Helpful Score: 22
This book took me awhile to read as I was never really drawn in or enticed to keep reading it. Nonetheless I read on, enjoying the fine writing, and still certain that a climactic end was in store. Well it never really came, yet something more rewarding occurred that caught me by suprise. Upon finishing the book, I sat, closed my eyes and carefully considered the thoughts this book provoked in me. Thoughts about life, its meaning, its purpose, how to approach it, thoughts of family, of friendships, of births and deaths, of work, of retirement, of illness, and of my own death. I was quite saddened by the book. The family and friends of Daisy knew so little about her really. She became, to them (and to me), this old lady who repeated herself, and led a self-denied life of wife and mother.
The reminder I take away from Daisy's life is to be careful not to let life happen to you like an accident. It's important to try to exert some influence where you can or the everyday omission of influence can form a life of regrets that are only recognizable in death.
"The Stone Diaries" is an immensely introspective examination of the cycles of life. Even though the lives of the characters are without much spark or excitement, they are portrayed in a way that compels you to take notice and to care. Whether it's the superb writing, the sublime story or the subdued pace, the novel works well and was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The reminder I take away from Daisy's life is to be careful not to let life happen to you like an accident. It's important to try to exert some influence where you can or the everyday omission of influence can form a life of regrets that are only recognizable in death.
"The Stone Diaries" is an immensely introspective examination of the cycles of life. Even though the lives of the characters are without much spark or excitement, they are portrayed in a way that compels you to take notice and to care. Whether it's the superb writing, the sublime story or the subdued pace, the novel works well and was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Helpful Score: 11
This book fell flat for me in so many ways. You've got to be a fan of Shields' writing in order to appreciate this. Although it won the Pulitzer Prize, I truly question why. I found the main character bland, her life bland, the writing bland. I was glad when it was over. I finished only because I want to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winners. This was by far the worst of them I'd read.
Helpful Score: 6
this is probably one of the best written books I've read in a long time. Couldn't put it down.
This fictionalized autobiography of Daisy Goodwill Flett, captured in Daisy's vivacious yet reflective voice, has been winning over readers since its publication in 1995, when it won the Pulitzer Prize. After a youth marked by sudden death and loss, Daisy escapes into conventionality as a middle-class wife and mother. Years later she becomes a successful garden columnist and experiences the kind of awakening that thousands of her contemporaries in mid-century yearned for but missed in alcoholism, marital infidelity and bridge clubs. The events of Daisy's life, however, are less compelling than her rich, vividly described inner life--from her memories of her adoptive mother to her awareness of impending death. Shields' sensuous prose and her deft characterizations make this, her sixth novel, her most successful yet
This fictionalized autobiography of Daisy Goodwill Flett, captured in Daisy's vivacious yet reflective voice, has been winning over readers since its publication in 1995, when it won the Pulitzer Prize. After a youth marked by sudden death and loss, Daisy escapes into conventionality as a middle-class wife and mother. Years later she becomes a successful garden columnist and experiences the kind of awakening that thousands of her contemporaries in mid-century yearned for but missed in alcoholism, marital infidelity and bridge clubs. The events of Daisy's life, however, are less compelling than her rich, vividly described inner life--from her memories of her adoptive mother to her awareness of impending death. Shields' sensuous prose and her deft characterizations make this, her sixth novel, her most successful yet
Beautifully written, Pullitzer Prize winner... Incredible metaphors and symbolism...one of my favorites.
Helpful Score: 4
A well-written story about the life of a woman from birth to death, her parents, children, grandchildren and friends. It explores the role of women through the generations.
