rbrack20's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elleestpartie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hemloc's review against another edition
5.0
Six reasons to read As We Are Now:
1) May Sarton was an intelligent women who had things to say and points to make. The making of those points is greatly aided by the quality of her writing, which is deceptively simple.
2) This grim and honest account of old age stresses the importance of personal identity and community.
3) One of the ideas explored in this story is that wickedness creates its own heaven. A wicked person rarely sees themself as cruel; they think they are good and their delusion places them atop a pedestal where they are untouchable.
4) I love that Caro doesn't regret not marrying. She acknowledges the appeal of marriage, which is not companionship, but the possibility to grow alongside someone, but is happy with her decision nevertheless.
5) "I believe we are forgiven at the instant of asking forgiveness, for asking forgiveness is an act of faith." I like this sentence.
6) The all-important afterword closes the story wonderfully, perfect in its simplicity.
Two drawbacks to As We Are Now:
1) Though it makes sense within the context of the story, the frequent repetition of the main character's goals becomes tiring.
2) Caro's final act doesn't work for me. Despite how the author weaves it in, it feels forced and out of character.
1) May Sarton was an intelligent women who had things to say and points to make. The making of those points is greatly aided by the quality of her writing, which is deceptively simple.
2) This grim and honest account of old age stresses the importance of personal identity and community.
3) One of the ideas explored in this story is that wickedness creates its own heaven. A wicked person rarely sees themself as cruel; they think they are good and their delusion places them atop a pedestal where they are untouchable.
4) I love that Caro doesn't regret not marrying. She acknowledges the appeal of marriage, which is not companionship, but the possibility to grow alongside someone, but is happy with her decision nevertheless.
5) "I believe we are forgiven at the instant of asking forgiveness, for asking forgiveness is an act of faith." I like this sentence.
6) The all-important afterword closes the story wonderfully, perfect in its simplicity.
Two drawbacks to As We Are Now:
1) Though it makes sense within the context of the story, the frequent repetition of the main character's goals becomes tiring.
2) Caro's final act doesn't work for me. Despite how the author weaves it in, it feels forced and out of character.
_kairhone_'s review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Dementia
portcitykt's review against another edition
5.0
I had never read anything by May Sarton before and this moved me so much. Sarton creates Miss Spencer a character that has been placed in a nursing home and is dealing with the emotions that come with loss of freedom and humanity. My heart broke for Miss Spencer and what she was trying to come to terms with. Whether real or imagined issues, anyone who has had a loved one in nursing care will feel what life is like from their perspective. The value of a visit, kind words, human contact and small tokens mean so much. A must read by anyone who loves seniors and for those who care for seniors.
suvata's review against another edition
5.0
So, last night I was listening to some podcasts when I came across the latest episode of "The Readers" (http://bookbasedbanter.co.uk/thereaders/2015/12/30/ep-143-thomas-simon-recommend-seven-books-to-each-other-and-you/). One of Thomas' choices was As We Are Now by May Sarton. It sounded like something I would enjoy and couldn't believe that I had never heard of it before since it was published in 1973.
So, I went to Amazon.com to check for the title only to find that I could read it for free since I am an Amazon prime member. BONUS! Serendipity?
Since it's such a short book at about 120 pages, I finished it in a day. And I absolutely adored this book. So much so that I went back to Amazon.com and ordered a hard copy. This is a deliciously dark novel that will give you a lot to think about and even give you something to laugh about now and then.
What's it about you ask?
From the publisher:
"I am not mad, only old. . . . I am in a concentration camp for the old."
So begins May Sarton's short, swift blow of a novel, about the powerlessness of the old and the rage it can bring. As We Are Now tells the story of Caroline Spencer, a 76-year-old retired schoolteacher, mentally strong but physically frail, who has been moved by relatives into a "home." Subjected to subtle humiliations and petty cruelties, sustained for too short a time by the love of another person, she fights back with all she has, and in a powerful climax wins a terrible victory.
It's great to start off a new year with a five star read. Thanks to Thomas and Simon for recommending it.
adammck's review against another edition
4.0
Almost certainly one of the most harrowing novels I've ever read. The most important author of my early adolescence was Stephen King, but no killer clown or undead pet could come close to conjuring the fear I have for declining in a ghastly nursing home, and being "subjected to subtle humiliations and petty cruelties" as the description here says. I feel emotionally ambushed.
finii's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mmmmm's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
jamieml's review against another edition
5.0
As you are now, so once was I;
Prepare for death and follow me.
The epigraph of May Sarton’s novel As We Are Now reads frightening after fully witnessing its despair. The novel exposes the devastating isolation and deprivation of aging in a retirement home, a “concentration camp for the old” (9). Caro, the narrator, records her outward experiences and inward reflections in a journal, which exists as Sarton’s novel. Caro, an abandoned, physically weak woman, agonizingly craves comfort.
I found Caro's story a compelling and difficult study of empathy. The blatant abuse and neglect inflicted on the old, the subsequent self-hate, and the ultimate burning anger reveals how Sarton sees the decline of human compassion. I love this novel because it faces that rage.
It is not an easy read. It is short, yes, but Sarton's writing packs a heart-breaking punch. Heart-breaking because it's true.
Of my own unique experience of As We Are Now, I found Caro similar to myself. We are both animal lovers, readers, and thinkers. We even love the same artist, Pieter Bruegel. Relating to Caro makes this book much more frightening. Will I have a similar end?
I couldn't help but notice conclusions made about silence and empathy in the novel. As a shy person who often lives in silence, I hoped to find some comfort there. You can read my thoughts on the subject here.
I think this novel is my favorite, and I will read it when I am old. Hopefully, I will be better off than dear Caro.