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Leaving the Yellow House
She had lived by delays; she had meant to stop drinking; she had put off the time, and now she had smashed her car.
At once harsh and tender, expansive and acutely funny, this is the story of an elderly and self-destructive dipsomaniac in a Western desert town, who finds herself faced with a final, impossible choice.
Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York's underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.
At once harsh and tender, expansive and acutely funny, this is the story of an elderly and self-destructive dipsomaniac in a Western desert town, who finds herself faced with a final, impossible choice.
Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York's underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.
57 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
19 people are currently reading
634 people want to read
About the author
Saul Bellow
252 books1,960 followersNovels of Saul Bellow, Canadian-American writer, include
Dangling Man
in 1944 and
Humboldt's Gift
in 1975 and often concern an alienated individual within an indifferent society; he won the Nobel Prize of 1976 for literature.
People widely regard one most important Saul Bellow of the 20th century. Known for his rich prose, intellectual depth, and incisive character studies, Bellow explored themes of identity and the complexities of modern life with a distinct voice that fused philosophical insight and streetwise humor. Herzog , The Adventures of Augie March , and Mister Sammler’s Planet , his major works, earned critical acclaim and a lasting legacy.
Born in Lachine, Quebec, to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Saul Bellow at a young age moved with his family to Chicago, a city that shaped much worldview and a frequent backdrop in his fiction. He studied anthropology at the University of Chicago and later Northwestern, and his intellectual interests deeply informed him. Bellow briefly pursued graduate studies in anthropology, quickly turned, and first published.
Breakthrough of Saul Bellow came with The Adventures of Augie March , a sprawling, exuberance that in 1953 marked the national book award and a new direction in fiction. With energetic language and episodic structure, it introduced readers to a new kind of unapologetically intellectual yet deeply grounded hero in the realities of urban life. Over the following decades, Bellow produced a series of acclaimed that further cemented his reputation. In Herzog , considered his masterpiece in 1964, a psychological portrait of inner turmoil of a troubled academic unfolds through a series of unsent letters, while a semi-autobiographical reflection on art and fame gained the Pulitzer Prize.
In 1976, people awarded human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture of Saul Bellow. He only thrice gained the national book award for fiction and also received the medal of arts and the lifetime achievement of the library of Congress.
Beyond fiction, Saul Bellow, a passionate essayist, taught. He held academic positions at institutions, such as the University of Minnesota, Princeton, and Boston University, and people knew his sharp intellect and lively classroom presence. Despite his stature, Bellow cared about ordinary people and infused his work with humor, moral reflection, and a deep appreciation of contradictions of life.
People can see influence of Saul Bellow in the work of countless followers. His uniquely and universally resonant voice ably combined the comic, the profound, the intellectual, and the visceral. He continued into his later years to publish his final Ravelstein in 2000.
People continue to read work of Saul Bellow and to celebrate its wisdom, vitality, and fearless examination of humanity in a chaotic world.
People widely regard one most important Saul Bellow of the 20th century. Known for his rich prose, intellectual depth, and incisive character studies, Bellow explored themes of identity and the complexities of modern life with a distinct voice that fused philosophical insight and streetwise humor. Herzog , The Adventures of Augie March , and Mister Sammler’s Planet , his major works, earned critical acclaim and a lasting legacy.
Born in Lachine, Quebec, to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Saul Bellow at a young age moved with his family to Chicago, a city that shaped much worldview and a frequent backdrop in his fiction. He studied anthropology at the University of Chicago and later Northwestern, and his intellectual interests deeply informed him. Bellow briefly pursued graduate studies in anthropology, quickly turned, and first published.
Breakthrough of Saul Bellow came with The Adventures of Augie March , a sprawling, exuberance that in 1953 marked the national book award and a new direction in fiction. With energetic language and episodic structure, it introduced readers to a new kind of unapologetically intellectual yet deeply grounded hero in the realities of urban life. Over the following decades, Bellow produced a series of acclaimed that further cemented his reputation. In Herzog , considered his masterpiece in 1964, a psychological portrait of inner turmoil of a troubled academic unfolds through a series of unsent letters, while a semi-autobiographical reflection on art and fame gained the Pulitzer Prize.
