Monday, August 4, 2008

Book Review: Run by Ann Patchett

I almost never read contemporary fiction, yet couldn't put this compelling novel down.   It's a masterpiece of weaving threads of lives, thoughts, ambitions and moralities together into a fabric of prose.
Bernard Doyle has lost his wife to illness, his oldest son to get-rich-quick-at-the-expense-of-others morality, his older adopted son to academia and his youngest to dreamy hopes of priesthood.  Yet one night after a Jess Jackson speech to which he drags the younger two, all the Doyles' lives are changed when Tip is pushed out of the path of an oncoming vehicle by a passing woman.  In a moment not only does the younger Doyles' birth mother enter all of their lives, but so does her 11 year old daughter.  This spurs changes in everyone's inter-relations, and changes how they think of themselves, their futures, and their dreams.
This examination of hope, personal growth and the real meaning of family proceeds to investigate what it means to be a parent, what is owed to family, and what is owed to the self.
I highly recommend it.

3 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors - each of her books has been a joy to read. I'm glad you discovered her!

Ruth King said...

I've heard a lot of good things about this author. I'll definitely have to give her a shot!

Anonymous said...

I loved Patchett's *Bel Canto*, but wasn't crazy about *The Magician's Assistant* ... I've added *Run* to my wish list, it looks interesting.