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My Name Is Lucy Barton
Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn't spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy's childhood in Amgash, Illinois, seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lies the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy's life: her escape from her trou
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Hardcover, 193 pages
Published
January 12th 2016
by Random House
(first published January 6th 2016)
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Debbie Morrison
I felt it was an odd relationship. At one point I almost thought maybe the mom was visiting her in a dream.
Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
Nov 12, 2015
Angela M
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-reviews
When I first started reading this I had the feeling that it was going to be a remarkable story. It is after all written by Elizabeth Strout. I also thought when I first met Lucy Barton that this was going to be a story about an ordinary woman . I was so wrong about that . In this short book I came to know what an extraordinary character Lucy Barton is . She's someone I'd want to know and a character I'll remember.
It's painfully sad at times in her reminiscences of her life growing up in Amgash ...more
It's painfully sad at times in her reminiscences of her life growing up in Amgash ...more
When I finished this book, I didn’t think I landed in wowsville. But after sticking my nose back into the book, I’m changing my tune. Every page I reread seemed rich and wow-y. So what the hell’s going on? This is all very confusing.
First, here’s the plot, the whole plot, and nothing but the plot: Lucy (the storyteller) is lying in the hospital and her estranged mother comes from afar and sits there for five days. And I really mean she just sits there, except for sharing a few laughs—like giving ...more
First, here’s the plot, the whole plot, and nothing but the plot: Lucy (the storyteller) is lying in the hospital and her estranged mother comes from afar and sits there for five days. And I really mean she just sits there, except for sharing a few laughs—like giving ...more
I am totally in awe of this writer's talents. Whether one likes her characters or not (and truthfully some are unlikable if understandable, she makes the reader feel something. In this novel she takes a woman looking back on the nine weeks she spent in the hospital (I can relate) when her two daughters were young. The few days her mother spent at her bedside, a mother she has been estranged from for many years, and tries to find a sort of peace or at least understanding of the family she has lef
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I really loved the first couple of chapters but soon after I felt like I was drowning in treacle, because there was too much sentimentality altogether in the writing. What first hit me as a straightforward narrative voice became simplistic, and then, ridiculous. For instance. Did her husband have to call her Button? Did her mother need to call her Wizzle? Was there really a snake in the truck? What the hey, why didn't we get to hear more about her Dad who shot two Germans in the back during the
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**Updating this to 5**I was totally captivated by this soulful, unassuming narrative that packs a punch of emotion. An ordinary story with an extraordinary character. The narrative begins with Lucy Barton reflecting on her life from the hospital bed where she spent 8 weeks after getting an infection from surgery. During this time, her mother whom she is estranged with, visits and stays for 5 meaningful days. She recalls her upbringing - the tough times and fleetingly disturbing moments that aren
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UPDATE: It came to my attention I may have given too much 'detail' information. (shame on me)... SPOILERS may be included in review.
Lucy and her family grew up in a tiny rural town of Amgash, Illinois. "We were oddities, our family".
Lucy had a brother and a sister. They all understood that they were different than other
children. "Your family stinks"....(children would tease). The Barton family was poor, often in need of a bar of soap.
The father worked on farm machinery ( fired & rehired o ...more
Lucy and her family grew up in a tiny rural town of Amgash, Illinois. "We were oddities, our family".
Lucy had a brother and a sister. They all understood that they were different than other
children. "Your family stinks"....(children would tease). The Barton family was poor, often in need of a bar of soap.
The father worked on farm machinery ( fired & rehired o ...more
This book is universally loved by my friends and I understand why that is, though I can't embrace this book as others have. I admire the style of it and I acknowledge that the story was deliberately designed and assembled as it was, even though that was the piece that kept me from connecting with it the way others have. There were solid, valuable messages in this gentle story delivered in a tentative and scattered way. At times I felt as though I was listening in on a casual conversation between
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I had the luxury of reading My name Is Lucy Barton in one sitting -- and if you can that's how I highly recommend this very short jewel of a novel be read. It's hard to describe what it's about. At its core it's a contemplative novel -- a novel about trying to make sense of life, trying to see how all the pieces fit together. Lucy Barton spends 9 weeks in the hospital in the 1980s in New York City following complications from a surgery. The story is written many years later, with her time in the
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Updated on 01/22/17
So a funny thing happened to me this weekend. Have you ever had a book "triggered" you to read another book, even if they are not exactly related?