In 1976, people awarded human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture of Saul Bellow. He only thrice gained the national book award for fiction and also received the medal of arts and the lifetime achievement of the library of Congress.
Beyond fiction, Saul Bellow, a passionate essayist, taught. He held academic positions at institutions, such as the University of Minnesota, Princeton, and Boston University, and people knew his sharp intellect and lively classroom presence. Despite his stature, Bellow cared about ordinary people and infused his work with humor, moral reflection, and a deep appreciation of contradictions of life.
People can see influence of Saul Bellow in the work of countless followers. His uniquely and universally resonant voice ably combined the comic, the profound, the intellectual, and the visceral. He continued into his later years to publish his final Ravelstein in 2000.
People continue to read work of Saul Bellow and to celebrate its wisdom, vitality, and fearless examination of humanity in a chaotic world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
unable-to-finish
January 28, 2023I've tried to read Saul Bellow unsuccessfully countless times. I could only get through 25 pages of this short story. He is not for me.
September 5, 2018
The thirty-sixth book on the Penguin Moderns list is a short story entitled 'Leaving the Yellow House' by Saul Bellow, which was first published in 1956. In it, 'a stubborn, hard-drinking elderly woman living in a desert town finds herself faced with an impossible choice, in this caustically funny, precisely observed tale from an American prose master.' I do not recall reading anything of Bellow's before, and as I am always keen to discover new to me short story authors, I was looking forward to reading this.
The opening of the story really sets the scene, and the period in which the story is set: 'The neighbors - there were in all six white people who lived at Sego Desert Lake - told one another that old Hattie could no longer make it alone. The desert life, even with a forced-air furnace in the house and butane gas brought from town in a truck, was still too difficult for her.' Hattie has settled here after being left a yellow house by her friend India, described throughout as a real 'lady'. I did enjoy Bellow's portrayal of Hattie, and found this one of the strengths of the novel. He describes her, for instance, in the following way: 'You couldn't help being fond of Hattie. She was big and cheerful, puffy, comic, boastful, with a big round back and stiff, rather long legs.'
After having 'a few Martinis' one evening, Hattie loses control of her car, and it veers onto the railway tracks. 'Leaving the Yellow House' is ultimately a character study of Hattie, which charts her gradual decline. She begins to plan for her death, and debates who to leave the yellow house to in her will. The premise of the story is interesting, and it is well executed. Whilst it kept my interest throughout, I was not quite blown away by it, however. This taster of Bellow's work has unfortunately not made me want to pick up any of his other books in the next few months, as I had hoped it would.
The opening of the story really sets the scene, and the period in which the story is set: 'The neighbors - there were in all six white people who lived at Sego Desert Lake - told one another that old Hattie could no longer make it alone. The desert life, even with a forced-air furnace in the house and butane gas brought from town in a truck, was still too difficult for her.' Hattie has settled here after being left a yellow house by her friend India, described throughout as a real 'lady'. I did enjoy Bellow's portrayal of Hattie, and found this one of the strengths of the novel. He describes her, for instance, in the following way: 'You couldn't help being fond of Hattie. She was big and cheerful, puffy, comic, boastful, with a big round back and stiff, rather long legs.'
After having 'a few Martinis' one evening, Hattie loses control of her car, and it veers onto the railway tracks. 'Leaving the Yellow House' is ultimately a character study of Hattie, which charts her gradual decline. She begins to plan for her death, and debates who to leave the yellow house to in her will. The premise of the story is interesting, and it is well executed. Whilst it kept my interest throughout, I was not quite blown away by it, however. This taster of Bellow's work has unfortunately not made me want to pick up any of his other books in the next few months, as I had hoped it would.
