Helpful Score: 2
I've always loved reading and writing and hated literature classes. A Death in the Family was assigned in one of those classes and is the only book I remember. It is an amazing, thought-provoking and poignant classic.
This is a read to share. The author takes the first portion of the novel to acquaint us with the family and the closeness with which they interact with one another. The parents sing to their children as they deal with their fears and experiences. This reader felt transported into the room as Jay sings to his son, Rufus, when he is afraid to fall asleep. And, the scenes when both parents sing is so well written that once again I could envision the scene with its tenderness and love.
When Jay dies suddenly in an accident the children have trouble understanding his absence while his wife tries to find solace in her religion but the priest is insensitive and cruel. I think he missed his calling when he chose the priesthood. His crass approach mades the reader cringe.
Sometimes I have felt that an author milks a scene for more than he should but not this time. This read is about love, caring, sensitivity, and understanding. The characters are skillfully drawn and their interactions appropriate. I remember our youngest asking why her grandfather didn't wake up at the funeral, similar to the daughter's reactions. I cannot recommend this book enough because so many of us goes through grief that is devastating. Certainly, the novel is deserving of the Pulitzer Prize.
When Jay dies suddenly in an accident the children have trouble understanding his absence while his wife tries to find solace in her religion but the priest is insensitive and cruel. I think he missed his calling when he chose the priesthood. His crass approach mades the reader cringe.
Sometimes I have felt that an author milks a scene for more than he should but not this time. This read is about love, caring, sensitivity, and understanding. The characters are skillfully drawn and their interactions appropriate. I remember our youngest asking why her grandfather didn't wake up at the funeral, similar to the daughter's reactions. I cannot recommend this book enough because so many of us goes through grief that is devastating. Certainly, the novel is deserving of the Pulitzer Prize.
great book...trip of emotions
Interesting book.Focuses on how one family deals with death.
On a sultry night in 1915, Jay Follet leaves his house in Knoxville, Tennessee, to tend to his father, whom he believes is dying. The summons turns out to be a false alarm, but on his way back to his family, he has a car accident and is killed instantly. Dancing back and forth in time and braiding the viewpoints of Jay's wife, brother,and young son, Rufus, Agee creates an overwhelmingly powerful novel of innocence, tenderness, and loss that should be read aloud for the sheer music of its prose.
