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Topics messages Last message 50 Book Challenge : nannybebette; belva's 5th 134 mckait , Today 8:32pm75 Books Challenge for 2009 : SqueakyChu's - - Chapter 2 292 SqueakyChu , Today 8:30pmAudiobooks : What Are You Listening to Now? Part 5 326 ktleyed , Today 7:10pmBook talk : A Fun Book Game - Part II 200 rolandperkins , Today 6:15pmWhat Are You Reading Now? : Books Brought Home-December 2009 96 DeltaQueen50 , Today 5:51pmReading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now? December 2009 70 detailmuse , Today 3:42pmGirlybooks : What Books by Women Are You Reading: December 2009 73 KathyBS , Today 2:25pm75 Books Challenge for 2009 : ProfilerSR's 75 Book Challenge 265 Whisper1 , Today 11:50am75 Books Challenge for 2009 : DonnaReads through the 2nd Half of 2009 309 Donna828 , Yesterday 10:22pmFifty States Fiction (or Nonfiction) Challenge : SqueakyChu's Fifty State Challenge 16 SqueakyChu , Yesterday 7:50pm75 Books Challenge for 2009 : MarianV tries for 75 75 alcottacre , Yesterday 6:23pm1010 Category Challenge : auntmarge64's 101010 challenge 83 auntmarge64 , Yesterday 5:36pmWhat Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of December 5, 2009? 198 karenmarie , Yesterday 9:20am50 Book Challenge : Bigj5683 Literary Extravaganza 2009! 68 bigj5683 , Yesterday 4:56amFifty States Fiction (or Nonfiction) Challenge : Iowa books 13 sweetbug , Wednesday 2:59pmFifty States Fiction (or Nonfiction) Challenge : CBL's American journey 31 sweetbug , Wednesday 2:12pm50 Book Challenge : sydamy's 50+ book challenge for 2009 139 sydamy , Wednesday 1:26pm999 Challenge : angelrose 77 angelrose , Wednesday 11:22amLe Salon Litteraire du Peuple pour le Peuple : Book review reviews 445 Macumbeira , Wednesday 12:11am50 Book Challenge : On the way to 50 257 Louanne , Tuesday 3:43pm50 Book Challenge : brenzi 178 brenzi , Tuesday 10:49am999 Challenge : Suso711's 999 74 Suso711 , Tuesday 9:04am100 Books Challenge for 2009 : Heather's One Hundred 39 heatherm , Sunday 8:55pmClub Read 2009 : Kidzdoc's 2009 Goals #4 161 bobmcconnaughey , Sunday 11:03am100 Books Challenge for 2009 : teelgee tackles 125 - Part Two 48 legxleg , Saturday 9:21amGirlybooks : GIRLYBOOKS MESSAGE BOARD 150 wookiebender , December 9Fifty States Fiction (or Nonfiction) Challenge : countrylife's Country - in books 74 RidgewayGirl , December 9Literary Snobs : What books are you planning to read in 2010? 26 bobmcconnaughey , December 9Kindley Book Club : Whatcha reading part two 81 IronMike , December 7Club Read 2009 : dchaikin's 2009 reading log 2 151 janeajones , December 7Readers Over Sixty : what are you reading now? 45 Naren559 , December 750 Book Challenge : japaul's 50 books for 2009 90 spacepotatoes , December 6Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now? November 2009 86 lilisin , December 450 Book Challenge : Mark's (MSF59) Part 2 299 msf59 , December 1Girlybooks : What Books by Women Are You Reading: November 2009 124 englishrose60 , December 1Literary Snobs : Book Hauls 151 chamberk , November 3075 Books Challenge for 2009 : Prop2gether's Reading, Act III 72 VioletBramble , November 30Book talk : A Fun Book Game -- Explanation A Click Away! 788 DeltaQueen50 , November 25List Five Books Parlour Game : Bible Destinations 6 mamalaz , November 24Taggers! : Unusual tags you use 75 countrylife , November 2350 Book Challenge : Shinyone's 50 for 2009 88 shinyone , November 14What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of October 24, 2009? 220 bibleeohfile , November 9Le Salon Litteraire du Peuple pour le Peuple : Hit List 155 Macumbeira , November 8What Are You Reading Now? : 2009 - Your Best Five Reads of Q3 (July -Sept) 79 bibleeohfile , November 275 Books Challenge for 2009 : Book Challenge 2009: Bridget770's List 129 alcottacre , November 250 Book Challenge : kambrogi in 2009 189 kambrogi , October 31Girlybooks : What Books by Women Are You Reading: October 2009 140 rebeccanyc , October 3050 Book Challenge : nannybebette---the 4th inning 301 nannybebette , October 28What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of October 17, 2009? 184 PaperbackPirate , October 24What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of October 10, 2009? 182 teelgee , October 17999 Challenge : bk04011 's 75 NeverStopTrying , October 161010 Category Challenge : kimb 1010 list for 2010 23 KimB , October 14What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of October 3, 2009? 227 Mr.Durick , October 10Club Read 2009 : Your Top Ten List 11 dchaikin , October 9Reading Globally : Where in the world are you now? September 2009 164 twitham , October 675 Books Challenge for 2009 : Prop2gether, 2009, Act 2 226 Prop2gether , October 5What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of September 26, 2009? 216 jnwelch , October 3What Are You Reading Now? : Book Brought Home - September 2009 215 jdthloue , October 2Pulitzer Fiction Challenge : Kimb's Pulitzer Challenge 3 clamairy , September 30Girlybooks : What Books By Women Are you reading , September 2009 ? 125 teelgee , September 30Christianity : The Book of Job 18 msladylib , September 2950 Book Challenge : alalba 133 alalba , September 2850 Book Challenge : introducing myself: nannybebette 301 DavidMitchell28 , September 23What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of September 12, 2009? 239 teelgee , September 20100 Books Challenge for 2009 : teelgee tackles 125 in 2009 275 teelgee , September 1850 Book Challenge : belva; 3rd times a charm 216 whitewavedarling , September 1350 Book Challenge : bonniebook's 50 book challenge in 2009, chapter 2 265 nannybebette , September 1375 Books Challenge for 2009 : Womansheart Joins the 75/2009 Challenge 255 womansheart , September 11100 Books Challenge for 2009 : elleseven's going for 100+ in 2009! 49 elleseven , September 11999 Challenge : Tutu's 2nd qtr 119 bonniebooks , September 8Book talk : WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW? Where? Why? How? What? Is it? What? 205 callmejacx , September 8999 Challenge : Remember to tag your books! 59 stephmo , September 775 Books Challenge for 2009 : Laytonwoman3rd --2009--Second Quarter 293 laytonwoman3rd , September 775 Books Challenge for 2009 : Cait86's Reading, Take 2 312 Cait86 , September 6999 Challenge : nannybebette's 999 97 nannybebette , September 5What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of August 29, 2009? 247 teelgee , September 550 Book Challenge : Mark's (MSF59) 303 msf59 , September 3Girlybooks : What Books by Women are You Reading Now? August 2009 160 wookiebender , August 30What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of August 22, 2009? 268 FicusFan , August 29999 Challenge : bell7's 195 bell7 , August 28999 Challenge : katethegreyt's Nine Categories 24 Katethegreyt , August 2750 Book Challenge : bell7's 81-ish challenge in 2009 209 bell7 , August 26Book Nudgers : An Orange July Nudge Please 21 Minthe , August 21999 Challenge : englishrose60's 233 englishrose60 , August 20100 Books Challenge for 2009 : englishrose60 goes for 100 in 2009 224 englishrose60 , August 16100 Books Challenge for 2009 : jfetting's 100 book challenge - 2009 270 jfetting , August 1550 Book Challenge : nannybebette take 2 315 nannybebette , August 575 Books Challenge for 2009 : lindsacl's (Laura's) challenge - part 2 210 lindsacl , August 4Girlybooks : ORANGE JULY 2009 171 mrstreme , July 3075 Books Challenge for 2009 : DonnaReads 219 Donna828 , July 22What Are You Reading Now? : Share a line or passage from your current book 47 PaperbackPirate , July 1775 Books Challenge for 2009 : SqueakyChu's - 301 SqueakyChu , July 11999 Challenge : rs with a Pulitzer Prize Category 21 christina_reads , July 475 Books Challenge for 2009 : alynnk's 2009 list 147 Whisper1 , July 4What Are You Reading Now? : Books Brought Home- June 2009 331 mckait , July 175 Books Challenge for 2009 : Tututhefirst joins in 307 tututhefirst , June 2975 Books Challenge for 2009 : Whisper1's reading list #4 260 loriephillips , June 22The Prizes : The Orange Prize 2009 45 Cariola , June 22Literary Snobs : That 10% 81 benjclark , June 22
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... treats her characters with love & respect.
Marilynne Robinson Home a really good book, but I would recomend reading Gilead first - see review
March by Geraldine Brooks This is about Papa March when he serves in the civil war. It is not for the faint-hearted. "War is Hell" said Sher ...
I'm in Gilead , Iowa reading Rev. Ames' letter to his son .
... for sure.
Basically I just see myself working through the other books that I've bought but have yet to read - including Gilead , Pale Fire, Portrait of a Lady, and many, many others.
... I could.
Dchaikin is also working his way up the hot reviews ladder with his interesting review of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead . I enjoyed the review--always like to hear about a reader's evolving relationship with a book. Will you write us another review after your third reading, dchaikin? :) ...
Les Miserables - I'm about 100 pages in now (thats 6.8%).
I also just posted an attempt of a review of Gilead . Mainly, it covers the 1st half.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
... planning to read more of this author's books. Perhaps I'll make Ellen Foster my next.
Don't think you had to"sell" Gilead to me. This was not a book I disliked. I could see wonderful writing and also recognize that the writing was not capturing me at the time I was listening to it. Th ...
regarding Gilead , I'm glad you might give it another try, and I'm glad you're not forcing yourself to read (or listen to) it now. I just re-read it and had some trouble - and made the mistake of not putting it down. It's not a book that pulls me in. I have to be in the right state of mind for it.
...
Gilead did not come off as "syrupy" because the narrator was great. I still think it was because of the writing style. Long narratives don't go well on long drives.
I needed so much thinking time while I was reading--it was like his comments were a catalyst for my own thoughts that I ...
There are some books, Madeline, that I don't think I could stand to listen to, and Gilead is one of them. I think it would come off as too "syrupy" when read. Did it? I needed so much thinking time while I was reading--it was like his comments were a catalyst for my own thoughts that I ...
... Bonnie,
I missed you, too.
Interestingly enough, the book Honey and Dust just "speaks to me" in the same way that Gilead did to you. I agree with you when you say that so much of what we read we actually bring to the book ourselves. Lines trigger memories, both happy and sad, in a ...
