StartGroepenDiscussieMeerTijdgeest
Doorzoek de site
Onze site gebruikt cookies om diensten te leveren, prestaties te verbeteren, voor analyse en (indien je niet ingelogd bent) voor advertenties. Door LibraryThing te gebruiken erken je dat je onze Servicevoorwaarden en Privacybeleid gelezen en begrepen hebt. Je gebruik van de site en diensten is onderhevig aan dit beleid en deze voorwaarden.

Resultaten uit Google Boeken

Klik op een omslag om naar Google Boeken te gaan.

Bezig met laden...

The Grace That Keeps This World: A Novel

door Tom Bailey

LedenBesprekingenPopulariteitGemiddelde beoordelingAanhalingen
1666162,883 (3.63)3
On the edge of the Adirondack wilderness, survival is a way of life for the Hazen family. Gary Hazen is a respected forester and hunter, known for his good instincts and meticulous planning. He and his wife, Susan, have raised their sons to appreciate the satisfaction of this difficult but honest life. In spite of this, the boys, men now, are slipping away. His older son, Gary David, is secretly dating a woman of whom his father would not approve even as Kevin, the younger boy, struggles against the limits of his family's hardscrabble lifestyle, wanting something more. On the first day of hunting season the Hazen men enter the woods, unaware that the trip they are embarking on will force them to come to terms with their differences and will forever change their lives. In The Grace That Keeps This World, Tom Bailey gives us an emotional page-turner, infused with a deep sense of foreboding. Alternately narrated by the Hazens and their neighbors in Lost Lake, the story perfectly captures the enduring rhythms of life in a rural town. The Grace That Keeps This World is an October, 2005 Book Sense pick.… (meer)
Geen
Bezig met laden...

Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden.

Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek.

» Zie ook 3 vermeldingen

1-5 van 6 worden getoond (volgende | toon alle)
If it weren't for my bookclub, I probably would never have even heard of this book. But it was chosen, and so I read it. I finished it in less than a day, so it's compelling enough, I'm just not sure I can say exactly why.

This is just the story of a family, the Hazens, trying to make it season by season, year after year, living close to and off of the land, and with faith. They don't work 9 to 5 jobs so that they can go down to the Super Wal-Mart to pick up the things they need. Instead, Susan grows their vegetables, Gary and their sons hunt or fish for their meat, they barter for goods, etc. That's not to say that they are completely cut off from modernity - Gary does odd jobs for money to buy generators and freezers and such, and surely to pay taxes, though that wasn't mentioned specifically, but they try to live by an ideal of respect for the land and simplicity.

The two boys, Gary David (24) and Kevin (19) were raised to this life... but Kevin is itching to get out of it. He's the first in their family, ever, to go to college, and hates that he feels trapped by obligation to live a life he's no longer sure he wants. He's got a liberal vegetarian girlfriend who doesn't believe in killing animals for any reason, including meat, and she tries to get Kevin to refuse to hunt in the upcoming season.

Gary David is more accepting of the lifestyle they choose to live and responsible, a role he sees as being necessary as the first born, but in his own way he's rebelling too, by choosing a life with someone not North Country born, and in a position of authority over the Hazens - an Environmental Conservation Officer, investigating the Hazens for a reported hunting violation.

The story begins with a prologue from Susan's perspective, recounting the early morning departure of the three men on hunting season opening morning, and leaves us with a sort of aimless sense of foreboding. The remainder of the book takes us through the weeks leading up to that day, and we get to see how the Hazens live and interact with each other and their community.

Gary and Kevin are drifting apart. They both want life on their own terms, but their terms are completely opposite, and so they butt heads and each resent the other for making things difficult and not understanding the other's perspective. Gary's lifestyle is a tradition based on necessity that's no longer truly necessary in this society of modernity. He doesn't understand how life could be fulfilling in any other way. His lifestyle gives him purpose and a sense of accomplishment, as well as an ingrained respect for the nature around him. Kevin just sees it as a ball and chain holding him back from his own chosen path.

To tell the truth, not very much happens in this book. There's not very much conflict, aside from the familial type I mentioned above. There are a lot of beautiful descriptions of the Adirondacks and the community in which the Hazens live, but for much of the book, what I've written above just about covers it. It's definitely a slowly building story, which makes the end and the resolution feel like it was on super fast-forward, unfortunately.

This book's told in quite a lot of different perspective chapters, all in 1st person narrative except for Kevin's chapters, which are in 3rd person. I honestly do not have any idea why Kevin was singled out for a different narrative style. It really doesn't make sense to me. The only thing I can figure is that we're supposed to associate the difference in narrative with the foreboding from the prologue, and it's supposed to generate some suspense and worry about what will happen to Kevin. And I guess, in a way, there was that, because obviously it came to mind, but mainly it just stood out like a sore thumb. And even now, after finishing the story, I still have no idea why the choice was made to change the narrative for Kevin. His perspective could easily have been written to match the others, and in my opinion, would have worked better that way. Third person created a distance from him that I didn't want. I wanted to know him as I knew everyone else in the story. Why should I get to hear the innermost thoughts of a waitress that is only in the story for a few pages here and there, but be kept distant from one of the main, pivotal characters? Frustrating.

Coming back to the ending, I have to admit it was a bit of a let-down. There was all this build-up, all this manufactured suspense, and then the main event is completely skipped, and we only see the outcome, with an explanation of what apparently happened from those who weren't there. And then the epilogue is just a pat, too conveniently perfect resolution, one that doesn't fit what I know of the characters. Honestly, I wish that the epilogue had been left off. I think the ending would have been better that way, even if it was problematic.

