peabrainium's review against another edition
2.0
Loveable and realistic characters with a beautiful scenery but there was no plot or tension, or anything that got me excited to pick up the book again. It's a nice display of rural family life but not much else.
nahlabooks's review against another edition
4.0
4,5
I loved this slow but beautiful book. An epic story that follows a family from the 20s to the 50s.
I was a bit scared to be bored but once I passed 150 pages, I couldn’t stop. I will be reading the rest ! This is the type of familia saga that I love and crave, even more so when the writing style is so exquisitely subtle.
I loved this slow but beautiful book. An epic story that follows a family from the 20s to the 50s.
I was a bit scared to be bored but once I passed 150 pages, I couldn’t stop. I will be reading the rest ! This is the type of familia saga that I love and crave, even more so when the writing style is so exquisitely subtle.
mattydalrymple's review against another edition
5.0
Ms. Smiley is one of my favorite authors. I love her characters, even when they are behaving badly, and I love reading the details of their lives which in this book, which spans four decades, must have taken an extraordinary amount of research to render accurately. I also, paradoxically, love the fact that the plot of "Some Luck" is so undramatic--for the first half of the book the most exciting thing that happens is that a farmer almost falls into a well. Even when one of the farmer's sons goes to fight in World War 2, the focus is less on the events on the battlefield than on his experiences off it. But despite the lack of drama, I was so engaged in the story of the characters' lives that I could hardly put the book down and was sad when it ended (which it did without any sort of conventional resolution). It's a talented writer who can hold a reader's attention with such a book. I'm now reading Smiley's "13 Ways of Looking at the Novel" to see if I can learn how she does it, and to see if any of those lessons can be applied to a suspense novel. Perhaps not, but it will be fun to consider.
marmoset737's review against another edition
5.0
Surprisingly engrossing. Reminded me (in a good way) of the Little House on the Prairie books - a fascinating project to look at US history through one family's experiences.
jogin1's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melissakuzma's review against another edition
4.0
I'm glad I had to read this for a book discussion, because if I hadn't, I would have given up after the first chapter (narrated by a baby - !!??) and I would have missed out on incredible story. Can't wait for parts 2 and 3!
sweddy65's review against another edition
4.0
This book is almost entirely character driven, but the characters are fantastic. I wasn't sure about it at first, but decided to keep reading, and I am glad that I did.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
4.0
After returning from the War in France, Walter Langdon moves his wife and new-born son into a small farm he has bought in Iowa. Over the next thirty years the story of the Langdon family is told. Walter and Rosanna are from German-American stock and their extended family lives close by. As their children grow up some of them move away from the farm and from Iowa itself and whilst national and international events may seem a long way removed from the family in fact they have a huge impact, directly or indirectly.
I find Jane Smiley's work pleasant enough without it really exciting me and this book is no different. Had I taken it on holiday as a beach read I would have been very happy, it doesn't stretch the mind or challenge the reader in any way but it does entertain. The slow pace of rural life and the old-fashioned values of Walter and Rosanna are perfectly pitched and the way that each of their children develops as an individual is cleverly done. After finishing this book I find myself looking forward to the next volume.
I find Jane Smiley's work pleasant enough without it really exciting me and this book is no different. Had I taken it on holiday as a beach read I would have been very happy, it doesn't stretch the mind or challenge the reader in any way but it does entertain. The slow pace of rural life and the old-fashioned values of Walter and Rosanna are perfectly pitched and the way that each of their children develops as an individual is cleverly done. After finishing this book I find myself looking forward to the next volume.
shanviolinlove's review against another edition
5.0
Not until after I finished Lila by Marilynne Robinson and received a recommendation to read Some Luck had I ever heard of Jane Smiley, and I realize it was my loss! This epic novel spans four decades and intimately follows the Langdon family, Walter and Rosanna who raise their children on a farm. Each chapter signifies one year and captures either a single event - one of significance or one that represents their lives - or several. The children grow up and reach from coast to coast, fighting in wars, falling in love, etc.
The overarching theme, of course, is luck; my favorite scene is when Rosanna stands before a full Thanksgiving table, marveling how so many of them had survived the Depression, had survived the war, had survived the personal injuries and challenges of life. Though the Langdons - at least Rosanna - are churchgoers, the narrator also attributes their fortune to luck.
The overarching theme, of course, is luck; my favorite scene is when Rosanna stands before a full Thanksgiving table, marveling how so many of them had survived the Depression, had survived the war, had survived the personal injuries and challenges of life. Though the Langdons - at least Rosanna - are churchgoers, the narrator also attributes their fortune to luck.