book review: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The basics: As Rev. Ames nears the end of his life in the 1950's, he begins a letter to his young son because Ames realizes his son is too young to really know him. Gilead is that letter.
My thoughts: Gilead is a novel I'm been meaning to read for years. It's a character-driven, Midwestern narrative by one of our best contemporary writers. It should be a novel I love, yet I struggled to finish it and admit I was wowed by neither the story nor the writing.
Gilead seemed almost stream-of-consciousness at first. I appreciated that Robinson jumped right in: this novel is a letter from father to son; the reader's ignorance of these two characters is not the focus. As the novel progressed, more details began to be filled in, and the reader begins to understand the characters, setting and purpose. I enjoyed the first fifty pages, and I was left with more questions than answers. The premise was intriguing, and Robinson withheld enough details that made it almost mysterious.
The more I read, however, the more I grew bored. I'm typically a big fan of character portraits, but Gilead didn't provide me enough insight into Ames. I also became irked by the structure of the novel: I didn't buy it as a letter. I didn't buy it as the either the order or structure of what Ames would write to his son. Unfortunately, the narrative didn't quite work as a diary of look back on life for me. Ames never became more than a caricature for me, and without a plot, I need characters either real enough to believe in or writing amazing enough to rely on. Ultimately, this novel just didn't work for me.
Favorite passage: "You can love a bad book for its haplessness or pomposity or gall, if you have that starveling appetite for things human, which I devoutly hope you never will have."
The verdict: While there were a few gorgeous passages in this novel, the writing wasn't poetic enough throughout to make up for the lack of plot and character development. Despite enjoying the premise of this novel, the execution left me cold, and I'm struggling to understand why so many others praise Gilead.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Length: 247 pages
Publication date: November 4, 2004
Source: library
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I didn't enjoy much that book either. I was actually listening to the audiobook. I've found it boring in many places and hard to concentrate on listening to it. That's the only book of Marilynne Robinson that I read. Did you read her other books?/Did you like them?
ReplyDeleteAnna, I think I would really struggle with this one on audio. I haven't read her other fiction, but I've really enjoyed her essays. I'll be reading Home soon, and I'm a bit trepidatious now.
DeleteSorry you didn't enjoy this book. It seems like some people love it while others don't. I haven't read it and it's not going on my tbr list either. ;-) I hope your next book is much better.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vasilly! I'd love to chat with someone who did love this book to help figure out what I'm missing. I know every book isn't for every person, but I'm still surprised how much I didn't like this book.
DeleteYay! Someone else who read the same (boring) book I did. You summed up my feeling exactly. I read this a few years ago, and can't believe how many people loved it. Your book recc's have just gone up a notch in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThanks, raidergirl! I'm still surprised how much I didn't like it. I thought everyone loved this novel. Oh well. I'm glad you're with me:-)
DeleteWell, the main problem I had with "Gilead" is that it didn't allow me to suspend my disbelief. The main characters were set up to behave in certain predictable ways and there were for me no genuine surprises or even flashes of insight. The town, the Church and the people never rose to the level of either great comedy or great tragedy. I found the town's deeply-rooted racism intolerable, as if simple acknowledgement of that fact was supposed to make it less appalling. However, I know of at least one elderly retired pastor who loved the book and saw his own spiritual struggles reflected in it, so who am I to judge? The book's perspective is very much that of a lifelong believer who possesses at least an awareness of human brokenness--both his own and that of his community. "Gilead" is as far from the perspective of Flannery O'Connor that one can possible have and still remain true to the Christian faith. I will close by adding that I don't think much of Robinson as a person. In person she comes across as arrogant and unwilling to entertain alternative considerations to her own increasingly narrow set of beliefs.
DeleteI loved Home, but didn't love Housekeeping. I also have not tried this book, and since I am about 50/50 with this author, I can't say that I will be reading this one soon. I have heard that it is either love or hate with her writing, but I have had mixed emotions with it so far. Thanks for the excellent review and for sharing your thoughts with us.
ReplyDeleteZibilee, I'll be reading Home soon and am curious how I'll react. I've heard mostly good thing about Housekeeping, but perhaps Robinson's fiction is just not for me.
DeleteI'm sorry this was disappointing for you. I've only read Housekeeping by Robinson, which I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting how some books that get a lot of awards let us down?
Thanks, Lindsey. I've heard good things about Housekeeping, so I'm curious in that. Robinson is praised so much as a writer, I feel the need to keep investigating to see what else she's done and what might click for me.
DeleteGuiltily, this review makes me happy, because I've started Gilead about three times and never got very far. Now that I know it isn't just me, I can rejoice and let go on attempt number four!
ReplyDeleteAudra, you're not missing much here! When I finished it, I immediately went to see what others had thought. I was so relieved to find other very negative reviews from trusted bloggers. It's good to be in good company:-)
DeleteThe only Robinson I've ever tried was Housekeeping, and I didn't make it past the first chapter. I doubt I'll ever be giving this one a try.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. That's the one people who didn't like this one have sometimes liked. Perhaps Robinson is just not an author for me.
DeleteFinally someone who agrees with me on this one! I was bored to tears by Gilead...and I've not read another book by this author since. Usually I love a book that is all about character, but this one fell so flat for me. I think you rated it higher than I did!
ReplyDeleteWendy, it's nice to be in such excellent company!
DeleteI don't understand it either. I tried reading a few pages of Home and I was bored. I didn't finish the book, that's it for me with re: Marilyn Robinson. :)
ReplyDeleteJoV, I'm going to give Home a chance as I finish the Orange Prize winners this fall, but my expectations are certainly lower now.
DeleteI've heard lots of good things about this book,but I had trouble getting into it when I picked it up. I've been meaning to go back Tobit, but I'm not in a rush.
ReplyDeleteLaura, I would definitely say, "no rush." I think it's either a love it or hate it book. I actually liked it less the farther I got in it.
DeleteAck.. To it. I really should pay more attention when I comment on my IPad.
DeleteI tried this one very shortly after it was released and I WAS BORED TOO! And I almost felt guilty telling anyone that because the writing was beautiful in theory. Ultimately, it just didn't float my boat.
ReplyDeleteAndi, I'm so with you. I think the writing was beautiful in theory, but it did not leave me in awe the way I prefer my writing.
Delete"Gilead" seems to me marred by several competing factors, and as such, fails as a novel. For example, I found it impossible to suspend my disbelief in the narrator's relationship with his wife and son. For example, the town's obvious racism was simply taken for granted and was left unexplored. For example, no one in the novel rose to the heights of great comedy or great tragedy. Everyone was a mercilessly tiresome as one would accept residents of that small midwestern town to be. The factors absent here are what propelled the earlier "Housekeeping" into the realm of a minor classic. But there was no passionate narrative engagement in "Gilead." I think it could well have succeeded if the protagonist pastor had dealt squarely and frankly with the fact that he would soon be dead. There was no soul-searching as he approached the coming Void. (Of course, the coming Void is last on the list of what most Americans in their general good health, shallowness and brainless optimism want to read about.) "Housekeeping" succeeded by demonstrating the vulnerability and courage of three marginalized women, rendering their characters fragile as Dresden glass but tough as the savage climate that surrounded them.
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