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Resenärerna
Två amerikanska familjers levnadsöden från femtiotalet och fram till president Obamas första år vid makten. Den ena familjens överhuvud är den vite James Vincent Jr, uppväxt under knappa omständigheter på Long Island, men som blir framgångsrik advokat på Manhattan. Den andra familjens matriark är den svarta Agnes Miller, uppvuxen i Buckner County, Georgia, som gifter sig med sin avlägsna släkting Eddie Christie och flyttar med honom till New York strax innan han kallas in till Vietnamkriget. James son Rufus gifter sig så småningom med Agnes yngsta dotter Claudia och på så vis knyts dessa båda familjers öden ihop. Rufus och Claudia, den förre expert på Joyce, den senare expert på Shakespeare, hör till en ny intellektuell elit för vilken hudfärg inte längre spelar någon roll, men de stöter ändå på fördomar och misstro, inte minst från egna familjemedlemmar. Skildringen av släkten Vincent-Christe böljar fram och tillbaka i nu- och dåtid och växer ut till att bli en initierad och lekfull rundmålning av alla de levnadsöden och erfarenheter som ryms i det amerikanska samhället av idag.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2019
461 people are currently reading
13368 people want to read
About the author
Regina Porter
4 books277 followersRegina Porter is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow. She is the recipient of a 2017-2018 Rae Armour West Postgraduate Scholarship. She is also a 2017 Tin House Scholar. Her fiction has been published in The Harvard Review. An award-winning writer with a background in playwriting, Porter has worked with Playwrights Horizons, the Joseph Papp Theater, New York Stage and Film, the Women’s Project, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Horizon Theatre Company. She has been anthologized in Plays from Woolly Mammoth by Broadway Play Services and Heinemann’s Scenes for Women by Women. She has also been profiled in Southern Women Playwrights: New Essays in History and Criticism from the University of Alabama Press. Porter was born in Savannah, Georgia, and lives in Brooklyn.
photo credit Liz Lazarus
photo credit Liz Lazarus
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
April 5, 2021
I expect that this book will receive a polarized response - you’re going to love it or hate it. When I saw a 2 page cast of characters at the beginning of the book, I was a little concerned (it turned out that that wasn’t even all of the characters). The author is also a playwright, so I guess this approach is familiar to her. After the cast list, the book just plunges into the story without actually introducing anyone and it skips around in time constantly. I almost stopped reading pretty early on, because it was all very confusing. However, I decided that it was hypocritical of me to reject a book because it was different when I am constantly complaining about the fact that everyone seems to be cranking out the same tired domestic thriller with no originality. I don’t believe that anyone could complain that this book lacks originality and I was really glad that I didn’t abandon the book because I wound up loving it.
This is the story of 2 extended families that intersect repeatedly over a period stretching from the 1950s to the first Obama administration. The story takes place in Georgia, New York, Vietnam and Germany, among other places. I won’t tell you that it isn’t work keeping the names and relationships straight, but once I got into the flow of the book I was captivated by the lives of these people who are white, black, gay, straight, married, single, young and old. There’s no melodrama to it, these are just decent people who bump into each other at various times as they travel through life. There are also charming black and white period photographs scattered throughout the book. The book also introduced me to Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to get a pilots license. What’s not to like about that?
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
This is the story of 2 extended families that intersect repeatedly over a period stretching from the 1950s to the first Obama administration. The story takes place in Georgia, New York, Vietnam and Germany, among other places. I won’t tell you that it isn’t work keeping the names and relationships straight, but once I got into the flow of the book I was captivated by the lives of these people who are white, black, gay, straight, married, single, young and old. There’s no melodrama to it, these are just decent people who bump into each other at various times as they travel through life. There are also charming black and white period photographs scattered throughout the book. The book also introduced me to Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to get a pilots license. What’s not to like about that?
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
July 20, 2019
Thank you to Random House/Crown Publishing for the free book.
The Travelers, with its gorgeous, vivid cover, has been a the perfect read to keep my mind busy. It has a host of characters (the author is a playwright, and I think this plays a part in that), a back and forth storyline, and it’s epic in scope.
Following two large families whose lives intersect from the 1950s to the election of Obama, the story also takes place across a few locations in and outside of the United States. My mind was kept busy keeping the place and people straight, but the reward in the beautiful storytelling was worth it.
The Travelers isn’t a dramatic story. It has a sense of authenticity about it. I loved the diversity of it in race, sexual orientation, marital status, class, and age. There are also the most lovely photographs included in the book. This book was just the right fit for me at this time, as someone who loves stories of family, straight forward writing, with complex and dynamic characters, and powerful messages.
Some of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The Travelers, with its gorgeous, vivid cover, has been a the perfect read to keep my mind busy. It has a host of characters (the author is a playwright, and I think this plays a part in that), a back and forth storyline, and it’s epic in scope.
Following two large families whose lives intersect from the 1950s to the election of Obama, the story also takes place across a few locations in and outside of the United States. My mind was kept busy keeping the place and people straight, but the reward in the beautiful storytelling was worth it.
The Travelers isn’t a dramatic story. It has a sense of authenticity about it. I loved the diversity of it in race, sexual orientation, marital status, class, and age. There are also the most lovely photographs included in the book. This book was just the right fit for me at this time, as someone who loves stories of family, straight forward writing, with complex and dynamic characters, and powerful messages.
Some of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
May 31, 2019
3 stars Thanks to Penguin First to Read and Hogarth for the chance ot read and review this ARC. Publication is June 18, 2019.
Once I read the synopsis of this book I really wanted to read it. Something about it pulled me right in. Once I started reading it however it was not what I expected.
This is a debut novel by Regina Porter. A novel well written, with a huge cast of characters. So huge that it has a two page Cast of Characters list right at the beginning of the story. Most of the people are related, as the story basically follows two families. Keeping track of who was who did become a problem as the book advanced.
The story was primarily written in a vignette type style. Often going from one generation to the next, showing the ties between the two families. I did find it hard in places to find the tie between the chapters, often feeling like each chapter was it's own small independent essay. I struggled at times to read through the book.
I would not hesitate to pick up a second book written by Porter, but would indeed hope that the next book had many less characters and an easier flow to the story.
Once I read the synopsis of this book I really wanted to read it. Something about it pulled me right in. Once I started reading it however it was not what I expected.
This is a debut novel by Regina Porter. A novel well written, with a huge cast of characters. So huge that it has a two page Cast of Characters list right at the beginning of the story. Most of the people are related, as the story basically follows two families. Keeping track of who was who did become a problem as the book advanced.
The story was primarily written in a vignette type style. Often going from one generation to the next, showing the ties between the two families. I did find it hard in places to find the tie between the chapters, often feeling like each chapter was it's own small independent essay. I struggled at times to read through the book.
I would not hesitate to pick up a second book written by Porter, but would indeed hope that the next book had many less characters and an easier flow to the story.
