She … The novel is also full of keen observations about how childhood travels forward into adulthood. Lucy’s point of view intertwined with the story told by the other characters makes this set amazing. Now, in My Name Is Lucy Barton, this extraordinary writer shows how a simple hospital visit becomes a portal to the most tender relationship of all — the one between mother and daughter. My version was more like notes where each note could have been formed into a chapter and the chapters could have been organized into a story. We cross swords in games of subterfuge while we clasp tightly to our deepest secrets which we label "ours" and certainly not "theirs". In this novel she takes a woman looking back on the nine weeks she spent in the hospital (I can relate) when her two daughters were young. My Name is Lucy Barton is a 2016 novel by American author Elizabeth Strout. At its core it's a contemplative novel -- a novel about trying to make sense of life, trying to see how all the pieces fit together. With enough distance, a picture does emerge. During this time, her mother whom she is estranged with, visits and stays for 5 meaningful days. ), a short, stark novel about the ways we break and maintain the bonds of family. She doesn’t use many tiles, but the ones she does display are carefully colored and placed. At times I felt as though I was listening in on a casual conversation between mother and daughter, while at other times I felt I was on the receiving end of an interview with Lucy. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy. Her unexpected visit forces Lucy to confront the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of her life: her impoverished childhood in Amgash, Illinois, her escape to New York and her desire to become a writer, her. “My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout PDF Download” is a perfect novel for those who love to read the mind-blowing, engaging, thrilling and superb fiction novel of all times. She learns to harness the vital power of simple kindness transmitted from people around her through simple acts and gestures. 3 stars. Is the reader supposed to know what in particular has kept lucy away? My mother had a terrible time telling me she loved me. The title character of “My Name Is Lucy Barton,” Rona Munro’s crystalline stage adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s 2016 novel, is hardly a woman of mystery. Don’t ever worry about story. It's a tender, poignant, and introspective look at relationships and imperfect love. “You will have only one story,” she had said. A quiet but moving reverie by a resilient woman on various timepoints in her life, revealing the distorted lens by which she views life around her and the troubling experiences of her past. In some ways Lucy becomes the epitome of the flawed way we all survive by filtering reality and numbing ourselves. My Name Is Lucy Barton was originally produced by Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr for the London Theater Company at the Bridge Theatre in June 2018. In her books Olive Kitteridge and Anything Is Possible, Elizabeth Strout adopts a complex linked-story structure to explore character and milieu. And yet by the time you finish reading My Name is Lucy Barton, you feel like you’ve made a precious new friend. My Name is Lucy Barton. A powerful short book that is filled with the wisdom that only comes with age. But … by Random House. I must have read a different version of the book than everyone else. My Name Is Lucy Barton is indeed about love, or really, the complexity of misshapen familial love. MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2016 From Pulitzer Prize– winning Strout (The Burgess Boys, 2013, etc. My first Strout. The narrative begins with Lucy Barton reflecting on her life from the hospital bed where she spent 8 weeks after getting an infection from surgery. In this novel she takes a woman looking back on the nine weeks she spent in the hospital (I can relate) when her two daughters were young. I loved the way the author put these words together -, A book like this that’s short on words, but rich in meaning begs for a metaphor to describe it. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. There was a time, and it was many years ago now, when I had to stay in a hospital for almost nine weeks. “Compelling… The title character of My Name Is Lucy Barton, Rona Munro’s crystalline stage adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s 2016 novel… may be the most translucent figure now on a New York stage.”– The New York Times “Munro's play stands quite well on its own, distilling the crucial elements of Strout's work into a steadily moving, compelling narrative of its own.” It seemed to mostly provide a setting for Lucy to reflect and assess her past life of living in very poor, abusive and dysfunctional family. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Much of the story takes place in a hospital in New York City, where Lucy Barton goes to have her appendix removed. During this time, her mother whom she is estranged with, visits and stays for 5 meaningful days. This book is universally loved by my friends and I understand why that is, though I can't embrace this book as others have. UPDATE: It came to my attention I may have given too much 'detail' information. My Name Is Lucy Barton--like all of Strout's fiction--is more complex than it first appears, and all the more emotionally persuasive for it." As the story of Lucy unfolds the characters and events from the sequel are brought up. During the day, the building’s beauty receded, and gradually it became simply one more large structure against a blue sky, and all the city’s buildings seemed remote, silent, far away. Lucy has a troubled childhood. Her unexpected visit forces Lucy to confront the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of her life: her impoverished childhood in Amgash, Illinois, her escape to New York and her desire to become a writer, her faltering marriage, her love for her two daughters. Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Produced on Broadway by the Manhattan Theater Club, Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director, Barry Grove, Executive Producer and The London Theater Company, in association with Penguin Random House Audio. She also captures my heart by carrying through on an inspiration from her discovery of reading in grade school: “I will write and people will fell less alone!”