sid and Charity are well off and Sid wouldn’t necessarily have to teach, but he suffers from an inferiority complex that he isn’t competent at anything. Larry Morgan is an up and coming professor, a workaholic who is...more
Sid and Charity Lang make it a point to welcome the new faculty member and his wife, Larry and Sally Morgan, when they arrive at U. of Wisconsin Madison in 1938. Sid and Charity are well off and Sid wouldn’t necessarily have to teach, but he suffers from an inferiority complex that he isn’t competent at anything. Larry Morgan is an up and coming professor, a workaholic who is...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One more question...the title? | 2 | 51 | May 01, 2013 08:02pm | |
| The End of Your L...: * Crossing to Safety | 109 | 130 | Apr 16, 2013 11:18am | |
| Love - what it really means | 2 | 28 | Nov 17, 2012 08:27pm |
Wallace Earle Stegner (February 18, 1909—April 13, 1993) was an American historian, novelist, short story writer, and environmentalist. Some call him "The Dean of Western Writers."
More about Wallace Stegner...
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“You can plan all you want to. You can lie in your morning bed and fill whole notebooks with schemes and intentions. But within a single afternoon, within hours or minutes, everything you plan and everything you have fought to make yourself can be undone as a slug is undone when salt is poured on him. And right up to the moment when you find yourself dissolving into foam you can still believe you are doing fine.”
—
80 people liked it
“There it was, there it is, the place where during the best time of our lives friendship had its home and happiness its headquarters.”
—
20 people liked it
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Feb 01, 2013 11:22pm
Feb 02, 2013 05:46am