After I finished reading the wonderful Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, I was compelled to re-read My Name Is Lucy Barton, which I originally read almost exactly a year ago.
There are some small similarities, both stories are set in New York and centered in female protagonists. But as far as I can tell, there not so much more overlap bet ...more
"Pity Us All, We Don't Mean to be So Small"
Completed Review, posted 9/6/16
Lucy's Manhattan hosp. room had breathtaking view of the Chrysler Building, describing how the skyscraper's light at night through her window “shone like the beacon it was of the largest and best hopes for mankind and its aspirations and desire for beauty”
This is the story of Lucy Barton, who grew up in great poverty and suffered her parents’ neglect and abuse in the farmlands of Illinois and went on to became a successfu ...more
Completed Review, posted 9/6/16
Lucy's Manhattan hosp. room had breathtaking view of the Chrysler Building, describing how the skyscraper's light at night through her window “shone like the beacon it was of the largest and best hopes for mankind and its aspirations and desire for beauty”
This is the story of Lucy Barton, who grew up in great poverty and suffered her parents’ neglect and abuse in the farmlands of Illinois and went on to became a successfu ...more
How is it that we can truly know the inner workings of another human being? It's all in the conversations, the dialog, the exchange of thoughts and ideas.....and even in those moments when words, themselves, are not even necessary. We cross swords in games of subterfuge while we clasp tightly to our deepest secrets which we label "ours" and certainly not "theirs".
Lucy Barton is hospitalized with a prolonged illness. Her mother turns up at the foot of her bed quite unexpectantly one evening. Lucy ...more
Lucy Barton is hospitalized with a prolonged illness. Her mother turns up at the foot of her bed quite unexpectantly one evening. Lucy ...more
This one hurts, but it's amazing.
I picked My Name Is Lucy Barton up one day randomly and ended up finishing it quite quickly, especially towards those last 100 pages. I was captivated by its strange but compelling storyline. Plus, I was really loving the vibe this book gave off. My Name Is Lucy Barton was exactly what I was in the mood for: an epic but, at the same time, quiet family saga. Oh, and there’s gossip (!!!) about people from Lucy's childhood in Amgash, Illinois.
Our story begins to un ...more
I picked My Name Is Lucy Barton up one day randomly and ended up finishing it quite quickly, especially towards those last 100 pages. I was captivated by its strange but compelling storyline. Plus, I was really loving the vibe this book gave off. My Name Is Lucy Barton was exactly what I was in the mood for: an epic but, at the same time, quiet family saga. Oh, and there’s gossip (!!!) about people from Lucy's childhood in Amgash, Illinois.
Our story begins to un ...more
MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON is a short 200 page novella jam-packed with emotional substance. It's a story of a daughter who so loves her mother despite her unpleasant childhood, a daughter who so wants the approval and love of her mother in return.
As she recovers from surgery complications, a shocked Lucy receives a five day visit from her estranged mother who can only express her feelings by telling stories of old acquaintances and their imperfect lives; and while listening, Lucy Barton revisits her
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A quiet but moving reverie by a resilient woman on various timepoints in her life, revealing the distorted lens by which she views life around her and the troubling experiences of her past. In some ways Lucy becomes the epitome of the flawed way we all survive by filtering reality and numbing ourselves. But eventually she became a hero to me in several ways. She learns to harness the vital power of simple kindness transmitted from people around her through simple acts and gestures. In a visit by
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Mar 05, 2016
Dianne
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arcs-and-goodreads-first-reads,
best-of-2016
I received an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley and also from Random House via Goodreads Giveaways. Thanks to Random House, NetGalley and Goodreads.
Eloquent and achingly poignant, this slim volume captures the intense longing a daughter, Lucy Barton, has for the love of her mother, who abused and neglected her as a child. Lucy, who hasn’t seen her mother in many years, is hospitalized in New York City for 9 weeks due to complications from an appendectomy. She awakens one day 3 wee ...more
Eloquent and achingly poignant, this slim volume captures the intense longing a daughter, Lucy Barton, has for the love of her mother, who abused and neglected her as a child. Lucy, who hasn’t seen her mother in many years, is hospitalized in New York City for 9 weeks due to complications from an appendectomy. She awakens one day 3 wee ...more
I so enjoyed this book and getting to know Lucy. I was so sad about her poor, abusive and emotionally disconnected family upbringing.
