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Topics messages Last message 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Porch_Reader's 2009 Reading, Part 2 283 alcottacre , Today 3:10am1010 Category Challenge : KAzevedo's 1010 Challenge 21 KAzevedo , Yesterday 7:55pmFifty States Fiction (or Nonfiction) Challenge : Books Across America 16 sweetbug , Wednesday 5:40pmFifty States Fiction (or Nonfiction) Challenge : Iowa books 13 sweetbug , Wednesday 2:59pm75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Dihiba's 2009 Books 234 dihiba , Monday 2:45pmReading Globally : janeajones' memorable books from around the world 77 qforce , November 30Historical Fiction : Philippa Gregory 170 Catgwinn , November 20999 Challenge : sherton's 999 challenge 64 sherton , November 11999 Challenge : Blondierocket's 88 cmbohn , November 7Book talk : Another Silly Game Part 31 361 moibibliomaniac , October 19Books that made me think : Books that made me more environmentally aware. 23 KatrinaS , October 3Awful Lit. : I can't believe I wasted my time on this... 465 Hunterin , September 1475 Books Challenge for 2009 : Blondierocket's 2009 Challenge 213 Cauterize , September 82009 Genre Challenge : May Genre -- Literary Fiction 16 readeron , September 1999 Challenge : englishrose60's 233 englishrose60 , August 20100 Books Challenge for 2009 : englishrose60 goes for 100 in 2009 224 englishrose60 , August 1675 Books Challenge for 2009 : sjmccreary reads in 2009 - ver 2.0 186 alcottacre , August 4Pulitzer Fiction Challenge : Laytonwoman3rd's Pulitzer Reading 4 laytonwoman3rd , July 8999 Challenge : rs with a Pulitzer Prize Category 21 christina_reads , July 4Girlybooks : 500 Great Books by Women 210 tiffin , July 3Club Read 2009 : Polutropos's Polyphony 204 polutropos , June 29Librarians who LibraryThing : Literary Classics & Popular Fiction Assistance 36 goydaeh , June 27Book talk : Best dirty books 16 ReadStreetDave , June 1Recommend Site Improvements : CK: Version of _____ 14 stephmo , May 2150 Book Challenge : Frankie Whippet's April 2009-April 2010 Reading 10 FrankieWhippet , May 16100 Books Challenge for 2009 : ravenous.reader's 100 Books in 2009 Challenge 9 avatiakh , May 12999 Challenge : sjmccreary's 999 challenge 201 sjmccreary , May 3The Prizes : The Pulitzer 89 Mr.Durick , April 21Reading Globally : Jodyreadseverything around the world 5 Jodyreadseverything , March 24The Prizes : National Book Critics Circle Award 42 rebeccanyc , March 20999 Challenge : February 2009--what are you reading? 122 cmbohn , February 28Book Listers UNITE! : The EW 100 New Classics List 18 trinah , February 26Reading through the Pulitzer Prize Winners : Which Pulitzer Are You Reading Now? 9 socialpages , January 26What Are You Reading Now? : Your BEST BOOKS of 2008 174 MissTeacher , January 1850 Book Challenge : Wandering_star's 50 book challenge: more non-fiction 132 carlym , January 3What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today?--December 2008 #2 115 richardderus , January 150 Book Challenge : MarianV 32 MarianV , December 2008Book Nudgers : The Library Nook needs a nudge! 24 KellReader , December 2008List Five Books Parlour Game : Not for nothing... 16 vonitaburke , December 2008List Five Books Parlour Game : How ya gonna keep 'em down on the FARM 17 varielle , December 200875 Books Challenge for 2008 : streamsong's 75 for 2998 141 alcottacre , December 200850 Book Challenge : TeacherDad 2008: part II 60 mmignano11 , November 2008Book Nudgers : New nudge needed for dylanwolf! 22 Booksloth , November 2008Reading through the Pulitzer Prize Winners : J.C.'s List (Read, Reading, TBR) 3 rebeccareid , November 2008Reading through the Pulitzer Prize Winners : The pulizer prize fiction winners 5 socialpages , October 2008The Green Dragon : What's your longest book title? 12 missylc , September 2008What Are You Reading Now? : Book Roots! How we come to have the books we read! 100 grelobe , September 2008Girlybooks : What books by and/or about women are you reading May-August 08? 253 TerrierGirl , August 2008Author Chat : Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters (July 1-15) 45 megwaiteclayton , August 2008What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today? - #2: JULY. 2008 231 IaaS , August 2008Audiobooks : What are you listening to now? Part 3 211 bettyjo , July 2008What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 12 July 2008 315 cameling , July 2008What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today? - #1: JULY. 2008 270 teelgee , July 2008Girlybooks : The Orange Prize and Other Awards 78 almigwin , July 2008What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today? - April. 