Commonwealth

what i love about ann patchett is that she uses exactly the right number of words

she brushes over things with the perfect amount of emphasis

a secondary character marries a priest, that's a big deal! but not in terms of the plot, of what is important to this book, so she just lets it sit there

awesomely

she almost circles around the central event in the book, with almost-red herrings

(but she would never be that obvious)

and brief descriptions that allude to years of personal growth and family history

she's basically a poet writing prose

i really hope they don't make this into a movie

4.5

Let me tell you first that it's my first Ann Patchett. And it took few pages to get used to her style, which is a bit modern. Because of the title "Commonwealth" I had pushed down and down in my tbr list, fearing a political topic in it. But when it came up as a group read in one of my groups, I was happy to take it up.

"Commonwealth" is NOT about politics/ independent states in USA or such stuff.( But it has Virginia in it though)

I think it's about the 6 children who were like these independent states, an independent entity in the story, so away from their parents or connected in their own individual way.

There are 2 families, Cousins and Keatings.

Bert and Teresa Cousins have 4 children- Cal, Holly, Jeanette and Albie.

Fix and Beverly Keatings have 2 children - Caroline and Franny.

Story starts in 1960's when Bert comes uninvited to Keatings's house for the christening party of Franny and ends up kissing Beverly Keatings. Thus ending both the marriages and starting a new bond between the 6 children. Every summer after 2 divorces and a marriage, kids meet up for summer and start a new relationship. UNTIL a tragedy strikes!

Then when Franny gets involved with a long forgotten writer Leon Posen, he gets an inspiration for his new novel "Commonwealth" from Franny's childhood story. This novel impacts everyone in the two families, but all are too old or have moved on that the results of impacts is mild but important.

Then again. story moves ahead to when they are in their 40's and shows what had really happened! Story unravels slowly, nothing too dramatic, just as in our life, everyone moves on.

Patchett's style is new for me and I liked it. Too blunt but aren't we all blunt in our heads! Blunt thoughts of normal people struggling to go on through their day is what i thought at the end. It's about family, even though everyone dislikes almost everyone in this book, everyone cares about everybody in it. (see, just like us! well , I do).

One thing which I wonder is How beautifully Patchett has managed to put irresponsible parents, wild running kids and a rage/anger that is shown so naked among only family. It's amazing!