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Back When We Were Grownups
Back When We Were Grownups | Anne Tyler
15 posts | 37 read | 16 to read
One morning, Rebecca wakes up and realises she has turned into the wrong person. Is she really this joyous and outgoing organiser of parties, the put-upon heart of her dead husband's extended family? What happened to her quiet and serious nineteen-year-old self, and what would have happened if she'd married her college sweetheart? Can someone ever recover the person they've left behind?OVER A MILLION ANNE TYLER BOOKS SOLDShes changed my perception on life Anna Chancellor One of my favourite authors Liane MoriartyShe spins gold' Elizabeth Buchan Anne Tyler has no peer Anita ShreveMy favourite writer, and the best line-and-length novelist in the world Nick Hornby A masterly author Sebastian Faulks Tyler is not merely good, she is wickedly good John UpdikeI love Anne Tyler Anita Brookner Her fiction has strength of vision, originality, freshness, unconquerable humour Eudora Welty
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Centique
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Pickpick

This is my second Anne Tyler (I think) and I really enjoyed it. Rebecca is in her mid fifties, a widow, and the cornerstone of a big, noisy, chaotic family. She‘s feeling a bit invisible and doubting some of the life choices that brought her to this point. So it‘s a middle aged navel gazing novel I guess - quiet and thoughtful with lots of domestic detail of food and family and memories. A kind hearted novel ⬇️

Centique that made me feel a little more tolerant of big messy families (as I have one of those myself!) 3y
KathyWheeler I‘ve been weird about Anne Tyler. I read The Accidental Tourist and Morgan‘s Crossing years ago and really liked them; however, I‘ve not read anything of hers since. 3y
MrsMalaprop I love her 😍. Haven‘t read this one but it sounds right up my alley 😁. 3y
See All 11 Comments
Centique @KathyWheeler me too. I read Accidental Tourist almost 20 years ago and nothing since I think. 3y
Centique @MrsMalaprop it was pretty delightful! 3y
Ruthiella I love Anne Tyler. Her books are often quirky and domestic which I think often makes readers underestimate just what a good writer she is. (edited) 3y
Centique @Ruthiella that‘s a perfect description! ☺️ 3y
LeahBergen “Middle aged navel gazing” sounds like my life. 😆 3y
CarolynM I loved this one but not as much as 3y
Centique @CarolynM ooh that one sounds really good! Stacked 😍 3y
76 likes1 stack add11 comments
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MemoirsForMe
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Pickpick

This is Anne Tyler‘s 15th novel, which she wrote after the passing of her husband of 35 years. She fills almost every chapter with family parties & celebrations of life, but you still feel the hurt and loss as central character Rebecca(also a recent widow)questions her choices and self-worth. Anne certainly knows how to serve up a true slice of life topped with plenty of wisdom. Also loved the 2004 film version with Blythe Danner & Jack Palance.😍

CarolynM I liked this one a lot too🙂 4y
MemoirsForMe 😊👍🏻 Yay! Uncle Poppy was my favorite next to Beck. He made me laugh out loud and taught me a lot. 💕 4y
69 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Rissreads
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Pickpick

My first Anne Tyler and it was just ok. I will try another one of her books in the future seeing as she is so well liked.

CarolynM Oh, I liked this one. Sorry it wasn't a hit with you. 4y
31 likes1 stack add1 comment
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SaraHasClass
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Panpan

I've never read Tyler before and I liked her writing style. This book, however, was not for me. The characters were weirdly nicknamed as adults :Bitty, Patch, No No and Min Foo. I immediately had an aversion to them. I kept reading in hopes a sweet turn of events would endear me to this chaotic, selfish family. Instead I finished this book feeling as if I'd just endured the protagonist, Rebecca's long wimpy whine fest.

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kellock
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Pickpick

Tyler has a superb knack of describing things in a way that makes everything so very vivid. All enjoyed the mention of families that appear in Digging to America. Have I missed other references I wonder?!?!

