Too many loose ends for me. ( )

Anne Tyler is one of my favorite trees and this one shines for me. I identify some with the main character, a guy with no compass. I have had too many compasses in my life! All my life I have been excited by so many possibilities. Liam Pennywell. is sort of my opposite but also the same as me. He majored in Philosophy in college. I loved my philosophy classes in college but when my advisor suggested that I major, I laughed and said "What would I do with it". I knew that I would not go for a doctorate because I would not do the thesis and learn another language and I had never had a female philosophy major.

Liam never finished his thesis either! His carrier path went downhill, starting out as a history teacher in a private school, he later was a fifth-grade teacher, and finally, the low-paying job that he loved. I wonder if there is a correlation. I loved my three-year volunteer job!

His love life was OK but not as good as he would have liked. He was widowed and then divorced and lastly, a woman who he thought he would like and she grew on it but she had a terrible secret that he uncovered.

I loved the unexpected ending and thank you, Anne Tyler for letting me see myself some more. Not a duplicate but I do know what I want and I am happy with that.

Please read it and enjoy it.

Now eager to find my next Anne Tyler book! ( )

Lian Pennywell es un sexxagenario que acaba de perder su trabajo. Lejos de entristecerse por algo que nunca le interesó demasiado, lo toma como una señal: es justo lo que necesitaba para adentrarse en la última fase de su vida, en la que podrá recapitular y prepararse para el final. Entusiasmado por primera vez en años, decide mudarse a un apartamento más sencillo y acorde con su nueva vida. Sin embargo, en su primera noche allí, sucede algo inesperado. Días más tarde, se despierta en un hospital sin un recuerdo claro de lo ocurrido. Resuelto a recuperar esos momentos robados, y siempre bajo la escéptica mirada de sus hijas, Liam decide que lo que en realida necesita es alguien que recuerde por él.

Quirky fiction. I like Anne Tyler's work. I relate a bit to the main person. ( )

I thought I had read every Anne Tyler novel published, so was surprised to come across this one on my bookshelf and realize I hadn’t read it. Another surprise – it’s the only one of her novels I haven’t liked. As with all of her books, it’s well written, but none of the characters were likable. In fact, every single one including a young child were selfish, rude, or otherwise unsympathetic. And I couldn’t get invested in the story either. I was happy when I finished it (thankfully it was less than 300 pages). The best part was the Q&A with the author at the end that helped explain her inspiration for writing it. In some ways this book reminds me of A Man Called Ove, another book I didn’t like as much as everyone else. There are so many other great Anne Tyler books to read, but I can’t recommend this one. ( )