Elizabeth Strout is one of my all-time favourite authors.

My husband describes the kind of books I read as “long boring books where nothing happens”. I would instead describe them as long beautiful character studies about people and families and real lives. And whenever I think of that description I think of Elizabeth Strout. She writes my absolute perfect kind of book, and Oh William is no exception.

It took me 6 days to read this 250 page book which is about 3 times as long as I would have expected. And it’s not because I didn’t love it - in fact it’s the opposite. I found myself desperate to savour it.

It’s such a interesting book about marriage and relationships and the complexities of humans. How we can love people in different ways, build relationships with people who hurt us, how we can love people without wanting to be with them.

It’s so beautiful and heartbreaking and real. I just loved it.

5 stars

Opening a new Elizabeth Strout book is stepping into a warm bath with a sigh at the end of a hard day: you can confidently surrender your attention, knowing full well you’re about to be taken by the hand and shown what good writing looks like. Oh William! is no exception to this rule: the novel is, gleefully, yet another opportunity to spend time in the company of Lucy Barton, Strout’s unconventional heroine who highlights both the pain and beauty of existence with her almost off-hand insightful observations on life, love and loss. Strout’s writing seems so easy, almost sparse – but that skill of knowing what to leave unsaid is where her power truly lies. It’s the confident gaps between the words where the book shines: those rests in conversation between Lucy and the William of the book’s title, her second husband: those quiet thoughts where the pair reflects on what they’ve just learned about each other; the stunned silences as long-held family secrets unfurl. The book is a beautifully satisfying portrait of a long marriage, and the love and respect that two people can hold for each other, even after vows are broken and children are grown. No-one writes quite like Elizabeth Strout: if you’ve read the others in Lucy Barton’s series, then this exquisitely crafted book is a genuine must-read – and if this is your first encounter with this truly unforgettable character, I strongly recommend seeking out the others as swiftly as possible.

Featured in the September issue of Cambridge Edition Magazine – https://online.bright-publishing.com/view/409150483/27/ thanks to #NetGalley for the advance copy!

Q: Have you read ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’ ? Well this is the sequel ‘Oh William!’ and when I saw it come up on @netgalley I just had to request it.

I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth Strout, I still haven’t got around to reading ‘Olive Kitteridge’ but ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’ definitely stuck with me. Is it because of Strout’s clear, nearly innocent style of writing? I’m not sure…but as a novelist she does have a way of drawing a reader in. I love how in these books, she often finishes a paragraph with the line “well there was that” or some other kind of pragmatic statement to put across a realisation.. a kind of casual approach that makes you feel she’s having a conversation with you. To me it’s simple but quite effective and Strout‘s characters are very relatable.

In ‘Oh William!’ we return to Lucy, living in New York and grieving after the death of her second husband David. Still having kept in touch with William, her first husband, we are again introduced to memories of her past and childhood, their marraige and their on-again, off-again friendship as they manoeuvre the later years in life after their divorce. When William suddenly learns that all was not what it seemed with his mother, he and Lucy go on a road trip to discover some truths about family but also end up learning a few things about themselves.

I would highly recommend ‘Oh William!’. I know Strout has a legion of fans and I’m sure this will do very well for her. If you’re on the fence though, definitely give it a read, you might just be surprised at how much you like it.

Elizabeth Strout returns with her beloved Lucy Barton, now 63, reflecting on her enduring relationship with scientist William Gerhardt, her first husband, with whom she has 2 daughters, Chrissy and Becka, leaving him after almost 20 years of marriage. Strout writes exquisitely with her understated prose, powerful, compassionate, empathetic, and profoundly moving, interspersed with her gentle humour and wit. This novel carries her trademark humanity and wisdom, her understanding of what it is to be human, with her authentic depiction of multigenerational characters, family, marriage, parenthood, friendships, trauma, love, loss, grief, loneliness, and the lifelong impact of our childhoods. She captures the resilience of the human spirit, the joys, frustrations, fears, pain, and how we can come to understand ourselves too late in life, and perhaps never comprehend those close to us.

