Monday, January 25, 2010
Penelope Lively
Penelope Lively is, in my opinion, one of the best contemporary writers. I discovered her work a few years ago, and immediately went to the library and checked out all her novels. Although some are better than others, all are of interest and provide great reading pleasure. I recently read her newest novel, "Family Album," and thought it one of her best. Other favorites are "Moon Tiger" (probably her most famous book) and "Heat Wave." Lively's writing has a quality that is extremely important to me: like Jane Austen, about whom I wrote earlier, she understands human nature very well, and writes perceptively about it. She also has a gift for describing and portraying relationships among people, especially family members. Oh, those family dynamics! Her style, her precision, and her control of her material are all exemplary.
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I really enjoyed "Family Album", thanks to your recommendation! I almost immediately had a vivid sense of the family home, charmingly British and almost cozy...but then I began to hear faint ominous notes, almost like a mystery novel. All the while she was adding layer after layer of the vivid voices of family members and it became much more subtle and powerful. I'm now reading another of her books, "The Photograph"...
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