Our Souls at Night (Vintage Contemporaries)
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A spare yet eloquent, bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future.
In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf's inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters.
Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis's wife. His daughter lives hours away, her son even farther, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in empty houses, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with. But maybe that could change?
As Addie and Louis come to know each other better--their pleasures and their difficulties--a beautiful story of second chances unfolds, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer's enduring contribution to American literature.
In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf's inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters.
Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis's wife. His daughter lives hours away, her son even farther, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in empty houses, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with. But maybe that could change?
As Addie and Louis come to know each other better--their pleasures and their difficulties--a beautiful story of second chances unfolds, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer's enduring contribution to American literature.
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Community Reviews
Good book about finding friendships and comfort at an advanced age. I kind of wonder why Louis didn’t try to resolve Gene’s objections by showing him his finances (he had his own money, having written a book series). They should have fought harder for their friendship.
My heart actually ached more with every single line I read.
Was it the characters? Was I so wrapped up in their lives and their stories and the gorgeous writing that described them that they made my chest hurt?
Yes, but more likely it was the possibility - no, perhaps the probability - that I will end up here someday. I will be lonely. I will lie in bed alone, whether it's being alone because my partner is no longer with me or feeling alone because we have drifted so far apart. I will think of better days that are deep in my past and I will wonder if any just as good days are ahead of me. Will I be bold enough and brave enough to change it and to put pride aside and not give a damn what anyone else thinks? I hope so.
Although the ending was such a disappointment and seemed so mismatched to the message in the other pages, I'm giving 4 Stars for this seemingly nondramatic and quiet novella that I could not put down and cannot get out of my mind.
Was it the characters? Was I so wrapped up in their lives and their stories and the gorgeous writing that described them that they made my chest hurt?
Yes, but more likely it was the possibility - no, perhaps the probability - that I will end up here someday. I will be lonely. I will lie in bed alone, whether it's being alone because my partner is no longer with me or feeling alone because we have drifted so far apart. I will think of better days that are deep in my past and I will wonder if any just as good days are ahead of me. Will I be bold enough and brave enough to change it and to put pride aside and not give a damn what anyone else thinks? I hope so.
Although the ending was such a disappointment and seemed so mismatched to the message in the other pages, I'm giving 4 Stars for this seemingly nondramatic and quiet novella that I could not put down and cannot get out of my mind.
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