I adore Ms. Strout's work, and while my favorite of her characters will always be "Olive", I also enjoy Lucy Barton a lot, having read the prior two works about her. In "Oh William", we find Lucy later in life (late 60's) and examine her relationship with her ex-husband, William. Even though they had both married again (somewhat unsuccessfully), they always stayed in each others lives and are close... enough for Lucy to accompany William on an family visit back to where it all started... Maine. I really loved how we get a LOT of Lucy reflecting back on her life and how her traumatic childhood shaped and affected the rest of her life & relationships. This is a very character-driven story, but I expected no less. I enjoyed both the prose & characters quite a bit, and recommend it highly! Many thanks to the author, publisher & NetGalley for the ARC, which publishes on Oct. 19, 2021. Will post this review on Amazon on pub date...

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

I loved living inside Lucy Barton's head, and experiencing her thoughts about her former husbands (one recently dead, the other -- the William of the title -- divorced years ago but still very much in her life), her two grown daughters, her work, her childhood, her anxieties and fears. Maybe it's because I'm older now, maybe it's because Lucy is older, maybe it's because Elizabeth Strout is older -- whatever the reason, I believe this book is by far the most compelling of the three novels in which Lucy appears. The voice is restrained and poetic, and while very little actually happens, I believe it will stay with me for a long time. In fact, I want to go re-read it right now.

I am sorry to say that I couldn't get more than halfway through this book. It was wonderfully-written and quite interesting ..... but the details of their lives just went too far into the weeds, even for me. I got tired of having the story basically start over with every chapter, and even though I really wanted to see how the author tied everything together, I just couldn't come up for air long enough to keep pushing through.

Strout is a gifted writer whose characters are beautifully drawn and her poignant observations of life are dead on.

Focusing on Lucy Barton’s first husband, William, we also learn a little more about Lucy, who is now in her sixties. Fans of Strout will find some familiar characters mentioned here including the Burgess Boys.

It is a quick, engaging book, although I’m not sure it even went anywhere. I liked it, however, didn’t find it an equal of the Olive Kitteridge books or even the earlier Lucy Bartons.

This book can be enjoyed on its own, but it may be more meaningful if one has read My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible.

This book is narrated by Lucy Barton, who is in her sixties, recently widowed from her second husband, and still dear friends with her first. She divorced William, with whom she has had two daughters. She and the girls are close. They live in New York City.

Lucy relates the events of her current-day life, with many flashbacks to the earlier days of her marriage to William. Her style is stream-of-consciousness, with some anecdotes ending abruptly and others going into great detail. It’s for the reader to decide what each of them mean, and in this, I grew impatient. I was reading carefully and thoughtfully, but at times, I saw no meaning or connection from the flashback to Lucy in the present.

But most of the flashbacks or vignettes were more meaningful, as when she speaks of feeling invisible, alone, or lost. Her therapist tells her flat-out, early in the book, that she has PTSD from her horrific childhood, but we don’t get any details, only hints. Which were ominous.

Nevertheless, Lucy has achieved over her lifetime the great accomplishment of being able to love others, a miracle, given her childhood (apparently). And on top of that, she is empathetic. Almost too much. Codependent might be another word. As the story unfolds, she breaks the gravitational hold William has on her. Not completely, but somewhat. And this is the result of growth. She is maturing and learning about herself and why she clung to him.

The beauty of this book is in Strout’s empathetic portrayal of the complex humans who populate it, in particular William’s deceased mother who was an influential person in Lucy’s life. However, as Lucy and William explore Caroline’s roots, she turns out to be someone very different from what they both thought, which impacts them. My impression was that it hurt William but helped Lucy evolve. The point of this was to demonstrate Caroline's determination to be in control of her life, as we all do, but that the end product bore little relation to the original version of this complicated woman.

The theme to this novel seemed to be that we shouldn't be too quick to judge, that everyone struggles in their own way. No matter how it looks from the outside, most of us all are just doing the best we can with what we’ve been dealt. And to keep trying. You’re not alone. This was beautiful.

Unfortunately, the character arc is too subtle, the narrative style was a little annoying, and the overall story wasn’t compelling to me. I regret this, as Elizabeth Strout is one of my favorite authors.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Random House via Netgalley in exchange for my review. Elizabeth Strout is such a terrific writer. I picked up this book and had to double check that it wasn't a memoir. Elizbeth just has such a fabulous way of writing her characters so that the reader feels as though though the plot events are happening to them! When I started the book, (still thinking it was a memoir!) I thought I would stop reading as I don't typically enjoy memoir, but I could not stop reading! The pages just flew by. It is really a terrific story, but when you start it, block off some time because you will not be able to stop reading Oh William!