August 28, 2021
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The cast of characters and locations at the start of Regina Porter’s The Travelers is a tiny bit daunting as they promise to cover a far wider scope than your usual family saga. The Travelers explores the lives of characters who are either related, sometimes distantly, or connected in less obvious ways. Porter’s switches between perspectives and modes of writing, always maintaining authority over her prose and subjects. The Traveler provides its readers with a captivating look into Americans lives, chronicling the discrimination black Americans were subjected during the Jim Crow era, the experiences of black soldiers and female operators in the Vietnam war, the civil rights protests in the 1960s, and America under Obama. Porter combines the nation’s history with the personal history of her characters, who we see at different times in their lives. Sometimes we read directly of their experiences, at times they are related through the eyes of their parents, their children, or their lovers. Rather than presenting us with a neat and linear version of her characters’ lives, Porter gives us glimpses into specific moments of their lives. At times what she recounts has clearly shaped a character’s life (such as with an early scene featuring two white policemen), at times she provides details that may seem insignificant, but these still contribute to the larger picture.
Porter provides insights into racial inequality, discrimination, domestic abuse, parental neglect, PTSD, and many other subjects. Although she never succumbs to a saccharine tone, she’s always empathetic, even in her portrayal of characters who are not extremely ‘likeable’ in a conventional way.Sprinkles of humour balance out the more somber scenes, and her dialogues crackle with energy and realism. The settings too were rendered in vivid detail, regardless of when or where a chapter was taking place.
Porter’s sprawling narrative achieves many things. While it certainly is not ‘plot’ oriented, I was definitely invested in her characters. Within moments of her introducing use to a new character I found myself drawn to them and I cared to read more of them. Part of me wishes that the novel could have been even longer, so that it could provide us with even more perspectives. I appreciated how Porter brings seemingly periphery characters into the foreground, giving a voice to those who would usually be sidelined.
Her sharp commentary (on race, class, gender) and observations (on love, freedom, dignity) were a pleasure to read. I loved the way in which in spite of the many tragedies and injustices she chronicles in her narrative moments that emphasise human connection or show compassion appear time and again.
An intelligent and ambitious novel, one that at times brought to mind authors such as Ann Patchett (in particular, Commonwealth) and one I would definitely recommend to my fellow readers.
The cast of characters and locations at the start of Regina Porter’s The Travelers is a tiny bit daunting as they promise to cover a far wider scope than your usual family saga. The Travelers explores the lives of characters who are either related, sometimes distantly, or connected in less obvious ways. Porter’s switches between perspectives and modes of writing, always maintaining authority over her prose and subjects. The Traveler provides its readers with a captivating look into Americans lives, chronicling the discrimination black Americans were subjected during the Jim Crow era, the experiences of black soldiers and female operators in the Vietnam war, the civil rights protests in the 1960s, and America under Obama. Porter combines the nation’s history with the personal history of her characters, who we see at different times in their lives. Sometimes we read directly of their experiences, at times they are related through the eyes of their parents, their children, or their lovers. Rather than presenting us with a neat and linear version of her characters’ lives, Porter gives us glimpses into specific moments of their lives. At times what she recounts has clearly shaped a character’s life (such as with an early scene featuring two white policemen), at times she provides details that may seem insignificant, but these still contribute to the larger picture.
Porter provides insights into racial inequality, discrimination, domestic abuse, parental neglect, PTSD, and many other subjects. Although she never succumbs to a saccharine tone, she’s always empathetic, even in her portrayal of characters who are not extremely ‘likeable’ in a conventional way.Sprinkles of humour balance out the more somber scenes, and her dialogues crackle with energy and realism. The settings too were rendered in vivid detail, regardless of when or where a chapter was taking place.
Porter’s sprawling narrative achieves many things. While it certainly is not ‘plot’ oriented, I was definitely invested in her characters. Within moments of her introducing use to a new character I found myself drawn to them and I cared to read more of them. Part of me wishes that the novel could have been even longer, so that it could provide us with even more perspectives. I appreciated how Porter brings seemingly periphery characters into the foreground, giving a voice to those who would usually be sidelined.
Her sharp commentary (on race, class, gender) and observations (on love, freedom, dignity) were a pleasure to read. I loved the way in which in spite of the many tragedies and injustices she chronicles in her narrative moments that emphasise human connection or show compassion appear time and again.
An intelligent and ambitious novel, one that at times brought to mind authors such as Ann Patchett (in particular, Commonwealth) and one I would definitely recommend to my fellow readers.
May 27, 2020
The large cast of characters in this novel travel in and out of sight moving through time and geography. I became interested in a few of the characters but too often felt shortchanged as the focus suddenly shifted to a minor relative or stranger. I never had the chance to get to know any of them. So much potential here but the structure is lopsided.
October 4, 2021
To była niesamowita podróż, która otworzyła mi oczy na nowe czytelnicze horyzonty… lecz także kolejny raz pozwoliła zasmakować cudzych myśli, grzechów, pragnień, które, niczym wszystko co ludzkie, nie jest nam obce.
June 19, 2019
3.5 stars
The Travelers by Regina Porter is a series of intersecting vignettes where she gives voice to a host of "travelers", what they take with them and what they leave behind. Her characters travel to go to war, to escape their marriage, to seek out second chances with old lovers, to reunite with family they never knew they had. Although many reviewers have described this book as a saga of two different families - one white and one black, in my eyes it is actually one extended family. In exposing the roots of this family and how they came to be, Porter is trying to show us that there really is no difference between white and black, young and old, straight and queer.
This is a history of America. With snapshots in time, the plot goes back and forth between critical moments in our collective consciousness - the Vietnam War, the Great Migration, the AIDS crisis. This non-linear plot along with the novel's large cast of characters made it hard for me to immerse myself in the book at times. To her credit, Porter provides the reader with an outline of characters and their relationships to one another. She also includes a picture and a timeline at the beginning of every chapter to orient the reader and set the tone for that section. The format of The Travelers is a varied style of prose that is sprinkled with letters and dialogue from plays. It is very hard to pull off a novel this inventive. Although some readers will get caught up in the details and miss out on the message I still think that Porter manages to do this. For a debut novel, Regina Porter's The Travelers is a very strong lead into what I think will be a promising career.
Special thanks to Penguin Random House and Regina Porter for advanced access to this book.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart, But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully you leave something good behind." - Anthony Bourdain
The Travelers by Regina Porter is a series of intersecting vignettes where she gives voice to a host of "travelers", what they take with them and what they leave behind. Her characters travel to go to war, to escape their marriage, to seek out second chances with old lovers, to reunite with family they never knew they had. Although many reviewers have described this book as a saga of two different families - one white and one black, in my eyes it is actually one extended family. In exposing the roots of this family and how they came to be, Porter is trying to show us that there really is no difference between white and black, young and old, straight and queer.
This is a history of America. With snapshots in time, the plot goes back and forth between critical moments in our collective consciousness - the Vietnam War, the Great Migration, the AIDS crisis. This non-linear plot along with the novel's large cast of characters made it hard for me to immerse myself in the book at times. To her credit, Porter provides the reader with an outline of characters and their relationships to one another. She also includes a picture and a timeline at the beginning of every chapter to orient the reader and set the tone for that section. The format of The Travelers is a varied style of prose that is sprinkled with letters and dialogue from plays. It is very hard to pull off a novel this inventive. Although some readers will get caught up in the details and miss out on the message I still think that Porter manages to do this. For a debut novel, Regina Porter's The Travelers is a very strong lead into what I think will be a promising career.
