Reason read; Pulitzer 1989
This is my 5th novel by Anne Tyler. I like her writing and I liked this one. The story is the story of a marriage. This couple have been married awhile, the son is an adult who has been mostly a disappointment and a daughter that they will be taking to college the next day. The mother is always trying "to fix" things. The father tends to try to "tell the truth". Both parents cause her hurt. Their relationship is what is significant. They have learned to love each other in spite of the disappointments and differences. ( )

This is one of my favorite books. I read it about every 2-3 years. You'll fall in love with Maggie, the main character. She's trying to cling to the past while looking toward the future. A great book! ( )

Maggie and Ira, a middle-aged couple, plan to attend the funeral of an old school friend in a small Pennsylvania town not far from their home in Baltimore. It’s a trip they should easily be able to do in one day, but for various reasons becomes more drawn out and more emotionally fraught. Maggie is unable to accept their son’s divorce and the resulting estrangement from their granddaughter, and insists she can reunite the family if only they will stop to visit the granddaughter and her mother as part of the journey.

During each stage of the trip, Maggie’s inner thoughts reveal details of her life with Ira and their family dynamics. The memorial service (a really funny set piece) provides the stage for reliving their high school years, while the time spent in the car becomes time spent retelling their family's history. Maggie is a well-intentioned meddler, completely oblivious to the ways in which she contributes to family dysfunction. Ira has been worn down by her behavior and no longer resists even when he knows Maggie’s schemes won’t work out. Their adult children are, not surprisingly, struggling to find their footing independent of their parents. The road trip reveals all, but there are no quick fixes here. Maggie and Ira will continue to be Maggie and Ira, doing their best but unconsciously playing their respective roles in a family drama that is sure to continue. ( )

I read this because I have been hearing for years how terrific it was, and because it won the Pulitzer. For me, it was a disappointment; The author writes well and creates believable, rounded characters, but they really didn't interest me that much, nor did they really pull at my heartstrings. The central character is well meaning but continually shades the truth in ways that lead other characters astray; I found her distinctly irritating. Not a bad read but not what I had hoped. ( )

OK novel about married people. ( )