... Whenever people talk about a book they had expected to like more based on other people's recommendations, I always think of Gilead as an example of how much a reader's own life experiences (or needs and interests) impacts his/her reaction to a book. Sorry this is so long. I miss talking to you. ...
*tosses aside* Gilead by Marilyn Robinson.
Yes, I can see how this book would be a Pulitzer Prize winner. The caliber of the writing is very high. However, it's not a prize winner for me. The ultimate test of a book is one that doesn't put me to sleep while listening to it in the car. G ...
From the library I got Gilead and The Shipping News .
>4 I really enjoyed The Shipping News when I read it and I need to get to Gilead it's on mount toobie.
I'll be reading The Shipping News and Gilead .
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
I finished Marilynne Robinson's Gilead on Thanksgiving Day. It was a perfect book to read during this season since blessing is one of the themes in the book. Although set in Iowa, at first it seemed to be more about Kansas because of the family's history in that state. However, it gradually ...
I have just arrived in Gilead, Iowa in Gilead by Marilyn Robinson. I'm reflecting on my life.
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
A10. Home by Marilynne Robinson
Audiobook. Fiction. I have not read Gilead , which I understand is actually the book before Home. In Home, a daughter is taking care of her ailing father, when the ne'er-do-well son comes home after 20 years. The book focuses on relationships in ...
That was a very good review. I've been reluctant to try Home and Gilead , and your review gives me the sense that they are books I would like.
Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
Gilead by by Marilynne Robinson
Jerusalem Vigil by Bodie an Brock Thoene
The Jericho Sanction by Oliver North
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
... (c2008, 325 pages, finished October 16)
The quick summary is that this is Reverend Robert Boughton’s story from Gilead . If you’re familiar with Gilead that, while not entirely accurate, makes sense. This book perfectly parallels Gilead , her previous novel, to the ...
... as Lila gets breast cancer.
Home Marilyn Robinson. this was an ER book & one of the best I've had. If you enjoyed Gilead you will like Home even more as if follows the same characters, adding more details. Book review is coming up soon in the Review section.
The Prize Winner of D ...
... Hawk Down
Invitation to a Beheading
The Human Factor
The Bonfire of the Vanities
Amazon giftcard went to
Gilead
The Guns of August
The Broom of the System
This whole "reduce the amount of books I own that I need to read" plan isn't working out.
This month I'm planning on Gilead and The Shipping News .
... the Wedding, The Ballad of the Sad CafeThe Heart is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers
Tell me a Riddle Tillie Olson
Gilead ,Home Marilynne Robinson
A Lesson Before Dying Ernest Gaines
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
... all their multiple "reallys"). It's simple and (imho) beautiful, but I think it's suffered from too much hype. It's like Gilead in that so much of your reading experience will be dependent on how much you want to feel and think about what you're reading.
Mark, I just put you in the W ...
... L'Engle
118. A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
119. The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo
120. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
121. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
122. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
123. Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterso ...
Finished Gilead on Sunday, and Barefoot Gen, Volume Four : Out of the Ashes yesterday. I'm reading Across the Endless River and enjoying it.
Finished Home & will post a review as soon as I find a copy of Gilead which has the same characters, but there are a few things I want to check on, as I read Gilead several years ago.
I read The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio a really well-written funny-sad memoir, the author is one of 10 ...
... stopped looking several years ago.
38: Mr.Durick - That Rothschild book, I had no idea it existed.
Still re-reading Gilead , but I've stalled out with 50 pages to go. I've picked up two other books. First I picked up Across the Endless River by Thad Carhart, my September Early Review ...
Iowa. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Really enjoyed this book, and forgot that I was reading it with an eye toward place. Or maybe its sense of place didn't just jump out at me, since it all felt like 'home' to me - from small, dying towns and little farms to the Nishnabotna. Overall, I ...
I just finished Gilead narrated by Timothy Jerome who had the perfect voice for the job. Deep and sonorous, the voice fitted the character of the Rev. John Ames perfectly. You could imagine him delivering hundreds of sermons from his pulpit. I encourage everyone to listen to this one.
Reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Also, I finally posted a review of Stonehenge by Rosemary Hill.
Finished Home today, which I did enjoy quite a bit. Now I've picked up Gilead for a re-read.
... I will face the first page of chapter one unless I accidentally pick up a piece of non-fiction.
164. Donna, I have read Gilead , and I will wonder where his heart takes the Reverend Ames until I read a book by Marilynne Robinson telling me. I much preferred it to Home but will not deny ...
I'm reading Home by Marilynne Robinson. I have also read Gilead a few years ago. They are both excellent books.
>153: Mr.Durick, I recommend that you read Gilead if you haven't already done so. Marilynne Robinson does an outstanding job of telling Rev. Ames's story with a little historical background and much sensitivity for this gentle man. I have read it several times and take away new meaning from ...
... chunk of it; I'm a little over 70 pages from the back end. This book seems to me to lack the deep range of reflection of Gilead and the verve of Housekeeping but still bears reading. It took awhile for me to get back to it, but I'm not sorry that I am back.
Robert
Well, I was reading Gilead for last month's RL book club, but it was so slow I put it down and now can't find the copy. *sigh* Not to worry, the blanks have been filled in:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (999)
City of Light, City of Dark by Avi and Brian Floca
The Best of Ray Bradbury: The ...
... by John Steinbeck
5. The Minotaur by Benjamin Tammuz
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
7. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
8. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
9. One Extra*Ordinary Day by Harold Myra
10. Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Eli ...
>182 Mr.Durick - I haven't tried Home, but I couldn't get into Gilead so I figure I'm just not at the right spot for Marilynne Robinson these days.
I read both The Book Thief and The Zookeeper's Wife this year. You couldn't go wrong with either one.
I'm about half-way through August ...
... get impatient with books that are quiet and understated. But maybe I'm mellowing as I age - I did finally fall in love with Gilead after all. Love and Summer is a gorgeous book set in mid-20th century Rathmoye, Ireland, a small farming community. We spend a summer with Ellie and her ...
... like that. So many differing opinions and so many differing reasons for those opinions.
>#112:
Mark;
I too, loved Gilead . In point of fact I have loved everything I have read by Marilynne Robinson but for spiritual matters I will take the Bible over a book about God's Word any ...
It took me two attempts to read and appreciate Gilead . I didn't get far the first time, several years ago. But this time I was in the right place and time for it. Amazing book.
... leaving Glory and that grand old house. Tears, tears, as Jack would say.
#132 teelgee -- I envy you reading Home and Gilead so close together. I'll be interested to read what you have to say when you're done with both.
... I just picked up Home today; I won't have a chance to read it for a few weeks, but want to read it soon as I read Gilead about a month ago. Look forward to it.
I finished Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg tonight; ...
Thanks Berly & Caroline for dropping in-I much prefer a book like Gilead , for spiritual matters. I found such beauty in her prose and it never felt "preachy". Yes, I heard they are planning a film based on The Shack, directed and starring Mel Gibson....just kidding!
Thx RD for the word help!
... between the "pro" list vrs the "Reader" list.
There are only have seven in common;
American Genius, A Comedy
Gilead
Cloud Atlas
The Road
Austerlitz
The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Middlesex
... mond
Killing Castro by Lawrence Block (Hard Case Crime)
Spring-Heeled Jack by Philip Pullman
Currently finishing up Gilead by Marilynne Robinson for my RL book club; Outlander and Cryptonomicon for my 999 Challenge; and there's a couple of others thrown in for good measure.
I'm reading Home by Marilynne Robinson and as I do I am also rereading parts of Gilead . I keep wishing someone had created a -- I know this is the wrong term but since I'm reading about two ministers it's the word that keeps coming to mind -- 'concordance' for the two books.
I loved Gil ...
... asked? I hope I didn't ruffle too many feathers with my comments. Like you, I much preferred the lower key approach in Gilead .
... I'm interpreting it. Does this stuff hold up to deep thought because most of it I just don't get. I compare it to the book Gilead , which I found profoundly spiritual without the mumbo-jumbo. Your thoughts?
... read To Kill a Mocking Bird now and it is just as good as everyone said it is.
I now have in my library
Beloved
Gilead
The Stone Diaries
Looking forward to reading these three, but I have a few others on mount Toobie to get through before I can.
... - I read Housekeeping years ago and wanted to re-read it soon to see if I still love it. I loved it then. I recently read Gilead after a false start with it several years ago, I couldn't get into it then, but this time it clicked for me and I loved it too. Looking forward to Home soon, I see ...
... Eugenides ***** 10/29/09
3. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
4. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
5. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
6. Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
7. Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto
8. World Without Us by A ...
#182 rdurick
I loved Gilead !. It deserved every award it got. I have not read Housekeeping but have it on my TBR list. I also have Home on it.
When people ask me about Gilead I tell them it is one of those books were nothing happens and everything happens. It is a story about life ...
... by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Colour by Rose Tremain
The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The almost rans:
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
In Hovering Flight by Joyce Hinnefeld
The Magician's Assistant ...
... night and then opened up Home. I read enough pages to be in love with the writing. It may be that I felt that way about Gilead and Housekeeping, too, but I don't remember it. In any case, I'm hoping for a hat trick (did Kidzdoc use that about books a little while ago?).
Robert
Empty post. No substance. No feeling. No taste.
...
Describe where you currently live: Hill Towns by Anne Rivers Siddons
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Your favourite form of transportation: March by Geraldine Brooks
Your best friend is: Beloved by Toni Morrison
You and ...
#43 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
This is a beautiful book: beautiful language, beautiful characters, beautiful insights. One of the few books I've given 5 stars this year. Can't wait to read Home also.
... L'Engle
118.A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
119. The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo
120. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
121. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
122. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
123. Snow Falling on Cedars by ...
... and Media Rate Mail. Today, from Barny Noble:
Home by Marilynne Robinson. Her first two novels (I started with Gilead ) and her book of essays convinced me. I waited, however, for the paperback.
Loneliness by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick. I am not a very ...
... Capture the Castle has been languishing on a shelf unread for far too long. It sounds like my kind of book. I consider Gilead one of my Top Ten of Alltime Books. It has such depth that I take something new from it every time I read it. I'm just so amazed at the people who think it is ...
I finished Gilead last night - a lovely read. Now reading I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Quite engaging so far.
Terri;
I am so glad you liked Gilead . I thought it to be wonderful and not at all preachy. I haven't read a Robinson that I didn't love.
Bonnie, I am happy you loved it too.
This will be one of my top 10 of the year, I am sure.
hugs to both of you,
belva
I think Gilead is a perfect book for when you're feeling contemplative yourself. I loved it!
... src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/031242440X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg">
67. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Just the book I needed for a healing, quiet meditative couple of weeks. Beautifully written. I gave up on this book when it first came ...
... I thought that The Shack was schmaltyz and trite, but then I'm an atheist, so you can't really go by me. Loved Gilead though, so I can be inspired and touched by how others use their faith to question their thinking or actions, and to try to live a better life.
