$26.00
3 in stock
3 in stock
The top ten Sunday Times bestselling portrait of a marriage
Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York, navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters. A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William, her first husband – and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante. Recalling their college years, the birth of their daughters, the painful dissolution of their marriage, and the lives they built with other people, Strout weaves a portrait, stunning in its subtlety, of a decades-long partnership.
Oh William! is a luminous novel about the myriad mysteries that make up a marriage, about discovering family secrets, late in life, that rearrange everything we think we know about those closest to us, and the way people continue to live and love, against all odds. At the heart of this story is the unforgettable, indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who once again offers a profound, lasting reflection on the mystery of existence. ‘This is the way of life,’ Lucy says. ‘The many things we do not know until it is too late.’
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Publication date: 05/05/2022
Series: Lucy Barton v3
Oh William!
by Elizabeth Strout
Review by Harriet
I skipped the second book in the Lucy Barton trio and went straight to this but it didn’t matter at all; I was all in from the first page. The writing is astonishing - Strout conveys the huge ambiguity and uncertainty present in so much of life and relationships, with such clarity and in unambiguous straight-forward language (I got Kurt Vonnegut vibes). I found myself really caring for and desperately wanting to understand these characters - I completely forgot I was reading fiction!
Oh William!
by Elizabeth Strout
Reviewed by Bel
This is the third novel in the Lucy Barton series but can be read on its own. Lucy and William have a gorgeously complex relationship as they continue to delight, infuriate, console and disappoint each other. Despite the weighty themes of childhood trauma, there is such joy here. This novel is a celebration of fumbling, bewildered humanity. It’s perfect for fans of Anne Tyler, Alice Munro and Ann Patchett - but with a little more heft, a bit more style and a bit more joy. An absolute delight! And now there's a fourth book in the series: Lucy by the Sea.
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