2008 388 milbaby , May 2008Dormant: Book talk : Too painful subjects 29 stillme , April 2008Dormant: Book talk : Another silly game---part 5 473 Talbin , April 2008Dormant: Book talk : List ten books that... 73 bookladykm , March 2008Dormant: Book Fiend : A Thousand Acres 2 bookladykm , March 2008Dormant: Book talk : A Librarian's Reactions to a Library Journal Review? 8 vpfluke , January 2008Dormant: 50 Book Challenge : Oklahoma 50 31 Oklahoma , December 2007Dormant: 50 Book Challenge : DottieJo29's Reading List for 2008 3 SqueakyChu , December 2007Dormant: 50 Book Challenge : krin5292's 2007 books 12 krin5292 , December 2007Dormant: What Are You Reading Now? : Book "Couplings" 33 kaelirenee , December 2007Dormant: Reading the States : Reading about Iowa 4 careyi , November 2007Dormant: 50 Book Challenge : tckaye's 50 1 tckaye41 , November 2007Dormant: Book talk : Agrarian novels? 18 desideo , September 2007Dormant: Cave ab homine unius libri : O Pioneers - Willa Cather. [Miscellanies] 2 desideo , September 2007Dormant: What Are You Reading Now? : What books came into your home today? - July 2007 176 kidzdoc , August 2007Dormant: List Five Books Parlour Game : Old MacDonald 13 varielle , June 2007Dormant: Esoterica : The Last Five Books Your Read 15 Hera , May 2007Dormant: Historical Fiction : History through fiction 99 d.homsher , May 2007Dormant: What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 3 Mar 2007 146 bleuroses , March 2007
4. Prize Winners
A A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
B. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
C. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
D. Waiting by Ha Jin
A Thousand Acres: A Novel by Jane Smiley
... assume that everybody was forced to read and watch lots of Shakespeare. :)
I certainly think both Edgar Sawtelle and A Thousand Acres stand on their own. They both use Shakespeare for basic storyline, but both add so much description of place, time and characters that it becomes ...
... from under my rock, do you recommend reading the Shakespeare versions before the re-tellings, or do Edgar Sawtelle and Thousand Acres stand on their own?
... away from downtown and is surrounded by orange groves, but that is the way it was in Chandler's time.
5. 07/27/09 A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (Iowa)
overall book: 4/5. A retelling of King Lear, so you know it's going to be
heartbreaking. It drags a little at the end, ...
I love the play King Lear, so I will definitely look for A Thousand Acres in that case.
A Thousand Acres is a retelling of King Lear and, for that alone, I found it a fascinating read. Add my recommendation, please.
... Ten Days in the Hills a couple of years ago, and did not like it much at all. I think that the only reason that I picked A Thousand Acres up was that my mom loaned it to me. But I thought it was much different (and better) than Ten Days in the Hills. I had thought about giving Moo a try, ...
... one on Planet TBR but have hesitated to read it because I read Smiley's Moo and was not terribly impressed. I will move A Thousand Acres up due to your review.
Book #72 - A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley - Finished August 13, 2009
This is the story of a farm - 1000 acres in Iowa - and the challenges that arise as the farm's owner, Larry Cook, passes the land on to his daughters, Rose and Ginny. Although the plot may sound simple, Smiley weaves in ...
... follow up (Malcolm Bradbury's The History Man was also mentioned). I've never read any Richard Russo though.
I loved A Thousand Acres . I think some people find it a bit slow, but I thought it was beautiful. Have never been able to get into Lidie Newton though - after trying and failing ...
A Thousand Acres arrived today!
(88) Death at the Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh. I was disappointed in this one - very muddled and my mind wandered throughout. Good plot idea - a Shakespeare relic is displayed in a restored theatre in the original area of the Globe Theatre. A playright has ...
A Thousand Acres is a reworking of King Lear and I enjoyed both the book and the movie. I do have to say, however, I like the play best.