Special thanks to Penguin Random House and Regina Porter for advanced access to this book.
January 3, 2020
This is an extraordinary novel. It moves forward with propulsive force. Even though the story might span years on a page, the writing never feels like narrative summary. Meanings are condensed into single sentences or even single words, like poetry condenses meaning, but the novel reads grippingly. The people felt real. I'm in awe of Regina Porter's skills.
August 31, 2019
A short review for the time being.
I found no faults with this plotline or story. What I struggled with was the synergy from one chapter to the next. There seemed to be a lack of fluidity. At times it read like short stories. And then in other instances, several chapters were paired together. I think this lack of cadence led to some confusion on my part, as well as a disjointedness with the characters.
I found no faults with this plotline or story. What I struggled with was the synergy from one chapter to the next. There seemed to be a lack of fluidity. At times it read like short stories. And then in other instances, several chapters were paired together. I think this lack of cadence led to some confusion on my part, as well as a disjointedness with the characters.
December 18, 2019
I adored this book. An multigenerational web of interconnected stories exploring the relationship between two families, one white, one black. Time is the subject, as events resonate down the family trees--the book's supple narrative can sweep through decades in a paragraph, or zoom in to inhabit the most intimate present moment, whether in the Forties or in 2010. It begins with a sweep of years:
"When the boy was four, he asked his father why people needed sleep. His father said, 'So God could unfuck all the things people fuck up."
When the boy was twelve, he asked his mother why his father had left, she said, "So he could fuck everything that moves."
By the end of page two, the boy is grown and in college, and makes a firm decision about his life in response to that father.
Really a masterful thing. A cast of characters and statement of time period (mid-fifties to Obama's first term, although 1946 seems to be the true beginning) is included--but in the stories themselves, nothing is explained, no narrator backs up and takes you by the hand and lays out the relationships with diagrams. The echoes, the motifs, the repetitions, these are the clues, you recognize after a time who is whose daughter and carries on a fundamental trauma into the next generation, whose son is responding to what father, which terrible experience in Korea continues to resonate. You don't even know who is white and who is black until you figure it out (I got it wrong twice.) You have to keep up, you have to put the clues together, and I like a book that respects the reader's intelligence and trusts our curiosity, our memory.
And we're well rewarded. Told in many different voices, in different time periods, this is a collective portrait of related individuals, traveling through time together--families and the constellation of people they love, people telling their own part of the elephant, appearing as major or minor players in the other stories. In that sense, I think it depicts an aspect of human life which is not generally treated in contemporary literature--the individual as part of this larger fabric.
The Travelers is beautiful work, engaging, dramatic, full of corners and sudden turns. I have been recommending this book to everyone.
"When the boy was four, he asked his father why people needed sleep. His father said, 'So God could unfuck all the things people fuck up."
When the boy was twelve, he asked his mother why his father had left, she said, "So he could fuck everything that moves."
By the end of page two, the boy is grown and in college, and makes a firm decision about his life in response to that father.
Really a masterful thing. A cast of characters and statement of time period (mid-fifties to Obama's first term, although 1946 seems to be the true beginning) is included--but in the stories themselves, nothing is explained, no narrator backs up and takes you by the hand and lays out the relationships with diagrams. The echoes, the motifs, the repetitions, these are the clues, you recognize after a time who is whose daughter and carries on a fundamental trauma into the next generation, whose son is responding to what father, which terrible experience in Korea continues to resonate. You don't even know who is white and who is black until you figure it out (I got it wrong twice.) You have to keep up, you have to put the clues together, and I like a book that respects the reader's intelligence and trusts our curiosity, our memory.
And we're well rewarded. Told in many different voices, in different time periods, this is a collective portrait of related individuals, traveling through time together--families and the constellation of people they love, people telling their own part of the elephant, appearing as major or minor players in the other stories. In that sense, I think it depicts an aspect of human life which is not generally treated in contemporary literature--the individual as part of this larger fabric.
The Travelers is beautiful work, engaging, dramatic, full of corners and sudden turns. I have been recommending this book to everyone.
January 16, 2023
Το εξώφυλλο του βιβλίου Ταξιδιώτες, προϊδεάζει τον αναγνώστη για αυτό που θα διαβάσει. Μέσα από τις ζωές των διαφορετικών πρωταγωνιστών, κάποιων εκ των οποίων τα μονοπάτια συναντιούνται και σε ένα χρονικό διάστημα σχεδόν 60 χρόνων, η συγγραφέας, μιλά για τα μεγάλα γεγονότα που σημάδεψαν την ιστορία των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών, όπως ο φυλετικός διαχωρισμός, ο πόλεμος του Βιετνάμ και οι συνέπειές του και οι σχέσεις που δοκιμάζονται, η σεξουαλικότητα, η θλίψη, η αγάπη κι η απώλεια του θανάτου.
Οι ήρωές του βιβλίου, ανήκουν σε διαφορετικά κοινωνικά στρώματα και σε ένα μεγάλο γεωγραφικό εύρος. Από μικρές πόλεις ως τη Νέα Υόρκη και το Λος Άντζελες.
Οι εναλλαγές ανάμεσα στις ζωές τους είναι συνεχείς και το ίδιο συμβαίνει και με το χρονικό πλαίσιο αλλά η Porter με τη στρωτή γραφή της, βοηθά τον αναγνώστη να μην χαθεί και να παρακολουθήσει την εξέλιξή τους.
Ένα βιβλίο για τον άνθρωπο....
Γιατί, τι είμαστε οι άνθρωποι χωρίς τις στιγμές που οι ζωές μας ενώνονται?
Οι ήρωές του βιβλίου, ανήκουν σε διαφορετικά κοινωνικά στρώματα και σε ένα μεγάλο γεωγραφικό εύρος. Από μικρές πόλεις ως τη Νέα Υόρκη και το Λος Άντζελες.
Οι εναλλαγές ανάμεσα στις ζωές τους είναι συνεχείς και το ίδιο συμβαίνει και με το χρονικό πλαίσιο αλλά η Porter με τη στρωτή γραφή της, βοηθά τον αναγνώστη να μην χαθεί και να παρακολουθήσει την εξέλιξή τους.
Ένα βιβλίο για τον άνθρωπο....
Γιατί, τι είμαστε οι άνθρωποι χωρίς τις στιγμές που οι ζωές μας ενώνονται?
Read
September 23, 2019This is one of those debuts that you can't believe is a debut.
March 29, 2021
With its huge cast and jumps back and forth in time each chapter, between the 1950s and the early years of President Obama’s first term, this book is challenging as the author shows us two families whose lives keep intersecting over the years.
We see some characters at different times in their lives, while others only show up in a single chapter. (There are also terrific photos in each chapter.)
I was a little lost initially (there are so many characters to keep track of) but once I relaxed into the narrative, I could appreciate each short story. The characters are so well drawn, and I had my favourites: Eloise and Beverly.
So, despite its daunting structure, I liked this book.
We see some characters at different times in their lives, while others only show up in a single chapter. (There are also terrific photos in each chapter.)
