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The Beginner's Goodbye (2012)

by Anne Tyler(Favorite Author)

3.56 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0307957276 (ISBN13: 9780307957276)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Knopf

review 1: Such an insightful read. Loved it. Aaron is a gawky, young man, insecure, unsure of himself then he meets Dorothy. Dorothy is a fusty, dumpy doctor with a mind of her own. They muddle along through misunderstandings, long working hours and Dorothy's decision that she was not interested in having a family. Aaron is then gob smacked by the sudden and unexpected death of Dorothy. Anne Tyler describes this particular man's slog through the grief process so well. There are tragic moments, laughs and a slow dawning that his marriage was not perfect. This process is helped along by visits from Dorothy. Is she trying to get a message to him or does he have unfinished business?The ending is a lovely surprise.
review 2: I thought this was a really interesting book. I enj... moreoyed seeing the main character grow and develop. He wasn't someone I would necessarily say I liked, but I could sympathize with him. All of the characters were unique, and easy to keep separate. The relationships and how they changed and developed were interesting. This was my first encounter with this author and I think I will try some more of her books, as I enjoyed this one so much. Some people think that Dorothy and Aaron were so similar, both just practical, not wanting fluff or sentiment in their lives, but I don't think that is really true of Dorothy. Deep down I think she wanted to be the loving, caring wife, the bride dressed in white, the wife who gets flowers and taken out to a nice dinner for her anniversary - she just didn't know how to break out of the mold she was in, and she loved Aaron - who was not those things. Then Aaron, through his memories and through "talking" with Dorothy, realizes that he missed out on a lot of things. Yes they might have been sentimental things, something he had never cared about, but now with Dorothy gone, he suddenly realizes he wishes he had sentimental memories of and with her. And so, near the end, when he see's Peggy (I think that's her name - it's been a month or so since I read this), who is all things loving and kind, sentimental and warm, he is drawn to her. less

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