I have A Thousand Acres coming from BookMooch. Anyone have any comments on it? What about the movie?
I really enjoyed Moo when I read it, but haven't read any of her others. I have A Thousand Acres and the one about Lizzie... ummm... Newton? waiting. They both look less funny though.
... that's because I'm in academia. Great portrait of life at a land grant college, or any college for that matter.
Her A Thousand Acres , a retelling of King Lear, is also set in Iowa. I've heard good things about it, so I think that will be my Iowa pick.
... the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, non-fiction, finished 10/11/09
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa -- A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, fiction, finished 07/27/09
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine -- Olive Kittridge?
Maryland -- Back When We Were Grownups by Anne T ...
... 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 to fix Touchstones.
... 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 by Joanne Harris
76. The C ...
... 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 by Joanne Harris
56. The C ...
I think you'd have to include The Shipping News, and also Thousand Acres , and The Road. Gritty, all three.
...
I propose a new work-level CK field called "Version of" (or something along those lines).
It would work like this:
A Thousand Acres
Version of King Lear
Ella Enchanted
Version of Cinderella
It would be kind of silly to collect all of the versions of King Lear ...
... reset in the US around the early 1900's starring Sam Waterston and Kathleen Widdoes that is a lot of fun.
As for A Thousand Acres and King Lear--same base story, but while I like Smiley's work, I prefer the original here. It may be only because I first saw Lear performed on ...
... Things by Roy, Arundhati
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Chevalier, Tracy
Snow Falling on Cedars by Guterson, David
A Thousand Acres by Smiley, Jane
Possession by Byatt, A.S.
Cloud Atlas by Mitchell, David
I read The Blind Assassin which was pretty good. My choice for this month ...
... Alice McDermott
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
My daugther has Atonement and, I think, Lovely Bones. She also read Life of Pi for school which won ...
Planning on doing the public read of Moby-Dick at Mystic this summer. Anyone else interested?
A combo of A Thousand Acres and King Lear might be fun. My wife and I just saw the Lear with Ian McKellen on TV and she intends to reread mille.
>17 Reading Camus need not be depressing ( ...
I'll third The Plague too, though my wife over dinner did remind me that the pulitzer prize winning novel A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, is her all-time favorite novel, (and I still haven't read it) so that should be considered too.
... worth more than 2 stars but they were a guilty pleasure in high-school and sometimes you need that sort of thing?
5. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
4 stars, a wonderful novel and one I've been meaning to read for a while. It reminded me how much I use to enjoy reading.
6. Water ...
The only Smiley book I have read is Moo and I did not care for it particularly. I love King Lear though, so I may give A Thousand Acres a try.
A Thousand Acres is only very loosely based on Lear--an elderly man must divide his property among his three (very different) daughters. I loved the book. I've read several other Smilely books that I thought were soso to okay--haven't read Moo though.
#21 Thousand Acres is supposedly an adaptation of King Lear, which I've never read. I was worried that it would go over my head. What do you think?
#20 I ended up keeping Hamish MacBeth AND Myron Bolitar - it's shaping up to be a stressful week so I wanted light reading. I can always ...
... types within the campus rather than focusing on one narrow slice.
I don't think you need depth of Shakespeare to 'get' A Thousand Acres . It's more about the plot than the language, and the emotional dynamics are interesting. Possibly an extra dimension is also added for those with a passing ...
Moo is the one that most caught my eye. A Thousand Acres looked interesting, but the more I read about it, the more uncertain I am, since my Shakespeare is totally lacking in depth and I'm afraid I won't "get it". Greenlanders is another that I thought looked interesting. But since Lidie N ...
Jane Smileys that I have read and enjoyed:
Moo
A Thousand Acres
Good Faith (enjoyed less than the others)
and I'm aware as I type that I have read extremely negative comments about ALL of those books.
I also really enjoyed the column she did in the UK Guardian a few years back that ...
159> No, I haven't read anything by her, but at some point I will probably read, or attempt, Greenlanders and A Thousand Acres . The latter she won a Pulitzer for, I believe, and is a retelling of King Lear. And her novella The Age of Grief is one I've considered purchasing, more than once, ...
... the Novel? I only recently learned that her books have been explorations of major types of story: Greenlanders - epic, A Thousand Acres - tragedy, Moo - comedy, and All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton - romance. I'm thinking of buying TWOLATN eventually, but the doorstop ...