I'm back to Gilead after a departure for a book group read.
... finished having Amazing Adventures with Kavalier and Clay in New York City, I'm returning to the sedate meditations of Gilead Iowa.
... Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay last night.
Will now return to my regularly scheduled program of finishing Gilead .
... in for a treat! That's my second favorite Waters book.
I'm still reading a boy book, but next week will be back to Gilead .
... by James M. McPherson
2) The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
3) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
4) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
5) One Extra*Ordinary Day by Harold Myra
6) The Minotaur by Benjamin Tammuz
7) ...
Challenge dates: October 1, 2009 - October 1, 2010
Here are my categories and some preliminary titles for 2010. Might as well really ...
I'm half way through Gilead and liking it lots! I think because I'm recovering from surgery, the easy, slow meditative pace is just right for me. It's lovely writing. Now I have to set it aside for awhile though to read a boy book - Kavalier and Clay - for my book group. I think it'll be easy ...
... the square ones, not the squigglies for the touchstones.
I loved The Help, such an excellent book.
I am loving Gilead , much to my surprise. But will have to put it aside to allow myself enough time to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay for my book group next week. It' ...
... by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle read beautifully by Derek Jacobi. He could read a train timetable and I'd love it. I now have Gilead . With this audio it doesn't matter if your attention is taken by traffic problems and you lose a minute or so as it is a contemplative monologue that a dieing ...
kiwiflowa - is that your trivia guess? If so, yes!
I haven't made much progress with Gilead , lots of interruptions the last two days. Hope to finish it this weekend though. Such a quiet read.
110> Good luck with Gilead --I couldn't get through it myself. A real snoozer and highly overhyped, IMO.
Finished The Day the Falls Stood Still - good book! Now going to give Gilead another try - I started it years ago and it didn't do much for me, but thought I'd give it a go now in another phase of my life!
... 1975
4. The Stone Diaries Pultizer Prize winner fiction 1995
5. Beloved Pultizer Prize winner fiction 1988
6. Gilead Pultizer Prize winner fiction 2005
7. On Beauty Orange Broadband Prize 2006
8.
9.
10.
10 books that have been in my TBR pile for more than 12 months
...
... to it. Well, let me know what you think of city of Thieves I know I will love Home as I really liked Homemaking and Gilead grabbed my heartstrings and pulled me in tight.
Thanks for your many recx Mark. I haven't gone wrong on one of yours yet.
You have a good week end too. See you ...
... to it. Well, let me know what you think of City of Thieves I know I will love Home as I really liked Homemaking and Gilead grabbed my heartstrings and pulled me in tight.
Thanks for your many recx Mark. I haven't gone wrong on one of yours yet.
You have a good week end too.
belva
... had arrived and Home was finally home. I have been waiting very impatiently as I have just finished Housekeeping and Gilead and found the first to be very satisfying and fell in love with the second.
But alas I must wait until September to read Home as I have set August aside as an ...
You must read Gilead ! Promise? :)
... 'Engle
118. A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
119. The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo
120. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
121. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
122. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
123. Snow Falling on Cedars by ...
... and for that I withheld the last half star.
Home is often referred to as a companion novel to Robinson’s earlier Gilead , which I have not yet read. This novel has no problem standing alone, but it does rather beg the question of why Reverend Boughton’s old friend John Ames has so ...
>94 coppers: Gilead is fantastic! It's companion novel is Home which won the Orange Prize this year. I enjoyed both books.
I'm so happy you liked Gilead ! One of my favorites ever, and I always like to see other people enjoy it too! I read Home earlier in the year, and it has very much the same sort of quiet, contemplative, beautiful mood.
Also, I really want to read Ripley but keep putting it off. I think I'll ...
Hi Louanne - Except for Gilead , I've read all the books on your faves list and loved them all, too! Gilead is on the TBR list.
... Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
... But I am awaiting my copy of Home as I had to order it. Do you have yours on hand? I can't wait to get it and read it. Gilead was like reading a wonderfully sweet dream to me. I found it full of God, prayer, the Bible and yet not at all preachy. I didn't find it religious at all, but ...
Mark;
I didn't realize that. Does it take place before or after Gilead ? I need to order it yet. Had better to do that as it will fit in my 999 challenge and I am really squirming there. So I think I will go order it now and read it as soon as it gets here. I am going to have to concentrate ...
... novel written in the form of a series of related short stories. This is one of those books I hate to see come to an end. Gilead was another great read. I'm looking forward to reading Home
... is excellent!~! I wish I were you; beginning it again. (and they should write a lot more for "us")
Anyhoo----I finished Gilead , wonderful book, then read The Talented Mr. Ripley, also very good and am now reading a biography: Carrington: A Life which is also very good so far.
belva
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
I loved "Gilead". It is written as a memoir from a dying elderly (at least third generational preacher) to his seven year old son. And It is written in a manner that takes one back to about the 1950s. The father, who is narrating, writes in a very calming, ...
Finished Gilead , read The Talented Mr Ripley and am now reading Carrington: A Life by Gretchen Holbrook Gerszina.
1. Where did you get this book?
Thriftbooks.com.
2. How much did it cost?
1 cent plus S & , so roughly 4.00 U.S.
3. Why did you pick this book to read NOW?
I have ...
I so agree about Gilead Mark. I would like to leave something similar to my children. I loved how she used the perfect amount of wording to say what she wanted to say. Not too much and not too little. It was a lovely book. I am so glad I bought it instead of borrowing from the library. I ...
Belva- So glad you enjoyed Gilead . Opinion here seems to be divided. I loved her beautiful writing! I didn't see it overly religious, just life-affirming!
Finished Gilead and absolutely loved it. I wish that every parent did that for his/her child. Comments and review to follow.
On to The Talented Mr. Ripley. Am really liking it as well.
... Karinina and Pillars of the Earth for group reads and for myself I have chosen at this time a beautiful book called Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
(thought we needed some action here and was having trouble thinking of a topic--sorry it is not original)
... for this time.
I have just begun a bio on Patricia Highsmith that looks to be really good.
And last night I began Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
1. Where did you get this book?
I forget which online used bookstore I used for this one.
2. How much did it cost?
1 cent plus 3.?? ...
... so happy to read a book about a girl whose mind wasn't all "girly, girly, foo foo". (her expression, not mine)
I have Gilead ; in fact it is on my night table to be read within the next......well, soon. And Home is on it's way.
Did you go away to get married or is it my imagination? Yo ...
... to agree that you should try more Marilynne Robinson, even if Housekeeping didn't float your boat. She's wonderful - Gilead is absolutely fantastic.
Well, now I'm starring your thread so that you will be easier to find next time!
... Time. It is one of my all-time childhood favorites! The sequel is not bad either (A Wind in the Door). Also enjoyed Gilead , so now I will have to check out Housekeeping. Later! Always a pleasure to be here.
>156: no Tutu, it's not. I haven't read Gilead yet but from its description it appears to take place in the same timeframe, and some of the same characters. Gilead is written as letters, where Home is more of a novel.
>157: I bet your sock drawer is alphabetized!! LOL. Close: ...
Is this book a sequel to Gilead . I just couldn't get into Gilead and am wondering if this one would be better?
I'm so glad you liked this book. It is one of my favorites...ranked just a teeny millimeter below Gilead .
... Home this week while I was away on vacation this week. I loved it and found it quite moving. I haven't yet read Gilead , which I know received mixed reviews here on LT but I'm now intrigued by its complementary story line.
I have two more Orange winners awaiting me at the library: ...
Thanks Mark. I will have to check the movie out. I enjoy Christine Lahti.
I have Gilead on my shelf and Home is on order so I guess I had a feeling I would go for this one. I just was disappointed that I was unable to connect with the characters. Had there been that connection I would have ...
Nice review on Housekeeping. This is one I have not read but I did love her last 2 books, Gilead & Home. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. I'm not sure if you are much of a film watcher, (I'm a pretty big film buff, myself) but there is an excellent movie called "Housekeeping" based on the ...
... Stone Diaries 1
The Accidental 1
Inheritance of Loss 1/2
Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living 1/2 for interest
Gilead 0 - which is good because I'll try to read this and Home one after another at some stage.
Fall on Your Knees neg 1/2
Ok, because I'm a bit contrary and it's a ...
Danny Gospel by David Athey and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson are both set in Iowa, and I would recommend both.
... Measure by Hal Glatzer
12. Idaho
13. Illinois
14. Indiana - Life Goes On by Philip Gulley
15. Iowa - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
16. Kansas
17. Kentucky
18. Louisiana
19. Maine - Site Unseen by Dana Cameron; Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
20. Maryl ...
Wow! You've read a lot of books since I last visited! I loved Homestead, Gilead , and Beloved. Enjoyed Five Quarters of the Orange, and think I liked A Thousand Acres too. I haven't read The Colour by Rose Tremain. How would you rate it compared to your other reads?
Edited to try ...
... odd, I'm sure. (Me being late 30s, and female and all!) Similar to how I felt while reading about the old preacher in Gilead . My feelings have much to do with the fact that we have an older man in our family going through life with Parkinsons now.
When old Jacob looks in the mirror and ...
... on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, it seems like we share very similar reactions to the books we've both read--especially Gilead and Cellist of Sarajevo--so am enjoying following along on your challenge. I wish I didn't have so many new books to read; otherwise I might be tempted to reread ...
wow, you got some good reading in this month. What did you think of Gilead ?
68. Dot in the Universe by Lucy Ellman
69. The House Gun by Nadine Gordimer
70. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
71. Beloved by Toni Morrison
72. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
73. Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy
74. Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
75. Five Quarters of the Orange ...
48. Dot in the Universe by Lucy Ellman
49. The House Gun by Nadine Gordimer
50. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
51.Beloved by Toni Morrison
52. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
53. Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy
54. Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
55. Five Quarters of the Orange ...
I really hated Gilead --a real snoozer for me (but others have loved it).
... I've read and would recommend are:
The Orchard by Drusilla Modjeska
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. I know this last one has had very wide ranging reviews, but I thought it was a well written and ...
...
Gilgamesh 1
The Accidental 1
Inheritance of Loss 1/2
Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living 1/2 for interest
Gilead 0 - which is good because I'll try to read this and Home one after another at some stage.
Fall on Your Knees neg 1/2
Still taking nudges.......
Yeah, Gilead has so many layers to unravel, as it's basically a kind of summation of this man's entire life and what he's learned. It asks so many questions about how we relate to each other as well as to whatever gods we believe in, and even what place un-belief has in our world. And it's ...
I was thinking about suggesting Gilead for my book group. Does it seem like the kind of book that would spark conversation?
Eh, Gilead bored me to tears, so I have little interest in reading Home. I'm more interested in the other nominees this year.