I feel she managed very well to turn things around with her own children.
The main part of the book, the visit from her estranged mother during Lucy's nine week hospital stay was touching, but sad because I felt the mother held back much of her emotions.
The rest of this book was Lucy's insights on people and living. This author really made you feel Lucy's pain.
I feel she managed very well to turn things around with her own children.
The main part of the book, the visit from her estranged mother during Lucy's nine week hospital stay was touching, but sad because I felt the mother held back much of her emotions.
The rest of this book was Lucy's insights on people and living. This author really made you feel Lucy's pain.
What a beautifully told “un-fairy tale”. The book opens with Lucy recuperating in the hospital after an operation. I was personally puzzled by her lengthy stay in the hospital. It seemed to mostly provide a setting for Lucy to reflect and assess her past life of living in very poor, abusive and dysfunctional family. Her estranged mother, whom she has not seen in a long time, makes the journey to visit her. I was in tears at one point as Lucy desperately tries in vain to reach out to her mother f
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There’s no doubt that Elizabeth Strout is a great author, she really doesn’t waste a word. One of my favourite novels ever is 'Olive Kitteridge' (the TV adaptation is equally brilliant)…so I was eagerly looking forward to reading ‘My Name Is Lucy Barton’.
I find it difficult book to express my thoughts on this story. While I really liked it (more than 'The Burgess Boys') I didn’t love it as much as I wanted. I felt there was just something missing although I hugely appreciate the sentiment withi ...more
I find it difficult book to express my thoughts on this story. While I really liked it (more than 'The Burgess Boys') I didn’t love it as much as I wanted. I felt there was just something missing although I hugely appreciate the sentiment withi ...more
Para muchos es la simple historia de una madre y su hija en una habitación de hospital. Para otros, un auténtico bodrio (como la han denominado varios). Para mí, es la compleja relación que se teje entre madre e hija. En el libro en sí no se dice nada, porque todo está entre líneas. Todo aparece en los silencios de estas dos mujeres. Conversaciones totalmente banales ocultando la verdad, eso de lo que duele tanto hablar, que ni se puede rozar con la punta de los dedos o acaba quemando. Para más
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Jul 28, 2016
Rebecca Foster
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
booker-longlisted,
giveaways-winner
Lucy Barton is in the hospital for nine weeks following an appendectomy with complications. The novel zeroes in on the five days her mother comes to stay by her bedside, a pinnacle in their often difficult relationship. For a short book, this packs a lot in: an artist’s development, the course of a marriage, poverty and class distinctions. Lucy grew up in rural Illinois, where words like “cheap” and “trash” could easily have been applied to her family. “Nice” is another word that comes up a lot
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This is an excellent story of tentative approaches to understanding one's own existence told in the reminiscences of the fictional Lucy Barton. We meet Lucy as she is undergoing a lengthy hospitalization; initially scheduled for an appendectomy, she has a series of complications that results in weeks away from home and family. She drifts away from her self and those she loves and is anchored by her doctor. Then her mother, long estranged, comes to visit her in the hospital, an unusual visit in m
...more
Upon finishing any Elizabeth Strout book, I always think that her characters are so realistic that I am inevitably reminded of someone I know. This time that someone is me. Not that I'm an aspiring author with 2 kids like Lucy, but that my mother and her family had difficulty showing affection and saying I love you, or carrying on much in the way of conversation at all. So like Lucy we can only wonder and assume thatthere was love there amidst the advise, the fretting, and the tales of other peo
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I must have read a different version of the book than everyone else. My version was more like notes where each note could have been formed into a chapter and the chapters could have been organized into a story. If it is the actual novel that I just finished, I'm completely missing the point. Sorry. But thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to attempt to understand this novel.
Perhaps, as Lucy Barton’s writing instructor Sarah Payne says, we really only have one story within us. If this is so, then Elizabeth Strout’s consistent story is about imperfect love and striving for connection. Or, to use Sarah Payne’s own words, “…to report on the human condition to tell us who we are and what we think and what we do.”
