Tag Archives: great novel

“But, like most families, they imagined they were special.”

What makes this family special? Anne Tyler provides this list: They thought their uncanny ability to keep their dogs alive for eons set them apart, as did their fierce disapproval of any adults who wear jeans, and their air of … Continue reading

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“It was terribly hot that summer Mr. Robertson left town, and for a long while the river seemed dead.”

What should the first sentence in a great novel do? Set the tone, establish the location and perhaps introduce the main character?  The first sentence in Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout does more than that. It gives us the dying river image, which … Continue reading

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