First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.
Synopsis:
Hundreds of thousand of readers were enthralled and delighted by the luminous, tender voice of John Ames in Gilead, Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Home is an entirely independent, deeply affecting work that takes place concurrently in the same Iowa town, this time in the household of Reverend Robert Boughton, Ames’s closest friend.
Glory Boughton, age thirty-eight, has returned to Gilead to care for her dying father. Soon her brother Jack – the prodigal son of the family, gone twenty years – comes home, too, looking for refuge and trying to make peace with a past littered with trouble and pain. Jack is one of the great characters in recent literature. A bad boy from childhood, an alcoholic who cannot hold a job, he is perpetually at odds with his surroundings and with his traditionalist father, though he remains Boughton’s mot beloved child. Brilliant, lovable, and wayward, Jack forges an intense bond with Glory and engages painfully with John Ames, his godfather and namesake.
Home is a moving and healing book about families, family secrets, and the passing of generation, about love and death and faith. It is Robinson’s greatest work, an unforgettable embodiment of the deepest and most universal emotions.
It’s the end of the workweek—yay! I hope the week has been kind to everyone and that you’re all ending it on a high note. Just like that, we are already through with the tenth month of the year. Things are certainly looking up, at least at work. I am still fully integrating into my new job and environment, learning the ropes while looking for ways to improve the current processes. Still, I hope the rest of the year will be just as good. But how time flies! Time takes its natural course, with little regard for any of us. As the year approaches its inevitable close, I hope everyone is rewarded for their hard work and showered with blessings and good news. With the weekend finally here, I hope everyone has a great one. It’s time to dress down and spend the weekend resting from the rigours of a demanding career, pursuing your passions, completing household chores, spending time with loved ones, or simply relaxing.
Thankfully, the Philippines has a long weekend in observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. As we remember the dearly departed, may we also celebrate their lives and legacies. After the relentless rains of August and early September, the weather has been fine these past few weeks. Still, there is some lingering concern over the prospect of a super El Niño threatening the Philippines and much of the world. Some places are already experiencing drought, and forecasts suggest that conditions could worsen over the coming months. I hope these forecasts are off the mark, as such conditions could adversely affect the livelihoods and even the health of many. Regardless of where you are in the Philippines or elsewhere in the world, I hope you’re all doing well—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Anyway, with the end of the workweek comes a fresh First Impression Friday update.
In September, I crossed the Pacific from my previous literary venture into Asian literature. American literature has long been a staple of my annual literary journey. Given how readily available works by American writers are, one can never truly escape them. Thankfully, I have now completed all the works by American writers in my ongoing reading challenges. This has allowed me to pursue other books as well, including Booker Prize-shortlisted novels and a rereleased novel by Nobel Laureate in Literature Olga Tokarczuk. To cap my venture into American literature, I am currently reading Marilynne Robinson’s Home. Like most of the writers whose oeuvres I have been exploring over the past decade, it was must-read lists that first introduced me to Robinson. Some of her works appeared on such lists, and I eventually acquired several of them, including Home. However, it suffered the same fate as most of my books: gathering dust on my bookshelf.
Home is actually listed in 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. The book still aligns with my reading goals this year, as it is my goal to complete at least 20 books from the list annually. It is the 16th book from the list I have read so far this year. Originally published in 2008, Home is Robinson’s third novel and the second novel in a series of four that began with Gilead. However, Home can be read independently of its predecessor. The story commences with thirty-eight-year-old Glory Boughton returning home to Gilead, Iowa. The youngest of eight children, Glory has returned to look after her ailing and aging father, Robert Boughton, who had served as the Presbyterian minister in Gilead for many years before retiring. In a way, Glory’s return home is also an attempt at personal healing. A former English teacher, she is recovering from the collapse of her five-year engagement to a married man.
An emotional person, Glory struggles to adapt to life in Gilead. It takes weeks before she and her father settle into a comfortable routine. It is at this juncture that they receive a letter from her long-estranged brother, Jack. Jack has not been home for two decades, but their father has been eagerly awaiting his return. He has also been incommunicado, making his letter a surprise. When he finally arrives, Glory initially mistrusts her brother’s intentions. He had been the most wayward of the siblings, causing the family much worry and pain. It is no surprise that Jack and Glory’s initial conversations are strained, with both being overly polite toward each other. However, Glory eventually overcomes her mistrust, especially after they spend time together working in the garden. They grow closer and begin sharing personal details from their past. Still, there are some secrets that Jack tries to keep from his sister. He sends mysterious daily letters while anxiously waiting for the mail.
All the while, memories of the past begin to overwhelm Glory. So far, I am intrigued by the novel. The premise is not uncommon, yet Robinson is able to reel me in. The novel grapples with the intricacies of family. Religion, it seems, is a central theme, although I have yet to fully understand how it influences the Boughtons’ lives. Memories and the past are also integral to the story, as both brother and sister try to rebuild what was once lost while confronting memories and secrets from their childhood. I am looking forward to seeing how these memories unfold and how they impact the lives of the characters. There are also shades of personal awakening embedded in the story. For one, Glory is still recovering from her personal heartbreak, and her return to Gilead appears to be the beginning of a journey toward understanding herself and her place within her family.
How about you, fellow readers? What are you reading this weekend? I hope you’re enjoying your current book.