... Virginia Woolf
60. Death in a Tenured Position, Amanda Cross
61. Giovanni's Room, James Baldwin
62. A Thousand Acres , Jane Smiley
63. Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare
64. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
65. Codex, Lev Grossman
66. B ...
I've read several Jane Smiley books. The only one I would recommend is A Thousand Acres , and I very enthusiastically recommend it. I thought it was a great book.
I did not enjoy A Thousand Acres quite as much as I had hoped to. Didn't hate, didn't love it......just sort of , mehhhh. But I decided to give Smiley a try again with Moo. Didn't make the 50 page rule for me. Smiley generated a lot of attention and buzz and she just didn't live up to it ...
The one and only Jane Smiley book I have read (Moo), I did not particularly care for, but A Thousand Acres sounds pretty good, so I think I will give it a try. King Lear is one of my favorites of the Shakespearean plays.
A Thousand Acres sounds like a good book. I've never heard of the movie or the book. Thanks for your well-written comments.
25. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
New Authors
Great story, movie is a great adaptation as well
26. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
A modernized King Lear, where a farmer, Larry Cook, decides to divide his farm into three pieces for his three daughters. While two go along with the plan, the youngest daughter, Caroline, voices reservations and is left out in the cold.
The book is told ...
... it was a very good send to the series, so now I can watch the movie and make my comparisons.
Currently Reading :
A Thousand Acres
The Host
Have You Seen...? A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films
I've been reading A Thousand Acres and then started the Chronicles of Narnia series while finishing the Spiderwick Chronicles series.
I'm almost just starting Started By His Furry Shorts. In essence I'm trying to finish up a bunch of books.
A Thousand Acres was a stand-out book for me. I'm sure you will both like it, but if not I'd be interested in hearing what you didn't like. I liked the book more than the movie.
I've read several of Smiley's other books and this is by far her best, imho.
I've had A Thousand Acres on the shelves for a long time as well. I'm just getting into it, but I've seen the movie and it's a good story. I believe it is an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear so if you're familiar with the story it gives a different perspective to the book.
Middlesex ...
blondierocket, I've just read your thread - some great books!! I've had A Thousand Acres on the bookshelf for a loooooooong time. Maybe ten years? What's it like? Should I dust it off?
I have Middlesex in my TBR pile too, but it's only been there a year so it's a baby still. I suspect I' ...
... last possible moment before revealing the killer(s).
Can’t wait for the next adventure.
Currently Reading:
A Thousand Acres
... the goblins, then once again one of the twins has to be saved from the elves in the forest.
Currently Reading:
A Thousand Acres
... Dove by Larry McMurtry
1988: Beloved by Toni Morrison
1989: Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
1992: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
1994: The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
1999: The Hours by Michael Cunningham
2002: Empire Falls by Richard Russo
2003: Mid ...
... 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://www.librarything.com/topic/4729 ...
... in the Merde – Clarke
Long Ago in France – Fisher
Never Let Me Go – Ishiguro
The Lay of the Land – Ford
A Thousand Acres – Smiley
Jazz – Morrison
The Road – McCarthy
Anna Karenina – Tolstoy
Howards End – Forster
On Beauty – Smith
An Equal Music †...
... came in:
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
The Bingo Queens of Paradise by June Park
and
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
=)
... by Stephen Greenleaf *
5. We Have All Gone Away by Curtis Harnack (Cross posted ) *
6. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley *
7. The Folks by Ruth Suckow *
8. Calamity Jayne by Kathleen Bacus *
9. Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalis ...
... - Rachael King
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
Inkdeath - Cornelia Funke
On the Beach - Nevil Shute
A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley
Jamaica Inn - Daphne Du Maurier
... FINISHED JAN 23
6. Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center FINISHED APR 8
7. A Thousand Acres by Jane SmileyFINISHED FEB 16
8. Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner FINISHED MAY 12
9. The Pillars of ...
I was quite surprised to discover strong negative feelings towards A Thousand Acres on another nudging pile. I enjoyed the book thoroughly. Urania, can you elaborate on your "milquetoastish" comment, if we can briefly hijack a piece of this thread?
... of the month ' so there are a couple of interesting columns to follow it up with.
I also really liked A Thousand Acres - thought it did the Lear story really well - but am aware that this is also in another nudgee's pile and has attracted some very negative comments there!
