I've read a few later Alice McDermott books, ones that centre more around Irish-American families, and while I can't say I adored them, they certainly struck me more than this book, one of her first, if not her very first, novels. Stories of true emotional depth rarely cross her desk. This book had several memorable passages telling us about the mythologies of love that we all might succumb to in one way or another. I read this slowly for a quilt of reasons, largely because it's so beautiful, quietly gorgeous, and partly because the central kernel is based on the self-pub company where I work (and where Alice McDermott worked thirty years before me). I found the female lead especially shallow. Though skillfully written, this book left me feeling very depressed. They may have the capacity to love, but not to commit to to others on a permanent basis. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Listen Free to Bigamist's Daughter: A Novel audiobook by Alice McDermott with a 30 Day Free Trial! has been added to your Cart. Though the book meanders at times (frankly, I found a lot of the background story about Elizabeth's parents to be less interesting than the present day narrative), it's still an enjoyable book by a masterful author. It's her first book, and was written in 1982, and my copy is from 1999. A brilliant debut from one of our most celebrated authors, A Bigamist's Daughter is "a wise, sad, witty novel about men and women, God, hope, love, illusion, and fiction itself" (Newsweek). Can he survive both his companions and his adventures? I liked the playfulness of the novel, but found that it didn't hold together very well, even up to the end. Why she would be attracted to him remains a mystery. I bought this book for a dollar from the owner of my liquor store who's ex-wife is the book business, because I'd heard of the author. Spring is Mother Nature’s way of saying, “Oof–let’s try this again.” The last 12 months have been, well, challenging is the polite term.... ELizabeth Connelly sits in her office at a New York vanity press watching the world - of struggles, passion, pain and love - spin around her. I enjoy her writing style and story lines very much. A brilliant debut from one of our most celebrated authors, A Bigamist's Daughter is "a wise, sad, witty novel about men and women, God, hope, love, illusion, and fiction itself" (Newsweek). I'll be checking out her other books. I have read other books by Alice McDermott so I expected a melancholy vibe. . I guess I just didn't like Elizabeth - the aloofness, the lying, the casual love affairs - or her Mom, for some of the same reasons. a bigamist's daughter by Alice McDermott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1981 In this exceptional first novel McDermott explores the mistier deeps of women's love for husbands and lovers--with a tensile prose reminiscent of Anne Tyler and with Mary Gordon's uncluttered focus on some mystic primacies. Was this mode of editing a type of erasure or experimental craft that I'm ignorant to? As Elizabeth and Tupper search for the perfect dénouement, their affair, too, approaches a most unexpected and poignant coda. Fascinating portrayal of love, literature, and the elusive nature of dreams, A Bigamist's Daughter is a memorable novel that earns five stars. The reflection and her relationships with women made it readable. I think there might've been an awesome story in there somewhere...if only I could've found it. Buy A Bigamist's Daughter by Alice McDermott online at Alibris. Even more depressing, the book implies that this may be an inherited tendency. You might have noticed that I only offer five-star reviews. Elizabeth Connelly, daughter of a bigamist, is a hard character to care about from a reader's point of view. Chalk it up to a beginner's bad luck. This was Alice McDermott's first novel and it has a different feel to it than her later much more controlled novels. I had a difficult time getting into it, and staying into it. I know may peo. After reading several of Alice McDermott's other books this book was so disappointing. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! They are able to convincingly express love, and in turn to appreciate that they are deeply cared for, but they feel compelled to move on to new relationships when their true identities are threate. by Bloomsbury UK. I was attracted to this book because I've read a few other McDermott novels and have thoroughly enjoyed them. It's her first book, and was written in 1982, and my copy is from 1999. Learn more about the program. In Victorian England, headstrong adventuress Elizabeth takes up her late father's quest for a rare, miraculous plant. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. I bought this book for a dollar from the owner of my liquor store who's ex-wife is the book business, because I'd heard of the author. A moving story of unbreakable friendship amidst heartbreak. What Happens If I Don’t Like Fiona Apple? Release date: May 16, 2005. I finally concluded that it is really about lifelong imposters who are unable to reveal to others their true feelings, histories, and identities. Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2013. From sentence to sentence in places, I was completely lost. A rural community ruled by rumors. What interested me the most about this book was the setting - a New York vanity publishing office in the early 1980s. And suddenly she is awakened from her urban professional slumber. I know may people think the book had no ending, or a poor ending, but I think that's just because they had already decided what the ending would be, and I applaud the author for not doing the obvious. Alice McDermott is a great writer. Larry is 43, unmarried, and lives a life beset by the demons of what might have been. I can see suggestions in this book of the writer that she becomes, even by her second novel, but in this book she does not seem to have a hold on her talent yet. 496 Ratings. I didn't, and I liked that alot. The story is profound, poignant, funny, and moving. She becomes involved romantically with him and also realizes that her father may have been a bigamist. As Elizabeth and Tupper search for the perfect dénouement, their affair, too, approaches a most unexpected and poignant coda.A brilliant debut from one of our most celebrated authors, A Bigamist's Daughter is "a wise, sad, witty novel about men and women, God, hope, love, illusion, and … Who am I to criticize an author's work? It just doesn't come together. GENRE Fiction & Literature To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Publisher: Picador. Please try again. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Welcome back. Recommend, just because McDermott is so good, and others may have a different take on Elizabeth. McDermott's debut. Myth, Reality, Illusion -- The World of Love and Literature, Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2009. Compared to her other works, however, this one for me turned out to be somewhat of a dud. As one character says, "...some authors just take a while to get a following....some need to develop a momentum." They are able to convincingly express love, and in turn to appreciate that they are deeply cared for, but they feel compelled to move on to new relationships when their true identities are threatened by insight or discovery. Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015. This was different because I just didn't like it at all. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. I liked it. Then a young writer comes to her with a novel about a man … Longreads Blog | 04-22. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published It tells the story of Elizabeth, an editor at a vanity press, who is working with Tupper on his his novel about a bigamist. Tupper's manuscript unlocks memories of her own secretive father, who himself may have been a bigamist. McDermott's description of the deceitful practices used by the publisher reminded me of a brief encounter I had with a similar company around the same time, where it was very obvious that their advertising claims were as fictional as the works that they 'published.' To see what your friends thought of this book. … I have read many books were I didn't really like it, but was still able to appreciate it and finish it. I did have a problem with the time - it seemed that the present story took place in the late 80's, early 90's, but it felt like late 50's, early 60's to me; I was imagining her in a belted, full skirt that came below her knees and flats. Release date: May 16, 2005 OverDrive Read. OverDrive Read. One I will re-read over again in different seasons of life, and underline different passages every time. She has proved that fact many times by the many novels she has written after A Bigamist's Daughter which was her initial work. One of these items ships sooner than the other. 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