48: OK, OK, I've ignored a recommendation of Gilead for the last time; I've added it to my to-buy list.
... its vast cast of characters is driving me nuts!!
Middlesex was meh for me, too. I loved The Road very, very much. Gilead is somewhere around my house. I haven't read it yet.
... Arvind Singh
Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships by Carl Medearis
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Beautiful Mourning by Sarah Miles
When Someone Loves You...you'll risk everything by Susan Johnson
Using Herbs in the Home by ...
... Housekeeping.
That said, others on this site (although thankfully not in this group) have given "thumbs down" to Gilead for being "too slow". Absolutely ludicrous. If you need car chases and hand grenades to enjoy a novel, skip this book. If, however, you want an author who trusts her ...
48: I do want to get around to reading Gilead even though I am vociferously anti-religious. To be fair, I reserve my hatred for the Christian Right and the moral hypocrites against marriage (though that doesn't stop THEM from having gay sex and/or molesting altar boys). I've heard lots of good ...
I know many may be tired of hearing about it, but for myself, reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2004) was an experience I still treasure. If the religious musings of the narrator don't deter the reader (some readers are as vociferously anti-religious as others are religious), then this long ...
Home was an enjoyable read. I was glad I read Gilead first, and both books together.
Jack Boughton was such a complicated character. I liked seeing the way he and Glory, who really had no shared past, formed a bond as brother and sister. The voice of Reverend Boughton was so clear to me, as ...
... Basket sounds like a great idea. But considering how anxious I can get mine would have to be a Serenity Warehouse!
Gilead keeps popping up everywhere, so it's obviously a popular book but every time I read about it I think "not now but maybe later". Obviously it isn't the right time yet, ...
... 'Engle
118. A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
119. The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo
120. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
121. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
122. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
123. Blackbird: A Childhood Lost ...
I loved Gilead , too. I am anxious to hear what you think of Home.
After reading this wonderful discussion of Gilead , I must add it to my wishlist. :) Thanks so much everyone!
--BJ
... out and use something in it to help me get through the rough moments. Amazingly, it works.
I won't know if I want to add Gilead until I have read it but it sounds promising. At the very least, it sounds like a wonderful book.
And you poor dear; a root canal. Here, borrow my basket. I am ...
Finished Book #24 - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
I wasn't expecting to be touched personally by this book, but I was. What could I possibly have in common with a 76 year-old preacher from a small Iowa town? There's a quote that goes: Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the ...
... each year.
In fact, they have a table of books for sale for .10 per paperback and $.25 for hard cover. I bought Gilead for ten cents a few weeks ago......
I'll be interested in reading your comments about The Things that Matter: What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say About the Stag ...
... part of life, no? Now I must think about what would go in mine. I think you will find Housekeeping different from Gilead . I read the latter a very long time ago (you probably know that 24 years separate the two books). I found no serenity in the first one, although it is fine writing. ...
... that I have not yet read so I will concentrate on those and the "few" purchases I make.
As in; coming in the post today:
Gilead
The Odyssey though why I bought that one, I do not know as I seem to have a reading block with the Greek/Roman classics and have not been get through The Iliad ...
Louanne, I actually did listen to the audio of Gilead and the narrator was exactly like you would expect a kind, loving, elderly preacher to sound. It was a nice story to listen to, it was almost as if he was telling "me" his life story.
I forgot to post this quotation from Gilead . It still give me chills. This is what I mean when I say that Ames'/Robinson's Christianity is humanistic.
"...I can't believe that, when we have all been changed and put on incorruptibility, we will forget our fantastic condition of mortality and ...
Donna...
Oh I am SO LOVING Gilead . What could be more touching than sharing in the love of a Father for his little boy- it's beautiful! I'm willing to bet it will become a favorite of mine also.
I hope you are loving Gilead , one of my all-time treasured books. About Monica Ali: I read Brick Lane several years ago and had the same lukewarm experience that you've had to her latest release. I can't remember why, but I do believe that there has to be some sort of chemistry with the ...
... hanged.
I could go on and on about this book. Oops, maybe I have, but I enjoyed it so much I can't help myself.
I find Gilead to be a great read so far. I've never listened to an audio book before, I'm a printed-word-girl, but I think it might be one of those books where 'hearing' old John A ...
... loved. I just finished A Reliable Wife for my RL book club, dark yes but a good read. There are mixed thoughts about Gilead here on LT but I quite enjoyed it and have put Home on my TBR list. My sister in law loaned my Love walked in but I haven't gotten around to it yet, sounds like ...
Great review of Gilead ! I, too, loved this book and also Housekeeping. Looking forward to reading her new one as well.
...
I began reading Home by Marilynne Robinson. I got to around page 100, and then realized I should have started Gilead first. The two novels take place simultaneously, but in two different Iowa households in 1956. Gilead was published in 2004, and won the Pulitzer Prize, and I can ...
omg, that message is unbelievable.
I just want to say that Gilead is an amazing book, just beautiful in its construction.
You wrote a very beautiful review for Gilead . I was happy to see how much you thought of the book. I have already ordered it and one other by Robinson and they should arrive any day now. After reading your review I am even more eager to get my hands on them.
Thank you. A thumbs up all ...
... src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/031242440X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg">
#20 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I am still floating after reading this amazing book. Read at the right time and place, it could be life-changing. Click on the book ...
... Spell of Winter, by Helen Dunmore
I might also read the 2009 winner, Home, but am trying to decide if I should read Gilead first (in which case I'll do both another month).
I may also read a couple shortlisted works:
- The Girls, by Lori Lansens - if for some reason I don't get ...
I'd like to read Home as part of Orange July but haven't read Gilead yet. I understand the two books are related. Does anyone know ... is it important to read Gilead first?
Ooh, thanks, bonnie and girlunderglass, for the words of encouragement. After I finish Gilead , I have to go with Death in Venice (reread) for a book club, and then maybe I will treat myself to Wuthering Heights.
... ears.
Black Girl / White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, I have already ordered Gilead
We Are At War
Our Hidden Lives and
Private Battles all by Simon Garfield
The last three books are diaries of ordinary people who lived who lived ...
Well, that's interesting. I've read Housekeeping and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and thought that both were very good.
... up. But if your interested please do tell me so!
Anywyas........
I'm starting a new group read called HouseKeeping by Marilynne Robinson . I heard it's an awesome book, and I have yet to read it!!!
Please message me to let me know whether you want to join this one or the other book!!!!
Well, I'm interested in seeing whether you like Gilead , Belva! :-) It puzzles/intrigues me how I, an atheist, can so like that book, while others are bored by it! I think it's a perfect book for a "serenity basket".
kambrogi;
I am so looking forward to reading Gilead . Will you let me know how you like it? It sounds like one I may want to put with my The Garden at the Edge of Beyond and One Extra*Ordinary Day in my "serenity basket".
I hope it is great and that you love it.
belva
... books. I am trying to restrain myself from jumping right into Wuthering Heights, another classic I've never read. Doing Gilead first.
... donating blood: my 50th time, so I got a nice pin. I just sat and read while the blood oozed its way out. Still reading Gilead and smiling lots while I read it.
... Poisonwood Bible is the only Kingsolver I have read and I really enjoyed it. There are glimpses of the same themes that Gilead features.
Cait, Interpreter of Maladies is on the TBR list for the next couple of months. I'll let you know. My wife raved about it.
... and fluidity is surprising in a first novel. It's in my re-read pile and I think I'd juxapose it with Mariylnne Robinson's Gilead .
I just finished reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and could not bear to put it down, it was so moving, but I've started reading Jung Chang's Wild Swans and next comes Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen for a book club discussion.
From Gilead: A novel by Marilynne Robinson:
"I'd rather drop dead doing for myself than add a day to my life by acting helpless."
From Gilead:A novel by Marilynne Robinson:
"I'd rather drop dead doing for myself than add a day to my life by acting helpless."
... film, and he's such a great character.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Hard to say - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson comes to mind, because boiling it down to a visual presentation would lose the beautiful language and nuances.
13) Describe your weirdest ...
... could not find anything that caught my fancy. Fortunately that's now changed.
#76, lamplight - I envy anybody reading Gilead for the first time. What a beautiful, subtle and haunting novel.
I liked (not loved) The Cellist of Sarajevo. Right now, I'm reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. It's gentle, sweet and seems genuine.
I just started Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. What a beautiful book (so far). I have the day off, so after I bake, mow the lawn, wash the car, do some schoolwork, and help my Uncle celebrate his birthday, I hope to get in some reading.
12) Gilead , by Marilynne Robinson. In another author's hands, this novel would have been drab and folksy to a fault. But Robinson is arguably one of our best living writers stylistically: her prose is flowing, poetic, and impeccably crafted; very "underline-able." John Ames is one of the ...
... that makes me read twice as fast. I hope it means that I can read twice as much.
And to those of you who haven't read Gilead that is your loss. And I have Home on my TBR list. I love Robinson's style. Spare but evocative. Steady and solid writing that leaves you knowing you can ...
... Robinson. I've added this to my tbr pile. This is timely because I was at my local library this weekend and purchased Gilead at the book sale for .10.
# 134, womansheart, #133, Louis, my friend, have you read Robinson's Gilead ? As much as I loved Home, Gilead is one of my top ten books of all-time. And IMOHO, there is not a better trio of books by an author as Robinson's Housekeeping, Gilead and Home.
... performance by Lahti. Unfortunately, I don't think it's available on dvd yet. I never read the book though but I have read Gilead , which was brilliant. I have to get to Home sometime soon!
... through the film made of her novel released in 1987 Housekeeping with Christine Lahti.
It was a long wait for Gilead and I am so pleased to have Home follow this quickly after.
These are books I will re-read and re-read I feel sure of it.
womansheart
#1 womansheart, I loved Home and Gilead and Housekeeping, too. Robinson is fantastic!
I'm reading Far From the Madding Crowd and Barchester Towers and Winter's Bone this week. Not much reading time last week - I hope this week will be better!
... reading week.
I am continuing to read Home by Marilynne Robinson.
Robinson is such a compelling writer. I read Gilead soon after it was published and thought it was absolutely stellar. I would give it two Pulitzer prizes myself.
I'm hoping to have more reading time today as the ...
Five I recently loved are: The Known World by Edward P. Jones, The Giants House by Elizabeth Mccracken, Gilead and Home by Marilynne Robinson and Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
I'm reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Although this book is written by a woman, I marvel at the contemplative male voice she has created. Sort of like Flaubert's wonderful voicing of Madame Bovary. I find myself thinking "now how do they do that?"
>176. Yes, Bridget770.
I surely did read Gilead . I'm looking forward to some leisurely reading time later today in Home. I hope these touchstones work ... sometimes I think they are a little "touchy." They are showing up correctly as I write this, but, I never know what may happen when I ...
