A lovely depiction of friendship's complicated landscape

books:


	• Crossing to Safety (Modern Library Classics) Wallace Earle Stegner Modern Library, 2002 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 109 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Crossing To Safety by Wallace E. Stegner

This is a powerful book on the strength and value derived from true friendship. Beautifully written and, finding it "missing" from our library I had to purchase another copy.
I will never loan this out again because it is one of those books that must be at the ready whenever I need to restore my faith in the human spirit and it's generosity.

A lovely depiction of friendship's complicated landscape

Stegner's depiction of the complexities of friendship within and between two couples is nothing short of masterful. His characters are fully human creatures, complete with frailties and flaws. His spare, simple prose concentrates on depicting characters who are true to life. This novel illustrates why Stegner was such a large, respected figure in American literature.

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Great Discussion Leader

This was the selection for my book group's last meeting before summer (May 2006). The choice was made because it is one member's favorite. (She keeps two copies in case something happens to one!) Issues in our discussion concerned: how autobiographical is the book since much of WS's life is similar. How well does the book describe the kinds of inter-departmental conflicts that might really occur? Amicitia seems to be the main topic of the book. Who do we know that might be the very in charge person -- are there really people that are so in charge of others or was this a bit unusual from our perspective? (It seems there are some people this way.) How much can we learn about friendships from reading this book? Are there any of us that have the same kind of long term friends?

One member of the book group did not get into the book. Everyone else seemed really enthusiastic. Five stars for this one in my book. Along with Angle of Repose, now I have read two of WS's books.

Favorite quotes:
"I'd rather spend it on Charity." (Sid giving his money to his future bride Charity.)
"Dying's an important event." (Charity explaining why everything should be planned.)
"Hail Mary full of grease." (Sid trying to start the Marmon.)
"I thought fiction as the art of making truth out of faked materials." "-Sure. His would be making falsehood out of true materials." (They aren't "people that you see in books, those are constructs. Novels or biographies, it makes no difference."

See "Wallace Stegner and the Continental Vision" by Curt Meine.

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We all want a Battell Pond

After finishing this novel, I realized that despite the controlling nature of Charity, all human beings want and perhaps deserve a deep, rich friendship to accompany them through life's ups and downs. But how can you not sit back and say, "Poor Sid"? As others have mentioned, the ending is emotionally devastating, not tragic, yet somehow appropriate.
I wish Stegner had written a follow-up novel about the remaining 2 Adams and the crippled Eve. It would have been interesting.

the nature of friendship

stegner's "literary" take on the complexities of a relationship deemed to be friendship. if you have ever tried to define "love" then you will be enthralled by stegneer's effort to probe the boundaries and interior of friendship. more to the point the book again exhibits the author's total mastery of the craft of novelist-he is simplly a suberb storyteller.

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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