Lucy and William have a intimate and supportive relationship that transcends their later marriages, William to Joanne, and then Estelle with whom he has a 10 year old daughter, Bridget, and Lucy, who has recently lost husband David Abramson, a Hasidic Jew, a marriage more of soulmates who understood each other and the traumas each had lived through. William and Lucy still refer to each other using their longstanding pet names, Button and Pillie, he is there for her after David's death, he still has the familiar distance and unavailability, but it does not come between them and their strong bond. When William discovers unwelcome secrets about his mother, Caroline Cole, it is to Lucy he turns, asking her to accompany him to Maine to find out more. It's a trip where each learns more about themselves and each other, I was particularly touched when William states 'You steal people's hearts, Lucy', generating a unforgettable sense of happiness in a Lucy who has always felt invisible, and a strong sense of not belonging or having a home.

One of Strout's greatest strengths are her unerring truths about humanity, and her brilliant characterisation, she left me recognising myself and others I know in elements of her characters, and I can be more forgiving of William's failings, partly because I have known so many similar men, particularly in academia. Lucy is aware that she brought her own issues to the marriage, not least the PTSD she cannot shake, acquired as a result of her family and the isolated childhood of extreme poverty in Amgash, Illinois, although she learns other truths about herself from William that come as more of a shock. The author's kindness towards and acceptance of our human flaws, and her instinctive understanding of long standing human relationships, family and marriage are at the heart of this stellar novel. A superb read that I highly recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

“Oh William !” by Elizabeth Strout, takes place in recent times, mostly in New York City and the North-East of the USA . The protagonist, Lucy, will be familiar to those who have read an earlier book by the author, “Lucy Barton”. Several characters, incidents and locations are revisited in this new book.

The book is written from Lucy’s viewpoint. It is largely, although not entirely about her relationship, later in life, with William, her former husband. They remain close, having lost their new partners through death and divorce. Other characters introduced include Lucy’s daughters, her recently deceased second husband, William’s other wives and notably, his mother. Lucy’s parents, although long passed away, are revisited and reconsidered. Although not essential, “Oh William !” is probably best read after “Lucy Barton’, which takes places before the events in the current book. Certain issues, scenes and behaviours recounted in the earlier book provide some background for Lucy’s perspective and thoughts in this book.

The book addresses familiar themes of Elizabeth Strout’s writing; poverty, family, marriage, children and ‘home’ in a wider sense. Much of the book is about reflections on the past. These are sometime triggered by more recent actions, events and situations involving Lucy and William. These reflections sometimes provide a coming to terms with the past and perhaps a better understanding of people; who they are and why they act like they do.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The author captures elegantly the richness and texture of people’s lives that comes from their everyday experiences. Be they ordinary or extraordinary events. I found myself pausing to reread particularly poignant but apparently simple phrases.

“..whoever really knows the experience of another” for example or “ This is the way of life: the many things we do not know until it is too late.”

Simple words but memorable.

In term of the plot, it is somewhat secondary to the journey of Lucy and William as they come to terms with the lives they have now. Lucy, in particular , seems to find, if not closure, then some clarity as she recollects people and incidents from the past. There is a road trip, with people, locations and incidents adding to Lucy and William perception of the past and also the present.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was left wanting more. I think anyone who has enjoyed previous books from this author will feel the same way. The main characters are well developed; incidental characters are also memorable, perhaps destined to take on a larger role in future books. In particular I would like to read more about Lucy’s second husband David, who has a lesser role in this book compared to William. William comes across as a less likeable personality; at least as an ex-husband, late in life. Perhaps this is one of the authors messages when she writes, towards the end of the book,

“…we do not know anybody, not even ourselves !”.

In closing, this is another wonderful book from Elizabeth Strout. The language, descriptions and characters combine to make it a real pleasure to read. Indeed, readers may be left wanting to know more and looking forward to another book. I certainly hope so. Whether of not these characters are revisited, I look forward to reading more from this author. I wish her, and all involved in bringing this book to publication, all the very best.

