Housekeeping: A Novel book info and recommendations from remarkable people

Housekeeping: A Novel

November 1, 2004

Categories:Fiction

Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson, is a captivating story that follows the lives of sisters Ruth, Lucille, and their transient Aunt Sylvie in the small town of Fingerbone, Idaho. The novel is full of vivid imagery and poetically paints a picture of the mysterious and fragile connections between people, the natural environment and the passing of time. As the novel progresses, the main characters grapple with the struggles of discussing the past while simultaneously confronting a sense of uncertainty in their small community of Fingerbone. Ruth and Lucille’s search for understanding and stability within a family dynamic that has fractured with the death of their parents and the absence of their grandmother is a nuanced exploration of what it means to belong, to grieve, and to accept change. The narrative is told from the point of view of Ruth and Lucille as children, making for a calming and beguiling atmosphere. Through a lyrical and thoughtful writing style, Robinson poignantly weaves together a characteristic atmosphere of magical realism that is rooted in the reality and pain of lost connections.The readers of Housekeeping will be transported to Fingerbone and find a set of characters that remain vibrant and alive even after the story ends. At the novel’s heart lies deep symbolism and a reflective narrative that allows readers to project their own experiences onto the small family. Each page paints a picturesque portrait of characters struggling with questions of faith, trust, and reconciliation. Through it all, readers will find a comforting and haunting message in the end of Housekeeping.

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Rendors (2)

Nobel Laureate in Literature

Pulitzer Prize Winners

Doris Lessing

Novelist

Nobel Laureate in Literature

I found myself reading slowly, than more slowly--this is not a novel to be hurried through, for every sentence is a delight.

Michiko Kakutani

September 8, 2008

Literary critic

Pulitzer Prize Winners

As Gilead demonstrated, Ms. Robinson is better at describing spiritual yearnings and the metaphysics of faith than she is at mapping complicated psychological relationships. At the same time Home lacks the fablelike intensity and visual, metaphoric dazzle of her much-loved first novel, Housekeeping. Instead Home gives us scene after scene of Jack and Glory—and sometimes their father—talking to each other about their doubts and regrets and failed dreams. This results in a static, even suffocating narrative in which very little is dramatized, and much is recalled secondhand, and it makes the characters, especially Jack, seem terribly self-absorbed.