Reviews

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

michellerenee30's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.75

madalynmetzger's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

kelly_inthe419's review against another edition

5.0

Could I learn to appreciate the sort of song the girl sang, I asked Karen. You don't need to, she said. You have enough pleasure from the music you do understand, you don't need more. Perhaps this is right. There are only so many raspberries a man can eat.

I've been wanting to read this book for quite some time and am so glad I finally did. This is such a beautiful story of friendship and love and fidelity and family. It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming in it's sincerity. It is told lovingly through letters between Tina Hopgood, an English farmer's wife, and Anders Larsen, the curator at a Danish museum. What starts as a letter to the former curator who discovered an ancient mummified corpse of the Tollund Man when Tina was just a girl, leads to something new and unexpected. As a mature woman, Tina has questions but soon finds that Professor Glob is deceased. Instead, she receives a warm note from Larsen, and so begins their correspondence.

The bonds between the two grow ever stronger as they discuss not just the Tollund Man but their lives and loves and loss. And how many raspberries have they missed along their respective journeys through life. As their lives unfold over the course of many months we learn of their families and dreams and disappointments, and in turn, they learn and grow with each other.

This debut novel from Anne Youngson was a delightful epistolary novel. I loved the letters and the gradual development of friendship and love between the two characters as they helped nurture and support one another. The ending is ambiguous but also perfect, leaving the reader to wonder just what happens from here.

As the two discuss, there are many paths a life can take, as summed up in this lovely quote.
Whenever I pick raspberries, I go as carefully as possible down the row, looking for every ripe fruit. But however careful I am, when I turn around to go back the other way, I find fruit i had not seen approaching the plants from the opposite direction.

youguadareadwithme's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

kmthomas06's review against another edition

5.0

I adore epistolary novels - there is something about a story that can reveal itself only through letters between characters that impresses me and also make me feel like I am a part of the story. This is a quiet, lovely story of two lonely people that find each other at the exact right moment in their lives. Tina and Anders share their hopes, fears, and sorrows with each other in their letters and remind each other than it is never to late to choose a different path. I didn't even mind the somewhat ambiguous ending because as open ended as it may seem, I know how it ends (and if I'm wrong, I don't want to know).

mbgianni's review against another edition

4.0

What an odd little story. It charmed me, even through its quirkiness.

unofficialcate's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.0

onceuponafrida's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad fast-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

Vilken otroligt intressant och unik bok. Hela den här boken är uppbygd av brev. Brev som skickas fram och tillbaka av två främlingar som aldrig mötts förut. En i Danmark och en i England. Men som under brevväxlingens gång inser att de känner varandra bättre än någon annan i deras närhet. Det är en berättelse om sorg, svek, nyfunnen vänskap, insikt, mognad och en spirande kärlek från de mest oväntade håll. Väldigt mysig bok att läsa och väckte många tankar och idéer. Jäkligt häftigt sätt att skriva en bok på helt enkelt. Kan varmt rekommendera. 

lnoelle's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this epistolary novel with the two main characters starting up an accidental relationship through correspondence. I read it on audio and the narrators did a great job bringing these characters to life. There are so many points to ponder that surface through the letters that I think this would be an excellent book club read. I would be happy to meet both of the main characters at the museum.

emilyesears's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0