The Annunciation

by Ellen Gilchrist

Ellen Gilchrist's debut novel expands the thematic and visual landscapes the author made indelibly hers in radiantly spun stories. The Annunciation follows the desires of Amanda an unwed mother on a Mississippi Delta plantation at age fourteen, a wealthy New Orleans matron until her early forties, and now a divorced poetry student living in a university community in the Ozarks. When Amanda finds herself infatuated with an intense young musician, what at first appears to be a sexual intrigue becomes a grand and impossible passion that unfolds with striking parallels to the life of the eighteenth-century French poetess whose work she is translating.

Genres: Fiction, Southern, Literature, Novels, American, Female Authors, Contemporary

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

A writer of poems, short stories, novels, and nonfiction commentaries, Ellen Gilchrist is a diverse writer whom critics have praised repeatedly for her subtle perceptions, unique characters, and sure command of the writer’s voice, as well as her innovative plotlines set in her native Mississippi.

As Sabine Durrant commented in the London Times, her writing “swings between the familiar and the shocking, the everyday and the traumatic.... She writes about ordinary happenings in out of the way places, of meetings between recognizable characters from her other fiction and strangers, above all of domestic routine disrupted by violence.” The world of her fiction is awry; the surprise ending, although characteristic of her works, can still shock the reader. “It is disorienting stuff,” noted Durrant, “but controlled always by Gilchrist’s wry tone and gentle insight.”

She earned her B.A. from Millsaps College in 1967, and later did postgraduate study at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

She has worked as an author and journalist, as a contributing editor for the Vieux Carre Courier from 1976-1979, and as a commentator on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition from 1984-1985. Her NPR commentaries have been published in her book Falling Through Space.

She won a National Book Award for her 1984 collection of short stories, Victory Over Japan.

Reviews

[Jaimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that hooked me on Ellen Gilchrist. Read it, read it, read it, and become obsessed!

[Randall Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was prepared to hate this book, but I can't criticize the writing. Gilchrist was a skillful, careful writer, though she created a thoroughly detestable main character with little to recommend her. Selfish and self-absorbed from an early age, she never loses her sense of entitlement and leaves other people to deal with the wreckage she creates. Perhaps that was the point. Amanda McAmey is born to a family of wealth and the wealth does nothing but feed her narcissism. The rich are different in that their self-indulgence never has to face the harsh realities of an indifferent universe. For a first novel, "The Annunciation" is a quality effort. Gilchrist is best known for her short fiction, and her judiciousness is evident in all her work. "The Annunciation" shows that characteristic was already in bloom early in her life as a writer.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a time capsule from 50 years ago when Fayetteville was a small town, full of lightly disguised real people and lovingly described real places: Mount Sequoyah, Tin Cup, the creative writing department at the University, the Buffalo, Eureka Springs, Rogers Rec, Hugo's, the Greek Theater. I'm so homesick I could cry, but of course you can't go home again.

Maybe she does as good a job on the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans - I couldn't say and wasn't much interested in that part. Probably a lot of it will strike the modern ear as odd. Times have certainly changed. Do eccentric professors still wear capes and carry canes?

Rest easy, all you poets and potters, basketball coaches and football players. Gilchrist wrote you down.

[Ivar Kjellberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extremely good start for reading Ellen Gilchrist. Her book while focused on a single character depicts a whole world and many many other people.

Gilchrist's writing style is always flowing, very oral, and enjoyable to read, especially as her stories are always very "character driven" as Gilchrist says herself.

The only shadow would be how quick and entertaining her stories start, she has difficulties to maintain the tension and the ending stays a little abrupt. Nevertheless, you can't help but to feel attached to the heroine and smile as you further read.

[Jill Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found Ellen Gilchrist. Part of me wishes I'd known her work years ago but I'm glad I waited. I've now been to Fayetteville AR, the setting for this book. F'ville is as much a character as any of them; I'm glad I can picture it.
Her real characters are wonderful. I wish I knew every one.
I'll read as much of her work as I can.

Edited to make it 5 star. I can't stop thinking about it and I will begin the next sooner than I'd thought I would.

[Myrna Gottlieb · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Annunciation" was my introduction to Ellen Gilchrist. The was much to like. She's a brilliant Southern writer, and there are many - perhaps too many-quirky characters. But I could not abide the main character, Amanda. Impossibly beautiful as a girl, a young woman, and in middle age. Sexually attractive from youth through middle age- no man could say no to her. And wealthy- money and property inherited from her family and a besotted ex husband whose only desire was to make her happy. She walked away from her marriage , sold off and/or discarded her worldly positions to start a new life. But she had the wealth to replace everything, including new houses, whatever she desired.