... of the Wind even though my local bookseller promised, promised, promised me I would adore it. I found it rather sexist. A Thousand Acres . . . a bit milquetoastish for my taste.
I'll add a nudge for The Shadow of the Wind. I found Museum very disappointing and still have A Thousand Acres on my TBR pile - maybe we can both nudge each other into getting round to that one? Looks good though, and I do love Lear.
I'll nudge A Thousand Acres which I thought was very good. Also Behind the Scenes at the Museum because I like Kate Atkinson.
ETA: I'm nudging Shadow of the Wind OFF your pile because the reviews have been underwhelming.
... and I am dying to know if she has returned to some of her initial talent and shine.
I think the same can be said for A Thousand Acres which was by far the best of Smiley's books, but not getting a nudge from me.
... of these have lingered in my 200+ tbr's for a long time. Behind the Scenes at a Museum, The Shadow of the Wind and A Thousand Acres . As I hear the last of these is based on Shakey's King Lear I think it would be the one I'd nudge.
I wonder if Independence Day is as bad as the film? ...
... long. If it had been a 150 p novel, it would have been okay. Many others disagree with my dislike of the book.
I've had A Thousand Acres , Behind the Scenes at the Museum and Bernard Cornwell recommended to me, so I'd try one of those.
... very much, I found it a bit long winded. Atlantis is ok for escapism but I'm afraid I found it a bit stupid. I will nudge A Thousand Acres , I read this a few months ago and it has stayed with me since then.
I have loved both The Age of Innocence and A Thousand Acres and I did not find A Thousand Acres either slow or difficult. Great story, great relationships, well written.
I will nudge A Thousand Acres . I finished it a couple of months ago and I still think about every now and again, it's a lovely story.
... seeing that I am an LT member, I thought I would join in here.
What I've Read:
1961 - To Kill A Mockingbird
1992 - A Thousand Acres
1995 - The Stone Diaries
2000 - Interpreter of Maladies
2006 - March
What I'm Reading:
1923 - One of Ours
What is on My TBR shelf:
1921 - ...
... enjoyed all of David Lodge's books, but it might depend on whether you're keen on books about British academia.
I own A thousand acres ($1 at a book sale) but have heard it's hard going. And I haven't read King Lear...I suspect it'd help. (I am ashamed of myself!!) I loved Moo though.
...
... tried to read the Lebrecht book but could not get into it and abandoned it.
Jane Smiley leaves me cold (I forgot I read A Thousand Acres .
I loved A Thousand Acres so would have to nudge that.
... of Repose, Lonesome Dove, Beloved (I can't remember if this was an audio book), The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, A Thousand Acres (audio book), and The Shipping News.
... 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 2009
9. The Colour Purple by Alice Walker 1 ...
... (Charles Scribner's Sons)
1993 A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler (Henry Holt)
1992 A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (Alfred A. Knopf)
1991 Rabbit At Rest by John Updike (Alfred A. Knopf)
1990 The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijue ...
longest book title? probably The Green Mile... or would A Thousand Acres be farther?
... write about Minnesota and of course, Garrison Keillor and the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace
Iowa -- A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Nebraska -- Willa Cather, especially My Antonia
Kansas -- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Missouri -- Mark Twain ...
My mom came home for the rest of the summer from Germany, and brought me The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson and A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley.
I read A Thousand Acres a few years back. I remember finishing the book and scratching my head a bit. I know it was an homage or adaptation of Shakespeare, I think King Lear? I thought it fairly well written with a fairly good story but I just couldn't connect with the characters much. So, I ...
... - but having got that out of my system, I was able to take a few of the bookringers for my week's holiday in Wales.
93. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. I enjoyed reading this, and I've posted a short review . It wasn't ...
... of the next book that Black wrote, and was inspired to wishlist all his books on BM - and this one came up first.
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley - a bookcrossing bookring which I had to read and send on! I think I joined the bookring because I had recently read and enjoyed Smiley ...
I have just made a start on A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley.
... privileged to hear some amazing writing. We don't give much if any feedback though.
By the way, I was inspired to buy A Thousand Acres based on your comments.
...
The Grass Crown - Colleen McCullough
The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCulluogh
The Gathering - Anne Enright
A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley
And a few others ... I acquired 17 books in total yesterday.
