Tea Accompaniments.

ANNE TYLER

b.1941. Lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Pulitzer Prize winner. Very private as she doesn't grant face-to-face interviews, rarely does book tours or makes public appearances.

I won't go through the whole story of my love for this author as it will take too long.

I've read five of her books and will give a small blurb and my own personal rating...because I want to feel like a critic :P



Earthly Possessions (which I found has been made into a film with Susan Sarandon and can't wait to see it)

This book was short, which I liked, because it made the story more powerful. It deals with a 35-year-old woman who is taken hostage by a young man and details their trip to Florida and the unravelling of her life.

I'd probably give it a 7/10.




Morgan's Passing

Now I read this just last week. I hadn't read Tyler for a while and Mum brought this home from the library where she works. It might sound weird but I think I liked it because I didn't like the character. Morgan is essentially this really irritating guy who finds his life so tedious that he adopts multiple personas. He's amazingly eccentric and strange and I think the fact that he annoyed me so much made me really like the book.

Probably 7.5-8/10.



The Accidental Tourist

This was the second or third Tyler book I read. It was great. It's a sad book, but I found I never cried which was nice (I don't usually cry as a result of books). It follows the life of this exceedingly conventional guy, Macon Leary, who writes travel guides as an 'Accidental Tourist', yet he has experienced immense tragedy and life changes which really made me sympathise with him. It's also been made into a film so I think I might see it if I have time.

Most definitely deserving of an 8-8.5/10.




Breathing Lessons

The first Tyler book I read. I absolutely loved it. It is set in a single day, revolving around the lives of couple Maggie and Ira Moran as they travel from their home in Baltimore to a funeral and back - making a commentary on their past, present and the status of their marriage. It isn't a heavy book, which I liked, and I found I was really able to engage with the story line and with the characters.

8-8.5/10




The Amateur Marriage

I borrowed this from the library not only because it was an Anne Tyler book but also because I love red coats and the woman on the front happens to be wearing one.
It was an absolutely brilliant book, probably my favourite Tyler book yet (besides The Accidental Tourist). It chronicles the married life of Michael and Pauline Anton from 1941-2001, a wartime couple who marry with nothing more in common than romantic intention. Their relationship spirals downwards throughout the book, leaving me not only amazed at the masterpiece this novel is but also at the events that unfold.

8-8.5/10. I loved this book!

But then again, I guess I loved all of them. She sets all her novels in Baltimore, which may seem a bit monotonous but it actually isn't, because all the characters are so different from one another (despite the fact that they all want something more out of life). They are all so refreshing.

Each time I finish one of her books I feel so irritated that it's over that I have to start again...meaning I've pretty much read each book twice, if not more than twice.
I am a very sad person, I know.

I am currently reading her book, A Patchwork Planet which is proving to be just as remarkable. When I finish it I might feel tempted to post another review.

Of course not all her books will achieve the same success but i just find her to be brilliant. So different from a lot of novelists around these days.

If you have time to read, if you like books dealing with ordinary characters (they're also reasonably short so they're easy to get through in a day...except for The Amateur Marriage ...which is probably the thickness of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) or if you just want something new to sink your teeth in to, then I seriously recommend this novelist.

Peace and love.