Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Rating: 4.8

I had to noodle on this one for a few days to decide how I felt. It was beautiful writing that flowed so easily. It was sparse and yet captured so much.  

The conflict was that I didn't realize how much I cared about the characters until some of the twists and turns unfolded that I really didn't like. I found myself reading in a frenzy to find out how it unfolds and getting very upset at some of their choices. Haruf seamlessly weaves together three stories:
  • Two little boys whose mother leaves them to be raised by their father
  • Two old crusty bachelor brothers who are farmers
  • A young girl finds herself pregnant 
This book is about these storylines and yet more than that, it is about a place, life and choices.


Easy to read in the writing style but not easy from an emotional perspective. This one will stay with me for a while. What an amazing author.

3 comments:

  1. I just finished Our Souls at Night over the weekend and really enjoyed. Already added this to my list. It is part of a series, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plainsong is part of a trilogy (Plainsong #1, Eventide #2 and Benediction #3). I am saving #2 and #3 for the beach in Maui :-)

      Delete
    2. Plainsong is part of a trilogy (Plainsong #1, Eventide #2 and Benediction #3). I am saving #2 and #3 for the beach in Maui :-)

      Delete