Paulette Hackman answers “Am I one of the very few who did not like...”

Pokey Patty asked this question about My Name Is Lucy Barton (Amgash, #1):

Am I one of the very few who did not like this book? It was a great disappointment to me.

Paulette Hackman I agree that it was "underwritten"and I think, mannered as well. If someone was coming to this book with no knowledge of Strout's world--and worldview…moreI agree that it was "underwritten"and I think, mannered as well. If someone was coming to this book with no knowledge of Strout's world--and worldview--I can only imagine how thin and unappealing it would be. Chilly too. I have read some of Strout's other work and have also found myself at odds with fans of Olive Kitteredge (the film too!). Mostly I don't find much compassion for these poor characters and I do find a lot of anger and alienation. Usually there is no resolution or none that provide pleasant closure for me as a reader. I read fiction to expand my world and to find comfort regardless of whether the situation is sad or not. I look to books for insight and companionship and haven't found much of that in Strout's work. The reason I read this book is because I saw in the NYT that a play by this title will be on Broadway starring Laura Linney. I can't imagine how that will be done. (less)

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My Name Is Lucy Barton

by Elizabeth Strout (Goodreads Author)

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