This is the first of Tyler's books I've read for a while and it is very good. Family, growing up, loss, small town life, what goes on in our heads - all written in thoughtful and forensic prose. There is a good shape to the story, incidents are well left to the reader to ‘know’ what happened afterwards and subtle, clever and neat changes to the shape of the character set.
For me, as a writer, some key point about this book are:-
- character consistency , Mrs E after her stroke, Elizabeth's job when she returns to her parent's home as a rehearsal of the ending, possibly I should have picked that up but I didn’t!
- big events, Timothy’s suicide, happen and, thank goodness, this book does not turn into a police procedural. It keeps its focus on what happens within people, away from the public/legal response.
- subtle hints at how time has moved but events also tell the reader to this, e.g. children are born, the nuance of hints of the external viewpoint of the family group, from the Dr.
- parent/child dynamics, three examples, the Evesham’s, minor, Elizabeth’s family esp. father and, right at the end, Peter's wife and her family. So very well done.
Finally, there is the title. Well chosen for a book that is about time and the passing of our lives.
Other reviews are available! Read what the media said
from US for example, in the New York Times https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/04/19/specials/tyler-clock.html
and from the UK in the Sunday Times
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/review-clock-dance-by-anne-tyler-at-the-speed-of-life-qdrj77j9c
Let me know what you think of my review and of Tyler's 22nd book. I look forward to reading your comments.
NB Picture credit: copied from Google search
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