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Commonwealth Ann Patchett 0642688057350 Books

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Commonwealth Ann Patchett 0642688057350 Books

Ann Patchett's new novel, "Commonwealth", surpassed my expectations and solidly earned a spot on my “Best of 2016” list. This character-driven domestic drama swept me up into the lives of the Cousins and Keating families as Patchett deftly revealed secrets and tragedies over the span of five decades. Be assured that “Commonwealth” is not without Patchett’s wry humor, after all, it IS about family.

"Commonwealth" is a novel about two families whose fates are set into motion one LA afternoon in the 1960s at a Christening party to which a large bottle of gin is brought, and ripe oranges happen to be plentiful on the neighborhood trees. If any one detail of that day had been different, so would be the lives of the two families that were set into motion like a cascade of falling dominoes. "Commonwealth" is immediately engrossing; I can't imagine reading the first chapter and not being compelled to read on. The novel floats back and forth in time and among the members of the Cousins and Keating families, specifically the six children united by their hatred of their parents. Don't let the term "domestic drama" fool you into thinking this is light fare; Patchett can do in 300 pages what Franzen does in 600 - paint a fully realized picture of family life with all its many facets: humor, despair, evil thoughts, sibling rivalry, fraught relationships, tragedies, revenge and betrayal.

Speaking of betrayal, Patchett employs a neat little conceit by having one of the characters reveal family secrets to a famous author who uses these as the basis of a prize-winning bestseller called, "Commonwealth". Several sections of the novel deal with how particular family members react to their lives being re-told and re-shaped for mass consumption. As an avid reader of family-centric novels, I wondered how often this scenario plays out in reality; I’m guessing it is often.

I've read Patchett's entire oeuvre, and no two novels are alike, yet Patchett writes convincingly in each; we don't feel she's merely researched her topics well, we feel she's LIVED them. Has she: lived in a home for unwed mothers? Been a magician's assistant, or an opera singer held captive? Has she been to the Amazon? Is she a child of divorce? Unlikely all are true, but one would be forgiven for wondering.
"Commonwealth", is one of those novels that you race to finish because you want to know what happens to characters you’ve come to care about, while at the same time you want to slow down to make it last.


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Commonwealth Ann Patchett 0642688057350 Books Reviews

Are the good reviews lying? Because this was a hot mess of deconstruction that didn't work...if that was the author's creative intention. There was not one character...if you could follow the twenty or so introduced in pockets of the book that had little purpose...that was redeeming or that I could care about to want to continue on this literary journey. But, with so many literary accolade from the New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle, I felt obligated to finish the book. I even preordered wanting to see what all the praise was about. Were they lying too? Yes, yes they were. This book should never have seen the light of say. It was confusing and pointless. I understand what Patchett was trying to accomplish in artistic terms, but in literary terms, it just didn't work.
This is the story of two families Bert and Teresa who have three children with a fourth on the way, and Fix and Beverly who have two daughters. When Bert and Beverly end up together, the lives of the six children become linked. Despite the fact that for most of the time each set of children will live with their respective mothers, each summer they will all be united and will run wild together. Eventually, a tragedy will occur, which each will be permanently marked by.

This is a character driven book rather than a plot driven one. It unfolds in a non-linear way, sometimes referring to events that we don't know about yet, and then circling back to fill in the gaps. I liked piecing the jigsaw of what happened and what everyone's story was together. I also really liked Ann Patchett's passing asides about things. She has a wonderfully descriptive way of mentioning something you've never given a lot of thought to, but making you think "yes! that's exactly how it is!".

While I enjoyed this very much, it was ultimately a little too aimless for me hence the four star rating.
I really struggled to write this review. I'm a big fan of Ann Patchett and have read all of her books. I also admire that she is co-owner of an independent bookstore in Nashville.

But...

Here's what I liked
1. The writing is excellent and has Patchett's flair
2. Some of the story turns were compelling and could have merited an entire novel on their own.
3. The title has special meaning within the story.
4. The cover art ties into the story.

Here's what I didn't like
1. The organization of the novel - the chronology - is a HOT MESS. I don't know why authors like to reveal stories in a crazy, non-linear order. I always felt a story should unfold for the reader. In this book, the first chapter is followed by a chapter that is somewhere in the future (I'm guessing about 30 years later). There are no year headings on the chapters so you have to read a while to try to figure out who's who and what's what and when that chapter is taking place.
2. There are too many main characters...two sets of parents/step-parents, four children from one family and two children from another. I found it hard to keep them apart (especially with the constantly shifting timelines).
3. Characters (and plot lines) and presented, then dropped, then (maybe) picked up again...but maybe at a different time in the story.
4. The reader is misled in some cases. For example, in one chapter one of the children dies and the reader is led to believe of one cause. Many chapters later you will find out the cause is something else entirely.
5. Some of the children in the story disappear (or briefly appear or re-appear) after a while leaving me feeling the book was unfinished.

So...I didn't love it or hate it. But it is hard for me to give a Patchett novel only three stars.
Ann Patchett's new novel, "Commonwealth", surpassed my expectations and solidly earned a spot on my “Best of 2016” list. This character-driven domestic drama swept me up into the lives of the Cousins and Keating families as Patchett deftly revealed secrets and tragedies over the span of five decades. Be assured that “Commonwealth” is not without Patchett’s wry humor, after all, it IS about family.

"Commonwealth" is a novel about two families whose fates are set into motion one LA afternoon in the 1960s at a Christening party to which a large bottle of gin is brought, and ripe oranges happen to be plentiful on the neighborhood trees. If any one detail of that day had been different, so would be the lives of the two families that were set into motion like a cascade of falling dominoes. "Commonwealth" is immediately engrossing; I can't imagine reading the first chapter and not being compelled to read on. The novel floats back and forth in time and among the members of the Cousins and Keating families, specifically the six children united by their hatred of their parents. Don't let the term "domestic drama" fool you into thinking this is light fare; Patchett can do in 300 pages what Franzen does in 600 - paint a fully realized picture of family life with all its many facets humor, despair, evil thoughts, sibling rivalry, fraught relationships, tragedies, revenge and betrayal.

Speaking of betrayal, Patchett employs a neat little conceit by having one of the characters reveal family secrets to a famous author who uses these as the basis of a prize-winning bestseller called, "Commonwealth". Several sections of the novel deal with how particular family members react to their lives being re-told and re-shaped for mass consumption. As an avid reader of family-centric novels, I wondered how often this scenario plays out in reality; I’m guessing it is often.

I've read Patchett's entire oeuvre, and no two novels are alike, yet Patchett writes convincingly in each; we don't feel she's merely researched her topics well, we feel she's LIVED them. Has she lived in a home for unwed mothers? Been a magician's assistant, or an opera singer held captive? Has she been to the ? Is she a child of divorce? Unlikely all are true, but one would be forgiven for wondering.
"Commonwealth", is one of those novels that you race to finish because you want to know what happens to characters you’ve come to care about, while at the same time you want to slow down to make it last.