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kellock
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Happy New year, Lang may yer lung reek! I did not drink last night but helped at a Hogmanay bash, I still feel hungover so a lazy start to 2020 is was 😴📚📺

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mrs.stevens

I only had 78 pages left and couldn‘t finish it.....It‘s rare when I can‘t finish a book! Just couldn‘t do it. 😞👎🏼 Very dull and didn‘t have a point in my opinion. The beginning was good! But towards the end 😬

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mrs.stevens
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Eating this book right up and enjoying the sunshine with Ozzy Adventure Pup at Jaspers Beach, ME.

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Chandi
Panpan

I kept waiting for this book to go somewhere. I skipped a lot of it, trying to figure out if it was going to get better. The endless mundane dialogue was tedious. The names of the characters were contrived. It was as if the author was trying too hard to make too many of the names weird and unusual. No strong narrative arc and no particular take-away for the reader.

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BookaholicNatty
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Book #3 from Presidents Day 75% off Thrift store book sale!! I have only read one book my Anne Tyler before “The Accidental Tourist.” Never read this before tho!

Samplergal She‘s my go to author. I love her quirky take on quirky Baltimore people. They are just like that. ( I am one and own it). You‘ll enjoy this one. 7y
Mrs_Organized_Chaos The title alone makes me want to read this! 7y
Zelma This one was definitely a bit melancholy. 7y
Chandi I usually am more moderated in my words but this book was awful. I was hard pressed to see any narrative arc. I kept waiting for it to go somewhere. Way too much mundane dialogue. Way overly contrived characters. No take away for reader. 6y
93 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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Blaire
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I love Anne Tyler and the way she writes about families. I am fond of many of her books, but this is one of my favorites. #afamilyaffair #fiercefeb

batsy Interesting choice 👍 7y
MichelleScott_author I liked this one, too. 7y
mrp27 I've enjoyed quite a few books of hers as well. (edited) 7y
See All 10 Comments
Cinfhen This is one author I don't think I've read , but always meant too...maybe I'll start with this book 😊 7y
Blaire @Coffeeshopreviews @mrp27 @cinfhen I went on an Anne Tyler kick a number of years ago and read her books in chronological order (in my type a way). This one really sticks with me. I love how she tells stories of ordinary lives. Also loved breathing lessons and 7y
Blaire @batsy thanks! 7y
mrp27 @Cinfhen Like @Blaire I too went on a Tyler binge years ago. I enjoyed all of them. I haven't read the tagged book cause it's sitting on my tbr pile, of course. 7y
Cinfhen I'll look and see what #OverDrive has available...thanks @Blaire @mrp27 Did she write this one??? Is it good??? It is on my list for #pop18 #favoritecolorinbooktitle 7y
mrp27 @Cinfhen Yes! Same author and great pic for #pop18 ! I haven't read that one either, I've mostly read her earlier titles. Saint Maybe, Accidental Tourist, A Slipping Down Life, A Patchwork Planet, Searching for Caleb to name few. 7y
Blaire @Cinfhen @mrp27 I‘ve started but not finished a spool of blue thread. I tried reading it at a bad time personally when I couldn‘t get through anything at all really...will go back to it. 7y
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Blaire
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This is the first cover I thought of when looking at the prompt #thebacksofwomen. I love this cover and this book - one of my favorite Anne Tyler novels. #marchintoreading

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IAmBookObsessed
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Bailedbailed

I did not enjoy this book at all. I could not get into it and I very much disliked the main character, who feels sorry for herself because of selfish decisions that she made when she was younger. I read most of it hoping it would get better, but it remained a drab read throughout the book! I'm just sorry I waisted my time on this one! I was horribly disappointed!

Chandi Me too. Did not like it. No particular take away for reader. No strong narrative arc. Mundane dialogue. 7y
4 likes1 comment
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IAmBookObsessed
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Just started Back When We Were Grownups