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My Name Is Lucy Barton,
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Susan
Oh my goodness yes, unfortunately. My mother had a terrible time telling me she loved me. Fortunately, my outgoing daughter taught her how to love before she passed away, but relationships like this DO exist.
Elizabeth
I loved Olive Kitteridge so much. Stroud can create memorable characters for sure but Lucy damn-dog Barton seemed not quite believable. She is a writer but spent very little time in very writerly musings about her life or her marriage or her current situation. Her relationship with her Mom, the circumstances of her upbringing and her illness were interesting but did not engage me the way Olive Kitteridge did.
beth jensen
I read this book in one sitting. I was grabbed. My own mother was unavailable to me because she was diagnosed with MS when I was 3. SO it was an abnormal relationship. Shit happens in life. The beauty we would like often cannot take place. It's her or impossible to "name" things.
I felt that this book is full of Truths. Lucy mananged, other adults helped her. Her road wasn't easy. This is the best outcome that can be expected when events wreck normal wanted relationships.
I felt that this book is full of Truths. Lucy mananged, other adults helped her. Her road wasn't easy. This is the best outcome that can be expected when events wreck normal wanted relationships.
Joan Giacomini
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Dmorri
I felt it was an odd relationship. At one point I almost thought maybe the mom was visiting her in a dream.
Mary
Sure. The question surprises me a little. There is no apparent end to the various ways we humans find to connect to each other.
Donita
I believe it is an authentic relationship - a very sad one, but believable. Her Mom shows up when asked and shows she loves Lucy by that simple act. She cannot tell her she loves her, but she shows she does. She is damaged by her past, and apologizes to Lucy for at she went through. She just couldn't say it out loud.
debra
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Meg
Depends on what you think "believable" is. I don't read fiction for everything to feel believable. We should think "Are the characters being true to themselves?" Yes, then this relationship is a true reflection of these two characters.
Sandra Barron
I host a Facebook page that focuses specifically on books about mothers and daughters if anyone is interested. Under "files" I have lists of books in every genre, films, and art about adult mothers and daughters. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/59781...
Ellen
Horrifying that a mother cannot say I love you or show any emotion or affection except to call her daughter by her nickname.
Nancy Rossman
yes. Though my mother was nothing like this, I have had too many friends that would identify with this sad and conflicted relationship.
Laura
Dysfunction can happen to anyone. And, there are times when we can only see our lives through for us. Children can only see and feel whatever their 'reality' is. One person sees their reality completely different than the other's. One might be wearing 'rose colored glasses' and the other one has tunnel vision.
Carol McGillivary Rodi
Yes, very believable to me, as I have lived a similiar one with my mother. I am only half way through the book and have not read the spoilers but to this point I say yes.
Elaine Brunke
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Justcynthia
My mother read this book and I had wanted to read it for a while. Sadly, the mother daughter relationship is real. I think Lucy's mom tries very hard to be the mother Lucy longs for, but can only be herself. It does not seem to be enough for Lucy. She longs to hear the words of comfort, but in the end her mom's presence is what she must settle for and it turns out that's enough. I don't know how Lucy stood it when her mom told her to go as she lay on her deathbed. She somehow knew she shouldn't be there and told her so. I think her mom just wanted to die on her own - alone, not surrounded by anyone. There was more than meets the eye there and the author alludes to abuse, but never overtly discusses the matter . It just gets dropped.
KATHLEEN
I have known parents-not just mothers- who were like this. Some people just shouldn't have children.
Dennis Raffaelli
Oh yes. My mother loved us, but she did not show physical affection. She had problem with verbal affection as well. She showed her love in other ways. She did the best she could. When she became elderly, she was able to open up more. But at that time, she suffered with dementia. I think she forgot she was not affectionate.
Sharon
I agree with Mary. There is no definition of a "normal" mother-daughter relationship. The whole family lived in horrific circumstances, partly because of the father's issues, and the mother undoubtedly has many scars and defense mechanisms to protect herself and cope. I found it equally disturbing that the husband couldn't bring himself to visit his wife in the hospital.
Susan
Yes, absolutely. My mom had great difficulty showing physical affection or saying "I love you". She tried to show her love by doing things (like, she would have flown to my bedside). Thankfully, she was very affectionate to my children.
Merry
what relationship? ...there is none...but at least she had one with her own daughters - or somewhat of one considering her decisions.
Sandra Jensen
Completely. Although my own relationship with my mother was different, it was equally complex. I felt myself reflected much of how Lucy expressed her feelings towards/about her mother.
Mallory Lutz
For most of the time I felt it was in Lucy's imagination but that doesn't matter because the love she feels to her mom is real no matter how her mom would truly behave.
Hari Brandl
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cherrytreegirl
I also wondered whether her mother might be a delusional fiction. At the same time i believe such a relationship is possible. Perhaps the ambiguity relates to a theme of the novel; our own beliefs are reflected in the way we see everything and everyone... how much of a writer is present in the words and actions of her characters...
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