From the Bookshelf of Mineola Library's 2012 FALL Reading Challenge…

That Old Cape Magic

Richard Russo,

Arthur Morey (narrator)

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Jul 19, 2010 Suzanne Moore rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: east-texas-library-friends, winter-challenge-picks, spring-challenge-picks

Jack Griffin is dealing with a lot in this story. An only child, he has lost his parents, his daughter is marrying, his marriage is failing, and he is at a cross-roads in his career.
While contemplating the time and place to ceremoniously dispose of his father's ashes, he returns to the Cape where his family used to vacation when he was a child. The memories here are bittersweet. It was here that his parents would escape each year to forget about their tiresome university jobs and infidelities. Jack Griffin is dealing with a lot in this story. An only child, he has lost his parents, his daughter is marrying, his marriage is failing, and he is at a cross-roads in his career.
While contemplating the time and place to ceremoniously dispose of his father's ashes, he returns to the Cape where his family used to vacation when he was a child. The memories here are bittersweet. It was here that his parents would escape each year to forget about their tiresome university jobs and infidelities. The respite would bring the magic back into their relationship, if only for a time. Jack relives the summer he met The Brownings, a family he imagines belonging too.
As an adult he pursues screenwriting and ends up teaching for want of steady income. He seems to resent his wife for the path his career has taken, and for years has secretly been writing a manuscript about “the summer of the Brownings.” The screenwriting has become a side-job, and there is a somewhat strained communications between Jack and his co-writer, who harbors affections for Jack's wife.
Jack wants the best for his daughter and is happy for her, as she embarks on a new life with the love of her life. Yet, prior to his daughter's wedding his mother has died, and he now has the ghost of her reasoning haunting him. At this point his own marriage has ended and the occasion of his daughter's nuptials force a reunion with his wife. Still carrying the ashes of his father in the trunk along with the ashes of his mother, Jack comes to terms with choices he has made and lets go of his past …. symbolically and physically as he spread the ashes of his parents over the cape.
In the end he knows he wants to try again with his wife and the story ends hopefully.

There are many supporting characters with issues of their own, that enter Jack's mind as the story unfolds. Russo's characters have unique quirkiness whose influence on each other motivates dysfunctional actions and redeeming qualities … a good mix of seriousness, fun, and mayhem. ...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Holly Morey rated it really liked it

This is the story of a man in the middle of a midlife crisis. The book starts off slowly with the main character, Griffin, hearded to Cape Cod for a friend of his daughter's wedding. He has his father's ashes in the car and plans to distribute them on the Cape after his wife, Joy, joins him. Griffin begins reminiscing about family vacations on the Cape and the book travels between his memories and the present. The book picks up quite a bit and is even comical in places, while Griffin comes to te ...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Kendra rated it did not like it

It started off too slow and I just couldn't get into it. If I had nothing else to read I MAY would try to read it again. ...more

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May 25, 2011 Sharon rated it really liked it

Sep 13, 2011 Lynn rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-winter

Oct 26, 2011 Kathy rated it liked it

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