Intrusions

by Ursula Hegi

Brilliantly stretching literary conventions, Ursula Hegi, author of the best-selling Stones from the River creates a funny and original novel within a novel to explore the doubts, decisions, and "might-have-beens" that mark not only the writing process, but life itself. As her "author" and her fictional heroine deal with their intrusions into each other's lives, Hegi reveals much about the choices women make, the ambiguities they face, and the often surprising ways reality and fiction merge.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Novels, Literature, Writing, Book Club, Womens

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Ursula Hegi is a German-born American writer. She is currently an instructor in the MFA program at Stony Brook Southampton.
She was born Ursula Koch in 1946 in Düsseldorf, Germany, a city that was heavily bombed during World War II. Her perception growing up was that the war was avoided as a topic of discussion despite its evidence everywhere, and The Holocaust was a particularly taboo topic. This had a strong effect on her later writing and her feelings about her German identity.
She left West Germany in 1964, at the age of 18. She moved to the United States in 1965, where she married (becoming Ursula Hegi) in 1967 and became a naturalized citizen the same year. In 1979, she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with both a bachelor's and master's degree. She was divorced in 1984. The same year, she was hired at Eastern Washington University, in Cheney, Washington, near Spokane, Washington, where she became an Associate Professor and taught creative writing and contemporary literature.
Hegi's first books were set in the United States. She set her third, Floating in My Mother's Palm, in the fictional German town of "Burgdorf," using her writing to explore her conflicted feelings about her German heritage. She used the setting for three more books, including her best selling novel Stones from the River, which was chosen for Oprah's Book Club in 1997. Hegi appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 8, and her publisher reprinted 1.5 million hardcover copies and 500,000 paperbacks. She subsequently moved from Spokane to New York City.
Hegi's many awards include an NEA Fellowship and five PEN Syndicated Fiction Awards. She won a book award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) in 1991 for Floating in My Mother's Palm. She has also had two New York Times Notable Book mentions. She has written many book reviews for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.

Reviews

[Tom Schulz · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know when you are making a sandwich and adding avocado and then tomato? Then you lay on some bacon. Lettuce looks good. Why not sprouts, pimento cheese, roasted peppers/ And you end up with this kind of shifting oozy mess but you wrangle your way through and the whole experience seems oddly satisfying?
If that sounds like an appealing interlude, then read this book. Read it for the anachronisms stay for the early eighties take on feminism and life purpose. I don't even know how this book came to live on my library shelves, but we'll tuck it back in for the granddaughters to find.

[Kristina Coop-a-Loop · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intrusions by Ursula Hegi is a book I've had on my shelf for years. I have no idea where it came from and if I even ever wanted to read it. But there it was, so I decided to try it. At first, the structure of the book is interesting and different and holds my attention. But after so many interruptions from the author, I've lost interest and become annoyed. I don't want to finish this.

Intrusions is written as part novel, part memoir (?). It's probably as close to being in an author's head while she's writing a novel as you'll ever get (unless you yourself are a novelist). The book switches between the story of Megan, the main character, to the author commenting about the novel. Sometimes the characters (Megan, her husband Nick) will argue with the author and ask her to rewrite scenes. There's a section in which Nick is telling the author that he knows Megan better than the author knows her. At this point, I'm kind of done with this book. It's interesting at first to see the writing process in motion and I kept nodding my head in recognition, seeing the same problems/concerns Hegi has as ones I am also familiar with. But at some point I just want to read a novel and not have the author jumping into the scenes and analyzing them or having the characters talk back to Hegi. I'd rather read two separate books: the novel and then the author's literary analysis or discussion of how she wrote the book, rather than this back-and-forth mess.

Hegi is a decent writer and I think I could have gotten more involved in Megan's life, but I couldn't really see what the plot or main conflict was and didn't want to stick around for another 100+ pages to find out.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued how Hegi managed to make metafiction seem like straightforward realism, and how integrally it tied in thematically and worked into the story line. It ended up being a much more interesting book than I imagined, and I enjoyed reading a great deal.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a refreshing, fun, original read. Although fiction, Hegi writes herself in as the main charactor, an author/mother/wife trying to find the balance she needs to be all three. While writing her novel, she is constantly being interrupted by her children, husband, the charactors in the novel, old professors, etc... Each "intrusion" pulls her in different directions and makes her think about the choices she is making. Sometimes her charactors even re-write a section as they would wish to see it.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange little book--a little bit metafiction, a little bit 1980s feminism, a little bit slice of life. I enjoyed the musing on the writing process and the difficulty of balancing work and other demands. Neither the author nor the author-stand-in main character appeared to have jobs outside of the home. To update this for today, I think you'd make these women not only the mothers of young children, but also working at a boring job they don't love while also trying to write. The presumption here was that obviously their husbands, even when nice and well-meaning, were not capable of nor responsible for making decisions about the children, making dinner, or organizing home life. What fascinated me from this 2020s perspective was wondering how much of these presumptions were just in the head of the women. Did they really believe that their husbands would fall apart if they left town for a week? Would they have?

