Anything Is Possible
Ratings41
Average rating3.8
3.5 really. Stories about broken people mostly trying to do the best they can. Most of them failing. So much left unsaid. Some perceptive jewels, but mostly just left me sad.
It turns out that I like books in which people talk about Lucy Barton more than those in which she is the narrator ([b:My Name Is Lucy Barton 25893709 My Name Is Lucy Barton Elizabeth Strout https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450653428l/25893709.SX50.jpg 45584499] and its two sequels). These short stories feature interlinking characters, most of whom knew Lucy as she was growing up. They capture life's small but meaningful moments in a way that reminds me of Strout's masterpiece [b:Olive Kitteridge 1736739 Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1) Elizabeth Strout https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320430655l/1736739.SY75.jpg 3263906]. Sorry Lucy, but you're more interesting as a bit player than as the star.
Strout has a gift of revealing broken people through beautiful stories. This is a collection of short stories about characters who have some connection to Lucy Barton (My Name is Lucy Barton.) I usually don't enjoy short stories but I found the interconnections of the stories fascinating. I've really enjoyed the Amgash series so far.
Not quite as moving as My Name Is Lucy Barton, but filled with Strout's perfect writing and wonderful insight. I am looking forward to continuing to work through her catalogue.
Some wonderfully creepy characters inhabit these pages. Strout is a fantastic writer and story teller.
Take a walk with the mean people in this new book by master writer Elizabeth Strout. It's a walk we all know: our friends, our family, who love and adore us one more and turn on us the next. You never know what is coming with these people, just as in real life. Get ready for a bumpy trail; sometimes you may go flying off the path completely.