Elizabeth Strout rose to the occasion beautifully with her creation of Olive Kitteridge – a flawed, closed-down woman who has steeled herself from the world wit ...more
Oct 26, 2016
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
rated it
really liked it
Elizabeth Strout has a very different way of writing. This is not a novel as such, but a series of reminiscences, albeit fictional. There is no timeline; it jumps about all over the place, but strangely enough it works.
I found this a very hard book to rate. It was intriguing, but also very easy to put down and walk away from.
We see little snapshots of Lucy's life, mainly through Lucy's mothers visit to the hospital where Lucy is recovering from surgery. Lucy has been estranged from her mother f ...more
I found this a very hard book to rate. It was intriguing, but also very easy to put down and walk away from.
We see little snapshots of Lucy's life, mainly through Lucy's mothers visit to the hospital where Lucy is recovering from surgery. Lucy has been estranged from her mother f ...more
Sep 15, 2016
Robin
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Robin by:
Perry
A short, subtle story about life through the eyes of a woman, Lucy Barton.
Disclaimer: This book isn't going to satisfy you if you need a conventional plot, with a "story" and a "lesson" and clear explanations.
What it does have, through a dreamy vagueness found in certain types of poetry, is the hard nut of truth about people, poverty, prejudice, kindness, love, and scars of childhood.
Lucy Barton lived in terrible poverty, lived through unuttered abuse as a child. She has never heard her mother s ...more
Disclaimer: This book isn't going to satisfy you if you need a conventional plot, with a "story" and a "lesson" and clear explanations.
What it does have, through a dreamy vagueness found in certain types of poetry, is the hard nut of truth about people, poverty, prejudice, kindness, love, and scars of childhood.
Lucy Barton lived in terrible poverty, lived through unuttered abuse as a child. She has never heard her mother s ...more
This is such a quick read that I am totally surprised by it. I am sort of unprepared to write a review so soon! Since I do not read the reviews before I start out, I was unaware that it was a short novel - novella.
Lucy Barton lies in hospital and is visited by her mom, whom she has not seen for nine years. They share memories and news in short conversations and rebuild a relationship that never was very strong to begin with. Lucy learns, however, that love comes in many different forms and that ...more
Lucy Barton lies in hospital and is visited by her mom, whom she has not seen for nine years. They share memories and news in short conversations and rebuild a relationship that never was very strong to begin with. Lucy learns, however, that love comes in many different forms and that ...more
Melancholy is how I would best discribe the overall feel of this novel. It was very disjointed. I do think that the style of the writing helped to convey the feelings that Lucy was trying to sort through, however, as a reader it confused me. Unfortunately, this was just ok for me.
"He said, 'What *is* your job as a writer of fiction?' And she said that her job as a writer of fiction was to report on the human condition, to tell us who we are and what we think and what we do." - Elizabeth Strout, My Name Is Lucy Barton
Elizabeth Strout, as a writer of fiction, you have done your job beautifully in "My Name Is Lucy Barton."
Strout's latest novel is a quiet, introspective book. Told in the first person, the book centers around a woman, Lucy Barton, and the weeks she spent in t ...more
Elizabeth Strout, as a writer of fiction, you have done your job beautifully in "My Name Is Lucy Barton."
Strout's latest novel is a quiet, introspective book. Told in the first person, the book centers around a woman, Lucy Barton, and the weeks she spent in t ...more
Simply written, My Name Is Lucy Barton is one woman's story of life, love, family and hidden pain. It doesn't hit you over the head with what it's trying to say, and that simplicity might turn some people away. But I appreciated how Elizabeth Strout was able to make me feel so strongly at times, to empathize with Lucy and her mother, her brother and father, Sarah Payne and Jeremy and other seemingly insignificant characters who may only appear in the narrative for a brief moment. It's these flee
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ELIZABETH STROUT is the author of several novels, including: Abide with Me, a national bestseller and BookSense pick, and Amy and Isabelle, which won the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize, and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize in England. In 2009 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her book Olive Kitteri
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“It interests me how we find ways to feel superior to another person, another group of people. It happens everywhere, and all the time. Whatever we call it, I think it’s the lowest part of who we are, this need to find someone else to put down.”
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“Lonely was the first flavor I had tasted in my life, and it was always there, hidden inside the crevices of my mouth, reminding me.”
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