A Patchwork Planet (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

by Anne Tyler | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0449003981 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Cray17 of Hillsborough, New Jersey USA on 12/31/2002
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Cray17 from Hillsborough, New Jersey USA on Tuesday, December 31, 2002
In my TBR pile from two or three years ago. Sending to a BCer in the mail when I'm finished.

Journal Entry 2 by Cray17 from Hillsborough, New Jersey USA on Friday, March 7, 2003
Barnaby and the other cast of characters in this story feel like instant family. Great story. Interesting ending.

Journal Entry 3 by robotti from Princeton, New Jersey USA on Saturday, May 31, 2003
I would rate this book a ten, but it's so hard for any work of Tyler's to live up to Breathing Lessons.

I like the fact that the book is different - it's not every character and every setting she's ever done. I like the Rent-A-Back setting and the fact that it allows the character of Barnaby to gain a lot of depth without a lot of tedious narration or obvious plot twists.

I found the whole thing with the daughter to be a little contrived, although I have to say that when Barnaby meets her on the street it brought a tear to my eye.

I think the character of Sylvia is done extremely well. I love the fact that right up to the end it was hard to tell what she really felt about Barnaby. Was she doing it to get back at her mother? Was she really in love with him? I still really don't know.

The ending... not crazy about the ending. Another thing in the book I found a little contrived, the sudden realization that the weirdo isn't so weird. Come on now.

But all in all, one of Tyler's better ones. Possibly not quite up to the Breathing Lessons or Saint Maybe level, but definitely on a par with Ladder of Years, and that's saying something.

I will definitely be passing this book along, I'd love to know what other readers think of it.

Anne

Journal Entry 4 by robotti from Princeton, New Jersey USA on Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Passing this on to a newbie bookcrosser who hasn't read any Tyler. :)

Journal Entry 5 by Minoa from Princeton, New Jersey USA on Thursday, September 4, 2003
I hate to say it, but I just couldn't get into this book. The narrator seemed 'false' -- I couldn't really believe this was supposed to be a man speaking. I still want to try other Tyler books tho. Will drop this off in the book-share bin at work...

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.