One other note about the writing. Some of the phrasing and sentence structure was a bit awkward, and I'd have to read a line 2 or 3 times to get what was being said. It felt like it was trying too hard to be beautiful prose, and it didn't need to try at all. In fact, considering the stark way of life they chose, less would have been more.

Overall though, I can't say that I disliked the book. I read it in less than a day, and something about it kept me turning the pages. I don't know what that was, but it was there. ( )
  TheBecks | Apr 1, 2013 |
I enjoyed reading this sad and beautiful tale of life in the cold, remote and stunning Adirondack mountains of upstate New York. Gary Hazen, a good, no-nonsense, man's-man type, is devoted to his wife, sons, hunting, and the natural beauty of their community's challenging lifestyle. While his wife loves him, and his friends trust his strength, steadfastness and genuine goodness, his sons view him as strong-willed, demanding and intransigent. Gary doesn't know how to express his love to his sons and so they both try too hard to show their love for him in different ways. Gary David is quiet and obedient, while Kevin tries to make his own life.

This setting filled with descriptions of breath-taking beauty, powerful love, deep anger and frustration, and humor create the foundation or formula for the life-changing events which follow.

Good read! ( )
  Bookish59 | Feb 10, 2012 |
I read this because it is our One Book, One Community selection this year, and I knew people would come into my library asking me about it. If this were not the case, I easily could have put it down after the "100 page test". But, I trudged on.

The story itself is moving....a family with a very strong father figure who expects a good deal of his sons, both of whom are beginning to find their own ways - one at college and one in secret during the night. People keep saying it's a hunting story, but that's really neither here nor there.

This book is a character study more than anything, and Bailey gives you the opportunity to see this family from the views of many of the townspeople and their friends. Personally, I like a bit more action in my books. I found the changing of the narrator every chapter tiresome and annoying instead of enlightening, as I suppose it was to be.

With about 30 pages to go, I was finally invested in the story and wanted to finish it, but most of the time I struggled to force myself to keep going. Just not my style.

Just a note: It's been split so far between library patrons - some absolutely love it and others are like me and having trouble getting into it. ( )
  horomnizon | Sep 23, 2008 |
I'm an alumni of Susquehanna University where Tom Bailey is a professor which probably led me to read his book. I found it a very nice read, well written and nice character development. The ending may have been a little predictable and the movie shoot section a little overboard but overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more of Mr. Bailey's works. ( )
  realbigcat | Jan 27, 2008 |
A somber story told in several voices of a family in Adirondack Park, inspired when the author heard the basis for the story on a radio news report. In the book, the Hazen family has two grown sons and live a primtive life, hand to mouth, in this rugged wilderness area. Survival depends on growing and hunting for food, as well as maintaining enough firewood for the long cold season of the region. The story centers around the father's relationship with his two sons who are as different in personality as they are in looks. Much of their relationship is based on impressions of each other since they seem to use action rather than word to express themselves. The book obviously works toward a climax hinted at on the first page, but the ending was not at all what I imagined. The story is a tragedy and becomes brooding at times, but it ultimately makes the reader think. Though I think most men prefer nonfiction, I believe this is a novel men would enjoy reading. ( )
  cataylor | Jan 25, 2007 |
1-5 van 6 worden getoond (volgende | toon alle)
geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Je moet ingelogd zijn om Algemene Kennis te mogen bewerken.
Voor meer hulp zie de helppagina Algemene Kennis .
Gangbare titel
Oorspronkelijke titel
Alternatieve titels
Oorspronkelijk jaar van uitgave
Mensen/Personages
Belangrijke plaatsen
Informatie afkomstig uit de Engelse Algemene Kennis. Bewerk om naar jouw taal over te brengen.
Belangrijke gebeurtenissen
Verwante films
Motto
Opdracht
Eerste woorden
Citaten
Laatste woorden
Ontwarringsbericht
Uitgevers redacteuren
Auteur van flaptekst/aanprijzing
Oorspronkelijke taal
Gangbare DDC/MDS
Canonieke LCC

Verwijzingen naar dit werk in externe bronnen.

Wikipedia in het Engels

Geen

On the edge of the Adirondack wilderness, survival is a way of life for the Hazen family. Gary Hazen is a respected forester and hunter, known for his good instincts and meticulous planning. He and his wife, Susan, have raised their sons to appreciate the satisfaction of this difficult but honest life. In spite of this, the boys, men now, are slipping away. His older son, Gary David, is secretly dating a woman of whom his father would not approve even as Kevin, the younger boy, struggles against the limits of his family's hardscrabble lifestyle, wanting something more. On the first day of hunting season the Hazen men enter the woods, unaware that the trip they are embarking on will force them to come to terms with their differences and will forever change their lives. In The Grace That Keeps This World, Tom Bailey gives us an emotional page-turner, infused with a deep sense of foreboding. Alternately narrated by the Hazens and their neighbors in Lost Lake, the story perfectly captures the enduring rhythms of life in a rural town. The Grace That Keeps This World is an October, 2005 Book Sense pick.

Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden.

Boekbeschrijving
Haiku samenvatting

Actuele discussies

Geen

Populaire omslagen

Snelkoppelingen

Waardering

Gemiddelde: (3.63)
0.5
1 1
1.5
2 3
2.5
3 10
3.5 3
4 16
4.5 3
5 4

Ben jij dit?

Word een LibraryThing Auteur.

 

Over | Contact | LibraryThing.com | Privacy/Voorwaarden | Help/Veelgestelde vragen | Blog | Winkel | APIs | TinyCat | Nagelaten Bibliotheken | Vroege Recensenten | Algemene kennis | 202,646,971 boeken! | Bovenbalk: Altijd zichtbaar