Julia glass the widowers tale the concord bookshop. Her debut novel, three junes, won the national book award for fiction in 2002. This novel covers everything from illegal immigration to gay marriage and all things inbetween. Although the novel focuses on percy, glass uses different narrators in different chapters of the novel to focus in on different aspects of her story. The widowers tale a novel by julia glass random house. Julia glass spins a tale of life in a small new england town that draws the listener into the life of percy darling, the eponymous widower, and his attempt to. Julia glass is no stranger to the male narrative voice.
The widower in question is 70yearold percy darling, a retired. Julia glass books list of books by author julia glass. The title of the widower s tale is a bit deceptive, because it is three stories rolled into one novel. The outspokenly fuddyduddy 70yearold patriarch at the center of the. She read the book jacket and determined if she wanted to spend an hour or two each night with the characters.
Apr 14, 2014 glass has a particular talent for inventing believable old people. I see you everywhere, glasss third book, won the suny john gardner fiction award. This energized, goodhumored novel, julia glasss fourth, smashes through that illusion, beginning as satire, becoming stealthily suspenseful. While glass still works as a freelance journalist and editor, clearly she s come into an. Like sarah in the novel, you are a breast cancer survivor. September 2010 indie next list julia glass follows classic tradition, proving once again that family is the original source of comedy, tragedy, and frustration. With equal parts affection and satire, julia glass spins a captivating tale about the loyalties, rivalries, and secrets of a very particular family. Julia glass is the author of three junes, which won the national book award for fiction, the whole world over, and i see you everywhere. A teacher of fiction and a recipient of fellowships from the national endowment for the arts, the new york foundation for the arts, and the. Another heartwarming winner from the nbaanointed massachusetts author. A wonderful read julia glass is back with a book as good as her first book, three junes. Among the many honors bestowed on artistturnedwriter julia glass are the nelson algren fiction award, the tobias wolff award, the pirate s alley faulkner society medal for best novella, and the 2002 national book award for her debut novel three junes. Nov 17, 2010 if you know previous works by julia glass, like her national book awardwinning debut, three junes 2002, youll probably be inclined to take her fourth novel, the widower s tale, as another.
Its her first since her debut, three junes, to feature predominately male voices, although the inconsistency of those voices saps the book of dramatic tension. Sign me up to get more news about literary fiction books. Why do you think julia glass chose to narrate only percys chapters in. Her words came back to me as i read julia glass the widower s tale because the desire to spend time with the characters is the best reason to read this book.
The widowers tale a novel by julia glass a pantheon books reading group guide about this book. In the widowers tale, the death of percys wife, poppy, while her daughters were teenagers, in an accident for which he secretly blames. When seventyyearold percy darling allows a progressive preschool to move into a barn on his. The widowers tale by julia glass book club discussion. The national book award winners latest novel centers on a retired librarian coming to grips with life in the 21st century. Why do you think julia glass chose to narrate only percys chapters in a firstperson voice, the rest in the third person. And in the widowers tale she approaches the ties of kinship. Her newest novel is a meditation on love, both filial and romantic, and how hopelessly ridiculous we all become if we dont make the effort to temper our passions with reason or our actions with accountability. The widower s tale is a complex and rich novel with a lively and diverse ensemble of characters. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the widowers tale. Some critics felt the novel was just as evocative, timely, and emotionally gratifying as three junes, and they enjoyed the novel s different voices and timely issues.
A teacher of fiction and a recipient of fellowships from the national endowment for the arts, the new york foundation for the arts, and the radcliffe institute for advanced. Julia glass is the author of the bestselling three junes, winner of the 2002 national book award for fiction. She has received fellowships from the national endowment for the arts, the new york foundation for the arts, and the radcliffe institute for advanced study. The outspokenly fuddyduddy 70yearold patriarch at the center of the widowers tale, julia glass classconsciousnessraising new novel, is a recently retired harvard librarian named. In the widower s tale, glass continues to explore the intricate ties of family and friendship that have become her trademark. Some of those scenes in the oncology clinic run by percys highprofile daughter, trudy, are almost painfully real. By the end of the novel, how has percy changedevolved. And the dark sacred night, by julia glass washington post. Julia glass spins a tale of life in a small new england town that draws the listener into the life of percy darling, the eponymous widower, and his attempt to recover from his wife s death thirty years ago. Julia glass born march 23, 1956 is an american novelist. Yet again, she plumbs the human heart brilliantly, dramatically, and movingly. Thursday, i recall for certain, because it was the day on which i read in our weekly town paper about the. But glass quickly smothers the flames of catastrophe, for her vision is essentially more hopeful than tragic. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Her debut novel, three junes, won the national book award for fiction in 2002 glass followed three junes with a second novel, the whole world over, in 2006, set in the same bank streetgreenwich village universe, with three interwoven stories featuring several characters from three junes. Is julia glass new novel, the widowers tale, realism or. The novel takes place over the course of a year, with chapters varying from percys point of view looking back from the end of that year to those of celestino, robert, and ira. The collection of linked stories chronicles 25 years in the lives of sisters louisa and clem. The widowers tale, the new novel by national book awardwinning novelist julia glass, is a sprawling saga of one very extended family grappling with. The outspokenly fuddyduddy 70yearold patriarch at the center of the widowers tale, julia glass class. As the novel ambles deceptively along, gathering momentum and complexity, percyreally more of a curmudgeon than a darlingdiscovers that his life is much more than the shell of its former self hed been prepared to accept. The outspokenly fuddyduddy 70yearold patriarch at the center of the widowers. Julia glass is the author of three junes, winner of the 2002 national book award for fiction. A teacher of fiction and a recipient of fellowships from the national endowment for the arts, the new york foundation for the arts, and the radcliffe institute for advanced study, glass lives. Buy a cheap copy of the widowers tale book by julia glass.
