Amy & Isabelle - Book Review
Genre: Fiction
Author: Elizabeth Strout
Year: 1998
Pages: 403
When I found Amy & Isbaelle in my local bookshop, I knew that this was my next read. The synopsis intrigued me straightaway and I’m always hearing good things about Elizabeth Strout and her novels. I have read Strout’s books before so I was already aware of her astute ability to create an enchanting story based on themes of loneliness, the minutia of everyday life and complex relationships.
In Amy & Isabelle, the lives of a daughter and mother begin to spiral out of control when Amy is caught in an affair with her math teacher. The story explores a complicated and strained mother-daughter relationship in the cleverly constructed town of Shirley Falls. Strout includes small details about the lives of some of the town’s residents throughout the novel, which adds to the complexity of the story. Occasionally I found that there was too much detail in the setting and not enough pace in the plot. This made it difficult to keep reading, particularly around the middle of the book.
This also happened when I read Olive Kitteridge, one of the first books I purchased by Strout. I found that book easier to read, as it’s broken into connecting short stories. I realise from this that I tend to prefer quick paced plots, while Amy & Isabelle is quite a slow burner.
But there are some good elements to this book. Stout is a skilful writer, that much is clear in her vivid descriptions of the town and its residents, and it’s little wonder why this novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Amy & Isabelle has a beautiful ending which in some ways, neatly wraps up this novel. Despite its praise, I’m not sure if this is the book for me.
Rating: ★ ★ ★