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was moderately enjoyable. Though it was somewhat repetitious and even tedious at times (those lists of different items or words!) I'd recommend it to those who are interested in the writing process, esp as it pertains to female writers who also have a family and want both, even though they feel guilty about wanting both. Though if that's what you're interested in, I'd recommend Carol Shields' Small Ceremonies over this one any day.

[Gyoung · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has languished on my shelves for years, but I'm glad I pulled it out to read. How can you not like a book where the characters get huffy with the author and threaten to leave and be in another novel? A wonderful book about the anguish of a woman finding time in her life to write - and what her characters think of her writing.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is about how writers write a novel. The main character is a writer, and the author has dialogues with her. She also has dialogues with some of the characters. They intrude on her life and thoughts, and her family and life intrude on those of the characters. It took a while to get used to this, but, in the end, I found it interesting.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, creative, at times quite humorous. Well-written. And though not a writer nor the mother of a young child, I am a feminist who appreciates the theme.

[Diana Bogan]

I'm soooo glad I didn't let this book drag into the new year! The "chapters" are so short that I figured it would be a quick read when I began. I also thought it would be interesting to have the story flip back and forth between the "author" and the characters. It was for the first few chapters. But by the time the main character wanted to flee the plot, so did I. I hung in to the end but I admit to skimming the chapters, reading the first few lines, skipping sections and getting the jist. There were moments, such as how the author tied up the ending with a nod to the story's beginning, that showed the author has talent. But overall, I'm not blown away. I might, maybe consider trying another book by this author, but only if someone were to recommend the title. I did appreciate the author's writing about her guilt over choosing to write while also being a mom — I carry the same guilt and saw much of myself in those passages. And I got a kick out of a character bearing the same last name as mine — bogan not being commonly found in books I've read. :) glad I took the chance on reading this book, but it left me lukewarm.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

My response to this book the whole time I was reading it was, "Yes. Exactly." As a mother of small children, I immediately felt a kinship with both the author and the fictional family she created. Those "intrusions" are such a part of my life.

I had to laugh as the author is writing her story and is constantly interrupted by her small sons, her family, her guilt, the characters themselves talking to her, etc. because just trying to finish up the last few chapters yesterday, I had to put the book down to change the baby's diaper, let the dogs in, let the puppy out, help my middle child get to the potty, take up dinner, and on and on.

I loved that there were no easy answers in this book, no beginning--middle--end. Nice to know I'm not the only one who has a very clear picture of how the future should be only to be vaguely disappointed when it's not exactly like I'd planned. (How many times have I made that trek to the lighthouse. . . .)

As you can tell, this book spoke to me. It's on my keeper shelf next to Anne Tyler's Breathing Lessons.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enchanted by this book. It's a book about writing, but takes such a unique approach. The characters and the author became increasingly entangled as the book progresses. I enjoyed being taken inside Hegi's writing process, the daily conflicts and the personal projection that takes place writing so close to home. This story interrupted by the author, is actually a story about writing a book; juggling the imagined and the real. So clever and so engaging. Loved it.

Some reviews here comment that the intrusions were an interesting idea, but it became repetitive and/or could have played out as a short story. Most of these people I notice didn't stick with it, skimmed and skipped to the end. But this suggests to me that they were focused on the story of Megan and saw the authorial voice as a gimmick. If you approach the book not as the story of Megan, but as the story of Ursula, its clear that the intrusions are not a gimmick, they are the point.

[Gabrielle Jarrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intrusions is a fascinating, but to me annoying style of writing. There are two main characters. The first person writer who is writing a novel and commenting to the reader as she writes. The second main character is her own protagonist who begins to talk with the author, complaining about how she is portrayed. Many writers do write with note cards and specific details about each character that then change and are modified. Note cards and details are not my form of writing as I offer the reader a chance to create the physical characteristics in their imagination. Hegi's technique is well done and perhaps it is my own space of moving currently that drains my patience with details. I love Ursula Hegi and may try Intrusions again - down the road.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

i re-read this book again. it ended up in my to-read stack of books at home thanks to one of my kids, and i didn't realize it wasn't a new one i had picked up until i was a few pages in. it's about the author trying to write a novel while being constantly interrupted by the needs of her young children, her husband, and even the needs of the characters in her book. i sympathized a lot with her struggle to balance family with artistic endeavors. even though at the time i was doing neither, but instead just laying around reading, ignoring both family and the pile of projects on my desk.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked Stones from the River, and was happy to find this work I had not heard of by Hegi. It is a light rendition of a writer's struggle to find time to write, to separate her characters from her own life, and try to figure out how to spin a plot out of incidents and ideas. Problem is, it doesn't really go anywhere, so after a while it seems like one of those one-joke books. It's a great concept, and she's a skillful writer, but this could probably have been better executed as a short story.

