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Loading... The Mermaid Chairby Sue Monk Kidd
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Pretty self-absorbed protagonist but I became vaguely interested when the dad's lost became found. Self-absorbed mother. I feel I wasted some time. (  ) friendofcash | Sep 27, 2009 |  Really? This is one of those books I needed to quit reading before the end, but, alas, I am still learning the power to do this. (  )1  cemming | Sep 11, 2009 | I didn't this book as much as her first...however it was enjoyable and an easy read. (  ) kmurray_69 | Jul 29, 2009 | This was an interesting story, of midlife crises of possible mental illness,and of secrets and truths. I did find it a little slow at times but it was still a good story,with characters you can care about even with their flaws. Although some people think of this book as just a sad tale of a woman who has an affair I felt it was so much more than that and that the affair was all part of Jessie journey. What would you do if you get a phone call telling you your mother has chopped off a finger and that she did it on purpose?Especially after being estranged from her after your father dies when you feel to blame for it. The truth of her fathers death is at the heart of this book ,and I won't give any spoilers. Suffice it to say Jessie's journey takes some twists and turns for her to make her way back “home” to herself. ( ) susiesharp | Jul 22, 2009 | This is the story of Jessie, who returns to the island of her birth to look after her mother, but discovers a freedom and independence that she thought she had lost after 20-odd years of marriage.Although set on fictional Egret Island, this books takes its inspiration from other South Carolina islands. It contains wonderfully evocative descriptions of the American South, particularly island and bird life - given thats what this challenge is about, it was very rewarding from that point of view.The story itself is also very beautiful and almost fairytale-like, although it falls down somewhat through the way the story resolves itself. The title of the book refers to the strange juxtaposition of a carved chair associated with a mermaid legend, being situated within a church. Through Jessie's story, this book also explores some of the legends, both of some obscure Christian saints, and of mermaids, while Jessie comes to terms with the real circumstances that surrounded her fathers' death when she was 10.This book therefore interweaves mythical fairytale with the day-to-day happenings and resolution of the story, and I think this works very well. This book was very easy to read and did help immerse me in the American South. (  ) heidijane | Jul 20, 2009 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0143036696, Paperback)Sue Monk Kidd's The Mermaid Chair is the soulful tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desires take shape during an extended stay on Egret Island, where she is caring for her troubled mother, Nelle. Like Kidd's stunning debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees, her highly anticipated follow up evokes the same magical sense of whimsy and poignancy.While Kidd places an obvious importance on the role of mysticism and legend in this tale, including the mysterious mermaid's chair at the center of the island's history, the relationships between characters is what gives this novel its true weight. Once she returns to her childhood home, Jessie is forced to confront not only her relationship with her estranged mother, but her other emotional ties as well. After decades of marriage to Hugh, her practical yet conventional husband, Jessie starts to question whether she is craving an independence she never had the chance to experience. After she meets Brother Thomas, a handsome monk who has yet to take his final vows, Jessie is forced to decide whether passion can coexist with comfort, or if the two are mutually exclusive. As her soul begins to reawaken, Jessie must also confront the circumstances of her father's death, a tragedy that continues to haunt Jessie and Nelle over thirty years later. By boldly tackling such major themes as love, betrayal, grief, and forgiveness, The Mermaid Chair forces readers to question whether moral issues can always be interpreted in black or white. It is this ability to so gracefully present multiple sides of a story that reinforces Kidd's reputation as a well-respected modern literary voice. --Gisele Toueg (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:24 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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