Coincidentally, I just bought A Thousand Acres today after reading someone's rave review on LT, but I'd completely forgotten about the King Lear connection...
Currently reading Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, another LT recommendation. Very intriguing so far, but also gruesome by parts (given that ...
I'll second the wishlist addition of Kelroy. I've just started reading A Thousand Acres and am really loving it. I put off reading this for so long because I couldn't figure out how you could make the King Lear story credible in the present day (or even really in the seventeenth century...) but ...
... John Garner's The Art of Fiction and Oakley Hall's The Art and Craft of the Novel. I also literally cut Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres into pieces, trying to figure out how she'd written such a beautiful book. I've analyzed and outlined a number of my favorite novels, trying to learn to ...
... Bright Lights, Big City -- that book shouldn't even be in the top 1000 -- over the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of 1992, A Thousand Acres , the list, in my estimation, strains credulity and carries about as much weight as a snowflake.
... Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres , Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (200 ...
... and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America Barbara Ehrenreich
Gold Mountain Lisa See
Wages of Sin Penelope Williamson
A Thousand Acres Jane Smiley
... Farm George Orwell
Of the Farm John Updike
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
A Thousand Acres Jane Smiley
Red Harvest Dashiell Hammett
Hmmm...what to do, what to do? I loved Empire Falls and hated A Thousand Acres (it may have been the "angry" that put me off).
... about and cared for, and a personal, involving story... reminded me somewhat of Empire Falls, but not as busy, or even A Thousand Acres , but not as angry...
I would recommend this book to everyone I know that reads quality novels, and I would read it again, which is rare... now to do an ...
... Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson, Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Illinois - Happenstance by Carol Shields
Iowa - A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Louisianna - The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue
Maine - Stephen King Books
Minnisota - Want to Play by P J Tracy
New Hampshire ...
... Jhumpa Lahiri
1995: The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
1994: The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
1992: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
1989: Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
1988: Beloved by Toni Morrison
1985: Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie
1983: T ...
... lighter, I listened to Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson which I enjoyed thoroughly. This week it is Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. I look forward to sharing listening experiences with this group.
...
The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
Forgetfulness by Ward Just
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Until next time...
I cried hysterically after reading A Thousand Acres and I was truly emotionally spent after that. I don't think I could read another book by her even though it was a masterpiece. In addition, I read The Memory Keeper's Daughter, I bawled the whole way through and even though I cannot stand ...
... wrote until her last 2 novels, which I din't find interesting. But Moo is one of the funniest stories I've ever read & A Thousand Acres well deserved the Pulitzer it won. So I settled in with Ms. Smiley's advice, but we parted company on her list of 100 novels that either "work" or "don't ...
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley is essentially a modern-day American farm town retelling of Shakepeare's King Lear. You don't need to know the play to appreciate the novel, but if you read both within a fairly short time period, or are very familiar with the play, the sheer number of ...
... farming, hunting and poaching, etc. Definitely an absorbing read.
Although the environment is not as central a focus in A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, it was still fascinating to read about struggling farmers in Iowa, which I finished about a week ago. Of course the deeper issues ...
A Thousand Acres was the 1992 Pulitzer winner, and I really liked this book, even the ending. Lately I have had a run of books that seemed to just end, but this one had a good ending, though not of the happily ever after variety. Better than many of the Pulitzers I have been reading. I have only ...
... it's certainly a respectable review. And not bad to have a Jane Smiley mention - didn't she win the Pulitzer for A thousand acres ? :-)
One thing I do recall from library school, if it helps you feel a bit better: libraries tend to acquire books that are more widely reviewed than ...
... list. In the Families category Bone by Fae M. Ng is moving, complex story about a Chinese immigrant family, and Smiley's A Thousand Acres retells the King Lear story on a midwestern farm -- it was made into a film a while ago -- but the book is much better. I must have read Little Women at ...
... Light of Day, Cold Comfort Farm --HOW could I have missed it until last year?, Dreaming in Cuban, Little Women, and A Thousand Acres .
And I could add Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford and probably others if my mind weren't such a sieve these days.
... Song, Natalie Kusz
Singing Softly/Cantando Bajito, Carmen de Monteflores
Six of One, Rita Mae Brown
A Thousand Acres , Jane Smiley
... - J.K.Rowling
35. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Housini
36. Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich
37. A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley
Good Luck to me and everyone on making it to 50!!
