Be Specific About Books As Digging to America
| Original Title: | Digging to America |
| ISBN: | 0307263940 (ISBN13: 9780307263940) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Shortlist (2007), International Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2008) |
Anne Tyler
Hardcover | Pages: 277 pages Rating: 3.55 | 19622 Users | 2210 Reviews
Point Based On Books Digging to America
| Title | : | Digging to America |
| Author | : | Anne Tyler |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 277 pages |
| Published | : | May 2nd 2006 by Alfred A. Knopf |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Parenting. Adoption. Contemporary |
Interpretation In Favor Of Books Digging to America
In what is perhaps her richest and most deeply searching novel, Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Yazdan, who after thirty-five years in this country must finally come to terms with her “outsiderness.”Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport—the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian American wife. Each couple is awaiting the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. After the babies from distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively invites the Yazdans to celebrate with an “arrival party,” an event that is repeated every year as the two families become more deeply intertwined.
Even independent-minded Maryam is drawn in. But only up to a point. When she finds herself being courted by one of the Donaldson clan, a good-hearted man of her vintage, recently widowed and still recovering from his wife’s death, suddenly all the values she cherishes—her traditions, her privacy, her otherness—are threatened. Somehow this big American takes up so much space that the orderly boundaries of her life feel invaded.
A luminous novel brimming with subtle, funny, and tender observations that cast a penetrating light on the American way as seen from two perspectives, those who are born here and those who are still struggling to fit in.
Rating Based On Books Digging to America
Ratings: 3.55 From 19622 Users | 2210 ReviewsAssessment Based On Books Digging to America
I fully expected to hate this book. I don't know why, but something about the subject matter (race relations, Korean adoptees, immigrants) annoyed me and I thought, "Here we go again. Another book meant to illustrate some point about race or adoption, or what-have-you and I will learn a moral or something." But, unexpectedly, I enjoyed it entirely because of the characters. The saving character was definitely Maryam, the Iranian grandmother. Her thoughts I could most relate with (down to theAn American man, naïve and complacent and oblivious, convinced that his way was the only way and that he had every right to rearrange her life. She had melted the instant he said, Come in, even though she knew full well that inclusion was only a myth. And why? Because she had believed that she could make a difference in his life.I love a good character study and so inevitably I absolutely loved this book. This is a true testament to quality vs. quantity. Although it really is a short book, its
The only reason I stayed with this book is because I had to. It was a snoozer. I have read Tyler before and although her books are not necessarily riveting portraits of family life, usually they are more real and affecting.I've spoken to a few of the women from book club, and on the whole, they seem to agree--though a couple say they loved it. I'll try to contain my harsh criticism...If I ever have insomnia, I will pull this out instead of hitting the Tylenol PMs.
What I anticipated versus what actually unfolded in this book were quite different. I was bored halfway through but wanted to endure the last half to find out what the ending would be. When I got to the very last page, I couldn't help but say "that's it?!" An uneventful ending to say the very least. The character development was quite unpolished and the plot was-- well, I guess I never found the main one, just a bunch of sub-plots that never fully became anything substantial or resounding. Quite
288 pages of absolutely no story, boring characters and just poor writing. The emphasis of this novel is on subtlety, if by that you mean that nothing actually happens then yes, that would be an accurate description.Seriously, I finished each chapter and thought to myself: "so what actually happened there?" And the answer is nothing. This is a very boring book, I wasted a painful few weeks of my life trying to drag myself through it, I have to finish a book once I start it but I very nearly gave
My first Tyler, and despite seeming slow to begin with, I was thoroughly enmeshed in the lives of the characters by the end. It explores the immigration experience, raising questions about identity and belonging, language and social isolation. There were sections where I felt certain characters could have been better developed, thereby adding a richer tapestry to the story - for example, the character of Sami and also his daughter Susan. Maryam was also another perplexing character that prompted
I've read all of Anne Tyler's books, many of them more than once. What never ceases to amaze me is how much emotion there is between the lines. The proposal scene will break your heart. I confess after studying it that I still don't quite understand how its emotional impact is achieved. Understated, certainly. Unexpected, yes. Organic because nothing else could have happened here.Ms. Tyler loves every one of her characters dearly. There are no ugly souls in her books, just ordinary people who
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