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Discussion: A review of Larry's Party by Carol Shields
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thesnowqueen |
A review of Larry's Party by Carol Shields
May 27 2009, 4:31 AM EDT
The thing about Carol Shields is that she dwells. No detail is too unimportant to be chewed over and analysed. Impatient readers may find this tedious, but those among us who savour good writing, well rounded characters and their introspection will enjoy Shields.Larry’s party isn’t necessarily her best work, but is certainly an engaging and thought provoking piece. The story, unsurprisingly, revolves around Larry Weller, a Canadian Florist. The book covers 20 years of his life from 1977 to 1997 and chronicles his marriage(s), career and family. Each chapter deals with a specific turning point in his life, a special life-changing event. Some events are quite spectacular, such as marriage and divorce, but others are quieter, less obviously impactful. It’s a quiet book, where nothing much seems to happen, but yet you want to keep reading. Larry creates mazes for a living, and you get the impression that he navigates his life the same way; this analogy pervades the whole book. At the end of the book he winds up at the beginning in some ways, or perhaps he’s at the centre?? Do you find this valuable? |
crazywriter |
1. RE: A review of Larry's Party by Carol Shields
May 29 2009, 8:26 AM EDT
Like you I am a fellow fan of the writer who dwells and I've always liked Shield's style - Larry's Party is certainly an interesting novel that deviates from the norm in that there is no expected usual ending but this is what I like about Shileds- she writes about real life - lives that may not necessarily be full of drama but still have a compelling interest. In my opinion, 'Happenstance' is the best of her novels I've read- a novel that is told from two pints of view- the husband's then the wives - or vice versa- it is full of fascinating details about a marriage and made me laugh in its observations. Do you find this valuable? |