. I was personally puzzled by her lengthy stay in the hospital. This is a glorious novel, deft, tender and true. Praise for My Name Is Lucy Barton “A quiet, sublimely merciful contemporary novel about love, yearning, and resilience in a family damaged beyond words.”—The Boston Globe “It is Lucy’s gentle honesty, complex relationship with her husband, and nuanced response to her mother’s shortcomings that make this novel so subtly powerful.” She doesn’t use many tiles, but the ones she does display are carefully colored and placed. My Name Is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout, is written as a fictional memoir of a famous author. A new book by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout is cause for celebration. “My Name Is Lucy Barton” is a short book, not even 200 pages. Lucy Barton had a difficult childhood. The ways in which we show our love can be vastly different. I admire the style of it and I acknowledge that the story was deliberately designed and assembled as it was, even though that was the piece that kept me from connecting with it the way others have. As she recovers from surgery complications, a shocked Lucy receives a five day visit from her estranged mother who can only express her feelings by telling stories of old acquaintances and their imperfect lives; and while listening, Lucy Barton revisits her own memories of terror, isolation and the "thing" she does not want to remember in order to make peace with herself and her family. A great little book to be savoured. Start by marking “My Name Is Lucy Barton” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Masterly -- Anna Murphy My Name Is Lucy Barton intrigues and pierces with its evocative, skin-peeling back remembrances of growing up dirt-poor. I was in tears at one point as Lucy desperately tries in vain to reach out to her mother for love, kindness or affection…something that her mother is sadly incapable of giving. Like a conversation, the book meandered from thought to thought, bringing up different people and past events. Lucy was raised in extreme poverty by parents who were not able to nurture and show her love in … With enough distance, a picture does emerge. Elizabeth Strout is the author of several novels, including: “It interests me how we find ways to feel superior to another person, another group of people. Also available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats. This book is universally loved by my friends and I understand why that is, though I can't embrace this book as others have. Fortunately, my outgoing daughter taught her how to love bef. It's hard to describe what it's about. As she recovers from surgery complications, a shocked Lucy receives a five day visit from her estranged mother who can only express her feelings by telling stories of old acquaintances and their imperfect lives; and while listening, Lucy Barton revisits her. “You’ll write your one story many ways. An ordinary story with an extraordinary character. This story spoke to me but also left me wanting. My Name Is Lucy Barton tells the story of the title character and her relationship with her family, particularly her mother and first husband. (shame on me)... SPOILERS may be included in review. It seemed to mostly provide a setting for Lucy to reflect and assess her past life of living in very poor, abusive and dysfunctional family. To see what your friends thought of this book, Oh my goodness yes, unfortunately. Her mother, to whom she hasn't spoken for many years, comes to see her. In this short book I came to know what an extraordinary character Lucy Barton is . -- San Francisco Chronicle "A short novel about love, particularly the complicated love between mothers and daughters, but … January 12th 2016 Now, in My Name Is Lucy Barton, this extraordinary writer shows how a simple hospital visit becomes a portal to the most tender relationship of all — the one between mother and daughter. Had the book fully revealed the miseries of Lucy’s early life and her complicated relationships as an adult, I might have found it too familiar or, heaven forfend, sentimental. If … The story is told in a series of flashbacks, beginning with Lucy's time in the hospital when she was younger. My Name is Lucy Barton is a 2016 novel by the American writer Elizabeth Strout. In a visit by her estranged mother while sick in the hospital she extends that capacity to the point of forgiving her for her failures of neglect and abuse during her childhood. Refresh and try again. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable. Welcome back. I also thought when I first met Lucy Barton that this was going to be a story about an ordinary woman . Through Lucy Barton, Strout has made a remarkable virtue of the novelist's trick - often missed - of telling enough but not too much. “I like writers who try to tell you something truthful,” comments the eponymous narrator of “My Name Is Lucy Barton.” … For such a short novel, it's dense with story, thoughts and emotions. Reading “Olive Kitteridge”, which I loved, might have spoiled me for the rest of Strout's work. Every page I reread seemed rich and wow-y. "My Name Is Lucy Barton" is really two books. What a beautifully told “un-fairy tale”. Lucy recalls that her earliest memories of her parents are accompanied by a feeling of loneliness. While it may be true that not every reader likes having the space between tiles, for me, squinting and mulling were part of the pleasure. As one I know I can flog, think of Strout’s profile here as an artful little mosaic. Lucy was pretty specific in her vagueness. If it is the actual novel that I just finished, I'm completely missing the point. It's the one that Strout has written, and it's also the one that Lucy writes as she remembers her mother's visit and the childhood memories it evokes. So what the hell’s going on? When I finished this book, I didn’t think I landed in wowsville. Her father was abusive and while her mother loved Lucy, she was unable to protect her or … Fortunately, my outgoing daughter taught her how to love before she passed away, but relationships like this DO exist. Her estranged mother, whom she has not seen in a long time, makes the journey to visit her. The result is … I so enjoyed this book and getting to know Lucy. