Always Is Not Forever

by Helen Van Slyke

Susan Langdon falls in love with and marries pianist Richard Antonini and quickly becomes subjected to the repeated snubs of Richard's famous family and to Richard's weaknesses

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

407 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Mareli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a looooooot of years ago and it has been for me a very compelling story. The heroine was such a strong character I loved her just from the start. He, well, he had to work hard to redeem himself and maybe, he couldn't get to be absolved because his sins was really heavy. But I love the story, tears and all.

[Maria Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many many years ago, when I was young and didn't know what marriage and family really mean. I know it's a romantic novel, but I never forgot it, and I have read hundreds of books since. The characters stay with me even today, when I've been married more than 20 years and my children are almost grown up...

[Lorraine Gokul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it was very captivating, the writers descriptive languaage was marvelous.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instead of reading the same book, the "theme" of this month's book club is to share a favorite book. Always is Not Forever has been on my shelf forever. It was published in 1977. It was purchased at the Atlantic Book Store for $2.98; the original price was $10. In the late 1970's, my mother and I read many of Helen Van Slyke's books. I owned a number of them, but this is the only I kept. I had not read it in many years.

I am happy to say that I enjoyed it very much and will still count it as a favorite.

Susan Langdon is a young, twenty-something woman, working at Vogue magazine in New York City in the early 1970's. After interviewing, Richard Antonini, a famed pianist, they fall madly in love and quickly marry. Their relationship has many obstacles, including his over-bearing family, especially his mother, who does not attempt to hide her distaste for Susan, and Richard's infidelities. Perhaps the story is a bit soap-operish, but it is a story well-told and I enjoyed reading it again.

"Did I really think I could change him? How young and foolish I was! He's been bad, but why did I expect him to be good?" (253)

"I was so crazy in love with Richard I would have died for him! And what has it gotten me? A few happy hours and more misery than anyone in her right mind could bargain for!" (386)

Here is a link to Helen Van Slyke's obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/1979/07/05/ar...

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was free at a local book sale place a number of months ago. The novel defies a quick description. It's part soap opera, part romance, part tragic. Basically it's the story of two flawed people who fall in love. One is from a dysfunctional family and the other from a loving one. Both must work through their flaws to develop a true and lasting love.

That said--I'm not sure I understand Susan's devotion to Richard. I at one point loved an artistic man (who did not love me in return), and at times, I thanked God that he did not love me in return because (now in retrospect) I could easily see how this book could mirror life with him. I don't think I could have put up with everything Susan did and stayed with him, still thinking that I loved him.

I also don't think the author's style is all that great. There's a good deal more telling than showing in her narrative.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gli ho dato 4 stelle solo perché fino a pag. 300 l’ho divorato...davvero ben scritto, un bel ritratto dei personaggi, trama con del potenziale...poi purtroppo si è trasformato in un Harmony...sembrava fosse cambiata anche la penna...verso pagina 400 ha iniziato a montarmi l’aceto verso la protagonista femminile...ma dai...conclusione irreale e titolo un po’ ingannevole sinceramente.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

La historia nos cuenta la vida de dos persona que se criaron en mundos completamente distintos pero las opulencias quedan aparte, cuando el amor se interpone entre Susan y Richard, y por supuesto, su familia. Será cosa del destino o tal vez sea por la voluntad de un ser divino, el que marcará las vidas de estos dos personajes quienes tendrán que caminar sobre cáscaras de huevo, algunas viejas y otras nuevas, a consecuencia de ese amor.
Reír, llorar, enojarse o cavilar al igual que los personajes es muy fácil ya que otra vez, Helen Van Slyke, nos trae otra obra sensacional que desde el primer capítulo y con su estilo único de narrar, atrapar fácil al lector en sus páginas.
Sin dudas, un libro maravilloso que te hace sentir y entender a la perfección las complejidades que puede llegar a tener en la vida cualquier ser humano.

[AGilden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when I was an innocent romantic high school girl and loved it, but I like it somewhat less now. Why people are so willing to sacrifice and destroy their own lives and be totally miserable for years for love is not easy for me to understand, despite my efforts. So, if you prefer reading books with strong independent female characters, this isn't really it. It will frustrate you to tears. But if you like the idea of flawed characters eventually redeeming themselves because of traumatic events, give it a go. I fall somewhere between those two reader types, so I sort-of appreciated it, while being simultaneously annoyed.

[Nahed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t take anything for granted, this is what I get from this story. I enjoyed reading it. I discovered new characters in life, and what might explain their behavior .

[Susie Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan irritated me so much but I guess I relate to her in the same sense. Reminds me of what I DON’T want in a relationship. So this book is a great reminder.

[Agus · Rating 3 out of 5]

la verdad es que esperaba otro final

[Mo]

For a time back in the 80’s & 90’s, my reading material of choice was frequently bodice rippers, historical fiction, and regency romances with a few contemporary best sellers thrown in for good measure. Most of them were pretty steamy (blush) &/or overly romantic, but I read them during a time in my life when I found myself as a single parent, and these books fit the bill. I found them to be highly entertaining.

I recently donated a slew of them, but I wanted to catalog them all the same. So if there is no rating here from me, it means that I don’t remember anything about the book other than I obviously read it. If there is a rating, it must have been in some way memorable for me.

I only wish that GoodReads had been around years ago so that I had some idea of the many books I have read – there were thousands! I did own a copy of this book, but most others came from the library because back then I could never have afforded the 100+ books I generally read in any given year.

And by the way, I still read bodice rippers – just not quite so many as I used to!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman marries a cruel concert pianist.

[Seza Adel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i will never forget this book . i read it long ago and am going to read it once again

[Queen I of Book W · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites from Helen Van Slyke.Not all that glitters is gold,that's what this book taught me.

[Janita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story about Richard Antonini(thw world famous pianist) and Susan, who one day comes to interview him, and then they start dating, and get married. It is a great story about them, their families and you find yourself so engrossed in their lives,problems,etc....I loved this book, and while there were definitely some sad parts, it really was written so superbly.....This is another that I keep so that I can always go back and re-read it........