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Chargement... The Christmas Letters (édition 2002)par Lee Smith (Auteur)
Information sur l'oeuvreThe Christmas Letters par Lee Smith
Chargement...
Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. This isn't really a Christmas themed novella but instead a snapshot of two generations through their annual family holiday letters. (I am not counting the third generation, as there was only one letter written from that time period followed by the book ending astonishingly abruptly.) I usually love epistolary novels and I did appreciate the every day slice-of-life stories the author was trying to convey. From a realistic perspective, Mary, who represents the second generation, divulged way too much personal information about a specific event. I cannot imagine someone writing a letter like that and mailing it off to extended family and acquaintances. Still, overall it was enjoyable to read, especially since I am not into sappy holiday novels. I stand by my opinion that Lee Smith is an often overlooked author who had a lot to say about American culture. Rating: 3 stars Other books by this author I'd recommend: Dimestore: A Writer's Life Letters written first by Birdie, then her daughter Mary, followed up with a final letter from Melanie, Mary's daughter. The letters are a little longer than normal Christmas letters to let the reader know more a out the characters. The information is interesting enough, but then in the 1990's Mary writes a letter that was shocking and heart breaking. Melanie's letter, I think, was supposed to counter what her mother wrote and be uplifting. It wasn't enough to gloss over the betrayal. And I wouldn't recommend this book as a cheery Christmas book. aucune critique | ajouter une critique
Fiction.
Literature.
HTML: In The Christmas Letters, three generations of women reveal their stories of love and marriage in the letters they write to family and friends during the holidays. It's a down-home Christmas story about tradition, family, and the shared experiences of women.Here, in a letter of her own, Lee Smith explains how she was inspired to write this celebrated epistolary novel:Dear Friends,Like me, you probably get Christmas letters every year. I read every word and save every letter. Because every Christmas letter is the story of a life, and what story can be more interesting than the story of our lives? Often, it is the story of an entire family. But you also have to read between the lines with Christmas letters. Sometimes, what is not said is even more important than what is on the page.In The Christmas Letters, I have used this familiar format to illumine the lives, hopes, dreams, and disappointments of three generations of American women. Much of the story of The Christmas Letters is also told through shared recipes. As Mary, my favorite character, says, "I feel as if I have written out my life story in recipes! The Cool Whip and mushroom soup years, the hibachi and fondue period, then the quiche and crepes phase, and now it's these salsa years."I wrote this little book for the same reason I write to my friends and relatives every holidayâ??Christmas letters give us a chance to remember and celebrate who we are. With warmest greetings, Lee Smith Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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Birdie's letters, beginning as a young mother living with her in-laws far from her home while her husband Bill serves in World War II, were the most interesting. They end with Bill's death in 1967, and Mary begins writing letters the same year. Her letters, reflecting a lot of societal changes, end with a New Year's letter in 1995, and there is one letter from Melanie for the next year.
Each letter ends with a recipe. The book was a quick read, but felt a little lacking - maybe because there wasn't enough of Melanie's life in it. But the book was published in 1996, the same year as Melanie's single letter. ( )