I was a little lost initially (there are so many characters to keep track of) but once I relaxed into the narrative, I could appreciate each short story. The characters are so well drawn, and I had my favourites: Eloise and Beverly.
So, despite its daunting structure, I liked this book.
September 26, 2020
Impressive. Elegant and almost Impressionistic at times, this is a novel that brings a lot to the table. There's not one wasted word, not one misstep, and the story that gets told--piece by beautiful piece--is powerful, wise, ambitious, sad, moving and unforgettable.
June 4, 2020
First of all, let me say that I loved this book. It was intense and real and my heart was broken after just the first 25 pages. This is not an easy book to review, because I don't know if my words can do it justice, but I will try. The writing was beautiful and so frank that it took me a couple of chapters to get used to it, but then I couldn't put it down.
The Travelers is a book about the story of so many lives. It's almost written like short stories, where every character gets a chapter to show their lives. There are not frills or flowery language. The writing is raw and candid - things that had my heart ache, were described without many details. We just get a small glimpse into each person's emotions and for some reason that felt even more powerful to me than long explanations. Each person has gone through both happy and dark times, and the writing flow tells you that they kept living - do not dwell on one event or action. Though it may have shaped their lives or decisions, they kept moving on and so you go on with the story.
Each person is connected to another, some by significant relationships and some by thin strings, almost like ripples in a pond. They are so real and everyone is flawed, so it was hard for me to choose a favorite. This book is not a straight forward story, it tells about one person's life and then takes a seed from that and grows it into another story and another person's life.
There are so many things that addressed in this book, family, race, class, sexuality. It depicts how race is a huge factor and dominator of the character's lives throughout all generations. The fact that interracial marriage of Ruffus and Claudia can bring together so many different people, I just couldn't help but hope that it would have a ripple effect for good on the characters, but its sad to see how ingrained it is in some people. The way that Claudia's mother Agnes reacted when meeting Ruffus for the first time was absolutely heart breaking.
This story shows such a range of family relationships. There are characters who feel like family, but aren't actually related. There are people who go through horrible things together and are brought closer than family. There are secret relationships that survive or don't, but are never considered technically family. (There are a lot of references to infidelity and how it seemed almost a give in most families). There are family members who don't feel like family.
Finally, I really loved the pictures included throughout the book. When I get my hands on the finished copy, I would love to see if there is more information about them because I believe they are real photographs.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was happy to give my honest review.
The Travelers is a book about the story of so many lives. It's almost written like short stories, where every character gets a chapter to show their lives. There are not frills or flowery language. The writing is raw and candid - things that had my heart ache, were described without many details. We just get a small glimpse into each person's emotions and for some reason that felt even more powerful to me than long explanations. Each person has gone through both happy and dark times, and the writing flow tells you that they kept living - do not dwell on one event or action. Though it may have shaped their lives or decisions, they kept moving on and so you go on with the story.
Each person is connected to another, some by significant relationships and some by thin strings, almost like ripples in a pond. They are so real and everyone is flawed, so it was hard for me to choose a favorite. This book is not a straight forward story, it tells about one person's life and then takes a seed from that and grows it into another story and another person's life.
There are so many things that addressed in this book, family, race, class, sexuality. It depicts how race is a huge factor and dominator of the character's lives throughout all generations. The fact that interracial marriage of Ruffus and Claudia can bring together so many different people, I just couldn't help but hope that it would have a ripple effect for good on the characters, but its sad to see how ingrained it is in some people. The way that Claudia's mother Agnes reacted when meeting Ruffus for the first time was absolutely heart breaking.
This story shows such a range of family relationships. There are characters who feel like family, but aren't actually related. There are people who go through horrible things together and are brought closer than family. There are secret relationships that survive or don't, but are never considered technically family. (There are a lot of references to infidelity and how it seemed almost a give in most families). There are family members who don't feel like family.
Finally, I really loved the pictures included throughout the book. When I get my hands on the finished copy, I would love to see if there is more information about them because I believe they are real photographs.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was happy to give my honest review.
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August 11, 2020I listened to this one via my library's audiobook platform, and while I enjoyed it I think this might be a book best read physically, if you are able! I'm not at all saying don't listen to the audiobook at all, because I did, and I loved it, but if you know your attention span is flagging right now or you struggle already with lots of characters and time jumps, then grab yourself a paperback.
.
At the start, the narrator read out the character list which took about two minutes and I was like oh my... What have I gotten myself into here?! But then I thought, when I read a physical book I don't memorise the character list, I just start reading and figure out as I go. So I did that, and for the most part I managed to remember who everyone was and how everyone is related/connected.
.
I think my favourite characters in this sprawling novel were Agnes and Eloise, who are probably two of the main characters, if there can be main characters in a novel with so many! Agnes' story was tragic. Her life takes a drastically different path when she and her boyfriend are stopped by police on a rural Georgia road, both suffering atrocious abuse. Her story is pivotal to the rest of the novel unspooling. Eloise's was a little more optimistic, she is an unapologetic lesbian growing up in the 60s/70s with dreams of being a pilot.
.
But this book is filled to the brim with characters, each with their own lives and issues. From the Vietnam War and segregation to interracial relationships and sexuality, Porter explores a lot within these pages. I was shocked to learn the book is only 300 pages, as there just is so much packed into it!
.
A definite recommendation if you love a sprawling family saga!
.
At the start, the narrator read out the character list which took about two minutes and I was like oh my... What have I gotten myself into here?! But then I thought, when I read a physical book I don't memorise the character list, I just start reading and figure out as I go. So I did that, and for the most part I managed to remember who everyone was and how everyone is related/connected.
.
I think my favourite characters in this sprawling novel were Agnes and Eloise, who are probably two of the main characters, if there can be main characters in a novel with so many! Agnes' story was tragic. Her life takes a drastically different path when she and her boyfriend are stopped by police on a rural Georgia road, both suffering atrocious abuse. Her story is pivotal to the rest of the novel unspooling. Eloise's was a little more optimistic, she is an unapologetic lesbian growing up in the 60s/70s with dreams of being a pilot.
.
But this book is filled to the brim with characters, each with their own lives and issues. From the Vietnam War and segregation to interracial relationships and sexuality, Porter explores a lot within these pages. I was shocked to learn the book is only 300 pages, as there just is so much packed into it!
.
A definite recommendation if you love a sprawling family saga!
June 9, 2020
I really loved this novel. It's an epic filled with so many intriguing characters and Eloise was my favorite. The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is due to the disconnect I felt with Agnes. She experienced a traumatic event one dark night on a lonely country road and everything that happens in the novel after that revolves around it. And yet she is a character that I felt distanced from. I would have liked and needed to be let in to know her better. Aside from that, I highly recommend this novel and it's one I will probably read again one day.
July 9, 2019
A layered multigenerational debut novel covering an expansive time period. I enjoyed the writing and how the characters were intertwined. The use of photos throughout the novel enhanced the reading experience. The photos provided a nuanced glance into moments in time which also included several historical events.