Dottie Jo
... K. Hamilton
23. The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman
24. Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff
25. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
26. A Place of Hiding by Elizabeth George
27. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
28. Saving the World by J ...
King Lear and A Thousand Acres
#7 (Yeah, it was me--love Small World).
Which Henry James novel is it that is supposed to be echoed in Atonement?
I haven't read Kipling's Kim, but I've heard it makes a good pariing with The Impressionist.
... in the habit. I'll start by trying to round up what I've read since January, but I think I'll end up starting fresh.
1. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
2. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
3. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
4. Sula by Toni Morrison
5. Wicked by Gregory Ma ...
47. A Thousand Acres --Jane Smiley
Well...all I can say is that she must know a different breed of farmers than those of my acquaintance.
... grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver
To kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
Thousand Acres Jane Smiley
Time travelers Wife Audrey Niffenegger
The God of Small things Arundhati Roy
The Awakening Land trilogy - The Trees, the Fields, ...
...
Far from the Madding Crowd
La terre
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
Lark Rise to Candleford : A Trilogy
A Thousand Acres
Earth Abides
Books by Jessamyn West
Green Earth
Books by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Independent People
Under the Glacier
Cider with Rosie ...
Jane Smiley'sA thousand acres There's a novel about an Ohio (male) farmer called Earth Abides that was made into a Hallmark TV movie. It covered the period from 1865 to maybe 1920?
Jessamyn West wrote about rural life in turn-of-the-last-century in California
Manfred Mann Green Earth is ...
... portrayed time period. This is done quite often with Shakespeare. For example, Jane Smiley's wonderful literary novel A Thousand Acres is essentially a retelling of the King Lear story set in a midwestern farming community in a recent decade.
In a sense, that's exactly what the medieval ...
...
Girlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland
Postcards by E. Annie Proulx
The Gunny Sack by M.G. Vassanji
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley
Charming Billy by Alice McDermott
Unless by Carol Shields
Ruin Creek by David Payne ...
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
1000 Acres
Poor Cow
Mad Cows and Mothers Milk
The Ox-Bow Incident
... mainly about the king, but part of it is about his rejection of his youngest daughter Cordelia. Perhaps the connection to A Thousand Acres is that of a bad-tempered father showing favour or disfavour to one daughter? I have read it, I just remember the father as being horrible to everyone.
... King Lear didn't win the Pulitzer either way. :) I'd say it's about all, like Macbeth is about both the Mr. & Mrs.
A Thousand Acres is a retelling of it (Now that you mention it, I don't remember the year it was published - '89 hust doesn't seem that long ago!). It is told in first ...
A Thousand Acres was about women....and King Lear. :)
... erials.
I believe Jane Smiley has also written about early Greenland. I haven't read her book The Greenlanders, but Thousand Acres (set on a twentieth century Midwest farm and based on King Lear) was wonderful.
... me of 'Band of Brothers.'
I didn't even know Jane Smiley has a new one out -- too bad it sucks; I usually like her. A Thousand Acres was amazing; but I hated Moo.
mrstreme, The Greenlanders is an excellent book, and I'd also especially recommend A Thousand Acres , Moo, and Horse Heaven as well.
... right it's more a portrait of manners.
And you're so right about Jane Smiley. She's very inconsistent. I loved A Thousand Acres and Duplicate Keys but Lidie Newton left me cold. Moo is sort of charming if you're familiar with the rural state university world. I liked it, but I ...
I would suggest these fiction books for Iowa:
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Spirit Lake by McKinlay Kantor This is a fictionalized account of massacre that happened involving white settlers and the Indians.
Blue Jasmine by Kashmira Sheth is a children's book that is very well ...
... e
Rising Stars Vol. 1 - Joe Straczynski
The Vile Village - Lemony Snicket
The Hide - Barry Unsworth
A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley
I don't know how varied these are since they are all fiction. One is a graphic novel and one is a children's book.
Bookishbunny, I'd have to agree with you on A Thousand Acres . My favorite NBCC award novels are: The Known World, Motherless Brooklyn, and Atonement. I really didn't care for Gilead and never finished it.
Now that I've finished it...
A Thousand Acres was good, and I would recommend it to other readers, but I wasn't 'transported' by it. I wonder what made it so remarkable compared to other books published that year. Are there books on the short lists that any of you would also recommend?
I found A Thousand Acres very satisfying.
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