Lucy Barton, like so many of Elizabeth’s Strout’s characters, feels like an intimate. I already knew her from Strout’s other books, and it was wonderful to follow her journey through the second half of her life.
Recently widowed, Lucy reconnects with her ex-husband William and together, they reflect on their past lives together and navigate the future. It’s a tender portrait of a separated couple who still respect and love one another but also have secrets and much to learn.
The New Yorker once said, ‘Strout animates the ordinary with astonishing force.’ Yep. She does. We are given deep access into the complexities and imperfections of ordinary human experience. Aside from William discovering something upsetting about his past, there is very little ‘drama.’ But small things have the ability to both hurt and heal.
As I read, I was reminded of things that had happened to Lucy in the past that I knew from Strout’s previous books. While I felt privileged to already know about the hardships of Lucy’s childhood in Illinois, I thought readers who don’t know her already might find it a deeper and richer experience if they first read Strout’s other books, particularly, ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’.

A compelling literary dissection of a relationship between two people now in their 70s who were married, divorced but remain friends. Narrator Lucy, brought up in an emotionally abusive, impoverished family, escaped her past to marry William, whom she subsconsciously saw as her protector. But he has many flaws of his own, which are revealed as the story of their 50-year-old relationship unfolds in a series of anecdotes and snapshots as she helps him move on from his latest failed marriage, and his discovery of family secrets in his own past. There's no startling drama here - just a compelling story of how all the hurts and disappointment, along with the small joys of life, make us who we are today. The over-riding message of hope I took from this story is that we all still have discoveries to make about ourselves and each other, no matter our age, and that love, however tough it gets can never truly die.

4,5 - I find Elizabeth Strout an exceptional writer. Her tone is conversational and intimate, which makes her books speak directly at you. It feels like calmly listening to someone telling you their whole life story, effortlessly and in the easiest language, but at the same time I found myself constantly admiring how well it is all thought through.

Lucy Barton is one of the most complete and real-life characters I have encountered. I love it when she can’t help but to be herself, often her emotions are too strong for her to control and later she starts doubting whether she should have reacted differently.

I wouldn’t say it is necessary to read the first two volumes, but I do think it makes for a richer reading experience (although admittedly I only read the first).

You never really know anyone fully ,you spend your life trying to understand yourself but even then you struggle .This book bought this home to me ,it is a beautiful thoughtful tale of the relationship between two middle aged people who had once been married .The abiding love between the couple is clear whilst at the same time the reasons why they could not live together, or even get back together as one of their grown up daughters yearns for ,is elucidated
I’ve read a couple of this authors previous novels and last time I remember feeling rather lost that nothing very much happened ( my name is Lucy Barton) .This novel does have rather more of a story as it looks back to the upbringing of both main characters and of their parents before them
I was left with a warm comforting feeling after reading the book there is something rather lovely about reading about enduring relationships
I read an early copy via NetGalley Uk the book is published 21 October 2021 by Viking
I would recommend to lovers of the literary novel particularly those who like perceptive insights into personalities and the strangeness of ordinary people

I did not particularly enjoy this book, quite depressing really. The author seemed to indulge her subjects in self pity, instead of using the uplifting fact that these people had survived deprived childhoods and risen to very capable citizens. All be it that their marriages did not survive. One could understand the scenarios that were being described and sympathise, life can be tough and people can make poor choices, sometimes having their hand forced by events. The end of the book came suddenly, leaving questions unanswered. The writing was good, descriptive, and did give the reader an easily understandable read.

'Oh William' is such a perfect title. A perfect title for a perfect novel. Elizabeth Strout's writing and voice is like no other. Her main character, Lucy, who many of us already know and love, is murmuring her thoughts directly to me, to the reader, as she gets through life. Her care for her elderly ex-husband, her memories of how it was, how they were, how he used to be and what is still there and important, are lessons, told in the gentlest of ways, for all of us. Novels like this, so understated, so quiet, where seemingly small things can be devastating or coped with, with love, are so very important in our world today, when madness seems to reign. Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy.