March 3, 2021
Jimmy Vincent junior ist Sohn eines irischen Einwanderers und vollzieht mit seinem Jura-Studium den klassischen Aufstieg, den seine Eltern sich für ihn erträumt haben. Mit 31 ist er bereits Teilhaber einer großen Anwaltskanzlei. Seit seiner Studentenzeit empfindet er aus einem Unterlegenheitsgefühl aufgrund seiner Herkunft eine tiefe Unsicherheit, den Anforderungen nicht zu genügen und eine Unbeholfenheit gegenüber Frauen. Agnes Miller, Tochter eines Diakons, hat eine enge Beziehung zu ihrer Freundin Eloise, die zeitweise in der Familie Miller lebt. Als Agnes den Ingenieur Claude kennenlernt, der unbedingt weiterkommen und dazu nach New York oder Kalifornien ziehen will, fragt Claude Agnes als erster in ihrem Leben, was sie will. In Claudes Familie kommt Agnes näher mit der Bürgerrechtsbewegung in Berührung und erlebt, wie Claude in einer Polizeikontrolle verhaftet wird. Agnes heiratet jedoch Eddie aus Little Italy, der bald darauf zum Kriegsdienst in Vietnam einberufen wird. Weil er unbedingt aus der Bronx weg will, bewirbt Eddie sich nach seiner Rückkehr bei der Navy. Aus der unmittelbaren Gegenwart ist die Stimme der Icherzählerin Beverly zu lesen, die als Krankenhausmanagerin arbeitet, auch in Little Italy aufgewachsen ist und deren Mann Polizist ist. In Beverleys Krankhaus liegt heute James S. Vincent als Patient. In der folgenden Generation treten Jimmys Sohn Rufus/Ruff und Sigrid auf, Jimmy Vincents Schwiegertochter.
Während Eddie nach dem Krieg etwas unmotiviert die Rolle als Hausmann einnimmt, kippt um ihn herum sein Stadtviertel und setzt eine Wanderungsbewegung ohne Ende in Gang. Wer sich zwischen den Nationalitäten und Kulturen seiner Nachbarn nicht mehr wohlfühlt, zieht weg und verstärkt damit die Abwanderung und den Wertverlust der Häuser in der Nachbarschaft. Im nächsten Jahrzehnt zieht eine gebildete katholische Familie frisch in ein Stadtviertel. So lernen sich die Camphors (weiße Oberschicht ) und die Applewoods (schwarze Oberschicht) kennen und verkörpern beispielhaft die Konflikte einer Gesellschaft mit strenger Rassentrennung. Die Söhne Gideon und Hank ahnen damals noch nicht, was sie später, Rassenschranken zum Trotz, verbinden wird. Ein weiterer Knotenpunkt der Geschichte ist der gemeinsame Militärdienst von Jebediah Applewood und seinen Vettern in Vietnam. Dass Eloise erst 2010 als Armeeangehörige bis nach West-Berlin reisen muss, um ihre Identität leben zu können, könnte als Rahmen des Romans dienen.
Kleine Schwarz-Weiß-Fotos zu Beginn jedes Kapitels lassen die Einzelschicksale sehr authentisch wirken. Darunter zeigt einer Art LED-Anzeige einen Zeitstrahl, auf dem jeweils eine Jahreszahl hervorgehoben ist. Diese Darstellung bringt mich auf die Idee, dass die Verknüpfung von Epochen und Generationen der Kern dieses Romans sein wird. Porter scheint durch die Lebensläufe zu rasen und dabei stets etwas Ungesagtes zurückzulassen. Die Codes einer im Kern rassistischen Gesellschaft sind nicht immer leicht zu lesen, wenn man selbst Religion und Hautfarbe nicht automatisch mitdenkt. Ein einfache Personenliste im Anhang genügt der komplexen Struktur des Romans meiner Ansicht nach nicht.
Regina Porter verarbeitet die Geschichte schwarzer und weißer Familien über mehrere Generationen zu einem kunstvollen Teppich aus Geschichten, in den sie zahlreiche Verbindungen ihrer Figuren einknüpft. Porters Figuren begegnen sich in alltäglichen Situationen als Nachbarn, im Beruf oder im Einsatz von Feuerwehrleuten. Der Kreis an Personen, der sich damit schließt, umfasst sogar einen ausgestopften Alligator von mehreren Meter Länge. Porters zentrales Thema ist Identität und wer diese aus Herkunft, Hautfarbe, Religion, Bildung und sexueller Identität eigentlich definiert. Sind ihre Figuren das, was sie selbst empfinden oder das, was ihnen von anderen zugeschrieben wird? Wer bin ich und für wen halten andere mich? Diese Identität scheint am Rand zunehmend auszufransen und genau deshalb halten die Figuren umso kräftiger daran fest. Ich habe mich gefragt, ob es in den USA seit den 60ern bis heute überhaupt möglich ist, seine Identität zu definieren und seinen Platz im Leben zu finden. Es geht in Porters netzartigem Plot um Konzepte von Männlichkeit und Weiblichkeit, um gesellschaftlichen Aufstieg, die Ignoranz der Schichten, die es bereits geschafft haben, um Krieg und wie ein Land seine Veteranen behandelt.
Ich finde den Roman großartig, gebe jedoch nur 4 Sterne, weil die Orient-Teppich-Struktur manchen Lesern zu kompliziert sein wird.
Während Eddie nach dem Krieg etwas unmotiviert die Rolle als Hausmann einnimmt, kippt um ihn herum sein Stadtviertel und setzt eine Wanderungsbewegung ohne Ende in Gang. Wer sich zwischen den Nationalitäten und Kulturen seiner Nachbarn nicht mehr wohlfühlt, zieht weg und verstärkt damit die Abwanderung und den Wertverlust der Häuser in der Nachbarschaft. Im nächsten Jahrzehnt zieht eine gebildete katholische Familie frisch in ein Stadtviertel. So lernen sich die Camphors (weiße Oberschicht ) und die Applewoods (schwarze Oberschicht) kennen und verkörpern beispielhaft die Konflikte einer Gesellschaft mit strenger Rassentrennung. Die Söhne Gideon und Hank ahnen damals noch nicht, was sie später, Rassenschranken zum Trotz, verbinden wird. Ein weiterer Knotenpunkt der Geschichte ist der gemeinsame Militärdienst von Jebediah Applewood und seinen Vettern in Vietnam. Dass Eloise erst 2010 als Armeeangehörige bis nach West-Berlin reisen muss, um ihre Identität leben zu können, könnte als Rahmen des Romans dienen.
Kleine Schwarz-Weiß-Fotos zu Beginn jedes Kapitels lassen die Einzelschicksale sehr authentisch wirken. Darunter zeigt einer Art LED-Anzeige einen Zeitstrahl, auf dem jeweils eine Jahreszahl hervorgehoben ist. Diese Darstellung bringt mich auf die Idee, dass die Verknüpfung von Epochen und Generationen der Kern dieses Romans sein wird. Porter scheint durch die Lebensläufe zu rasen und dabei stets etwas Ungesagtes zurückzulassen. Die Codes einer im Kern rassistischen Gesellschaft sind nicht immer leicht zu lesen, wenn man selbst Religion und Hautfarbe nicht automatisch mitdenkt. Ein einfache Personenliste im Anhang genügt der komplexen Struktur des Romans meiner Ansicht nach nicht.
