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winnimartha's review against another edition
5.0
Just a beautiful novel. There's so much going on -- in a quiet way, of course -- and so many themes to reflect on. Death and aging, faith, forgiveness, salvation, hope...
Following Gilead, Home gives us greater insight into several characters, perhaps most notably Jack Boughton. But it was the Rev'd Robert Boughton, Jack's father, who captured my interest for much of the novel. In Gilead, seen at a bit of a distance, he seems to embody the extravagant grace and forgiveness of God. But in Home, observed more closely, we see just how difficult it is to actually live out that forgiveness.
Boughton has always loved and forgiven his prodigal son, but in his old age, when he is his most frail and human and unguarded, he shows and then explicitly tells Jack just how frustrating and difficult it has been, how much Jack has hurt and disappointed him. Jack, for his part, has always felt himself unworthy of that love and forgiveness, but I still winced at many of his father's rebukes and reminders of his failings.
I think Robinson shows us just how difficult the prodigal son's return is for everyone involved: for the father, to open his home and his heart to his son; for the child who dutifully stayed behind, or in Glory's case returned, but who is often overlooked (even in my review); and then for the prodigal son, for Jack, who had to summon the courage to return to the home he never felt he belonged to, to try to accept the love he never felt he deserved.
There's so much more I could say and so many more aspects of Home to think about -- suffice it to say I loved reading it, and I look forward to reading Lila this fall.
Following Gilead, Home gives us greater insight into several characters, perhaps most notably Jack Boughton. But it was the Rev'd Robert Boughton, Jack's father, who captured my interest for much of the novel. In Gilead, seen at a bit of a distance, he seems to embody the extravagant grace and forgiveness of God. But in Home, observed more closely, we see just how difficult it is to actually live out that forgiveness.
Boughton has always loved and forgiven his prodigal son, but in his old age, when he is his most frail and human and unguarded, he shows and then explicitly tells Jack just how frustrating and difficult it has been, how much Jack has hurt and disappointed him. Jack, for his part, has always felt himself unworthy of that love and forgiveness, but I still winced at many of his father's rebukes and reminders of his failings.
I think Robinson shows us just how difficult the prodigal son's return is for everyone involved: for the father, to open his home and his heart to his son; for the child who dutifully stayed behind, or in Glory's case returned, but who is often overlooked (even in my review); and then for the prodigal son, for Jack, who had to summon the courage to return to the home he never felt he belonged to, to try to accept the love he never felt he deserved.
There's so much more I could say and so many more aspects of Home to think about -- suffice it to say I loved reading it, and I look forward to reading Lila this fall.
rhughes7's review against another edition
4.0
While I still maintain that Gilead takes Robinson’s writing to a different level, this book is a clear second. It is a hard book, and left me in tears. I will be thinking about this one for a long time, and I will be scanning the used book stores until I can add it to my shelf.
dongchiot's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
mgoorchenko's review against another edition
3.0
I really struggled to get through this one. Mostly, I found it very dull, with next to no plot and poor character development. And as the characters did develop, I didn’t really care about them that much. Some action and more back story, instead of the continuous vague references, would have helped this along tremendously, in my opinion. The ending: so canned.
dahlialover's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Focuses on the complexity of family relationships and how they evolve over time. Slow, moving account of perceptions and the reality of living in a complicated world. Shameful reality of how people were slow to be compassionate about racial, religious and sexual differences
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Racism, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
amcaslow's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
mmcsimmons's review against another edition
1.0
It's been a couple years since I've read this, but I still wish I could get the time back I spent reading it. 0/5 if I could
polly_ellen's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5
This book was a complete gear shift for me, and I probably wouldn’t have ever chosen to read it myself if it wasn’t for the #ReadingWomen challenge. The gentle pace and subtle, small town mood to the story was really welcome as a form of escapism, and I can completely see why Marilynne Robinson’s writing style is so lauded. It was so beautiful and meticulous in its detail. While I struggled with some (if not all) of the characters, it was challenging for me to read about different kinds of relationships and families that felt so removed from contexts I’m more familiar with.
I think I’ll probably revisit this book some time, and I would recommend it. Albeit with the warning that it’s not for everyone.
This book was a complete gear shift for me, and I probably wouldn’t have ever chosen to read it myself if it wasn’t for the #ReadingWomen challenge. The gentle pace and subtle, small town mood to the story was really welcome as a form of escapism, and I can completely see why Marilynne Robinson’s writing style is so lauded. It was so beautiful and meticulous in its detail. While I struggled with some (if not all) of the characters, it was challenging for me to read about different kinds of relationships and families that felt so removed from contexts I’m more familiar with.
I think I’ll probably revisit this book some time, and I would recommend it. Albeit with the warning that it’s not for everyone.