>174. I loved Home: A Novel. Did you read Gilead first? I loved the characters and was totally drawn into the family dynamic (who can't relate). I found the spirituality especially fascinating.
I'm finishing The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao tonight. Lately I'm very into books ...
... snow would do. It was the kind of light that rests on your shoulders the way a cat lies on your lap. So familiar.
From Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
... (6)
The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield (6)
The Pillars of The Earth by Ken Follett (6)
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (5)
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (5)
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (5)
Watchmen by Alan Moore (5)
The Guernsey L ...
... of their doctorate when I worked for a university. Also know what it is to crave some "eye candy" to read afterwards.
Gilead: A novel by Marilynne Robinson from Amazon for a book club discussion coming up.
... going to take you up on your remarkable recommendation!
Currently reading Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin and Gilead: A novel by Marilynne Robinson for a book club discussion.
... by Mary Jane Auch
3. Our Lady of the Forest by David Guterson
4. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
5. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
6. Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found by Jennifer Lauck
7. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
8. Summer at Willow La ...
... I'd love any suggestions too:
1. All Souls
2. Dear American Airlines
3. A Fraction of the Whole
4. Gilead
5. Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson
6. Hot, Flat and Crowded
7. House of Cards: A Tale
8. Liar's Poker
9. The Man who Loved China
10. O ...
#39 I also abandoned Gilead for the same reasons, I thought the audiobook would 'bring it alive' for me but gave up after a few attempts - just not interesting enough.
Abandoned book
Ok I confess...I just don't get it. I felt I needed to comment here that I had Gilead by Marilynne Robinson on my 999 challenge for Award winners--it was a Pulitzer, and something I might not have picked up on my own. I tried, trust me....I tried, but this was just too ...
... would have just said, no thanks and gotten on with reading something else, but felt I needed to comment here. I had Gilead by Marilynne Robinson on my challenge for Award winners--it was a Pulitzer, and something I might not have picked up on my own. I tried, trust me....I tried, but ...
Add me to the menagerie of readers who didn't warm up to Gilead . Reading it on the heels of Banville's The Sea and Brooks's March may not have been a good thing though. I've picked up Robinson's Housekeeping recently and may have a go at that sometime in the future.
I'll comment on Gilead , which I enjoyed. For a book that took some 18 years to write, it didn't come across as all that complex to me, which either means I missed the important subtleties (normal for me) or that it would make a curious study on writer's block. It's a pretty straight forward, but ...
#88: Andrew, I appreciate your comments. I know that Gilead and Home are popularly loved books, and I'm sure that there are dozens of serious readers on LT who would praise both books. But, I wanted to get the opinions of readers whose tastes were more similar to mine.
The topic of these ...
I have to agree with #88 about Gilead and Home. Dull as dishwater (really old dishwater).
urania exits hurriedly to avoid the flying missiles
... make the cut! I've not read any of these either. My money is on Robinson even though I haven't read Home; tried to read Gilead but didn't care for it. I'm disappointed that Toews didn't make the list.
... only book I'm hesitant about reading is Home. Has anyone read this? To fully enjoy it, would it be preferable to read Gilead first?
... four months. That's just how my reading habits were.
So I will stick to reading Cahill's current, and listening to Gilead for my next one in the award's category (why it got an award I've yet to figure out but it's early yet)
... and the complexities of belief systems are not something I'm particularly interested in. It reminded me a bit of Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
... Baltimore Sun's Read Street blog had a week of guest posts from authors and scholars discussing his influence. My favorite: Marilynne Robinson , who wrote about discoving Poe's poetry as a teenager. Here's the link: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/books/blog/2009/01/on_poes_200th_ann ...
... it can be sad, but just can't end in tragedy, I'll add Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson to beardo's recommendation of Gilead (which I second, by the way). Home is good, too.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson resides near the top of my list of favourite American fiction. I think eventually it will be easy to make a strong case for it being one of the great novels to appear in this decade - if not century.
Beautiful writing, thematically interesting, a supremely good, ...
Not in order - good times.
Call it Sleep by Henry Roth
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Parade's End by Ford Maddox Ford
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
A New Life by Bernard Malamud
... Lost Dog. I am keen to read the ones by Arnold, Toews and Samarasan, but not quite so excited about Home. I did like Gilead but I think I had to be in a "certain" mood to appreciate it. And I'm with you avaland, I have no interest whatsoever in American Wife.
I haven't read any of the nominees, but I did like Gilead . I listened to it on audio and the reader was wonderful. He was telling his story with such love and thoughtfulness. Maybe that made the difference to me. I have so far avoided the Toews book, as I didn't love her last one - A ...
... than those of the administration described. I had trouble putting it down!
I concur with the posts thus far about Gilead . I typically don't mind a slow read, but I just found this story boring. Hate to say it.
... I'm just not ready to revisit anyone connected to the previous administration. But that's just me. I didn't care for Gilead (it's possible I was just overdosed with the man-reflects-on-his-life theme, having read several others around the same time), so I didn't run out for the new one.
...
... a colleague has fudged his data. Very interesting peek into a world I have little knowledge of! I did not care for Gilead , so didn't jump on Robinson's new one. I've heard good things about the Flying Troutmans.
... long list, but I never gor around to reading it.
I have Home on my TBR pile - I'm one of the ones who really liked Gilead , though I know many others didn't.
I've read The Seas by Samantha Hunt - it was an impressive debut, so I'm looking forward to this one.
I have been trying to ...
... (touchstone not working), then I've got to get back to reading something for the Pulitzer Fiction Challenge. Maybe Gilead .
... catalyst for the expression of feelings and thoughts that I need to think about. For example, I know that my response to Gilead was so much stronger because I had a sister who had died a few months before. I'm glad you're finding some books that are helping you. Take care!
...
And so satisfying! I've come to appreciate so much more how interactive the reading process is. For example, I know that Gilead might have been a very different book for me had I not read it very soon after my sister's death.
>18 yeah, I couldn't get into The Sea or Gilead but it might be that I just find older men reminiscing over their lives to be a yawner.
Some of you must respond to the hyping of Virago titles, yes? It's out there (cue scary SF-like music). The gushing, the ooing and ahhing. There has to be ...
Thought of another overly hyped book that I really hated: Gilead .
>58 chrine - I'm not familiar with Gilead , so I'm not quite sure how to compare them. I find Death Comes for the Archbishop to be a very peaceful, calming book - reflections on a life well-lived.
>59 Tui - You're in for a treat. I think you'll really like it.
... Archbishop (good review btw), I was comparing the elements of the book (which I haven't read) you were talking about to Gilead (which I haven't finished - it's one I've been reading it starts and spurts). Religion, collections of memories out of order chronologically, upcoming death, the ...
... Spree left off, the articles are from February 2005 to June/July 2006, and include his thoughts on various books from Gilead by Marilynne Robinson to The Dirt by Motley Crue. Humorous and thoughtful by turns, this is a great addition to any avid reader's bookshelf.
If it weren't for L ...
... Spree left off, the articles are from February 2005 to June/July 2006, and include his thoughts on various books from Gilead by Marilynne Robinson to The Dirt by Motley Crue. Humorous and thoughtful by turns, this is a great addition to any avid reader's bookshelf.
If it weren't for L ...
#20 Home by Marilynne Robinson
I loved Housekeeping, and I loved Gilead , and I love Home. Daughter goes back to her childhood home b/c she has nowhere else to go and her father is dying. The prodigal son also returns. There is lots of talking, and cooking of dinner. There is more ...
... Finished reading Palestine Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter on February 8 and just finished Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson today. both were good reading - obviously for different reasons. I am a bit behind in my reading but...Ten down and 71 to go!
... Dan Brown's engaging puzzle plot in Da Vinci code. But it also can also be engaging and remarkably well-written, like Gilead .
To me, both Dan Brown and Marilyn Robinson use transparent prose. So does Kent Haruf, who wrote Plainsong and others. So does Willa Cather. Still ...
>71 I think I'm going to give Gilead a shot, especially since I just read a review of Robinson's Home. I do think she writes very well, but Housekeeping just left me lukewarm.
>72, 73 I enjoy reading everything here too, I just wish my job wouldn't get in the way of letting me keep up ...
I haven't read this one yet, though I did read and enjoy Gilead .
24. Gilead by M.Robinson
This is a very well written novel, in which the main character, an old preacher, tells about his life in a small USA town in the 50's. He has a young wife and child and the book is supposed to be addressed to his son, to be read when he is an adult. He explores ...
... archetype is clearly evident-- do you think if this were done in the early 1950's James Dean would play Edward? 01/09
#2 Gilead -- As beautifully written as Housekeeping, Robinson confirms her brilliance with this book. I may have read this somewhere and am merely just repeating it, but she ...
Book #13 - Home by Marilynne Robinson
This is a follow-up to Gilead and is a beautiful and sad story of the relationship among an aging ex-pastor father and two of his grown but flawed children.
Just to add before January is over, I finished Gilead . It was a lovely book. I listened to it and the narrator was perfect. He actually sounded like an elderly preacher, which is luckily the character telling the story, lol! I felt the book was very honest and thoughtful. Definitely a good ...
sydamy, benita
finished gilead a couple of days ago. i agree, it is powerful in a very understated way. i have to admit that it took me a while to get into it because of technical problems but also because of the way it is written. overall a very good book. recently i've been reading books ...
10. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I listened to this book on my ipod. I have to say there were many times I relistened to segments and got a little more out of that part than I had the first time through. I'm not sure if I just needed a reread for the theology to really sink in or what. I ...
#208 and 210
I loved Gilead . I read it so can't address the quality of the sound recording. But it was one of those books where nothing earth shaking happens but the way it was written I found I loved the characters and the story. I recommend this book to people who want a quiet story that ...
#208 mejix - I'm just starting the last disc of Gilead , and I totally agree with you about the narrator - he has a wonderful voice - especially for the character. I have found I have relistened to many parts and get even more the second time. It's a nice story, very thoughtful and honest.
finished my name is red by orhan pamuk. i rated it a 4ish. just started gilead by marilynne robinson. heard the first hour. the narrator has a very rich voice.
i've also been reading essays from lives of the artists by calvin tomkins. i'm actually holding the book and using my eyes for ...
8
gilead marilynne robinson
Jodyreadseverything in What Are You Reading Now? : First Line Game Chapter 9 (Jan 17, 2009, 5:00pm)
I think I should know this but I'm not sure because I think I didn't finish it.
Is it Gilead ? I remember having to take that back to the library as I had just started it when it needed renewing (one week fast track book) and them not letting me keep it because someone else was waiting.
... for epistolary books recently and searching in Tags for it gave me a bonanza!
Some that have been mentioned, but also: Gilead , Bridget Jones, A Celibate Season by Carol Shields, The Pull of the Moon
and then some great YA including
Life As We Knew It, The Year of Secret Assignment ...
