I read this years ago, after I saw the movie - one of the few times where I've done that and still liked both versions of the story! Basically, 2 young girls are orphaned and their aunt comes to take care of them...but she's sort of an "odd" person to be raising children. I always thought she'd be a perfect Deadhead if she'd been born 20-30 years later :)

I'm going to send this out as a bookring - catsnsnow asked if anyone had a copy to share.

catsnsnow (AB)
Rrrcaron (NH)
Spiderchic (UK)

Wow, what a surprise, I just received this in the mail this morning! I thought that you were still trying to get the ring going, labmomnm! Anyway I don't have any other rings at the moment, so will get to it as soon as I finish my current book.

"As wonderful as this story is, you must have a long time to read this book. It will start off very quickly and it seems to be moving right along. Next thing you know it has been weeks and you can't seem to finish the chapter. I have been told by other people who have read this that it has happen to them. You find yourself slowing down to the pace of the story. If you have the time to read "Housekeeping" do it, otherwise wait until you have the time".

I've been trying to think of how to journal this book for a few days! Then I found this review on amazon and it conveys my feelings exactly, and is expressed much better than I could have! I found myself having to re-read many pages as I have a bad habit of skimming through a book to get the story. Consequently I took much longer with it than normal for a book of this size. It is amazing how true to the book the film was. The film captures the "other worldliness" of the story perfectly.

I will be sending it on to Rrrcaron asap.

Mailed today to Rrrcaron.

Received this book. I will be starting it soon.
Ruth

I enjoyed the read, but it took awhile! This is one you can't read fast. I even found myself re reading it at times, trying to get inside Ruthie, to understand her better. You will see what I mean when you read the book. Sending it on to Spiderchic.
Ruth

Received this book today. Shall start it straight away.

Thank you!

I finished this book last night and am not sure whether I liked it or not? It seemed to take ages to read for such a small book and then suddenly it was over? Definitely unusual
Thank you for sharing though. x

Sent back to labmomnm today

Arrived back home yesterday - thanks, spiderchic for sending it back! And thanks to catsnsnow for the cute bookmark!

Going back out as a ring:

rainbowbabe (PA)
Antof9 (CO)

Hurray! Got this book in the mail today. I had been raving about Robinson's second book, Gilead, and Labmomnm kindly offered to send me Housekeeping. I am really looking forward to reading it! And then I'll have the pleasure of sending it on to Antof9.

Thank you, Labmomnm!

Another wonderful Marilynne Robinson book. I understand why bookcrossers wrote that it's a book to savor - in fact, one that you can't read in a hurray. Robinson is a marvelous writer: her prose is really like poetry.

I think I like her second book, Gilead, a little bit better, and I've been trying to figure out why. It may be the subject matter; although there is definitely a bittersweet feel to Gilead (as there is in Housekeeping), ultimately Gilead seems a bit more uplifting to me. I think, too, that Robinson has matured (understandably - I think there are about twenty years between the two books, the only two novels Robinson has written!). She reflects on love, spirituality, the sweet and ephemeral nature of our lives - all quite beautifully. In both books, really.

Thank you so much for sharing it with me, labmomnm!

I sent it off to Antof9 today :-)

WOW, this got here fast! It actually arrived yesterday, but this is the first chance I've had to journal. I was also a tiny bit afraid to open the package, as Rainbowbabe had threatened to send it with a white glove, and my house wasn't ready!

I'm so glad I signed up for this ring (or was dragged into it, I'm not sure now!), because it reminded me of this forum thread, and a book I want to get as a gift.

Thanks for sending it, and especially thanks to Rainbowbabe and RainbowDude, Jr. for the lovely gift that accompanied it. She arrived none the worse for her trip -- in fact, I think she liked it! Who knows? Maybe she's been jealous of all the fun travels Stanley has been having, and wanted to jump in an envelope and join in?!

I'm in the middle of a couple books, but nothing too big in front of this one, so I should be able to start it shortly.

Not sure where to start on my review for this book. First, because it was in the back of my head every time I picked it up, click here for the imdb.com link to the 1987 movie. I've never heard of it, but I really like Christine Lahti. In addition, a lot of the reviews are very complimentary. Maybe I'll watch it. . .

I was surprised by what a downer this book was. I found it intensely depressing. In fact, I would have finished it sooner, but many days I just couldn't pick it up as it made me so sad.

The writing is very very good. I'm always surprised when a book is really well written but I don't necessarily like it! Kind of catches me off guard. Someone said earlier that the writing is truly poetic, and that is so true. The way she wrote about the reflection of a woman in a mirror and one in water, how it breaks up and re-creates itself was just beautiful.

I have always said I'm shallow (extroverted ENFP, you know), so I often miss things until they're spelled out (or I'm in a discussion in class -- that often helps). I have to say I didn't get the title at all until very near the end: Sylvie only kept them, I think, because she considered accumulation to be the essence of housekeeping. . . Ahhhh . . . and duhhhh . . . I thought this a fascinating commentary on a transient. I wondered if I didn't get it because the expression "set up housekeeping" (usually applied to newlyweds) just isn't that common anymore and I didn't make the connection. Who knows?

I was impressed by all the literary and Biblical allusions in this book. The Cane and Abel one near the end was especially intense.

Warning: spoilers ahead!

I'll probably still be thinking about this book for years to come. The concept of one's opinion of a parent who dies (or anyone, for that matter) being affected by their absence is fascinating. Ruthie's comments on how she would view her mother if her mother had continued living -- that the girls would want her to change her hair, or wouldn't always visit at Christmas, etc. -- but instead her mother's memory became bigger by her death bowled me over. I'm often saddened by what I've missed out on in the future by having lost my dad in 1998, and it's easy to build that up into something that might not have been had he really been alive. Of course, that knowledge doesn't make me miss him any less.

This is one heavy book. I'm trying to find some hope in it, and am not sure I can. Perhaps that is why it made me so sad. I guess I am glad that Ruthie had Sylvie, and Lucille found happiness (or some semblance thereof) where she wanted it, but still -- this is one sad book.

Thank you for being willing to share this book, labmomnm! I hope my review doesn't make it sound like I'm not grateful. I am. The reality is that this kind of thing really happens in our world, and reading something like this -- albeit sad, makes me more aware. It makes me grateful, too, for what I have. And that reminder is very valuable.

I need to read some chick lit on the plane tomorrow :)

This book is on its way back home to complete another ring! What a well-travelled little book! I put in the mailbox yesterday (sorry for the delay, labmomnm!), so you should see it soon :)

Thanks again for sharing, and I've added it to the list of "Movies I want to watch" too.

Back home, again - thanks for the stickers, Ant!