Oh William, Lucy said to herself so many times in this book. Sometimes out of concern, sometimes in dismay and others with affection. Elizabeth Strout writes of Lucy Barton and he ex-husband William as they venture on a road trip to possibly meet his recently discovered relative. This is not a story driven by an external plot, but rather an internal narrative of self discovery and acceptance. Lucy has recently been widowed and William's wife has taken their child and left him. These two hurt and lonely people have always had a bond even if the marriage did not last. On this trip they come to understand much about the other as well as themselves. Their childhood wounds re-opened in the hopes that it will heal with a smaller scar. The story flows naturally from Ms. Strout. It is easy to read and to imagine these characters speaking and acting in just this manner. We see the flaws, the courage, the new found confidence and heartbreak of life as they travel the roads. I enjoyed my time with Lucy and Willam. My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As a new reader of Elizabeth Strout's novels, I looked forward to reading "Oh William!" after hearing so many good reviews of her work. I pushed through to finish the novel, as I don't like to leave a book half-read. But this one is just not for me. The tone was too conversational and at times I felt the storyline was just rambling along, with no clear direction. I appreciate the opportunity to read it through Net Gallery. I will consider reading Strout's earlier novels.

Oh Reader!!
I read this book straight through, caught up in the most intricate weaving together of the family histories that Lucy Barton narrates: what is it we remember and tell ourselves we understand?
Lucy has become a well-known novelist, recently widowed, unmoored after the death of her second husband, feeling a grief that reaches back into her two-decade marriage with her first husband, William, and which encompasses her close connection with their two daughters.
The narrative of Oh William! reads like a novel within a novel, as Lucy begins to search for and unravel the stories of their childhoods, who the generations before them were, and how they became who they are. We see them struggle, we feel their consternation and frustration, lingering fears of the past, facing truths of the present, and what is to follow. What will they choose to do? What would we choose to do?
As Lucy says, “We just do”.

This story is like listening to a friend describing their lives. Although, Lucy who is actually talking about her ex-husband (William) life, a lot of what she talks about makes her realize who she is too. It also seems no matter what has come between William and Lucy, she almost always tries to help him. When Lucy talks about her upbringing she shows why she attach her self to William but also why she left him and her upbringing made her more sympatric about her mother-in-laws situation, but it made her realized that in the end she no longer needed anyone to define her anymore.
I found the storytelling comforting and normal. You know when you have a conversation and you start with one topic and move to another and eventually come back to the original topic that's how the story develops and evolves and ends and it made me feel satisfied about the story but also its ending. I wish there was more.
This is the second book I have read by Elizabeth Strout and both made me happy that I read them.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for this amazing story.

I've read the whole series of these books and I feel that this one felt like a bridge until the next one. It was good, but underwhelming.

I confess that this is merely my third Elizabeth Strout book, but I will certainly go back and read the rest of them. The lack of knowledge about Lucy Barton did not hamper me, though, since the author included all the information I needed to thoroughly enjoy this story. Stories, really.

Elizabeth Strout has a splendidly strong voice. In 𝐎𝐡, 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦!, the narrator is Lucy Barton, a writer who is telling us about her ex-husband, William Gerhardt. Of course, to tell us about William is to tell us about the people in William's life, including herself and especially his mother, Catherine Cole.

In the beginning, I did not like William at all. He seemed cold, distant, and self-absorbed. It did make me wonder, at first, why Lucy was still so friendly with him, but then, I thought, they did have two daughters together.

However, it's more than that. When a couple of startling things happen to William, and Lucy heeds his call for help, she begins to deeply ponder what it is about William that attracted her, all those years ago. Then, they take a trip to research a revelation about William's family, and it becomes clear that his mother had a past that neither of them would've imagined or believed. It turns out, the person they knew as Catherine Cole was much more complex than the woman they thought they'd known.

William is also a complex character, very flawed and damaged, but, it turns out, not unlikeable. Lucy is able to pinpoint what it was that attracted her, and concludes that she sized him up incorrectly, too.

𝑇𝒉𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒: 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑡𝒉𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒.

Lucy is aware that she does not know herself, either. For instance, all her life, Lucy felt the sensation of being both invisible and having a spotlight on her head, proclaiming that she knew nothing. Many people will identify with that! I am in awe of how profound her thoughts are, and how easily she seems to express them.