Julia glass has written a generous book about family expectationsbut also about happiness, luck, and, as she puts it, the grandiosity of genes. Like percy darling in her previous novel, the widowers tale, jasper, now 72, is gratifyingly multidimensional. Oct 03, 2010 please welcome back to the bookshop a favorite of ours, julia glass, reading from her new novel, the widower s tale. Bestselling author of three junes glass spins a beautifully paced, keenly observed story in which certainties give way to surprising reversals of fortune. In a historic farmhouse outside boston, seventyyearold perc. Other published works include the kindle single chairs more about julia glass. In a historic farmhouse outside boston, seventyyearold percy darling is settling happily into retirement. In her debut novel, three junes, she made the bold and unusual choice to write from the point of. I loved three junes by julia glass and her newest novel, the widowers tale, has much the same wonderful flavor about it. Her most recent novel, the highlyacclaimed and the dark sacred night, was published in 2014. While glass still works as a freelance journalist and editor, clearly shes come into an esteemed literary league. From the stories characters remember and tell, what kind of mother was poppy. The story generated definite division between liking and disliking the book. The national book award winner s latest novel centers on a retired librarian coming to grips with life in the 21st century.
Julia glass is the author of five previous books of fiction, including the bestselling three junes, winner of the national book award, and i see you everywhere, winner of the binghamton university john gardner fiction book award. Percy darling is a retired harvard librarian trying to make sense of the changes and technologies that impinge on his 70yearold life in the affluent enclave of matlock, massachusetts. Julia glasss richly imagined novel begins just after the sudden death of worldrenowned childrens book author mort lear, who leaves behind a wholly unexpected will, an idyllic country house, and difficult secrets about a childhood far darker th. He has been a widower for 32 years, since his wife drowned in the pond behind their home. Why do you think julia glass chose to narrate only percys chapters in a. The widowers tale is about the rub between old values and new times, and the importance of adapting. A dissatisfied patriarch heads up the cast of julia glass fourth novel, the widowers tale.
The widowers tale is the story of percy darling, a 70yearold man who has lived for decades in the same house in the same massachusetts town. The widower in question is 70yearold percy darling, a retired harvard librarian and worldclass curmudgeon. In the tradition of jane eyre, it builds to a conflagration, a crisis that shakes everyone out of their complacency. The widowers tale is a complex and rich novel with a lively and diverse ensemble of characters. As well as the widower s story, it is also the tale of robert, the widower s grandson and the tale of celestino, a gardener who works for the widower s next door neighbor. Fans of julia glass beloved three junes will feel a sense of familiarity when they dive into the widowers tale, the authors fourth novel. The widowers tale julia glass audiobook online download. Among the many honors bestowed on artistturnedwriter julia glass are the nelson algren fiction award, the tobias wolff award, the pirates alley faulkner society medal for best novella, and the 2002 national book award for her debut novel three junes. Glass followed three junes with a second novel, the whole world over, in 2006, set in the same bank street greenwich village universe, with three interwoven stories featuring several characters from three.
In the widowers tale, glass continues to explore the intricate ties of family and friendship that have become her trademark. I see you everywhere, winner of the 2009 binghamton university john gardner book award. Seventyyearold percy darling is settling happily into retirement. The widowers tale because i had just explored sisterhood so intensively in my third book, i see you everywhere. Both funny and heartbreaking, her fourth novel will leave readers examining their own choices and priorities. A dramatic, thoughtprovoking, and immensely satisfying novel. Book julia glass for lectures, readings and conversations. Sep 16, 2010 the widower s tale, the new novel by national book awardwinning novelist julia glass, is a sprawling saga of one very extended family grappling with class, race, ecoterrorism and the. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the widower s tale.
Her characters, the story line and her writing are thoughtful and engaging you feel like youve become part of the story and are getting to know the characters as you would a new friend. If you know previous works by julia glass, like her national book awardwinning debut, three junes 2002, youll probably be inclined to take her fourth novel, the widowers tale, as. The family is societys most inescapable institution, but in glass s hands its also the most shifting and vulnerable. Sep 12, 2010 in the widowers tale, the death of percys wife, poppy, while her daughters were teenagers, in an accident for which he secretly blames himself, is the past trauma that has bent his. Some critics felt the novel was just as evocative, timely, and emotionally gratifying as three junes, and they enjoyed the. Julia glass is currently considered a single author.