Oh William! - Elizabeth Strout

Oh William!

By Elizabeth Strout

  • Release Date: 2021-10-19
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4
4
From 968 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Olive Kitteridge and My Name is Lucy Barton explores the mysteries of marriage and the secrets we keep, as a former couple reckons with where they’ve come from—and what they’ve left behind.
 
ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air

“Elizabeth Strout is one of my very favorite writers, so the fact that Oh William! may well be my favorite of her books is a mathematical equation for joy. The depth, complexity, and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement.”—Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House


I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William. 

Lucy Barton is a writer, but her ex-husband, William, remains a hard man to read. William, she confesses, has always been a mystery to me. Another mystery is why the two have remained connected after all these years. They just are. 

So Lucy is both surprised and not surprised when William asks her to join him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret—one of those secrets that rearrange everything we think we know about the people closest to us. There are fears and insecurities, simple joys and acts of tenderness, and revelations about affairs and other spouses, parents and their children. On every page of this exquisite novel we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart. 
 
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Time, Vulture, She Reads

Reviews

  • Great and emotional read

    5
    By TDMDATL
    Well written and heartbreaking.
  • Like talking to your best friend

    5
    By the aviatrix
    This novel ended with a line that I will not reveal here but suffice to say, I needed this book. They say people either love shoefly pie or they can’t stand it. I think it’s the same with this author. If you engage with her writing style it’s like a conversation. If you aren’t intrigued - just put it down and give it to someone else. I read All Things Are Possible on a plane ride and needed more so I bought this and picked up the narrative where we left off. This writer opens psychological space for me. Real, honest and raw without being graphic or cheap. I also recommend reading the Olive books first. You can read the books out of order but I’m glad I did not.
  • Punctuation Fest!

    5
    By Voodoo Uh Oh
    Comma rich. Colon dense. Bold semi-colons. But bravely starting unpunctuated sentences with “But.” A wheelbarrow of internal starts and stops perfectly captures the struggle to narrate our own experience.
  • Sad

    4
    By pharmer28
    Another sad saga but written by a great story teller. Thanks
  • R.T Lund

    3
    By Noir follower
    A terribly overrated book. That’s just what it is.
  • Oh, Please!

    2
    By wynbee
    Not sure what all the other reviewers are raving about. I found it a rambling, overly sentimental and depressing story about dysfunctional relationships. Maybe this appeals to some who can identify well with the self absorbed narrator or the pitiful protagonist. The chatty writing style may also find favor with some, but I found it flippant and off-putting. Expected a lot more from a Pulitzer winner and not deserving of a Booker long list.
  • I don’t know why exactly I enjoyed it but I did

    5
    By Jamiam987
    I liked the familiar characters and that Lucy now has more wisdom
  • Moving and excellent

    5
    By juliusa
    Yet another wonderful book. Read it in one sitting, and highly moved. Worth your time.
  • Best friend

    5
    By Alice anne 22
    I wish Lucy Barton was my best friend
  • This story showers you kindly with truths.

    5
    By LizSweetwater
    Daar Lucy Barton, I missed you so much. I’m glad you took over the author so you could talk about love some more. You just muddle your way home like we all do. I like the elephants too. Liz

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