Graceful, wistful, romantic novel

books:


	• Crossing to Safety (Modern Library Classics) Wallace Earle Stegner Modern Library, 2002 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 108 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

beautifully written novel

Criticisms, first: Stegner to some extent has "tunnel vision"; he is a member of his-- the World War II--generation. This was shown clearly in "Angle Of Repose" where he expresses some scorn for the 60's generation, throughout. In the case of "Crossing To Safety" he focuses almost exclusively on his own generation, with only the briefest mention of his children's lives, and thus ignores the contempory problems of American society, notably racial equality. Having said this, the book is an instructive, well written, and entertaining portrait of his (and my parents') generation, somewhat more
effective than Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation Speaks" because it
is an extended portrait of two families rather than very brief (usually tragic or heroic) portraits of many families. These
were literary people, though they certainly had many psychological problems, and the question of how they successfully excaped serving in World War II, evades examination.
If one is able to view this work as it is--a somewhat limited work that focuses on the positive aspects and ignores the negative aspects of the World War II generation--then one can perhaps enjoy the descriptions of the Vermont countryside,the portraits of the Harvard-educated New England Brahmins (Charity's parents), the frequent literary allusions, and the pleasures of international travel.

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graceful, wistful, romantic novel

Wonderful novel about the lives of two successful couples meeting each other in the Depression and growing together as friends in the years leading to World War II and afterwards. One of the couples is independently wealthy; the other struggles financially, at least at the beginning of the novel. They are literary types. Literature enriches their lives, and is also a source of livelihood(just as music enhanced the lives of my parents who were of the same generation). They are all well travelled, not only within the United States, but also abroad.
Stegner focuses his literary gifts on bringing these couples' lives into focus. Tragedy strikes both couples: Sally, Larry's wife, has polio after a difficult childbirth; Sid, Charity's wife, suffers from a lack of assertiveness in his academic life, is unable therefore to rise in the academic ranks, and is a henpecked husband. Sid's dependency on Charity is one of the novel's main themes. Larry by contrast is quite aggressive, moving to Cambridge after a short time in Madison, Wisconsin,and a visit to Vermont,on the advice of Charity's father. He becomes a successful novelist. Much of the book, perhaps half, is set in Vermont, on a large piece of acreage of inherited property; we get detailed descriptions of the Vermont countryside and we are introduced to Charity's relatives who are Harvard-educated and are New England Brahmins. The final chapters relating to Charity's death from cancer, are poignant, but every chapter enlarges our view of these two couples. Picnics, camping, and travel abroad figure prominently in both couples'lifestyles. There is a fascinating chapter on Florence, Italy, and there are brief descriptions of the activities of both couples' many children (Sid and Charity had more kids than Larry and Sally)and also of their parents, though the personalities of these minor characters are not as well developed as the main protagonists.
Aside from some descriptions of Italian Renaissance religious art, religion "per se" does not play a prominent role in this novel, except mainly as it relates to literature and art and its meaning to the two couples.

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Graceful, wistful, romantic novel

A wonderful novel about how successful people acted in my parents' generation--I am 55. Also probably the best book I have read by Stegner, possibly because it is the most contemporary. Better than Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation Speaks" because in that book we only get brief portraits of families, usually in tragedy, whereas "Crossing To Safety" provides a fuller view of American life in the Depression and years leading up to World War II. I will admit I don't still understand the titles meaning. But though the main characters are literary types, they could as easily be business types. The whole country is their playground, from New Mexico to California to Wisconsin to Vermont to Cambridge, and they are international travellers, too. Not that money was not a problem because it certainly was, at least in the early days for Larry and Sally (the other couple inherited wealth). But the lasting impression is of joie de vivre,even in the final moving chapters on the death of Charity. These people made the best of it, whether it be camping for a week or a year in Florence, Italy. Overall they were the lucky ones, although both couples had serious problems, some of them physical, some of them psychological. Sid suffered from a lack of self assertiveness and was always the henpecked husband. Sally had polio after a difficult child delivery. It is a testament to Stegner's writing skills that he could bring these couples' joy in living so clearly into focus--not to mention the joy of country living, particularly in Vermont.

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A book I hated to see end

A colleague of mine recently finished Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner and encouraged me to read it. I thought we had a copy laying around but instead found that we only had Crossing to Safety so I picked it up and started to read.

This book was perfect for the fall season, I suppose it may be that I only feel that way since I read it in the fall, and if I had read it during the summer I would have felt the same then, but something in the tone and meter just felt so fallish to me.

Self-referentially the author asks in dialogue "How do you make a book that anyone will read out of lives as quiet as these?" The first chapter starts in the twilight of the character's life and then invests the rest of the story setting the stage for the setting sun.

The book was a joy to read, due to the rich and beautiful writing. There are times when reading books you skim the sentences, with this book I found my self savoring every word and truly encompassed by the writing. The first half is so lyrical in content, I could in many ways identify with the poor married couple starting life out with nothing to eke by on. As the story progresses the idealism of youth is tempered by the reality of life. Each Eden has its serpent, and life has a way of providing crosses to bear. I wont spoil any of the tale by telling.

This has to be one of the best books I have ever read, a wonderful journey that I did not regret and was sad to see end.

http://www.niffgurd.com/mark/books/2002.html#safety

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, page 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

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