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Ladder of Years Anne Tyler 9780804113472 Books

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Ladder of Years Anne Tyler 9780804113472 Books

Anne Tyler loves to take typical social situations, in particular marriage, and peel back the superficial layers and observe her characters as they face the imperfections and unsettling aspects of their lives. "Ladder of Years" is no exception.
Delia Grinstead had never left home, marrying a doctor who her father had brought into a home-based practice at age seventeen. Now at age forty her life suffered from terminal blandness. Her teen-aged children ignored her, even treating her with disdain, and her husband, an unaffectionate sort, took her for granted. A chance encounter with a younger man in a supermarket sparked a self-assessment that led to Delia simply walking away from her family on an annual outing to the beach with nothing more than a bathing suit, a robe, and a few hundred dollars.
Hitching a ride to a remote town in her home state, Delia begins to slowly eke out a new existence. The quiet resolve and good nature of Delia is a constant. Her whereabouts are discovered soon after her disappearance, which forces her to reflect on her former existence as she is contacted in one manner or another by several of her family members. Interestingly, Delia becomes more than a little attached to a new family as a housekeeper/nanny to an educator and his twelve-year-old son.
A return home for her daughter's wedding unexpectedly presents Delia with decisions concerning her new and previous lives. Readers looking for a dramatic transformation in either Delia or her social situation could be disappointed. However, it is evident that Delia has learned from her journey and decides to move on accordingly.


Tags : Ladder of Years [Anne Tyler] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. "UTTERLY COMPELLING . . . WONDERFULLY SATISFYING . . . VIRTUALLY FLAWLESS." --Chicago Tribune BALTIMORE WOMAN DISAPPEARS DURING FAMILY VACATION,Anne Tyler,Ladder of Years,Ivy Books,0804113475,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Literary,Literary,Modern fiction

Ladder of Years Anne Tyler 9780804113472 Books Reviews

This was my first Anne Tyler book, so i guess i didnt know what to expect. I actually couldnt put the book down, and stayed up wayyy late two nites in a row just to finish it. I thought the writing was really good. I agree that alot more of her feelings could have been explored, alot more of the family's feelings - but all in all i liked the story. It just could have gone alot further and deeper, and been a much longer and more involved story. I will check some reviews and see what others think are her better books, because i do like her style of writing.
I found this book to be mundane. The last couple of chapters were the only part of the book I enjoyed because it was coming to a resolution.
Have you ever had the fantasy of walking away from your life? This story explores what happens when that fantasy is followed. Like other Anne Tyler novels, I felt the central character exists in a grey fog, unaware of self and lacking the ability to take control. The first 1/4 of this book was spent delving into a potential affair, and seemed too drawn out. The conclusion was also unsatisfying, since the main character returned to her life without sharing with her family why she had left them for another life. A good read, but one that left me cold and sad.
After reading the first page of LADDER OF YEARS, I knew that this would be a hilarious story. By the time I finished the first chapter I was disappointed. This book was not funny. "Breathing Lessons," it's not. Gone are Tyler's quirky characters (the characters in this book were all one dimensional, even Delia's children and husband). I also had a little bit of trouble with the subject matter. I'm sure all mothers (especially of teenagers) fantasize about leaving home but most do not. What do we think about fathers who leave home? They are horrible people. How could a mother leave her children for a year and a half? I realize that Delia was probably going through a mid life crisis and a form of depression but I kept wanting to say, "Call your children and see if they are okay!"
Anne Tyler is still brilliant when writing about the mundane things of every day life.
I first read Ladder of Years when I was a young mother in my thirties. I loved the book but didn't quite get it. I felt a little upset with the main character, Delia, for taking off and leaving her family while on vacation. Fast-forward 10+ years and I read the book again, (Yes, it is that good) and this time, after the first few chapters, I'm begging Delia to walk away from her family. I totally get it. Anne Tyler reveals every wife and mother's dirty little secret. Oh, how we would all love to take a walk away from what seems like an ungrateful (one reviewer described them as acrimonious), self-centered family and just keep on walking! Even though we might never actually do it, the percentage of women who have had that fantasy has got to be in the top percentages.

But Tyler doesn't stop there. We are slowly and cleverly getting to know Delia. She is NOT a cold-hearted, closed-off person. Even though she has a new way of dressing, a new job, and a new residence, she still cries herself to sleep every night. It's clear she is desperate for her family to reach out to her and tell her that they need her, but that message is not forthcoming. Delia copes the only way she knows how by getting up everyday and following the routine she has established for herself. Inevitably, Delia meets and forms relationships in the little town where she settles. She even tires of her first job and searches for another. Just as her life may take an irreversible turn, she is summoned back home for the wedding of her daughter. Tyler's portrayal of events when Delia returns home is nothing short of brilliant.

Some feel the ending is lacking in answers. I thought so, too, at first glance but on second thought (and this is the kind of book you have lots of second thoughts about), the ending is perfectly fitting and the answers have been revealed along the way.
While the beginning was slow & provided uncertainty- one needs to stick w/ an Anne Tyler book. When the story line took a quick, unexpected, turn, I could not put it down until the end. And even then, I wanted more. Anne Tyle it superb in weaving a story and describing the inner thoughts of her characters as they deal with life and interpersonal relationships.
Anne Tyler loves to take typical social situations, in particular marriage, and peel back the superficial layers and observe her characters as they face the imperfections and unsettling aspects of their lives. "Ladder of Years" is no exception.
Delia Grinstead had never left home, marrying a doctor who her father had brought into a home-based practice at age seventeen. Now at age forty her life suffered from terminal blandness. Her teen-aged children ignored her, even treating her with disdain, and her husband, an unaffectionate sort, took her for granted. A chance encounter with a younger man in a supermarket sparked a self-assessment that led to Delia simply walking away from her family on an annual outing to the beach with nothing more than a bathing suit, a robe, and a few hundred dollars.
Hitching a ride to a remote town in her home state, Delia begins to slowly eke out a new existence. The quiet resolve and good nature of Delia is a constant. Her whereabouts are discovered soon after her disappearance, which forces her to reflect on her former existence as she is contacted in one manner or another by several of her family members. Interestingly, Delia becomes more than a little attached to a new family as a housekeeper/nanny to an educator and his twelve-year-old son.
A return home for her daughter's wedding unexpectedly presents Delia with decisions concerning her new and previous lives. Readers looking for a dramatic transformation in either Delia or her social situation could be disappointed. However, it is evident that Delia has learned from her journey and decides to move on accordingly.