Housekeeping: A Novel (original 1981; edition 2004)

Last year, I read Robinson's novel [b:Gilead|68210|Gilead|Marilynne Robinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170687634s/68210.jpg|2481792] and was disappointed to not like it more than I did. I wanted to love the novel. Robinson is a writer of whom I had read a lot about but had never gotten to in my reading. Gilead was my attempt to right a wrong but sadly it fell flat.

Many have indicated [b:Housekeeping|11741|Housekeeping|Marilynne Robinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485699s/11741.jpg|1056302] to be a stronger novel so I set my sights on Robinson appreciation through Housekeeping. Again I am disappointed. I know I am in the minority here. I think my hopes or expectations were higher than could be delivered. There were definitely moments of brilliant writing in Housekeeping. In particular, I loved the passages when Ruth and Lucille stay at the lake all night and when the neighbourhood women come to visit Sylvie.

While I was reading Housekeeping two other authors kept popping to mind: [a:John Banville|91|John Banville|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1267495693p2/91.jpg] and [a:Per Petterson|225944|Per Petterson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1238831073p2/225944.jpg]. I think, when including Robinson, all three authors have similar sparse yet poetic styles and also rely heavily on landscape and climate playing a character in their stories. For me, though, Banville and Petersson are more successful in their creations than Robinson. ( )

I love books where nothing is wasted. This is a quiet book, unambitious in scope, but brilliantly written. It's a women-centered coming of age book. The title alone is worth an essay. The author takes a few strong images: trains, water, houses, etc. and weaves them together into a tight, sometimes devastating package. The morally ambiguous character of Sylvie is especially unforgettable. ( )

Old-fashioned, descriptive writing. Highly character-driven rather than plot driven. For some this may equal boring. Nice writing though. ( )

I was so bored, I couldn't finish it. And I always finish books. ( )

The writing in this book is just so perfect.

"Till it was dawn, the divers swung down from the bridge and walked, or were dragged, up again. A suitcase, a seat cushion, and a lettuce were all they retrieved. Some of the divers remembered pushing past debris as they swam down into the water, but the debris must have sunk again, or drifted away in the dark. By the time they stopped hoping to find passengers, there was nothing else to be saved, no relics but three, and one of them perishable." ( )