March 12, 2019
As the back cover states, the humour is there, and is indeed caustic. This is a beautifully described little snippet of life. The pains of old age and of one last dream before sunset. My one mistake was picking this up after several short stories by Steinbeck. In comparison, this was funnier, more sanguine, but lacked the deep human empathy that characterizes the latter's work, and relies too heavily on setting.
July 18, 2021
A tale built with hilarious satire, rancor, caustic details, a wit that keeps the pages turning, prose that feels abrasive and to-the-core blunt. A tale that will make you laugh and sympathize with the protagonist at the same time. Truly, Bellow is a masterful observant!
January 10, 2019
This is a tough one. The story of a alcoholic old lady who is in her darkening years and is worrid of loosing it all.
The story held no joy for me as this is not the kind of thing I would read. However Saul Bellow is a very skilled wordsmith and has mastered the art of writing to a level that many of the new authors could hope to, but never achieve.
Definately an author that needs to be explored more.
The story held no joy for me as this is not the kind of thing I would read. However Saul Bellow is a very skilled wordsmith and has mastered the art of writing to a level that many of the new authors could hope to, but never achieve.
Definately an author that needs to be explored more.
January 12, 2025
36/50 Penguin Modern Boxset
Saul Bellow is the most overrated writer. Absolutely avoid, this is my opinion but I am being direct and sincere here, Bellow is the most overrated writer I have ever read.
I've never read such a capable yet awful writer. He writes specifically about everything you do not want to know in a story. For example, when the protagonist's car is broken down on a railroad and she's desperately asking for immediate help to get it off, Bellow will throw away all that dramatic tension by slowly describing the physical characteristics of someone in the room who offers no plot development and is gone on the next page. It's like he doesn't care what his story is saying, or what effect it has on the reader, only that it continues. It sometimes feels like the stories are on autopilot, as if they were just rolling along or being written by someone who is just trying to get through the day by putting words on the page.
It's not even done comically or predictably, I have never once laughed, smiled or cried at Bellow's writing here or his two of his major novels. He writes a whole lot of nothing about a plot about nothing. No event happens in any of his stories, and he writes the most uninteresting and mundane things. There's an absolute arrogance to his writing too, I don't know if he thinks he is realistically or comically recreating the story of a 'fat alcoholic white American woman who has been drunk driving for 40 years but had nobody be mean to her', but to attempt to even do so without any good reason seems like a dated sexist and racist joke.
He needlessly describes only women's bodies in rude and gross ways for no good reason to the plot, unless the plot was to judge a stereotype of woman? What is the goal?
Maybe this used to be funny or realistic but is now no longer, but I've read stories dated before and after this so I refuse to let historical arguments praise Bellow's writing.
An example of a far better author who reminds me a lot of Bellow is Wallace Stegner, who writes perhaps the most consistently beautiful sentences I've ever read, but can still write a story as slow and uneventful as Bellow. This is a realization to me that it is not simply that Bellow's choice of plot is hard to enjoy, but he writes it teribly also.
I've had the misfortune of reading 2 other books from Bellow before this. Herzog, which was mediocre, but based on what I'd heard about him I gave him another try with Humboldt's Gift, which was far worse. The only reason I read this was because it was part of the Penguin Modern boxset and I'm reading them in order.
Saul Bellow is the most overrated writer. Absolutely avoid, this is my opinion but I am being direct and sincere here, Bellow is the most overrated writer I have ever read.
I've never read such a capable yet awful writer. He writes specifically about everything you do not want to know in a story. For example, when the protagonist's car is broken down on a railroad and she's desperately asking for immediate help to get it off, Bellow will throw away all that dramatic tension by slowly describing the physical characteristics of someone in the room who offers no plot development and is gone on the next page. It's like he doesn't care what his story is saying, or what effect it has on the reader, only that it continues. It sometimes feels like the stories are on autopilot, as if they were just rolling along or being written by someone who is just trying to get through the day by putting words on the page.