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout Summary “My Name Is Lucy Barton: A Novel” is a beautiful novel with unique and classy story. Her family is impoverished and lives in an isolated area, making it almost impossible for Lucy and her older siblings to make friends. Thanks to the encouragement she receives from the noted author Sarah Payne, Lucy … My Name Is Lucy Barton tells the story of a woman, named Lucy, as she recovers from an illness and tries to make sense of/peace with her complicated relationship with her mother. It is also the work of a more mature writer, scaling new heights. She's someone I'd want to know and a character I'll remember. Her estranged mother, whom she has not seen in a long time, makes the journey to visit her. Her husband and young daughters don't visit her much, which leads her to think about loneliness, her marriage and motherhood. A short, subtle story about life through the eyes of a woman, Lucy Barton. The book opens with Lucy recuperating in the hospital after an operation. I was personally puzzled by her lengthy stay in the hospital. But thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to attempt to understand this novel. In some ways Lucy becomes the epitome of the flawed way we all survive by filtering reality and numbing ourselves. Lucy Barton, as the book opens is in the hospital where she will remain for weeks. My Name Is Lucy Barton (Amgash #1), Elizabeth Strout. Lucy Barton spends 9 weeks in the hospital in the 1980s in New York City following complications from a surgery. She makes allusions but I'm not quite sure what conclusion reader should draw, See all 41 questions about My Name Is Lucy Barton…, Goodreads Picks for Tournament of Books 2017, My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - 3 stars, My Name Is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout, Good Minds Suggest: Elizabeth Strout's Favorite Character Studies. There were solid, valuable messages in this gentle story delivered in a tentative and scattered way. How quick we are to judge others based on too little, the folly of dreading something which invariably ends up in having to go through it twice. What at first felt like a simple, quietly understated series of snapshots of a woman’s life, has turned into a powerful novel that packs its punch through everything that is not spoken. But “My Name Is Lucy Barton” is the story of a daughter who loved her mother, and that is a very different story. My Name Is Lucy Barton (Amgash #1), Elizabeth Strout. Sorry. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable. The book opens with Lucy recuperating in the hospital after an operation. Ellen Emry Heltzel is a writer and book critic who lives in Portland. It's hard to describe what it's about. I had the luxury of reading My name Is Lucy Barton in one sitting -- and if you can that's how I highly recommend this very short jewel of a novel be read. I was so sad about her poor, abusive and emotionally disconnected family upbringing. The story is written many years later, with her time in the. My Name is Lucy Barton is a short, simple, and quiet story that took me away from the noise and to that quiet place that I love. I thought how when I got out of the hospital I would never again walk down the sidewalk without giving thanks for being one of those people, and for many years I did that — I would remember the view from the hospital window and be glad for the sidewalk I was walking on. My Name is Lucy Barton is presented episodically, as a series of events and memories from Lucy’s past. Whatever we call it, I think it’s the lowest part of who we are, this need to find someone else to put down.”, “Lonely was the first flavor I had tasted in my life, and it was always there, hidden inside the crevices of my mouth, reminding me.”, NAIBA Book of the Year for Fiction (2016), Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee for Longlist (2016), Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Fiction (2017), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2016), International Dublin Literary Award Nominee for Shortlist (2018). What follows is a sample of what we. How is it that we can truly know the inner workings of another human being? It's all in the conversations, the dialog, the exchange of thoughts and ideas.....and even in those moments when words, themselves, are not even necessary. This is all very confusing. This was in New York City, and at night a view of the Chrysler Building, with its geometric brilliance of lights, was directly visible from my bed. There were solid, valuable messages in this gentle story delivered in a tentative and scattered way. Oh my goodness yes, unfortunately. It happens everywhere, and all the time. She learns to harness the vital power of simple kindness transmitted from people around her through simple acts and gestures. Just me, my tea and the beautiful powerful words of this magnificent story. Beautifully expressed with sparse prose, **Updating this to 5★**I was totally captivated by this soulful, unassuming narrative that packs a punch of emotion. I was so wrong about that . But after sticking my nose back into the book, I’m changing my tune. I listened to this and it augmented the feeling that I was listening in on someone else’s conversation or being part of a one sided conversation. And she also muses about writing, what it means to her, and how she was inspired by a number of people, including another author. At times I felt as though I was listening in on a casual conversation between. An apparently simple tale of a woman's life from early hardship to later success, yet nothing about it is actually simple. Is the mother daughter relationship believable? Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Lucy has a troubled childhood. But eventually she became a hero to me in several ways. While it may be true that not every reader likes having the space between tiles, for me, squinting and mulling were part of the pleasure. Interesting and touching read narrated in the form of multiple short stories as with Olive Kitteridge. I really can’t stop thinking about this book. Whether one likes her characters or not (and truthfully some are unlikable if understandable, she makes the reader feel something. Had the book fully revealed the miseries of, A book like this that’s short on words, but rich in meaning begs for a metaphor to describe it. Read it. It considers the perception of poverty by those who live both inside and outside of it. We’d love your help. It's more of an experience than a story. There’s no doubt that Elizabeth Strout is a great author, she really doesn’t waste a word. When I first started reading this I had the feeling that it was going to be a remarkable story. The narrative begins with Lucy Barton reflecting on her life from the hospital bed where she spent 8 weeks after getting an infection from surgery. Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. 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