Several years ago I set myself the challenge of reading all the 21st Century Pulitzer Prize Fiction winners. This week I finished the last book on the list, the 2004 winner, The Known World by Jones. As I was writing a summary post of my challenge I realized I hadn't posted reviews for four of the books, all read before I became a book blogger. This morning I spent an hour or so looking through my book journals, where I kept a record of the books read. I would usually write a quick little reaction to each book, not really a review but more just a snapshot of how I felt about the book. For each book's recap, I will share the exact note written at the time of its reading, a short summary of the book from the publisher, and my recollection of the book from the perspective of time.
2002 Winner ---
Summary:
Welcome to Empire Falls, a blue-collar town full of abandoned mills whose citizens surround themselves with the comforts and feuds provided by lifelong friends and neighbors and who find humor and hope in the most unlikely places, in this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Russo.
Miles Roby has been slinging burgers at the Empire Grill for 20 years, a job that cost him his college education and much of his self-respect. What keeps him there? It could be his bright, sensitive daughter Tick, who needs all his help surviving the local high school. Or maybe it’s Janine, Miles’ soon-to-be ex-wife, who’s taken up with a noxiously vain health-club proprietor. Or perhaps it’s the imperious Francine Whiting, who owns everything in town–and seems to believe that “everything” includes Miles himself. In Empire Falls Richard Russo delves deep into the blue-collar heart of America in a work that overflows with hilarity, heartache, and grace. (Publisher)
Snapshot of my reaction to book in August 2003:
"I had this book recommended to me so many times by so many people I thought I'd better read it. I liked it and found the character development good."
Recollection with the perspective of time:
First, I want to cover my eyes over my short snapshot. How unhelpful were those thoughts? I actually have very little memory of the book. I remember liking the main character, Miles Roby, and that the book was set in a down-and-out community. I realize that is not very helpful either. As a high school librarian I would often converse with teachers about their favorite books and Empire Falls was the absolute favorite of a Social Studies teacher. In fact, he liked it so much, no other book could get anywhere near it so he was living in a constant state of disappointment about other books thanks to this one. I'm thinking this book deserves a reread.
2003 Winner --
Summary:
Middlesex tells the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family, who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City and the race riots of 1967 before moving out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret, and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic. (Publisher)
Snapshot from February 2007:
"I listened to this book club selection in audiobook format and thoroughly enjoyed it. I realized that a great deal of my pleasure in the book was derived by the audio format as other gals in my club, who all read it, found it tedious or difficult. The protagonist, Cal or Calli, was a hermaphrodite, which is an unusual topic. I did love the the prose and also the many references to the pop culture of the 1970s."
Recollection:
Clearly I wrote my snapshot reactions for myself, never thinking I'd share the drivel with others. Middlesex has aged very well in my memory. What is shocking about my reaction is how I missed so many of the parts of the multifaceted plot: In addition to Cal's transgender trauma/dilemma, there was a fairly detailed account of the Armenian genocide, and likewise the details about Detroit as the Motor City and its 1967 Race Riot. It was the first time I'd read anything about those events. In my ranking of Pulitzers, I ranked Middlesex as "Very Good." I bet if I reread it, it might get an upgrade to "Great."
2006 winner --
Summary:
From the author of the acclaimed Year of Wonders, a historical novel and love story set during a time of catastrophe, on the front lines of the American Civil War. Acclaimed author Geraldine Brooks gives us the story of the absent father from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women—and conjures a world of brutality, stubborn courage and transcendent love. An idealistic abolitionist, March has gone as chaplain to serve the Union cause. But the war tests his faith not only in the Union—which is also capable of barbarism and racism—but in himself. As he recovers from a near-fatal illness, March must reassemble and reconnect with his family, who have no idea of what he has endured. A love story set in a time of catastrophe, March explores the passions between a man and a woman, the tenderness of parent and child, and the life-changing power of an ardently held belief. (Publisher)
Snapshot from February 2008:
"This is Little Women from Mr. March's point of view. It covers the time preceding and during the Civil War. The book was well-written and a good match with Alcott's style. the historical information was especially thought-provoking but I didn't think Brooks developed her characters fully. Many members in my book club liked the book more than I did. One interesting note, Brooks utilized the journals of Bronson Alcott [Louisa May Alcott's father] for information for this book which brought real authenticity to references to the time period and realistic descriptions of the horrors of war."
Recollections: I am a huge Geraldine Brooks fan. I've read five of her books and want to read two others. Oddly I can remember just about all the details of the other four books and just about none from this one. Unlike the other books in this batch, I have no desire to reread March.
2009 winner --
Summary:
At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.
As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life—sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition—its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires. (Publisher)
Snapshot from August 2010:
"Thirteen vignettes all involving Olive Kitteridge as either a major or a secondary character. Olive is a cranky, unlovable, retired JH Math teacher. She lives in Crosby, Maine. She seems to delight in the pain of others yet is occasionally capable of remarkable acts of love and compassion. I really enjoyed this book and the contemplation of such a multifaceted person."
Recollections: Olive Kitteridge, the character, has made an appearance in several of Strout's other books, including the sequel to this book, Olive, Again. Back in 2010 when we read this book for book club, I recall a large part of our discussion centering around the question, Can you like a book when the main character is so unlovable? I really enjoy all of the Strout books I've read and I enjoy remeeting characters in them. I don't think I need to reread Olive Kitteridge but I do want to read Strout's new book, Tell Me Everything, where I understand, I will once again meet Olive.
This was a fun activity. Maybe I should do it for other books I read before my book blogging days. I hope you enjoyed these short recaps, too.
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