It's not even done comically or predictably, I have never once laughed, smiled or cried at Bellow's writing here or his two of his major novels. He writes a whole lot of nothing about a plot about nothing. No event happens in any of his stories, and he writes the most uninteresting and mundane things. There's an absolute arrogance to his writing too, I don't know if he thinks he is realistically or comically recreating the story of a 'fat alcoholic white American woman who has been drunk driving for 40 years but had nobody be mean to her', but to attempt to even do so without any good reason seems like a dated sexist and racist joke.
He needlessly describes only women's bodies in rude and gross ways for no good reason to the plot, unless the plot was to judge a stereotype of woman? What is the goal?
Maybe this used to be funny or realistic but is now no longer, but I've read stories dated before and after this so I refuse to let historical arguments praise Bellow's writing.
An example of a far better author who reminds me a lot of Bellow is Wallace Stegner, who writes perhaps the most consistently beautiful sentences I've ever read, but can still write a story as slow and uneventful as Bellow. This is a realization to me that it is not simply that Bellow's choice of plot is hard to enjoy, but he writes it teribly also.
I've had the misfortune of reading 2 other books from Bellow before this. Herzog, which was mediocre, but based on what I'd heard about him I gave him another try with Humboldt's Gift, which was far worse. The only reason I read this was because it was part of the Penguin Modern boxset and I'm reading them in order.
April 9, 2018
Om en äldre alkoholiserad kvinna som drömmer om det som varit och det lilla som återstår. Tyckte om, även om Bellows förakt för dem han skildrar emellanåt tynger ner texten.
August 19, 2018
A quaint story. Not anything mind-blowing, but certainly a good primer on Saul Bellow.
July 23, 2019
Este é o segundo livro que leio de Saul Bellow. Gostei muito do estilo da escrita, das descrições, bem como da história que fala dos idosos, da solidão e das escolhas que enfrentam e não desejam. Dá-nos, com pequenas "pinceladas", uma imagem das comunidades rurais dos Estados Unidos.
Partilho estas passagens:
"On the water side were the pelicans, pure as spirits, slow as angels, blessing the air as they flew with great wings."
"I was never one single thing anyway, she thought. Never my own. I was only loaned to myself."
"(...) a beginning. After that, there was the early middle, then middle middle, late middle middle, quite late middle. In fact the middle is all I know"
Partilho estas passagens:
"On the water side were the pelicans, pure as spirits, slow as angels, blessing the air as they flew with great wings."
"I was never one single thing anyway, she thought. Never my own. I was only loaned to myself."
"(...) a beginning. After that, there was the early middle, then middle middle, late middle middle, quite late middle. In fact the middle is all I know"
December 15, 2023
Given the blurb promises the setting of an American desert town I felt a little let down by what to me was a fairly mediocre depiction of setting. Nonetheless, this was still enjoyable for its cyclical and repetitive storytelling evoking the tragically pointless life cycle of an alcoholic abandoned to their fate by their community.
December 28, 2025
We seem to be back on track with front to back stories, this one a biting look at the life of an elderly woman living alone in a tiny town out west after the Great Depression. In short this was just a downer, the misery she exudes is palpable and infectious, which while impressive doesn’t make for an enjoyable read. The narrative does come together to somewhat wrap up in the short length and I think maybe it’s a book people should read solely to appreciate what they have
August 10, 2023
The topic of alcoholism was explored in this novel. The main character despite being old and vulnerable is horrible and unlikeable. After being injured she has to decide whether or not to sell her house before she dies...
August 3, 2023
merge pe tren
Read
December 13, 2025I know people like Hattie. Reminds me of Arizona.
May 9, 2025
“Then she thought that there was a beginning, and a middle. She shrank from the last term. She began once more - a beginning. After that, there was the early mid-dle, then middle middle, late middle middle, quite late middle. In fact the middle is all I know. The rest is just a rumor.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2021
A short story about a Christian person who does not bear a grudge.
It shows her later days and events that she gets herself to believe all started with a sneeze. She then has a choice to make after a bourbon or two. That is as far as I am going to reveal plot wise.