... archetype is clearly evident-- do you think if this were done in the early 1950's James Dean would play Edward? 01/09
#2 Gilead -- As beautifully written as Housekeeping, Robinson confirms her brilliance with this book. I may have read this somewhere and am merely just repeating it, but she ...
... was about and could not even guess where it was going while I was reading. It was a great book. I still listening to Gilead on my ipod.
... almost finished Fingersmith, it started slow but wow! what a story. I can't wait to see how it ends. I'm listening to Gilead in the car. All kinds of good stuff this month.
... a book club. I should have to finish the Pulitzer winners that I have and have already started. lol I read less than 1/2 of Gilead too.
... ther
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Gilead by Marylinne Robinson
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
Beloved by Toni Morrison
http:/ ...
What a great list! I loved three of your Pulitzer books -- Interpreter of Maladies, March and Gilead . Good luck, and sorry you were so sick this year!
... gelo
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Pulitzer Prize/Finalists
March
Gilead Interpreter of Maladies
American Pastoral
Blonde
The Optimist’s Daughter
Orange Prize/Shortlist (Wish I owned more ...
I am listening to Gilead now on my ipod. I'm early on (disk2), it is a nice one to listen to, someone is telling ME their story. I'm sure it reads the same but I listen to a lot of books and many are just that, books being read aloud, this is a story being told. Glad to hear the book is good ...
... Horses by Per Petterson. I could NOT wait any longer on this book and will be starting it by the end of the week.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. For a 2nd copy.
1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter Boxall. Just what I need, hundreds of more book suggestions! It ...
... for my next book. Looking through the Orange list I realized my audio book in the car qualifies for this challenge, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. That was a pleasant surprise.
... Writers)
1. A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore
2. What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn (READ : 4 Jan 09)
3. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
4. The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
5. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
6. Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (READ : 13 Jan 09) ...
... are huge tomes (like 2666 and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle) or books that I treasure and know I will reread someday (Gilead comes to mind). I do buy too many at used bookstores and library book sales; however, these are usually read and given away or donated as I have limited shelf space. ...
...
Did you know that The Tenderness of Wolves was serialised on Womens' Hour? It was excellent and inspired me to read it. Gilead seems to be creating some discussion here. My view was that it was wonderful so I really look forward to hearing your view. I reviewed them both on LT earlier this ...
I keep starting Gilead and it's slow reading. Then I start reading something else and get away from it. My hubbie gave it to me so I'm determined to finish it. If I haven't started it again by May and I'm not reading too many other books, I'd be happy to join you.
One of the girls in my book ...
Hi chine, have starred your thread so I can see which Pulitzers you decide to read. Why could you not get through Gilead before? I shall be reading it in May if you want to join me, maybe we can get through it together :-))
... a Pulitzer category too. You're the first other person I've seen with one. I've read To Kill a Mockingbird. I've started Gilead twice. This might be my year to get through it. lol I'm going to check back to see what you think of your picks this year.
Books from the to Be Read pile
1. Anna Karenina
2. Crime and Punishment
3. Infinite Jest
4. Gilead
5. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
6. The Remains of the Day
7. The Fortress of Solitude
8.
9.
396. Gilead - Marilynne Robinson (256)
397. The Whistleblower - Peter Rost (256)
398. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster (400)
399. No One Belongs Here More Than You - Miranda July (224)
Our church group book readins are ad hoc. A couple of years ago we read Marilynne Robinson's Gilead . I wonder whether we will do her latest, Home. I'm not sure whether outsiders came or not.
But a few years ago, we did have a number of outsiders come when someone did a presentation ...
... my books I haven't read) (9)
1. The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards (Transferred from 888)
2. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
3. Funny Accent by Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
4. Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
...
... for this one. How curious is that!)
The Color Purple, Alice Walker (touchstone?)
The Hours, Michael Cunningham
Gilead , Marilynne Robinson
in my TBR pile:
The Stone Diaries
The Shipping News
and high on my TBR list:
The Confessions of Nat Turner
Still adjusting....added Gilead to my award winners list (#15) -- too many awards to ignore, and for some reason is reaching out screaming 'read me, read me!"
Gilead . Nice.
... writing. I'm trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead , a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I've started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I ...
... a nudge I'll definitely give a list of them!
As for my nudges - I really liked both An Instance of the Fingerpost and Gilead , so I'll add my vote to the "for" side on both!
... target=_new>here a few weeks back.
If I recall correctly, Marilynne Robinson has the narrator of her novel Gilead (a minister) say a few words on the topic. I'll see if I can dig them up.
I can see your half-nudge and raise it a half nudge to a whole nudge. Gilead I thought was a very atmospheric and tender read. I loved it too, Amanda.
I'll give half a nudge to Gilead because it's the only one I've read. I liked it, but many others I know thought it was sleep inducing.
I did enjoy The Secret History very much. I'll nudge that one.
I loved Gilead but I think I was in the minority.
Les Miserables is amazing - for the writing and for the story. Big though.
... I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm not one who reads much about religion or faith. (I'm one of the few who detested Gilead , for example--found it a real bore.) But I'm glad I gave it a chance. The stories all deal with people coming to grips with or finding faith in unexpected ...
... booker prize 2005) (7 june-8 june)
5 the white tiger aravind adiga (man booker prize 2008) (5 december-8 december)
6 gilead marilynne robinson (pulitzer prize 2005) (24 january-25 january )
7 amsterdam ian mcewan (man booker prize 1998) (1 january-2 january)
8 the gathering anne ...
I'll also step up on the side of Gilead - it is an austere book, but I really enjoyed it.
I just realized that my English copy of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead is published by Virago. Not a Modern Classic...yet. I'm going to hear Marilynne Robinson speak in an hour, and hope to come away with a signed copy of her latest book, Home, as a 50th birthday gift for my sister-in-law.
... is a very good read. I'd nudge that.
I'd throw my two cents (we do that even on this side of the pond!) with the pro-Gilead ers as well. In my LT review I called it a literary astringent. How pretentious is that! I think I was just comparing it to taking a bite of a lemon - a sharp, ...
... and then it all came together beautifully to me. McEwan really is a masterful writer. It's very, very short.
I liked Gilead , but I can see why others didn't. It's rather slow. But it has a gentle grace that I really liked.
Mosquito--well, I'm sure everyone on LT is tired of me going ...
... and loathed Kite Runner Although I usually like McEwan, I did not care for On Chesil Beach at all. I abandoned Gilead even though people around me raved about it. Stone Diaries I read a very long time ago and remember liking, but must confess that my memory is very hazy. The Road ...
... that a lot of people disliked it, but that book lingered in my mind for weeks after reading it.
I absolutely despised Gilead --but that's another case of me disagreeing with the majority. I found it tedious and the main characters boring and unlikeable.
The Kite Runner--easy to see ...
... one! Help please.
List form:
The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
March by Geraldine Brooks
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
Olive Kitteridge by ...
... Mary Lawson
Double Negative by David Carkeet
Embers by Sandor Marai
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
... worthy of my 5-star rating.
65. Home by Marilynne Robinson -- the Prodigal Son returns to Ames, Iowa. If you like Gilead , you will probably like this. Slow but moving. 4.5 stars.
66. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry -- I did not like this nearly as well as most of the LT ...
... Denisovich Alexander Solzhenitsyn
5. A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini
6. Song of Solomon Toni Morrison
7. Gilead Marilynne Robinson
8. Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides NY Times Best of 2002 also award winner
9.
... similar taste in terms of other novels. I've read Life of Pi, Saturday, and The Road too - and liked them all. But Gilead is much different than all of those. The story meanders, and as I said above, the book is really more about character development than plot. Robinson uses words ...
I was just browsing through the thread and was interested to see that you had read Gilead as I got it for christmas a couple of years ago and have never got round to reading it. Was considering getting rid of it without reading it.
Would you recommend I give it a go? I like a lot of different ...
#67 - Gilead - Marilynne Robinson - Finished October 15, 2008
This book is told from the perspective of John Ames, a preacher in Gilead, Iowa who is nearing the end of his life. He is writing his "begats" for his young son, who he knows he will not see grow up. The story is told in a way ...
Today I went to Annie's Bookswap (I try to limit my trips to every other month :) )
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Peony in Love by Lisa See
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
... up:
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Peony in Love by Lisa See
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
... Hero and the Sword by Robin McKinley
4. Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp
5. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
6. Gilead by Marilyne Robinson
7. Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley
8. The Annotated Brothers Grimm by Maria Tatar
9. The Rose and the Briar by Sean Wilentz
Note: I ...
... 26/02/2009
3. Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie 31/03/2009
4. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 10/07/2009
5. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson June 2009
6. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley June 2009
7. Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler 06/07/2009
8. Beloved by Toni Morrison June 2 ...
... Books)
2007 The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Alfred A. Knopf)
2006 March by Geraldine Brooks (Viking)
2005 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar)
2004 The Known World by Edward P. Jones (Amistad HarperCollins)
2003 Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (Farrar)
2002 E ...
... loved the Chronicles of Narnia--even as an adult. Don't think I've ever read any adult Christian novels, unless you count Gilead .
... is next on the pile and may tempt me away. Has anyone read Home yet? Apparently it focuses on the same characters as Gilead .
13: I may pick up a Nina Bawden again soon. I always enjoy her and was glad to see her mentioned here.
I know this is off topic, but have any of you ever ...
... the Missouri readers group read here on LT and today brought Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson. I'm so excited - Gilead came out like 20 years after Housekeeping, so I'm glad she's not making us wait another 20 years for this novel.
I like the comments re. Gilead and have added this to my list.
At this rate I'll finish the tbr books in the year 2025....
Just dropping in to say that I just finished Gilead . I thought it was equally as beautiful as Housekeeping, but the story didn't resonate with me as much. I think I might just be lacking in life experience though, so I plan on rereading it in, say, forty years.
55) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson--Robinson's Housekeeping is one of my favorite novels, so I had very high hopes for Gilead . The writing is equally beautiful here, but I think I didn't read it at the right time in my life. It seems like the messages in the book would be better appreciated ...
I haven't read Housekeeping but had a fried recommend it in much the same way, saying that he thought it was better than Gilead . I think I'll ultimately prefer Gilead because of a personal connection with the story, but I may be surprised.
#13 I just bought a copy of Gilead . I plan to start it after I finish Seeing by Jose' Saramago. What I've generally heard is that if you read Housekeeping first, then you like it more than Gilead, but if you read Gilead first, then you like it more than Housekeeping. Do you prefer one over ...
Gilead is worth the time.
... style isn't like most modern writers, and I'd be interested to know whom she considers "influences".
Have you read Gilead ?
... Muriel Spark!
Speaking of writers I love, did you see that Marilynne Robinson is coming out with a sequel to Gilead in September? It's called Home , and I can't wait.
