Secondo libro di Strout letto di fila, sull'entusiasmo provocato da Olive Kitteridge, dalla cui grazia compiuta questo libro - pubblicato due anni prima - risulta lontano. C'è anche qui l'ambientazione del Maine, resa con altrettanta precisione, e ci sono anche qui piccole storie di quotidianità. Ma Tyler non è un personaggio ben riuscito come Olive. Il suo essere del tutto protagonista in qualche maniera lo rende meno efficace di Olive, che spesso resta in secondo piano pur tenendo insieme tutte le vicende. E qui anche i personaggi secondari non sono resi con altrettanta forza, spesso ondeggiano tra primo e secondo piano senza un chiaro disegno. Il personaggio della piccola Katherine è molto bello, ma la sua evoluzione finale è svolta frettolosamente. Mi rendo conto che una recensione comparativa non è molto utile, ma tant'è: se non avete ancora letto nulla di Strout, saltate questo libro e andate diretti a Olive Kitteridge (e al massimo tornate qui dopo). ( )

I liked it but not as much as other Strout books I've read. Much of the book meandered a little, then the last two or three chapters seemed forced. ( )

In her second novel, the author follows a widower minister into the depths of despair in small town Maine. Tyler marries Lauren, a bright and bubbly woman whose wealthy Boston childhood (and molestation by her father) cannot prepare her for the privation of her role in relative poverty as a minister's wife in a tiny rural town. Tyler is spiritually rich and Strout really gets into his mind and into "the feeling", which is when he feels the blessing of his love of God and all humanity. But the death of Lauren and his neglect of their two children are really heartbreaking and bleak, and of course he's got a terrible mother and evil parishioners. But there is a tiny flickering light to salvage the reader. ( )

A profound meditation on grief and guilt: emotional and moving, though sometimes frustrating and dense, but always enhanced by Strout's lovely yet spare writing. I felt much of the middle section of the book lost focus, and I had a hard time understanding the necessity of some characters (e.g. Bitter Charlie), but I ultimately found the book quite moving and engrossing. I think this is one of the rare books that could be improved by multiple careful readings; there is so much here to take in that I'm afraid much of it just washed over me. ( )

Tyler Caskey is a minister in a small New England town. His wife, Lauren, passed away just over a year ago. Since then his youngest daughter lives with Tyler’s mother, coming up to visit at weekends. His eldest daughter, Katherine, has been almost speechless since her mother died. Only five years old she doesn’t really understand what is going on around her.

Only recently I read Strout’s Olive Kitteredge, after watching the tv adaptation, and seeing as I really enjoyed it though it would be a good idea to read more of her books. i Abide with me is her second book, and in many ways it has a similar feel to Olive, it is all about every day people and every day events.

The death of Lauren is not an important event to the world at large, but to her husband and children it is a tragedy, and of course it has ripples in the community in which she lived. Tyler is a respected, well-liked minister. But the people of West Annett weren’t too sure about Lauren herself. She was different from them, with her “fashionable” clothes. They didn’t understand her, and she didn’t understand them, nor did she try all that hard in fairness.

It is a lovely book, although one that deals with grief and death. It also deals a lot with faith and religion, but more so with the nature of people. They are all flawed, of course as we all are, but Strout never seems to judge them for that. And characters that I, as a reader, took a dislike to initially were later, not rehabilitated, but shown in a more favourable light. And of course the reverse also happens.

It is a lovely slow revealing of Tyler’s life, his meeting Lauren and her rich family. The hints of abuse in her past. ii Tyler’s grief at her death, but also his guilt and avoidance of actually grieving. He tried to continue on, not exactly as it was before, but almost, and this book tells how that grief comes out.

I do think that maybe the ending is a little rushed, and maybe a little “happily ever after”. Nevertheless it was a book really worth reading, despite my lack of religion and belief. ( )