The blurb calls this caustically funny. To me (and J am prepared to be corrected on this) this would mean that the humour is relying on insults. I didn't get that from the story. Her opinions were mostly insulting towards everyone mentioned but not necessarily in a humorous way.
The author is one I feel I should read more from. Looking at his biography and he won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature in the same year. Which cannot have be an achievement that many people have managed. His writing here is superb to the extent that it almost overshadows the plot.
It is easy to recommend that this should be read. It is harder to recommend it to anybody.
It shows her later days and events that she gets herself to believe all started with a sneeze. She then has a choice to make after a bourbon or two. That is as far as I am going to reveal plot wise.
The blurb calls this caustically funny. To me (and J am prepared to be corrected on this) this would mean that the humour is relying on insults. I didn't get that from the story. Her opinions were mostly insulting towards everyone mentioned but not necessarily in a humorous way.
The author is one I feel I should read more from. Looking at his biography and he won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature in the same year. Which cannot have be an achievement that many people have managed. His writing here is superb to the extent that it almost overshadows the plot.
It is easy to recommend that this should be read. It is harder to recommend it to anybody.
July 6, 2019
The Penguin Modern series offers an absolutely perfect opportunity to discover established author's whom one has not had a chance to read. The selection from each author is short and representative. Some author's I've come across from the series definitely have become new favorite of mine.
.
This is my first Saul Bellow story. It tells about (from the back cover) "a stubborn, hard drinking elderly woman living in a desert town finds herself faced with an impossible choice."
.
At the deft hand of Mr. Saul Bellow, the characters come to life from the very beginning, and he draws you in and you without knowing when start to feel sympathetic about the tough cards the protagonist has been dealt.
.
At the same time, the story itself is not much my cup of tea. I'm afraid I do not have any close experience with the hard drinking hard living population; and therefore, it is quite difficult to relate. And at the end of the day, me being a casual reader, it's those stories that I can identify with that stays in my heart.
.
I wouldn't mind exploring more of Mr. Bellow's writing. Perhaps I will have to choose a story that is closer to my experience.
.
This is my first Saul Bellow story. It tells about (from the back cover) "a stubborn, hard drinking elderly woman living in a desert town finds herself faced with an impossible choice."
.
At the deft hand of Mr. Saul Bellow, the characters come to life from the very beginning, and he draws you in and you without knowing when start to feel sympathetic about the tough cards the protagonist has been dealt.
.
At the same time, the story itself is not much my cup of tea. I'm afraid I do not have any close experience with the hard drinking hard living population; and therefore, it is quite difficult to relate. And at the end of the day, me being a casual reader, it's those stories that I can identify with that stays in my heart.
.
I wouldn't mind exploring more of Mr. Bellow's writing. Perhaps I will have to choose a story that is closer to my experience.
November 4, 2023
Bellow tells us, “you couldn’t help being fond of Hattie,” and that was quite the tragic understatement to me. I quite simply loved her as I love all women who shun their vulnerabilities, judge their neighbours, and live life entirely on their own terms.
After one too many lemonades one evening, Hattie crashes her car and suffers consequences which impact her independence. In the gloom of this situation, she begins to take stock of her life, and come to a decision on who will inherit her yellow house after she’s gone.
This was an interesting exploration of old age, loneliness, the slow yet sudden realisation of our time running out, and what that means for our fellow humans and our possessions. Bellow really has created quite a character with Hattie, and his prose is stunning, dragging us into her story, her list of predicaments, and her memories of life.
After one too many lemonades one evening, Hattie crashes her car and suffers consequences which impact her independence. In the gloom of this situation, she begins to take stock of her life, and come to a decision on who will inherit her yellow house after she’s gone.
This was an interesting exploration of old age, loneliness, the slow yet sudden realisation of our time running out, and what that means for our fellow humans and our possessions. Bellow really has created quite a character with Hattie, and his prose is stunning, dragging us into her story, her list of predicaments, and her memories of life.