... with the way that the traditional responses for men have failed him that I have encountered in a novel. I haven't read Gilead so I can't comment there. The Namesake? I enjoyed the novel but thought it was overrated. I'd put it on my B list. I hope I've provided the kind of response for ...
... back on the books you have read which were stories about men written by women authors (i.e. March by Geraldine Brooks, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri), what do you think?
I'd really like to AVOID lists here, but please feel free to liberally use examples.
... mine saw in Bookmarks magazine that Home is to be released this September. I think it's supposed to be a sequel to Gilead . I jumped for joy myself when I heard the news. And, yes, I plan to read Finn over the holiday week end and participate in the Missouri Readers' discussion. See ...
I just jumped up and down. Really? REALLY? Where did you hear this? I was so afraid I'd have to wait decades after Gilead !
Are you in on the Finn read over in Missouri Readers?
... Robinson is supposed to be coming out with a new book this fall. I waited 24 years between Housekeeping and Gilead so this 4-year interval seems like a dream come true. Her books would definitely be in that group I would save in a fire!
Stop by and visit anytime.
There just may not be a lot of books on the OP longlist that qualify for the women & religion theme. Gilead would qualify except that its main character is a man.
Kambrogi, you would like The Lives of Monster Dogs, I think.
... of buying for D's birthday is really out there as far as their reading goes...so I truly don't know now. (It was to be Gilead , mainly because of the religious and father/sons themes. But given that one of the returned books was The Red Tent, I doubt its chances of success).
Exchange ...
... 1)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead , Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Clos ...
Gilead :)
... enjoyed most of her Tudor novels, but it's hard to believe this made the long list. 1.5 out of 5.
Marilynne Robinson, Gilead . I know everyone loved it, but for me, it was a real snoozer. 2 out of 5.
Ali Smith, The Accidental - shortlist. This one was near the top of my Best in 2007 ...
... Black - shortlist
Sue Miller, Lost in the Forest
Joyce Carol Oates, Rape A Love Story
Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
Curtis Sittenfeld, Prep
Ali Smith, The Accidental - shortlist
Zadie Smith, On Beauty - winner
Carrie Tiffany, Everyman’s Rules for Scienti ...
... series: 7. A Dark and Hungry God Arises, 8. Chaos and Order, and 9. This Day All Gods Die. I also finished 9. Gilead and 10.Changing Minds. Two more fantasy 11.Eragon and 12. Eldest. Fiction: 13. The Time Traveller's Wife, 14. Saving Fish from Drowning, 15. Black Swan ...
past Pulitzer Prize winning novels by women writers
2006: March by Geraldine Brooks
2005: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
2000: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
1995: The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
1994: The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
1992: ...
... intentionally decided to broaden that to include women writing about faith whether or not the protagonist is female or not? Gilead comes to mind here . . .
Your call. Wow, you have a cast a huge, huge tent here.
I have read books from some of the lists
Gilead
Da Vinci Code
Freaknomics
... is a perfect reading combination for me and I'm wallowing a bit.
And, from upthread, I loved both Housekeeping and Gilead but it took a second read to appreciate Gilead . I re-read Housekeeping every 3-4 years.
... them - the dialogue, pace, setting, characters...
#73-bansheegirl, I was the opposite on the Robinson novels - loved Gilead and was blase about Housekeeping.
... and am excited to read Marilynne Robinson's new book Home when it comes out this fall, though I have to admit I found Gilead to be a bit tedious and have yet to finish it.
I'm currently waging war with Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter which is a little daunting in terms of ...
... of Narnia
Ella Enchanted
Flowers for Algernon
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (2-3 times)
Gilead
The Girls
The Giver
A Great and Terrible Beauty
The Handmaid's Tale
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hobbit (2-3 times)
Les Miserables (2 ...
... Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - 2506 owners, 118 reviews. V only got a ways through this one.
3. Gilead: a novel by Marilynne Robinson - 2385 owners, 22 reviews. Excellent, I read it, and so did a group at our church. Actually, the hardbound came out in 2004.
4 ...
Sorry, double post
...
2) The bell jar
3) Cry the beloved country
4) Dangerous liasions
5) Einstein's dreams
6) Family matters
7) Gilead
8) The joyluck club
9) The life of insects
10) Midnight's children
11) Life of Pi
12) The poisonwood bible
13) The sea
14) Sophies choice
15) T ...
I am over 50 and consider myself to be contemplative, but I found Gilead to be a real bore. I didn't like the main character and couldn't care less what happened to him. All that droning on . . . a highly overrated book, IMO, and I read the whole dreary thing. I think the critics had waited so ...
My copy of War and Peace arrived today; also a PBS find, Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson. I really hated Gilead , but I remember the hype about how this was her first book in many years since writing the wonderful Housekeeping. So I'm giving it a try--hope it's better than Gilead .
... Kim Stanley Robinson
Pulitzer Prize Winners
The Road (rough cut) by Cormac Mccarthy
March by Geraldine Brooks
Gilead: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson
The Known World: A Novel by Edward P. Jones
Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
The Amazin ...
I tried Gilead but couldn't get into it, so didn't continue. I had such high expectations because I loved Housekeeping which I read in the early '90s.
I guess my clunker would be In the Driver's Seat by Helen Simpson. I love short stories and had heard great buzz on this book. I ...
Ditto...did not like Gilead ...loved Dry....detested Back to Wando Passo
... a definite deterrent to Burroughs other works. It may weigh in as leasts favorite of the year along with cabegley.
Gilead is on my shelf tbr. The divergent opinions have got me wondering what I'll think--but it will be a while until I get to it.
Here's another vote for Gilead - I nearly gave up on it, but was eventually drawn into the story. And a vote for On Chesil Beach - to me, a perfect novel.
I read Gilead when it first came out and didn't like it either. Apparently, 3M3m and keren7, you got something totally different out of it then I did. When I read your comments, I feel like we didn't even read the same book. There really wasn't anything I liked about it but I am glad that you ...
Gilead is one of my favorite books. For me, it was the quality of the writing. I am truly amazed by her. There were several times when I re-read passages thinking, "Wow." She just has a way with words.
I can see where some would have been bored with it, though.
I was talking about Gilead by Marilynne Robinson a little on the Clunkers of 2007 thread , and I thought it would be a good one to post here.
I thought the narrator was completely bland and boring, thought the same about ...
#146 Can't say as my age was a barrier in reading Gilead ; not young (but not quite that old). And I can deal with slow-paced books; I'm one of those who loved On Chesil Beach, for example, and Henry James is a favorite. I can enjoy a book in which I don't like the main character, but he/she ...
Ooh, finally someone else (two someones) who didn't like Gilead ! I've never read Housekeeping, but there was SO much hype about Gilead when it came out that I got it from the library right away and was severely disappointed. For a young woman, I have a very high tolerance for books with aging ...
... imo.
The Sea has the most wonderfully written prose, that said, I found it a bit of a snoozer, but having just read Gilead and March, I think I was just impatient with yet another award-winning story about a man.
>139 Cariola, I felt the same about Gilead (it's been a few years ago). I thought about trying it again, but - too many other books I want to read. I loved her book Housekeeping, so was quite disappointed.
... I have to agree that The Sea was a snoozer for me as well last year.
Another highly hyped book that I detested was Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Just didn't interest me at all.
... the Epic First Crossing of North America by Paul Schneider
36. Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen
37. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
38. CSS
39. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz
...
... The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, which is so far living up to its reputation. Also listening to the end of Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Next up is Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand and in the car The Colour by Rose Tremain.
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (8)
The Gilded Tongue by Rod L. Evans (8)
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (6)
Gramercy Park by Paula Cohen (9)
Grave Intent by Deborah LeBlanc (5)
... I've now slipped across the sea to have a look at Ireland in The Gathering and am also taking a look at the US with Gilead .
Still reading The Gathering and just finished listening to Shadow of the Wind, which I just loved. Now I'm listening to Gilead in the car.
... to go Home Jill Tomlinson
43 Sailor Bear Martin Waddell
44The Door in The WallMarguerite de Angeli
45 Gilead Marilynne Robinson
... book about smaller acts of letting go.
For fiction, I agree, Housekeeping is a beautifully solemn novel; her latest, Gilead , touches on similar themes (a man in his 80s, about to die, writes a letter to his 7-year-old son.) Another novel that deals quite blatantly with death is Kazuo Ishi ...
... suburb that sounds a lot like West Des Moines, with lots of suburban Des Moines-area landmarks popping up.
Also Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
... will continue with it.
I am now reading Thunderstruck by Erik Larson and when I have time/am in the mood, I'll pick up Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Slowly and thoughtfully making my way through it.
Well, I'm 29 and I enjoyed Gilead very much. But that may also be because I'm a Theology graduate and a liberal, and there was much in there that spoke to me. Plus, I suppose, the fact that I lost my Mum at 13 meant that I could sort of relate to his sentiments, too. I read it straight after H ...
I'm reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and The Man Who Cast Two Shadows by Carol O'Connell.
I read Gilead as part of my Pulitzer Prize novels. It was slow moving, but tied up nicely at the end. It was a relaxing read. He is an very old minister with a 7 year old son. He know he will not live to teach his son everything he wants him to know so he starts writing to him, but grows more ...
... know it, longing, like an angel, fosters us, smooths our hair, and brings us wild strawberries.
i just started Gilead about a preacher writing to his son as he contemplates his pending death. Her writing is as lyrical as in Housekeeping as she muses on grace and wonder.
57) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson ( review )
The book is not directly about the Bible but you wouldn't know it from the title!
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death: ...
... It turned out to be more of a romance than I normally enjoy. I decided to read the Pulitzer Prize winners so I did Gilead which is about an elderly minister who becomes a father and now that he is nearing 80 with a 7 year old he wants to leave him something to tell about himself and his ...
... - stick with it!
I breezed through Little Women, which I didn't enjoy as much as I did when I was 10. Now I am reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and it's enjoyable so far!
... Little Women by Louisa May Alcott or maybe I'll reach for something a little more modern, such as Middlesex or Gilead . Decisions, decisions!
I am about half through Gilead and I like it so far although it is getting a little slow here in the middle.
... I thought my first September book, The Last Town on Earth was much better.
So now I must go eat chocolate and start Gilead . I am working on the Pulitzer prizes as I can find them.
What a boring world it would be if we all liked the same books. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on Gilead - that one is on my TBR list!
... a dissenter. Yesterday I read The Last Town on Earth and I liked it much better.
OK, cowering in the corner, reading Gilead as I wait for the blows to fall.
... Home, David Shipley was a good-quick read. Most of it is common sense but there was some good information in it.
46. Gilead , marilynne robinson, one of the worst books I've ever finished.
... in the final Tolstoy letter about the schoolgirl who faced down the archbishop!
I'll be interested in your comments on Gilead .