Then there was the passionate love affair with a besotted young man in his 20s- she was old enough to be his mother. I quickly tired of the endless descriptions of her sex life. And I had a problem with the final chapter, which I found hastily contrived. Amanda was a strong woman who survived tragic secrets; but I was not able to empathize or cheer her on. Too over the top for me.

[Deanna Clements]

I made it to 72% of this book before deciding I didn’t care what happened. Despite an early disturbing premise that almost made me put it down right then, I kept reading because I thought something could be redeemed. But then it fizzled. I should have gone with my first instinct, which was to put it down once the incest showed up. (Yes, incest.)

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read some of Ellen Gilchrist's writing in the 90's and loved it. The distance in my reading life and the decades since she wrote this don't make the South seem very pretty to me, as lovingly and thoroughly as they may be described.

[Juliana Mattson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got scared that this would go too far in trying to make the reader uncomfortable with the opening incest plot line…buuut this book has amazed me. A chronicle, an epic, of a remarkable woman’s unconventional life that completely drew me in.

[Nancy Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved and hated the main character. It was a good book but seemed to fall apart a little at the end.

[Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about self-absorbed people. Yikes!
Two stars...barely.

[chloe strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

needed more incest. i like tha dirt. and tea sis.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read The Annunciation a couple of decades ago, and its appealing description of Fayetteville, Arkansas lingered in my memory, recently prompting a long-postponed trip to that city. Fayetteville turned out to be less than I had remembered, although perhaps it was once the artsy community that Eureka Springs now appears to be. But in re-reading Ellen Gilchrist's novel, I realized that it is much more about character than it is about place. Gilchrist deftly portrays a variety of interesting personae. Front and center is Amanda McCarney, a gifted woman whose road to self-realization is anything but smooth. The author's feminist sensibilities are apparent, but she doesn't hit you over the head with them, and her male characters are just as convincing and fully drawn as her women. Gilchrist's prose is fluid and fast-paced. It was a pleasure to renew my acquaintance with this book; it wears very well more than 25 years after its initial publication.

[Winnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debut novel......Follows desires of Amanda McCarney: an unwed mother on a Mississippi Delta plantation at age 14, a wealthy New Orleans matron into her early 40s and now a divorced poetry student living in a university community in the Ozarks. When Amanda finds herself infatuated with an intense young musician, what at first appears a sexual intrigue becomes a grand and impossible passion that unfolds with strikingn parallels to the life of the 18th century French poet whose work she is translating.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilchrist has a real knack for creating unforgettable women protagonists, and Amanda in this novel is no exception. It's an absorbing read with interesting dialogue and strange but credible psychological twists. The only complaint I had about the novel was the ending, which stretched the religious imagery of the title to the breaking point and was not believable. Had it had a better ending, I would have given it five stars, but that part read like something Gilchrist had grown tired of and just wanted to bring to an end.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I've had this book sitting in my to-be-read pile for 15 years. I've bought and read other Ellen Gilchrist books since I bought this so I have no idea why I never read it before. It was her first novel after several collections of short stories and it doesn't seem to have any of her running characters in it, although Amanda McCamey is not a million miles from Rhoda Manning. I enjoyed it. Gilchrist is as potty as ever - both potty-mouthed and just plain potty.

[Sun Meilan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it on the whole, but found it heavy-going and a little pretentious at times. Plus I took an immediate dislike to Amanda and she didn't improve with age. It may not matter to some, but for me, the main character needs to be either someone I like or can identify with, and Amanda drove me mad!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first one I read of her's and the best...it got me to read all the others. If you like southern women writers she's a good one. Most of her books are semi-autobiographical, but she doesn't say that.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would not pick this book from a library shelf however I am glad to have traveled on Amanda winding,inward anger-filled life journey. A sad story & book, filled with a ton of LA & AR sights, sounds,smells and angst. Overall,a solid 3.5. Read more Gilchrist? Hummmmm

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her stories make human tragedy entertaining and offer poignant entertainment. I hope she'll write another novel someday soon since it was easier to keep her characters straight in the Annunciation than in her many books of interconnected short stories about many of these same folks.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

They didn't have the paperback listed, but this is an incredible book.

[Anna Kohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

First favorite book. Have read a dozen times.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A writer that I loved who I discovered in a used book store in New Orleans. She creates quirky and endearing characters.

[L.e. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its been awhile but I remember loving this book and being proud to be living in Arkansas when I read it.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few novels I reread occasionally.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellen Gilchrist books are excellent summer readers for those who don't want a slinky romance novel.

[Suzanne Pace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happened Ellen, this book was awful.

[Cathy]

Love anything by Ellen Gilchrist!

[Lyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

not sure about the ending, but loved the rest and the connections to louisiana!