Regina Porter verarbeitet die Geschichte schwarzer und weißer Familien über mehrere Generationen zu einem kunstvollen Teppich aus Geschichten, in den sie zahlreiche Verbindungen ihrer Figuren einknüpft. Porters Figuren begegnen sich in alltäglichen Situationen als Nachbarn, im Beruf oder im Einsatz von Feuerwehrleuten. Der Kreis an Personen, der sich damit schließt, umfasst sogar einen ausgestopften Alligator von mehreren Meter Länge. Porters zentrales Thema ist Identität und wer diese aus Herkunft, Hautfarbe, Religion, Bildung und sexueller Identität eigentlich definiert. Sind ihre Figuren das, was sie selbst empfinden oder das, was ihnen von anderen zugeschrieben wird? Wer bin ich und für wen halten andere mich? Diese Identität scheint am Rand zunehmend auszufransen und genau deshalb halten die Figuren umso kräftiger daran fest. Ich habe mich gefragt, ob es in den USA seit den 60ern bis heute überhaupt möglich ist, seine Identität zu definieren und seinen Platz im Leben zu finden. Es geht in Porters netzartigem Plot um Konzepte von Männlichkeit und Weiblichkeit, um gesellschaftlichen Aufstieg, die Ignoranz der Schichten, die es bereits geschafft haben, um Krieg und wie ein Land seine Veteranen behandelt.
Ich finde den Roman großartig, gebe jedoch nur 4 Sterne, weil die Orient-Teppich-Struktur manchen Lesern zu kompliziert sein wird.
April 28, 2019
This is such a special, special book. It’s one of those books that I want to carry next to my heart and cuddle, a constant reminder to just be. Be alive, be present, be Love. The Travelers by Regina Porter is a beautiful piece of literature, a work of art, a brilliant web of recent history. Written as a series of vignettes, each capturing a moment in time, a person, and a piece of history, the book weaves the lives of two extended families together.
There is no timeline in the book, the chapters hop back and forth over a period of 60 or so years (1950’s to 2010), and while Buckner County, Georgia is a somewhat central location, The Travelers takes us to LA, NYC, Vietnam, Berlin, among other places. Each chapter contains a new person a new location, a new story, and little by little we begin to see the bigger picture created by the lives of the characters, and how they are all tied together.
This book requires a certain amount of work from the reader, and cannot just be read with one eye open. There are many characters and storylines, and sometimes you have to stop for a minute and think about where this one or that one belongs. I loved this though, I felt like I was actually there, in each character’s life, learning more as I read, understanding more about the one who came before and the one who would come after. Readers shouldn’t be put off by the amount of characters, and by the fact that the story steps through time, because both elements make the book into something very special.
I also love how Regina Porter managed to get so many important themes and historical events in her novel without overwhelming the reader. There is the Jim Crow south, the Vietnam War, segregation and racism all over the US, Berlin in the Bowie years and after the wall comes down, the Bronx over the years, all types of relationships… I don’t want to add spoilers, so I won’t say anymore, but there are moments that will break your heart, and others that will teach you, events that will make you laugh, and others that will make you love harder.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book – it’s not going to leave my mind for a while.
There is no timeline in the book, the chapters hop back and forth over a period of 60 or so years (1950’s to 2010), and while Buckner County, Georgia is a somewhat central location, The Travelers takes us to LA, NYC, Vietnam, Berlin, among other places. Each chapter contains a new person a new location, a new story, and little by little we begin to see the bigger picture created by the lives of the characters, and how they are all tied together.
This book requires a certain amount of work from the reader, and cannot just be read with one eye open. There are many characters and storylines, and sometimes you have to stop for a minute and think about where this one or that one belongs. I loved this though, I felt like I was actually there, in each character’s life, learning more as I read, understanding more about the one who came before and the one who would come after. Readers shouldn’t be put off by the amount of characters, and by the fact that the story steps through time, because both elements make the book into something very special.
I also love how Regina Porter managed to get so many important themes and historical events in her novel without overwhelming the reader. There is the Jim Crow south, the Vietnam War, segregation and racism all over the US, Berlin in the Bowie years and after the wall comes down, the Bronx over the years, all types of relationships… I don’t want to add spoilers, so I won’t say anymore, but there are moments that will break your heart, and others that will teach you, events that will make you laugh, and others that will make you love harder.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book – it’s not going to leave my mind for a while.
May 14, 2019
This is an odd little book which strangely I enjoyed very much. I say strangely because the format is put together almost like short stories and I didn't think I liked short stories. I will also say I was immediately put off when I first opened the book to the enormous list of characters that is the first thing you see. I thought, oh no, I will never get through this. But, I just jumped into the reading and acted like I never saw that list. Each 'chapter' in the book is a short story of several characters lives between a certain time period. Each subsequent chapter draws into a deeper or parallel life of those characters through some type of familial relationship. It's like building a big family tree that I found really interesting. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy.
March 12, 2019
This book had so much potential but it never quite came together. Following two families through time is a common concept, but here there were so many time zones and strands of the families and connections that it has hard to keep track of what was going on. A lovely writing style but it felt more like a series of linked short stories than a novel. Fab cover though!
September 17, 2019
When I opened Regina Porter's book and found at its beginning a list of 33 characters, I was immediately tempted to close it up again and reach for another book in my reading queue. But the book had been highly recommended as my "kind of book", one that I was sure to enjoy, so I persisted and immersed myself in this generational story.
All of those 33 characters turned out to be members of or connected to two families, one black and one white, and the story is a portrait of race relations in America beginning in the Jim Crow era of the 1950s and ending during Barack Obama's presidency in 2010. Moreover, as well as traveling through time, the characters travel around the world in the space of these decades. Buckner County, Georgia is central to the story, but various characters spend time in New Hampshire, New York City, Los Angeles, Vietnam, Brittany, Berlin, and the list goes on. Over time, the families become blended and interconnected through love/sex/marriage until the differences hardly seem to matter anymore. If they ever did.
The story hops and skips through time, never taking a linear course. There is no beginning, middle, and end as such. Everything blends together - like the families - over time. The story washes over the reader and finally, when one is able to view it as a whole, patterns emerge. Because of the structure of the story, it is almost impossible to summarize the plot. (Is there even a "plot"?) These characters drift together and apart through the North and South, suffering tragedies and the occasional triumph but mostly just existing in what we might call "normal lives". Porter's tale is essentially one of ordinary people who are looking to make a meaningful connection in life, one that will help them feel less alone.
I found that the proliferation of characters was never really a problem for me. If I ever began to feel confused about a particular relationship, I simply kept reading and soon I was able to make the connection I needed. Porter's writing made that easy. Her prose borders on the poetic at times. It is occasionally leavened with humor but is always filled with empathy and caring for her very human characters.
All in all, I found this another remarkable debut novel. Porter has written an intimate family portrait that could be about any of our families. It was an engrossing read. I'm glad I persisted.