This reads like a visit to an elderly relative who likes to reminisce. There are memories, gossip, indiscretions and secrets, all told without malice.

I do feel that the reader needs to have read the previous offerings in this series as this is not a good stand-alone book, a knowledge of the background of the characters would be beneficial. Also, the lack of chapters makes it a difficult read due to the wanderings of the narrator.

Not one for me I’m afraid, but I do appreciate its depth and characterisations.

Thank you NetGalley.

Oh William!

We revisit Lucy Barton, who is now mourning the loss of her second husband David. William, her first husband, is also going through a crisis, his third wife has left him and taken their young daughter and he has just discovered a half sister he was never told about.

As with the previous novel My Name is Lucy Barton this is an examination of the triumphs and limitations of escaping our personal histories. As Lucy helps William discover his own truths she learns to understand that he is also damaged and their marriage failure was not her fault alone. There are a lot of universal truths in Elizabeth Stroud’s writing about family relationships and dynamics, and this novel deals with Lucy’s relationships with her children and her two husbands rather than those of her past as in the previous ‘Lucy’ novels.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest offering and if you are a fan of Stroud’s writing you will not be disappointed.

Written in the style of a memoir, this novel is told from the perspective of a late middle-aged woman, Lucy, as she reflects upon her life and supports her ex-husband, William, through sleeping and family troubles. Lucy suffers from PTSD and issues with self-esteem which she’s been battling since, and as a result of, her horrible childhood. Perhaps because of its loose structure and slightly rambling style, I didn’t find the novel that compelling or enjoyable. However, as an exploration of self-worth and identity, it is poignant and touching.

Another beautiful and evocative book from Stout. I would say that to fully appreciate you need to have read her previous novels butt his is a beautiful reflection on love and friendship and the complexities of life. A gorgeous escape.

Another delightful book by Elizabeth Strout - wonderful to welcome back Lucy Barton. I imagine this would be difficult to read as a standalone novel but ir you have already immersed yourself in Strout's literary characters, you will not be disappointed.

This is another great novel by Elizabeth Strout, who finds always something new to write about her "usual characters" (Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton) and every time there is such a great story to read in her books. I cannot recommend her enough....

Un altro splendido romanzo di Elizabeth Strout, che trova sempre qualcosa di nuovo da scrivere sui suoi "soliti personaggi" (Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton) e ogni volta la storia che si dipana nel libro é migliore della precedente. Non potrei che consigliarla a tutti....

I have never read anything by Elizabeth Strout before so was unsure what to expect. What I got was a slow moving, tender portrayal of a divorced couple who still very much care for each other.

I was unaware that the lead character, Lucy Barton, had appeared in Strout fiction before so didn't really have anything to hang my thoughts and opinions on. The basis of the novel seems to stem from Lucy reflecting on her life and time with her first husband, William, in the wake of the death of her second husband. Lucy and William have remained close and we learn more about their relationship with each other, their children, their own parents, and other partners they have had.

There is no thrilling excitement or any real climax of action, instead it is a tender memoir of what they mean to each other. People and place are beautifully drawn and I loved the conversational style of the story as it reads more like someone having a chat with a therapist than an actual story. There is a certain sadness about the novel as we join Lucy shortly after her second husband has died. William has troubles of his own as he and his new wife are separated and he has just learned something upsetting about his past.

Despite the fact that I couldn't put my finger on any consistent theme and I usually like my fiction to be a bit more exciting, I did really enjoy reading this book. I am sure I will be reading some more Elizabeth Strout soon.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stout writes in such a unique, evocative way and this book is no different. If you like her other stories - and her unforgettable characters - you will love this.

I love the way in which this writer really seems to understand people. This means all her characters, their dialogue and their actions feel so real. In places the book moves along quite slowly but that didn’t put me off and I was most interested to hear the story behind William’s half-sister. There is also something very compelling about a writer writing about a writer which I found most fascinating.