shanviolinlove's review against another edition
2.0
Jane Smiley took on an ambitious idea to capture an entire century of American history--starting just after the first World War--in a sweeping saga following one family: the Langdons. I read her first novel in the trilogy, Some Luck, and was drawn by evocative descriptions of characters, their intriguing observations of life and death, the tensions and trials, children and deaths, farming and war and city life.
In comparison, Early Warning falls short, biting off more than it can chew. Following the stories of five Langdon children, the narrative unravels wildly as Smiley spends less time focused purposefully on detail and dimension in a frenetic scramble of casting every character. She made the story too wide. Loaded with statements, we are told a story and not shown, and no one character is given enough thought to make the reader care what happens to any of them. Frank and Andy are the trope suburban couple who lost their sex appeal in each other; Lillian's story seems more like a vessel to covering American politics; Claire is quickly domesticated; the most interesting family, Joe and Lois', get such little attention, with Lois' homemade pies--"how could Lois serve a meal without dessert?" and doctor trips for the children and no real meat to the story.
I shall not be continuing the trilogy and would not recommend this book, which definitely strays away from the more literary promise the first book had into a generic paperback.
In comparison, Early Warning falls short, biting off more than it can chew. Following the stories of five Langdon children, the narrative unravels wildly as Smiley spends less time focused purposefully on detail and dimension in a frenetic scramble of casting every character. She made the story too wide. Loaded with statements, we are told a story and not shown, and no one character is given enough thought to make the reader care what happens to any of them. Frank and Andy are the trope suburban couple who lost their sex appeal in each other; Lillian's story seems more like a vessel to covering American politics; Claire is quickly domesticated; the most interesting family, Joe and Lois', get such little attention, with Lois' homemade pies--"how could Lois serve a meal without dessert?" and doctor trips for the children and no real meat to the story.
I shall not be continuing the trilogy and would not recommend this book, which definitely strays away from the more literary promise the first book had into a generic paperback.
12roxy's review against another edition
4.0
Deep truths and histories clearly visible through the tiny, perfect windows Smiley opens into each character. A delight. Only Frank’s happening upon one of the family rings false to me. Then again, life is full of happenstance.
sueann's review against another edition
4.0
A social history of the 20th century told through an Iowa farm family. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.
mcsayegh's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't feel as connected to the characters in this 2nd book of the trilogy, maybe because there were so many more of them it was hard to keep track. And there was an odd Forest Gump quality (characters getting motorcycle rides from Gary Snyder, joining Reverend Jim Jones Temple, or being involved in the overthrow of Shah of Iran). But I still like Jane Smiley's writing and will probably attempt the 3rd novel at some point.
lilamcnamee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jessicawoofter's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jessrolo's review against another edition
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mepresley's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Smiley is undoubtedly a very talented writer and every character who gets any kind of sustained attention seems fully realized despite the structure of the book, and the fact that we spend so little time with some of them. (But one might ask, where were Dean and Tina?)
The second book in the series backs away from the stars of the first book, though we do see them (Rosanna, Eloise, Frank, Joe) and spends more time on the youngest Langdon kids (Lillian, Henry, Claire) and the next generation.
The novel was moving, bringing me to tears more than once, and occasionally profound in the lessons it reflects about life.
However, I felt like the gimmick of one chapter a year didn’t pay off as well here and I found myself irritated with some of the awkward (?)/clunky (?) /unbelievable (?) ways that the characters end up involved in major historical events of the moment. For instance, There were also times that it felt like we were glossing over events too quickly and that readers weren’t being given enough information to understand fully what was happening without their own outside research.
It’s neither here nor there, really, but I found this cast of characters much less likable. I enjoyed Janet and Tim, but I really disliked Michael and Richie and Loretta, and I hated how Frank and Andy turned out. I do love me some Arthur, though, and his relationship with Lillian was beyond lovely.
The second book in the series backs away from the stars of the first book, though we do see them (Rosanna, Eloise, Frank, Joe) and spends more time on the youngest Langdon kids (Lillian, Henry, Claire) and the next generation.
The novel was moving, bringing me to tears more than once, and occasionally profound in the lessons it reflects about life.
However, I felt like the gimmick of one chapter a year didn’t pay off as well here and I found myself irritated with some of the awkward (?)/clunky (?) /unbelievable (?) ways that the characters end up involved in major historical events of the moment. For instance,
Spoiler
Frank showing up the night of the Bobby Kennedy assassination and getting a bad feeling, and Janet with Reverend Jones.Spoiler
This is especially true for me of the political and economic stuff surrounding farming, mostly given to us from Joe’s POV.It’s neither here nor there, really, but I found this cast of characters much less likable. I enjoyed Janet and Tim, but I really disliked Michael and Richie and Loretta, and I hated how Frank and Andy turned out. I do love me some Arthur, though, and his relationship with Lillian was beyond lovely.
msmandrake's review against another edition
3.0
I loved "Some Luck" but sadly was not quite so engaged with this next volume. I guess some of this is inevitable, characters are of course going to die off and be replaced by new ones, but one hopes the new ones are at least as compelling and these were not so much, partly because there were too many to be able to spend enough time on individually. The farm setting which I liked pretty much disappeared, again, inevitable, but I missed it. Also it seemed in this book, more so than in the other, currents events took center stage . I was around for these years, and Reaganomics and Jimmy Carter and even Watergate do not seem "historical" so much as old tedious news. Everything was squeezed in, Jim Jones, even. And when it hit 1980 I thought, oh NO there is a gay character which means we are going to have to deal with AIDS and sure enough, here it is. I know this is what was going on, I just wish the story could have been a little more timeless. It started to feel like a checklist.. everything bad from those decades has to happen to at least one character. Am I whining? Perhaps, but I wanted to like this book as much as I liked the first one and I'm crabby that I didn't. (I will read the third one, though.)