All of those 33 characters turned out to be members of or connected to two families, one black and one white, and the story is a portrait of race relations in America beginning in the Jim Crow era of the 1950s and ending during Barack Obama's presidency in 2010. Moreover, as well as traveling through time, the characters travel around the world in the space of these decades. Buckner County, Georgia is central to the story, but various characters spend time in New Hampshire, New York City, Los Angeles, Vietnam, Brittany, Berlin, and the list goes on. Over time, the families become blended and interconnected through love/sex/marriage until the differences hardly seem to matter anymore. If they ever did.
The story hops and skips through time, never taking a linear course. There is no beginning, middle, and end as such. Everything blends together - like the families - over time. The story washes over the reader and finally, when one is able to view it as a whole, patterns emerge. Because of the structure of the story, it is almost impossible to summarize the plot. (Is there even a "plot"?) These characters drift together and apart through the North and South, suffering tragedies and the occasional triumph but mostly just existing in what we might call "normal lives". Porter's tale is essentially one of ordinary people who are looking to make a meaningful connection in life, one that will help them feel less alone.
I found that the proliferation of characters was never really a problem for me. If I ever began to feel confused about a particular relationship, I simply kept reading and soon I was able to make the connection I needed. Porter's writing made that easy. Her prose borders on the poetic at times. It is occasionally leavened with humor but is always filled with empathy and caring for her very human characters.
All in all, I found this another remarkable debut novel. Porter has written an intimate family portrait that could be about any of our families. It was an engrossing read. I'm glad I persisted.
September 9, 2019
Really can't think of a book that I have enjoyed less for a long time.
An alarming cast of characters is recorded at the front of the book. We then jump between two families and timelines in no particular order from the 1950s to the 2000s.
There are pictures. There is an index of the Pictures.
Its almost like a collection of short stories. Although the characters re-appear. I was hopelessly lost and not engaged and my eyes just moved down the pages to a conclusion that failed to bring the pieces together or show the meaning behind the book.
I would have given up but I am stubborn. Especially when I have spent hard cash on the Kindle version as it was not available in my public library.
Further proof that librarians know best.
An alarming cast of characters is recorded at the front of the book. We then jump between two families and timelines in no particular order from the 1950s to the 2000s.
There are pictures. There is an index of the Pictures.
Its almost like a collection of short stories. Although the characters re-appear. I was hopelessly lost and not engaged and my eyes just moved down the pages to a conclusion that failed to bring the pieces together or show the meaning behind the book.
I would have given up but I am stubborn. Especially when I have spent hard cash on the Kindle version as it was not available in my public library.
Further proof that librarians know best.
May 1, 2020
I think that THE TRAVELERS is designed to show the indication that once we are intertwined, once we have a love we always carry that with us. That we all share sorrow and happiness. That we all will run into or remind someone of another or they, us ... That love is either active or inactive, but it is still loving. But it must be easy when you have 33 characters crammed between the front and back cover of a book!
I listened to the book and I gave up trying to really intently follow the characters and tried instead to enjoy the story. And you know what.. I did enjoy it, actually all of it. I liked the story, the readers, and the comfort of much of the book being set in a time that I am familiar with, despite all of its ugliness of war and race, it offered humor and a good story. I think that I see the beauty in what Porter is trying to show. One thing that I loved about her writing is the future broadcast of what each character will do in their future. I liked that Tybee Island was a constant in the book.. I have never been there but it seems to be a central location in many books... I dream of its beauty and think that is must influence the beauty of the books written about or inclusive of it (mostly because I want to).
I don't know the rating of this book, is it a 5, a 4, surely not a 2. I am not sure that I can put a number on it.. it was a good book and I actually enjoyed it. It is a book that the reader can get lost in.
Happy Reading!
I listened to the book and I gave up trying to really intently follow the characters and tried instead to enjoy the story. And you know what.. I did enjoy it, actually all of it. I liked the story, the readers, and the comfort of much of the book being set in a time that I am familiar with, despite all of its ugliness of war and race, it offered humor and a good story. I think that I see the beauty in what Porter is trying to show. One thing that I loved about her writing is the future broadcast of what each character will do in their future. I liked that Tybee Island was a constant in the book.. I have never been there but it seems to be a central location in many books... I dream of its beauty and think that is must influence the beauty of the books written about or inclusive of it (mostly because I want to).
I don't know the rating of this book, is it a 5, a 4, surely not a 2. I am not sure that I can put a number on it.. it was a good book and I actually enjoyed it. It is a book that the reader can get lost in.
Happy Reading!
May 30, 2019
Thank you Penguin Random House First to Read for a digital ARC. Ayana Mathis, author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, describes this book perfectly: “In The Travelers, generations of two families—one black and one white—journey across time, race, geography, and the wounds of history.” This was a unique but engrossing read. A large cast of characters, so much so, there is a list at the book’s beginning. Chapters go back and forth in time and almost read as short stories. The effects of war and racial intolerance and violence are dominant themes. This book will appeal to fans of An American Marriage and The Care and Feeding Of Ravenously Hungry Girls.
December 3, 2020
Regina Porter's sweeping debut novel, The Travelers, was recommended to me by the wonderful Storygraph website. For those readers who have yet to check it out, I would highly recommend it. You can important existing reading lists, and the recommendations are tailored specifically to you; basically, it weeds out a lot of the generic fiction which Goodreads seems to proffer, and allows you to come across titles which you perhaps wouldn't otherwise. The Travelers was such a title for me.
Porter has blended together a history of the United States, which ranges from the middle of the twentieth century, to President Obama's first year in office. It illuminates more than six decades of tumult and change on a grand scale, moving from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, to the Vietnam War and beyond. Porter incorporates several US states - New York, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Tennessee - as well as the likes of France and Germany. Her focus is two families, who seem rather different on the face of it, and who come together in 'unexpected, intimate and profoundly human ways'.
The first character we meet is Jimmy Vincent; Porter moves rather hurriedly through the momentous occasions in his life. As the novel progresses, we meet one character after another in this way, and learn more about them when their paths cross. The links between them come to light slowly at times, and quickly at others; some are self-explanatory, and others are rather surprising. The connections forged are many, and clever.
Each of the characters, perhaps unsurprisingly given the novel's title, undergoes travel in some way; sometimes across continents, and at others just to a house in the same town they grew up in, or from one relationship to another. They move towards, and away from things. Porter effortlessly captures how each individual, as well as the places which they inhabit, change over time, and understands so well how different neighbourhoods and communities can so easily become gentrified.
Much is revealed about each of the protagonists; for instance, in 1966, we meet nineteen-year-old Agnes Miller. Porter writes: 'Agnes's legs were so long they could skip across the Nile. Her hemline was modest. She worked part-time in the college library. Whenever anyone asked Agnes what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would tell him or her automatically that she wanted to be a teacher. It did not matter if Agnes liked the profession. The answer was suitable and pleasing.' The first tense moment in the novel - and there are many which follow it - occurs when Agnes and her fiancé, Claude, are stopped by police whilst driving.
Porter's prose is rather more matter-of-fact than I was expecting, but her style works wonderfully given the scope of the novel. She has managed to fit in an astonishing amount in just over 300 pages. Two elements of her writing which I very much enjoyed are the use of vignettes, and the differing perspectives which she creates. Whilst we hear from a few characters in the first person, an omniscient narrative has been chosen for others. This helps to break up the writing, and stops any of the characters from feeling too similar, as can so often happen in books featuring multiple perspectives. The structure is not a linear one either, and moves back and forth in time, which allows Porter to build up the more mysterious elements of the stories with a great deal of tension and wonder.