Gilead was absolutely wonderful. Remember the part where they stand between the sun and the moon?
Anyone read Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks? Makes John Brown really stick around in your head. What an enigmatic man.
... I've read aloud to my 7yo. Here is my list of reads this year so far:
36. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
35. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
34. The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell
33. James Herriot's Treasury for Children
32. The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy T ...
How about Gilead by Marilynne Robinson? The U.S. is considerably more than 200 years old now, and our history is full of wrenching conflicts and contradictions that merit discussion.
In Gilead , a dying minister in a small Kansas town reflects on an incident in his abolitionist ...
... the often impractical idealism of the abolitionists (my goodness--we're circling back to my brief comparison of March and Gilead that launched this group!) against the determination of the white Southern landed class to change as little as possible, resulting in the sharecropping system after ...
... to life is art, as well as to what extent is facing one's mortality helpful in living life well?
Though I liked Gilead I wasn't that deeply moved by the book, more that I found it intellectually interesting.
Cheers!
PS - just got back from GA in Portland did you go?
Recently finished:
* Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson -- which I didn't like as much as Gilead
* The Road by Cormac McCarthy -- depressing but very engaging ... I read it in about 2 sittings
Currently reading:
* Coffee, Tea, or Me by Trudy Baker and Rachel Jones -- ...
... going at one time)
2. Rome the biography of a city by Christopher Hibbert; (I visited Rome last summer) and
3. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson; and
4. Changing Minds by Howard Gardner.
One down, forty-nine to go!
Rosalind
... common term. Check out your Websters: "Generous; magnanimous; noble."
ggchickapee : Thanks for the note about Gilead . I forgot to mention that one. And though I liked Robinson's more cynical (!) Housekeeping better, Gilead did deserve to be mentioned in this thread. And I'll ...
Certainly Gilead by Marilynne Robinson counts as a contemporary, big-hearted novel. Because it is an epistolary novel consisting of only one, long letter from a 77-year-old minister to his seven year old son, I thought it would be boring. It was certainly different from any other contemporary ...
... profound point (and I'm stating the bleeding obvious), but as a book that "did it", this was a starting point.
Gilead I should've said was an example of applied modern, Christian faith. Sorry. I tend to waffle and write things I don't mean. It is a marvellous book, though. Read it ...
Voltaire's Bastards by John Ralston Saul for pointing out the limitations of reason.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson for a epistle of simple, modern Christian faith.
The Jesus I Never Knew by Phillip Yancey, which articulates the kind of earnest searching I wish I had.
And recently, the TV ...
... course that is very personal. One group of books I'm thinking of are these: The Lovely Bones, The Secret Life of Bees, Gilead , The Kite Runner, Middlesex, The Time traveler's Wife, The Blind Assassin, Bel Canto.
I've tagged them "Explores Aspects of Love." because they are all ...
... longsuffering wife of the eccentric Bronson Alcott) and written equally well and deeply, would it have won a Pulitzer? If Gilead and The Road were about a mother and daughter instead of father and son, would they have won the Pulitizer?
Sadly, I think not. Even the Interpreter of Maladies ...
I read Gilead a few months ago, and felt that the young man was really a good fellow. I felt that he was simply caught up with indecision, and in the end tried to do the right thing.
Yeah, reread.
I've ordered Embers to compare for myself.
Thanks.
... then what you might expect from first appearances, most obviously the planatation caretaker (I've forgotten his name).
Gilead , on the otherhand, is about coming to terms with life and mixed painful histories. John Ames has a lot to deal with regarding his father, grandfather and some his ...
... place, but I know I would do what Anne did - what other choice would there be?
Your comparison brings up themes from Gilead and March, too. Unlike Diary and Hiding Place, both of those two books addressed the question of to what extent violence can be justified in order to put an end to ...
I might have to go back and re-read Gilead as I don't recall liking it all that much. Embers, however, I liked very much. It is a jewel of tight, spare prose that explores, in relatively short length, the deep, intersecting emotions of love, friendship, fidelity, passion, betrayal, courage, ...
... history and politics junky, you could never be too historical/political for me!
One of the interesting things about both Gilead and Embers is that the worlds in decline were worlds filled with injustice. I agree with you that the U.S. may well be at the beginning of a decline in terms of ...
... The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings
55) Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
56) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
57) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
58) Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
59) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
60) The Human Stain by Philip Roth
61) The Undomes ...
... and #3 on our "most commonly shared books" list has been intriguing me for awhile. It's no surprise that so many of us have Gilead in common, because I looked for this when I invited the first group of members. But Embers was a surprise, especially since it's rather an obscure book outside of H ...
I picked Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and March by Geraldine Brooks to compare, because these are the two novels I've read most recently. Both were written by women but have male protagonists. Otherwise, they seem quite different on the surface. Gilead takes the form of an elderly ...
I almost abandoned Gilead - the thought of reading a meditation on one man's life didn't promise an enjoyable read. At some point, however, the book cast a spell on me - I was drawn in by that gentle voice. I finished it and was glad I did.
The God of Small Things - I read it and quite enjoyed ...
I couldn't finish Gilead either. Perhaps I was not in the mood or perhaps I just read a string of books about men and couldn't stomach any more (I had read Brooks' March and Banville's The Sea just prior to taking up Gilead). And, as a matter of note, I am over 50. I do agree that's it not a ...
Gilead is a nice, quiet little book about a man trying to make sense of his life at the end of it, and he is, to some extent, transformed by the effort.
If you are not of a contemplative bent, put it away and read it when you're over 50, when the confines of your life, dearth of excitement, ...
... Erdrich novels, but I just couldn't get into this one. It's been quite a few years and I wonder if I should try again.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Again, I loved Housekeeping, her writing was stunning in that one, but I quickly lost interest in this one.
An Unreasonable Woman ...
... or content also. I happened to note that the most recent Pulitzer's won by women were for stories about men. March and Gilead . Would they have won if the stories , written equally well, were about women?
... My top 5 reads this year were:
The Sea by John Banville
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (reread)
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
1776 by David McCullough
Men and Cartoons by Jonathan Lethem
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Back to Wando Passo by David Payne
Between Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Back to Wando Passo by David Payne
Between Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson
... Kneale Small crimes in an age of abundance
Adrian Mathews The Apothecary's House
Marilynne Robinson Gilead
and Alice Hoffman Blackbird House.
I'm now tempted to just go ahead and place that Amazon order that's been piling up in my shopping basket while I try not ...
... today, while connecting me to all aspects of life, the universe, and everything.
Right now, I'm in the midst of reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, and it has overtly religious thematic material, with the narrator being a minister, the son and grandson of ministers.
--David
... heck, it's more fun to shop for yourself).
Saturday by Ian McEwan
The People's Act of Love by James Meek
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
About half way into Saturday at the moment, although work and tidying my chaotic cave of a house are getting frustratingly in the way.
... in religion is a choice - I hope this makes sense. I cried and was captivated - literally couldn't put the book down.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - This time I fell in love with the narrator and his thinking and the story - what an interesting, good and wise man. And the little side ...
Lostst: I don't think it's your reading level. Gilead is an unusual novel and I almost put it aside but I found the style had a comforting effect on me after a while.
... Pamuk
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
A Good Man is Hard to Find and other stories by Flannery O'Connor
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
I just finished Gilead last night. It's super saturated with theology and terms and concepts involving Christianity that at times it was truly difficult for me to make any real progress. Honestly it was pretty good though, just probably I'm not at that 'reading level' yet.
I'm currently re-read ...
... for me OR it could be that I was trying to read it while caring for my mother, who has Alzheimers.
And I didn't finish Gilead by Marilyn Robinson on audio. While I found some parts of it interesting, I was in danger of falling asleep at the wheel. Again, could be timing OR could be that a ...
I finished Gilead and actually cried at the end - I don't think I've fallen in love with a book's narrator in a long time - he just sounds like a good man and the story was touching and well written
I am now reading The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon - so ...
This is taken from Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
"It seems to me now we never looked up from the trouble we had just getting by to put the obvious questionb, that is, to ask what it was the lord was trying to make us understand. The word "preacher" comes from an old French word, ...
... journals and newspapers - its seems more ominous and real and much more scary.
My second book I am now reading is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and so far I am finding it rather sad and touching. I really enjoyed the horse incident :) I can't wait to see how this story ends
... fair to compare these, as I listened to Scissors on CD, read by the author. The other I read.
I just had to set aside Gilead , which I'm supposed to be reading for one of my clubs. It's just sooooo dry. :o(
I cannot remember the title of a book I read last summer. I read it around the time I read Gilead . It was similar to Gilead in that it had a pastor in the family. I specifically remember a young woman sitting up in a window looking down on a church. A lot of the book was about faith and maybe ...
... another. In The Green Dragon we'll be reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. For my library group I'll be reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and for the women's group I'll get to read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
Oh, don't feel badly. I haven't read any of them either! I own Gilead and Teacher Man, but that's it. I only heard of A Lantern in Her Hand because it's an oldie, but the rest are great big ?'s to me.
I've read Beloved, The Turn of the Screw, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To K ...
... months in advance. Not always for an entire year, though. Plus it is malleable.
Right now it looks like this:
Nov - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Dec - Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
2007
Jan - In the Company of Liars by David Ellis
Feb - Wickett's Remedy by Myla Gol ...
cpg:
There are two contemporary novels that I immediately thought of, given your criteria. The first is Gilead , which I rush to recommend, even though I haven't finished it yet. Have you read it? Amazingly, because of its religious focus, it won the Pulitzer Prize. Because I'm in a bit of a ...
After reading about twenty pages of Gilead I realised that I was reading a sort of meditation on this man's life, the idea of which I found very boring. I nearly gave up but pressed on and at some point the book lulled me into it's easy, comfortable drift. It was an unusual reading experience but ...
... My favorite NBCC award novels are: The Known World, Motherless Brooklyn, and Atonement. I really didn't care for Gilead and never finished it.
... you going - I loved it. Marilynne Robinson's style is unique - rather meditative. At first I was put off by this aspect of Gilead but the gentle tone of the narrator gradually drew me in - I enjoyed it very much.
... no less real than film "illusion"! If that makes any sense at all...
I would love to hear about Arthur and George and Gilead , dylanwolf. Both are books that I have been strongly considering reading. I even recently mooched Gilead on BookMooch.
... and George by Julian Barnes and The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin. Currently half-way through and enjoying immensely Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
... Wife
Adria Bernardi's The Day Laid on the Altar
Joyce Carol Oates's Bellefleur
Marilynne Robinson's Gilead
Does anyone have a recommendation of where I should start? It feels like such an embarassment of riches.
I should note that one of the delightful things about ...
... loved The Memaid Chair I noticed someone is readin that. I am currently reading But Inside I'm screaming and also have Gilead on tho go. I don't often read two books at the same time but Gilead is much slower.
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