I was not disappointed. This book is the life of a 20th century woman Daisy Goodwill Flett laid out chronologically in chapters named Birth 1905, Childhood 1916, Marriage 1927, Love 1936, Motherhood 1947, Work 1955-1964, Sorrow 1965, Ease 1977, Illness and Decline 1985, and Death. Shields brings each decade and location to life using a combination of Daisy's own perspective, that of those around her, bits of writing, and even photos. The characters are beautifully portrayed and complex, turning an ordinary life into rich reading.
I have become a fan and look forward to reading more from this talented author.
2 comments:
Weird. I had the opposite reaction. I read the Stone Diaries, and was unmoved. When I read Unless, I thought "Wow, this woman CAN write." This is one of her better works. Shields is an author I like, but I thought Stone Diaries was so disappointing, that I am sometimes leery of her work.
Dear Blue,
Unless and The Stone Diaries are such totally different types of works. I can easily see how you could like the intensely personal and soul-searching Unless, and find The Stone Diaries cold and distant like the stone of the title. Have you looked at other Carol Shields novels? Are there any you recommend?
Thank you for reading my review. I too am a BookCrosser here in Raleigh NC using the name Buttonbright. If you become my BookCrossing friend I might be able to send you an occassional book from your wish list.
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