[Niss Sandala · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my first review on here and I only felt compelled to write it because this book is just so unpleasant to read that I couldn’t finish it. I got over halfway into this book, which lacks any sense of direction, before finally giving up. I don’t have any evidence to back this up other than vibes, but my theory is that Hegi had to meet a publishing deadline and didn’t have enough narrative material, so she just decided to fill in the blank spaces with her notes and process documents and pitch it as a window into the author’s mind. What a mess.

[Therese Dotray-Tulloch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not my favorite Hegi novel. The novel that is being written in constantly interrupted by 'Intrusions" such as the author's own life, characters speaking up, etc. It was hard to actually get into the novel with all of the intrusions.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original, refreshing and joyful read.

[pdxmaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

. “Together they attended childbirth classes every Tuesday evening in the living room of an old Victorian house, where they sat in a large circle on the wooden floor with five other pregnant couples, each of them armed with two pillows for the exercises…. “The instructor, Donna Bell, a dark-haired divorcee in her early thirties, spoke of the joy in seeing one’s child born, of actively participating, of experiencing the togetherness of husband and wife, of feeling in control of labor through various methods of panting and relaxation. It was so important to give the baby the best possible start by not being drugged during labor and delivery. Several times she pointed out that this was not natural, but prepared childbirth. “To Megan, all this sounded wonderful. After only three classes she could barely wait to go to the hospital. How she longed to control her labor, to actively push her child through her vagina. She’d be calm like the woman in film of an actual delivery Donna had shown. The camera had frequently focused on the woman’s features, concentrated in labor. Labor, according to Donna, meant hard work. A smile of euphoric dimensions spread across the mother’s face as her child was born and handed to her. There was no indication that she might have been experiencing pain at any stage. She never flinched. She never even bit her lip. “Not once during the entire eight-week course was the word pain mentioned.” Pages 66-67. This was just how it was for us, in the childbirth classes preparing for S’s birth.

[Niccole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun one. Intrusions is an unusual piece of fiction, with a peek inside the authors brain as she writes. I wonder if it’s really like this for authors? Becoming so engulfed with a book you’re writing that the characters speak to you throughout the day. Hearing her interact with characters, try out different scenarios & plots & feeling the pressure to figure out the ending, was really cool. She described so many struggles that women, particularly mothers go through. I also loved the parallel between her own family life & how that mirrored Megan’s own thoughts & struggles in a skewed sorta way. I kind of wished it had kept going but I’ll happily read more from Hegi.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish I could give it 3 & 1/2 stars. Hegi's writing is good. This just wasn't my favorite. Hoping for a rich tale like "Stones From the River".....well, this was nothing like that one. And that's okay, I'm glad she tried something different. Hegi tells this story in the voice of an author struggling with the characters she has created and their story. She deals with many 'intrusions' that interrupt her writing process and also inform it. Everything from her own sons demands and questions, to the characters themselves speaking up to discuss their plotlines, choices, etc. Both a little confusing AND enlightening......it provides a glimpse into the writer's commitment to her craft.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fantastic first paragraph, and wonderful craft within sentences... beautiful trees in a disjointed and ugly forest. I couldn't finish it as the storytelling whiplash just gave me a headache. I usually like meta-fiction, but Hegi didn't leave us with any character, situation, or stream of narrative long enough to enjoy anything. I wanted to like this so badly, it's been on my shelf waiting the right moment for years, but now it's in the donate bag.

[Susan Kietzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intrusions is a story about a writer, who keeps getting interrupted (intruded upon!) while she's writing a novel. Those responsible for her lack of focus are not only her two young sons and husband, but also the characters in the novel she's writing! A funny and relatable story for writers, in particular, though Intrusions will prove to be an enjoyable read for anyone interested in the process.

[Mycala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. I can relate to feeling guilt when I want to write and there are a million other things I "should" be doing. I think it's interesting that it is as relevant now as when it was first written. Also, I loved the little bits of German here and there. I was pleased that I have not completely lost my grasp of the language and I was able to understand most of it.

[Stacy culler · Rating 3 out of 5]

1/2 novel, 1/2 commentary on the writing process. A little muddled at times. I could relate to it and it had some good observations about women’s issues and “chick lit.” Not a great narrative, however.

[Brandy June · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was hard to keep up. It didnt really feel like their was a storyline to it. It was pretty mich to me a muliple ideas made into a collobaration at an attwmpt to make a decent novel.

[Ethan Ancell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant and super funny

[Susan Stalla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt it was not up to par with her later works. My second try, and I still could not get into it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ no plot, just literary commentary and remarks on feminism and motherhood (aka vibes)

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I giggled reading this as I was constantly interrupted by my own 4 year old. I enjoyed the concept she played with and found it to be an entertaining read, (if even a bit close to home!)