∎ Read The Amateur Marriage A Novel Anne Tyler 9780345472458 Books

The Amateur Marriage A Novel Anne Tyler 9780345472458 Books

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The Amateur Marriage A Novel Anne Tyler 9780345472458 Books

A late fan of Anne Tyler's -- Have loved everything I've read so far and will be reading more of her work. The Amateur Marriage has been my favorite so far. -- while all our reading choices are subjective, I can only say -- I am so impressed with how where or how she has gotten so close to the American family. I think this may be a bit uncomfortable for many -- but I (at my advanced age) -- find her writing incredibly "right on". Can't wait for my next read for this very brilliant writer -- (who BTW: reduced me to tears but also provided many laughs as well)! Why did it take me so long to discover her???


Tags : The Amateur Marriage: A Novel [Anne Tyler] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. From the inimitable Anne Tyler, a rich and compelling novel about a mismatched marriage—and its consequences,Anne Tyler,The Amateur Marriage: A Novel,Ballantine Books,0345472454,Historical - General,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Family Life,Fiction Literary,Fiction Psychological,Fiction-Historical,General,General Adult,MASS MARKET,United States

The Amateur Marriage A Novel Anne Tyler 9780345472458 Books Reviews

It's a good read. I found myself thinking about the characters after I finished the book. (That's an indicator of a books value to my thinking.) However, the leaps into the future that took place between chapters was at times welcome, but other times it felt disrespectful of the characters. I can't be more specific w/o giving away part of the story. This is a slice of life story that allows you to enter into the recent past and to witness the impact of the culture on the characters of that time.
I love Anne Tyler books and this one was no exception. It is the exploration of a marriage and, although at times it appears multi-generational, it really only focuses on the marriage of Michael and Pauline and what makes a marriage good or bad. As is often the case in her novels, there is a problem child who causes stress in the marriage and who feels the stresses between her parents. There is no one who understands better the complexities among family members. This novel is a delight and I would recommend it to my sister.
There's nothing like the emotional high that people experience during the first days and weeks of meeting the one person that you think you will spend the rest of your life with. It is not an analytical time; differences lying just below the surface are not allowed to detract from the fortuitous moment. And so it was with Michael and Pauline just after Pearl Harbor in 1941. Pauline is rushed into the small grocery of Michael's family in inner-city Baltimore for emergency first aid. Michael, the epitome of calmness, practicality, and orderliness, is smitten by the vibrant, impetuous, and emotional Pauline. Her spur-of-the-moment influence immediately exerts subtle pressure on Michael to join the Army. But he was out of his element and was essentially a failure, receiving, perhaps luckily, an early discharge after a training accident. This episode was only a small harbinger of what was to come in their marriage.
"The Amateur Marriage" is a truly insightful look at a marriage in perpetual conflict, where neither person really understands how to overcome their personality tendencies so that they can live in peace, hence an amateur marriage. Of course, the impact of the discord extends to the rest of the family, especially in the case of the oldest daughter Lindy. The author's account is not judgmental; however, it is clear that the volatility of Pauline has a more pronounced discordant impact than does Michael's somewhat plodding nature.
The novel covers sixty years with the story picking up every so many years. Is there an intriguing plot? Not really. It is a journey of two people struggling with their incompatibilities and the effects on their extended family. The book is actually a larger study in the disconnects among people. It is not just Pauline and Michael that the author turns her attention to. There are any number of miscommunications explored. The author has a real talent for capturing deficient interactions. Personally, I did not find the book to be "simplistic" as a reviewer claims. To the contrary, there is a lot of wisdom in this book.
In his later years, Michael does have the chance to be involved in a more harmonious relationship. The reader is left to ponder whether the new relationship fully erases the memories and pull of the past, despite the difficulties.
I always start out by admitting that I love Anne Tyler's writing. I have read at least eight of her twenty novels over the last twenty years. Among the reasons I have done so is that I am very acquainted with Baltimore and the Baltimore area where her works are set. She is able to paint such vivid pictures of Baltimore and its people with her words.The Amateur Marriage is a good four star read. The story is not as poignant as the "Accidental Tourist" or her latest, "The Spool of Blue Thread," which were, in my estimation, both five star reads Nevertheless, the Amateur Marriage is a good read that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. What is the story about?.Like all of her novels, it is about family, love, marriage, divorce, the passage of time, and growing old; all told through the lens of one family over a sixty year period. In essence the story is about life itself. In the end the hero finds his true place in life. I will not give away more than that. Again, it is a good, good read.

Leonard Birdsong is the author of six volumes of his "Weird Criminal Law Stories" and three volumes of his "Professor Birdsong's Dumbest Criminal Stories."
One of my favourite authors, Anne Tyler has taken an ordinary couple––Pauline and Michael––and placed them in an ordinary situation. She does this with all her characters, in all her books, and as every other Anne Tyler novel I have read, she managed to keep me riveted right to the end.

Once the story was over, I felt I knew the characters personally, and found it difficult to say goodbye to them.

Deeply empathetic with the characters, I read on, hoping Pauline and Michael could overcome their seemingly impossible differences. And at the heart of the story, there is the ongoing suspense concerning one of the children, the outcome of which surprised me, but shouldn’t have … it was such a likely outcome.

I felt this was one of Anne Tyler’s best. If you're already a fan, you'll love it. If you're only just discovering this author, it’s a great starting point.
A late fan of Anne Tyler's -- Have loved everything I've read so far and will be reading more of her work. The Amateur Marriage has been my favorite so far. -- while all our reading choices are subjective, I can only say -- I am so impressed with how where or how she has gotten so close to the American family. I think this may be a bit uncomfortable for many -- but I (at my advanced age) -- find her writing incredibly "right on". Can't wait for my next read for this very brilliant writer -- (who BTW reduced me to tears but also provided many laughs as well)! Why did it take me so long to discover her???