May 10, 2020
This is a book that definitely left me with more questions than answers and it is that mystery, I suppose, which makes me wonder more about Bellow as a writer. Saying that the plot and pace are uninspiring. I find Bellow overplays on words and description when for me the message here is a moral or historical one.
I am fascinated by Hattie and the relationships that she keeps and the internal struggles that she has with herself and those around her (some of whom have her best interests at heart and others who don't). Sego Lake as a community in itself is also quite mysterious.
I am fascinated by Hattie and the relationships that she keeps and the internal struggles that she has with herself and those around her (some of whom have her best interests at heart and others who don't). Sego Lake as a community in itself is also quite mysterious.
February 28, 2018
A wonderful short story by one of the favourite authors about being lonely, acquiring and letting go of, forgiveness and nature. I wish could’ve been longer...
« On the water side were the pelicans, pure as spirits, slow as angels, blessing the air as they flew with great wings»...
« On the water side were the pelicans, pure as spirits, slow as angels, blessing the air as they flew with great wings»...
December 2, 2020
Such great characters and character building, I just wish it was longer and even more fleshed out.
January 4, 2023
"Leaving the Yellow House" teaches the reader the importance of being honest with yourself. It follows the life of a drunk and stubborn elderly woman Hattie whose life is as mundane, empty and hollow as the yellow house she lives in. It is nothing out of the ordinary, there aren't any twists or turns and most importantly the character's arc remains the same.
Hattie lives in a secluded place, far away from the rest of the towners. She is used to being alone, and develops a liking for being alone, so when she begins to think about her will and death-bed she is struggling to find her next successor to the yellow house. Her predecessor India left her the house, because Hattie had nothing to her name.
Since living in the house, comfort followed her along with greed and as she turned older she began to be more stubborn. The house changed Hattie and she feared that if she were to leave it to someone it will change them too. This is shown when she thinks about leaving the house to her niece, Joyce. Out of selflessness she knew she could not let Joyce have the same fate as a hard-drinker and leave her rotting and only when she thinks of her is her selflessness shown. For the others she decides out of spite, and reacts with anger.
"Here she would rot, start to drink, maybe, and day after day day read, day after day sleep. See how beautiful it was here? It burned you out. How empty! It turned you into ash."
It is not so much a story, as it is an analysis of Hattie, and how she is a burden to herself. Even though it is written in the third person, I found the narrative storytelling technique quite similar to Saul Bellow's "Dangling Man", which is one of my favorite books. However, if you plan on reading this book I would suggest for you to start with the prior.
Maybe this book is a book that should be read as the age progresses. If the reader were a woman like Hattie, he or she would have found comfort in her character.
What Hattie also says about human kind is that we do not necessarily change for the better, we do not necessarily change for the worst, but sometimes we do not change at all.
Hattie lives in a secluded place, far away from the rest of the towners. She is used to being alone, and develops a liking for being alone, so when she begins to think about her will and death-bed she is struggling to find her next successor to the yellow house. Her predecessor India left her the house, because Hattie had nothing to her name.
Since living in the house, comfort followed her along with greed and as she turned older she began to be more stubborn. The house changed Hattie and she feared that if she were to leave it to someone it will change them too. This is shown when she thinks about leaving the house to her niece, Joyce. Out of selflessness she knew she could not let Joyce have the same fate as a hard-drinker and leave her rotting and only when she thinks of her is her selflessness shown. For the others she decides out of spite, and reacts with anger.
"Here she would rot, start to drink, maybe, and day after day day read, day after day sleep. See how beautiful it was here? It burned you out. How empty! It turned you into ash."
It is not so much a story, as it is an analysis of Hattie, and how she is a burden to herself. Even though it is written in the third person, I found the narrative storytelling technique quite similar to Saul Bellow's "Dangling Man", which is one of my favorite books. However, if you plan on reading this book I would suggest for you to start with the prior.
Maybe this book is a book that should be read as the age progresses. If the reader were a woman like Hattie, he or she would have found comfort in her character.