If it's impossible, or unimaginable, to proclaim what we are feeling to others, then everyone on this planet is feeling a sense of loneliness and a lack of awareness about themselves and others. That sounds like a morose theme, and yet, I found this novel to be hopeful. Perhaps that's because I sense a new beginning for Lucy Barton.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing me with the chance to read this lovely book!

Another wonderful novel from Elizabeth Strout. She is the queen of characterizations, all of the people in her novels seem so real! Oh William is such a unique look at a marriage, even one that ended years ago. You can’t help but love and sympathize with both Lucy and William, especially considering their backgrounds. Recommended reading for those who like character-driven rather than plot-driven novels.

Oh,William! is about Lucy Barton, a writer, ex-wife of William, who is still involved in his life. The story is easy to read although it felt like the main character was searching for validation of her life with her exhusband. I didn't feel any strong connection with the characters. I know many people rated this book highly but it was just a middle of the road read for me.
I received an advanced reader's copy from Random House through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#Oh,William! #NetGalley

Every time I finish a book by Elizabeth Strout, I smile. She is a master of relationships which generates questions about love and life.

This is the third in a series of books with the character, Lucy Barton.. The personalities in this story seem familiar with clear images. Lucy is a writer. She calls the shots on what is said and talks in circles at times. Her first husband, William, taught microbiology for years at NY University and his lab assistant called him Einstein. He is what Lucy calls as an "authority" figure and she feels safe with him. While they both have drifted into other relationships and marriages over time, they still seem to love each other with their two daughters close by.

The reader gets a clear vision of the family members with complicated issues such as hardship effects from WWII, infertility issues and adjusting to different economical backgrounds. In the mix, there's the mother-in-law that they love and yet she comes across as a little off.

Lucy and William are in their retirement years and it makes those of us in the same age bracket relate. As they reviewed their lives, Lucy said to William, "ours is the American story" whatever that is. It's certainly a feel-good book - serious and amusing - that is easy to read and leaves one thinking about their own list of issues in life.

My thanks to Elizabeth Strout, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy to be released on October 19, 2021.

Lucy, a writer and a widow, lives in New York City, as does her former husband, William. Even though they are divorced, they share two adult daughters, and remain friendly. When William's third wife leaves him, he wants Lucy to accompany him to Maine, since he has just learned through a DNA match that he has a previously unknown half sister. We learn that his sainted mother had deserted the child, never mentioning her to William, who came along 2 years later when she remarried a former German POW who was in Maine. The book is told in the first person by Lucy with amazing insight into each multi-faceted character. She comments towards the end of the book , "This is the way of life: the meany things we do not know until it is too late." I could not put down this compelling and perceptive novel by one of my favorite authors. I'm glad the publisher and Netgalley provided me with an advance copy.

I re-read MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON before beginning OH WILLIAM!, and was glad I did so, as it refreshed my memory of the relationship between the narrator and her ex-husband, the focus of this novel. This third book by Elizabeth Strout about Lucy Barton is as compelling as its predecessors - quietly funny, intensely thoughtful and deeply moving. Like other reviewers, I found myself thinking as I read about the way relationships change - or do not - as we age, as our ability to understand others and ourselves develops over time.

Five stars from me; this is a book I look forward to reading again in the not too distant future. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this much-enjoyed, thought-provoking ARC.

Oh, William!
By Elizabeth Strout

To appreciate Elizabeth Strout's books, the reader must be willing to forego plot in favor of long ruminations about feelings and what in our pasts makes us what we are. She writes books and sequels with very little plot line that meander through the psyches of her characters, illuminating how, beginning in earliest childhood, we grow and change due to the outside influences of family, friends, and the world in general.

This book, for example, is a follow-up to "My Name is Lucy Barton". Lucy is the first person narrator here, and William (of the title) is Lucy's ex-husband. They are both beginning old age and still have much to learn about themselves and each other.

Lucy and William have remained friends throughout William's two and Lucy's one successive post-divorce marriages. As the book progresses Lucy begins to realize just how little she really knows William as family secrets are revealed.

This book requires patience to get to the final takeaway that we never really know another person; and perhaps we never really know ourselves. It is a typical Elizabeth Strout book. So if you are a fan of Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge, you will really enjoy this one.

Once again, Elizabeth Strout delivers a superb novel. If you’ve read Strout’s other books, Lucy Barton is already a familiar and much loved character. In Oh William!, Lucy is our trusted narrator. She brings us into her life and into her obsessive and empty relationship with her ex-husband William. So easy to care about both Lucy thanks to Strout’s ability to create such rich characters. And oh so beautifully written.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.