That The Travelers is infused with melancholy seems obvious, given that Porter covers a lot of difficult and grave topics here - the aftermath of war, grieving, racial issues, and the breakdown of relationships, for instance - but there are also some amusing and lighthearted moments to be found. There is also a great deal of emotion within the pages of The Travelers, and some passages which will stay with me for a long time yet: 'Nevertheless, Eloise would remember these rare evenings from hr childhood when she sat at the kitchen table on a broken stool between her mother and father and the three of them peered down together at the newspaper clipping and she did not have to vie for their attention with beer, bourbon, scotch, or gin.'
First published in 2019, The Travelers is a remarkable debut. The different threads of story, set in different locations and time periods, which run through the whole, have been wonderfully wrapped up at the end, without rushing, or making unrealistic claims. There is such variety here, and so much for the reader to enjoy. The characters are distinctive, and everything within the novel has been executed admirably. Each time period is well anchored, with a lot of specific social and societal detail. I found The Travelers to be wonderfully absorbing, and transporting.
Porter has blended together a history of the United States, which ranges from the middle of the twentieth century, to President Obama's first year in office. It illuminates more than six decades of tumult and change on a grand scale, moving from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, to the Vietnam War and beyond. Porter incorporates several US states - New York, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Tennessee - as well as the likes of France and Germany. Her focus is two families, who seem rather different on the face of it, and who come together in 'unexpected, intimate and profoundly human ways'.
The first character we meet is Jimmy Vincent; Porter moves rather hurriedly through the momentous occasions in his life. As the novel progresses, we meet one character after another in this way, and learn more about them when their paths cross. The links between them come to light slowly at times, and quickly at others; some are self-explanatory, and others are rather surprising. The connections forged are many, and clever.
Each of the characters, perhaps unsurprisingly given the novel's title, undergoes travel in some way; sometimes across continents, and at others just to a house in the same town they grew up in, or from one relationship to another. They move towards, and away from things. Porter effortlessly captures how each individual, as well as the places which they inhabit, change over time, and understands so well how different neighbourhoods and communities can so easily become gentrified.
Much is revealed about each of the protagonists; for instance, in 1966, we meet nineteen-year-old Agnes Miller. Porter writes: 'Agnes's legs were so long they could skip across the Nile. Her hemline was modest. She worked part-time in the college library. Whenever anyone asked Agnes what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would tell him or her automatically that she wanted to be a teacher. It did not matter if Agnes liked the profession. The answer was suitable and pleasing.' The first tense moment in the novel - and there are many which follow it - occurs when Agnes and her fiancé, Claude, are stopped by police whilst driving.
Porter's prose is rather more matter-of-fact than I was expecting, but her style works wonderfully given the scope of the novel. She has managed to fit in an astonishing amount in just over 300 pages. Two elements of her writing which I very much enjoyed are the use of vignettes, and the differing perspectives which she creates. Whilst we hear from a few characters in the first person, an omniscient narrative has been chosen for others. This helps to break up the writing, and stops any of the characters from feeling too similar, as can so often happen in books featuring multiple perspectives. The structure is not a linear one either, and moves back and forth in time, which allows Porter to build up the more mysterious elements of the stories with a great deal of tension and wonder.
That The Travelers is infused with melancholy seems obvious, given that Porter covers a lot of difficult and grave topics here - the aftermath of war, grieving, racial issues, and the breakdown of relationships, for instance - but there are also some amusing and lighthearted moments to be found. There is also a great deal of emotion within the pages of The Travelers, and some passages which will stay with me for a long time yet: 'Nevertheless, Eloise would remember these rare evenings from hr childhood when she sat at the kitchen table on a broken stool between her mother and father and the three of them peered down together at the newspaper clipping and she did not have to vie for their attention with beer, bourbon, scotch, or gin.'
First published in 2019, The Travelers is a remarkable debut. The different threads of story, set in different locations and time periods, which run through the whole, have been wonderfully wrapped up at the end, without rushing, or making unrealistic claims. There is such variety here, and so much for the reader to enjoy. The characters are distinctive, and everything within the novel has been executed admirably. Each time period is well anchored, with a lot of specific social and societal detail. I found The Travelers to be wonderfully absorbing, and transporting.
July 25, 2019
An impressive and enjoyable debut novel with a large and diverse set of characters, a fractured, multigenerational timeline, and lovely story telling.
October 10, 2020
Se avete intenzione di leggere questo romanzo vi consiglio, come ho dovuto fare io, di segnarvi tutti i personaggi con i loro alberi genealogici e le relazioni che intercorrono tra le quattro famiglie protagoniste altrimenti si rischia di perdersi tra le parentele e nell'andirivieni degli anni e degli eventi. A mio parere i personaggi sono troppi per essere tutti ben caratterizzati, non ci si affeziona a nessuno di loro, nessuno che ti faccia infuriare o ti attragga, nessuno che ti respinga. Complici in questo anche lo spazio e il tempo in cui le vicende sono raccontate: se al principio di ogni capitolo, sotto il titolo, non ci fosse l'anno, o gli anni, di riferimento non sarebbe proprio immediato capire il quando.
La prosa è lineare, l'autrice passa dalla terza alla prima persona e viceversa, ma non mi pare che questo riesca a creare movimento, enfasi o renda le storie più appetibili; i capitoli presi singolarmente sono bei racconti, finiti in sé, autoportanti, ma tutti assieme stentano a tessere un reticolo uniforme, esso si spezza, si interrompe, traballa, come una ragnatela: perfetta nel suo essere, ma fragile e indifesa all'alzarsi del vento.
Porter tocca tematiche grandi e attuali come il razzismo, l'omosessualità, la violenza tra le mura domestiche, parla anche di meritocrazia, dei rapporti umani, della guerra...purtroppo le sfiora soltanto, le vede, le registra ma poi procede e passa a altro. Non ho trovato trasporto emotivo, non ho trovato un climax importante che incolli il lettore alle pagine. Peccato, la attendo alla prossima prova.
Ps: bellissime le foto che corredano i capitoli.
La prosa è lineare, l'autrice passa dalla terza alla prima persona e viceversa, ma non mi pare che questo riesca a creare movimento, enfasi o renda le storie più appetibili; i capitoli presi singolarmente sono bei racconti, finiti in sé, autoportanti, ma tutti assieme stentano a tessere un reticolo uniforme, esso si spezza, si interrompe, traballa, come una ragnatela: perfetta nel suo essere, ma fragile e indifesa all'alzarsi del vento.
Porter tocca tematiche grandi e attuali come il razzismo, l'omosessualità, la violenza tra le mura domestiche, parla anche di meritocrazia, dei rapporti umani, della guerra...purtroppo le sfiora soltanto, le vede, le registra ma poi procede e passa a altro. Non ho trovato trasporto emotivo, non ho trovato un climax importante che incolli il lettore alle pagine. Peccato, la attendo alla prossima prova.
Ps: bellissime le foto che corredano i capitoli.
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