What Hattie also says about human kind is that we do not necessarily change for the better, we do not necessarily change for the worst, but sometimes we do not change at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2022
The beauty of Saul Bellow's writing is not necessarily an interesting story that takes you somewhere in particular. It feels almost like the author's personal challenge is to start with any topic, no matter how unpromising, and turn it into something special. Saul spins off multiple threads that shoot off in all directions and leave the reader wondering if he's on a suicide mission. Somehow, all the threads come together and the book gains traction as it approaches the end. At no time are we telegraphed as to the direction in which the story's going. It always surprises and effortlessly meanders in the most convincing manner. The work is a rich tapestry of eloquence, observation and never feels cheap or hurried or anything else but masterly done.
May 4, 2023
Leaving the Yellow House is the story about Hattie - an elderly woman living in the desert. Hattie is a drunk, and after an injury she ends up having to decide what to do about her house.
This was definitely on of the better of these tiny blue books I've read recently. The main character was incredibly unlikable, but that was definitely done on purpose. Many of the traits that make her unlikable come from the fact that she's an alcoholic, and alcoholics can be very unlikeable despite being in a very vulnerable or difficult position. I think this book does a good job at displaying alcoholism, and it's also just a solid story.
I'm right on the edge between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm going with 3 stars.
This was definitely on of the better of these tiny blue books I've read recently. The main character was incredibly unlikable, but that was definitely done on purpose. Many of the traits that make her unlikable come from the fact that she's an alcoholic, and alcoholics can be very unlikeable despite being in a very vulnerable or difficult position. I think this book does a good job at displaying alcoholism, and it's also just a solid story.
I'm right on the edge between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm going with 3 stars.
July 21, 2025
An old woman; once a girl, a student, a mistress, a wife. Now idle.
Her wit she lost, in a random hour of a random day long ago. Her skin lies buried under much more flesh. She believes what she wants. She lives on booze, and mostly sleeps.
All her tragic, ordinary life—that boringly interesting film—has given her is her house. She wants to die, to leave the place to someone else, together with her life (her burden)... but she just chooses not to.
To leave the yellow house. To leave life. To go where?
It's so boring.
[READ IN ENGLISH: ORIGINAL]
Her wit she lost, in a random hour of a random day long ago. Her skin lies buried under much more flesh. She believes what she wants. She lives on booze, and mostly sleeps.
All her tragic, ordinary life—that boringly interesting film—has given her is her house. She wants to die, to leave the place to someone else, together with her life (her burden)... but she just chooses not to.
To leave the yellow house. To leave life. To go where?
It's so boring.
[READ IN ENGLISH: ORIGINAL]
June 30, 2018
An elegy for a great character set in a tired US backwater - Hattie is a septuagenarian independent spirit, railing against her age as the nights draw in. As her options begin to close off, she fights new battles as she begins to glimpse the first portents of the end of her days. Particularly towards the end, she becomes a tragic every(wo)man figure, as she reviews her life through a filmic lens, including the choice she made when only impossible choices were possible.
December 10, 2024
This was a very short book, read in about an hour to an hour and a half depending on your reading speed. I do think the story was good and told a good western story about a drunk, I do wish it was longer. I feel like I should have read it in one sitting instead of over two since I got confused for a little. Other than that, the book was good but I don't plan on reading it again. I would only read it again if it was for school.
August 13, 2018
This was so so all the way to the ending. I'm not yet sure if the final sentence was a twist or something but it did bring everything together, and that by referencing, for like the tenth time, our protagonist's most prominent characteristic. Which is nice, now that I think about it and remember another passage where she thinks to herself about "seeing but not seeing." Cool. So it's a four.
September 3, 2019
'Leaving the Yellow House' is ultimately a character study of Hattie, an elderly dipsomaniac in decline. She lives in a small community in the west somewhere twixt Sacramento and Salt Lake City. Her health is in decline and she begins to plan for her death, and debates who to leave the yellow house to in her will. She crashed her car by the railroad claiming she sneezed.
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