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Loading... Illumination Night (1987)by Alice Hoffman
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This is the first novel by Hoffman that I have read and I hope her subsequent work is better. Neither the story or the characters ring true. She should not have included references to birds since she knew nothing about what birds would be on Martha’s Vineyard at what season. Not worth the time to read. I liked this story enough for it to hold my interest but the whole time I kept feeling like there was something missing but maybe that is the point of it. Most of us live our lives feeling like something is missing or off and few of us ever figure out what that something is. The setting of this story is Martha's Vineyard. The characters all lead fairly normal but simple lives until Jody moves in next door to help her ailing grandmother. She stirs things up enough to add interest and some drama to the characters lives and then she slips away to pursue a more freeing kind of life...or so we assume. The plot takes a back seat in this languid, dreamlike tale that perfectly captures the passions and fears of Martha’s Vineyard neighbors. Especially striking are the descriptions of teenage Jody’s ambivalent emotions and her first love with the island’s most reclusive inhabitant. I think many readers will be disappointed with the slice-of-life style, preferring something with a more proactive plot and story resolution. no reviews | add a review
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An exquisitely crafted ensemble piece about marriage, identity, and desire set on the island of Martha's Vineyard In Chilmark, a grandmother imagines she can fly. A reclusive giant feels an immediate kinship with a boy who cannot grow. A wife who never used to worry is overwhelmed by debilitating fears. And a husband who prefers to be alone is drawn to a reckless teenage girl with the power to ruin his life. Over the course of one fateful year, these characters, as vividly drawn and expertly choreographed as any in contemporary fiction, will come together and drift apart as they experience breakthroughs, true love, and epiphanies. Alice Hoffman finds mystery and magic in our everyday world, and Illumination Night showcases her signature talent for endowing real life with the power of myth. It is one of her finest novels, radiant and emotional with a cast of characters you will never forget. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I liked parts of this book quite a bit, especially the first half. The description of “illumination night,” an annual event, is beautiful. I enjoyed the relationship between Jody and her grandmother, a much-needed relief from her overbearing parents. The last half of the book is extremely sad. The characters start with problems and end with problems, though perhaps different ones. There is little humor or joy to be found. Surely someone in this town is happy? The storylines are well developed until they just….end. Maybe I missed something, but it seems it seems unfinished to me.
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