Was It Beautiful?

by Alison McGhee

“Alison McGhee’s is a novel of simple explanations, simple movement, and Faulkner’s favorite, most ferocious Can we ever really know one another?”— Los Angeles Times

“McGhee has written a lovely and successful third novel. She brilliantly captures the close but guarded ties between residents of a grieving small town, and delivers dialogue with the uncommon and impressive mix of precision, poignancy, and believability.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

“McGhee is a beautiful writer, especially in her sense of place and her precision in describing characters.” — Twin Cities Pioneer Press

“McGhee, author of the critically acclaimed novel Shadow Baby, portrays in spare and beautiful prose a setting and community that recall the cold, hard landscapes of Richard Russo’s fiction.” — Book Page

Was It Beautiful? is a powerful and tender portrayal of loss and renewal at midlife. With singular grace and humor, Alison McGhee pays loving attention to the details of life in the Adirondacks and to the small kindnesses and idiosyncrasies that make each member of a community precious and unique.

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Alison McGhee writes novels, picture books, poems, and essays for all ages, including the just-published THE OPPOSITE OF FATE, a novel, and the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller SOMEDAY, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She lives in Minneapolis and California.

Reviews

[krdito · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally like Alison McGhee's novels, particularly "Never Coming Back" and "Shadow Baby," but this one seemed to be too slow paced with nothing much happening. William T is grieving the death of his adult son and divorce from his wife of many years, but the story and the writing just never engaged me. I wasn't motivated to care about William T or his friends (although I like Crystal and her son Johnny from McGhee's other books and enjoy seeing them show up in this one). I struggled to finish it, which I have not experienced with her other books.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about grief and the questions a grieving father asks when he’s lost a son who lit up his life. It’s also about the friends who love the man and help him hold it together when he’s losing it. Great characters!

[Soren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love her other books but this one really depressed me.

[Laurie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, slow moving story where you have all the feels for the main character. I can easily see it as a tender movie.

[Stephenie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.. Couldn't get pass the writing style.. Felt like the author was trying too hard to describe a scenery or situation with weird sentence construction.

[Swan Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dark story, but very powerful and with the right amount of lift as the reader is given views of William T.'s past that he conjures in his journey towards an attempt to reconcile his losses. We are taken on this journey to the bottom of his despair, or rather to the top of the fire tower where his best friend finds him and returns him to the embrace of the love that exists around him; to the reality of what he still has and how good his life can still be.
This story doesn't answer all the questions it raises and that is usually hard for me; but it answers the more important ones about why we go on living and how we may need to tap into the reserves of strength we may not even know we have.
I do enjoy this writer's ability to peel away the layers without even revealing what those layers may be.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Alison's blog for the past couple of years, but this was the first book of hers I have read. It is an incredibly sad tale of loss,but also incredibly real. I noted that some of the other reviews have said it was too sad. But, I disagree. Sometimes life is just this sad. I think humans, but in our American culture in particular, we dislike real, deep sadness. We don't like to think about the reality of how some people suffer. But, the fact is, most people do at some point. But, we also persevere. Which is the deeper point of this novel to me. We cannot stop or do away with the bad, but there will always be more good. I cried several times while reading this book, but it was so, so beautiful.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, but also so sad that I can only bear to read a few pages at a time, hence my taking awhile to get through this relatively short book. As a reader of both Rainlight and Shadow Baby, I was delighted to have cameos of characters from those books pop up in this one. I'm a big fan of McGhee's writing and her books, which are less about the plots and more about the characters and their inner thoughts and feelings, which make them feel like people you know and love. Her ability to capture the beauty and bleakness of rural settings and small town life in winter is particularly strong.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I was tempted to give up on after the first couple of chapters, but was really glad that I stuck with it. Yes, Was it Beautiful is a story about grief and suffering, yet the book never descends into maudlin or mordant territory. McGhee's attention to the particularities of character, from dirty white tennis shoes to Burl singing in perfect pitch, make for some shining scenes. Images of wind chimes and abandoned fire towers and lone pines repeat to become a litany, a refrain that is itself almost a song for the lost or missing. What a joy to find a book that I almost abandoned is instead one that should last for the ages.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book as it had only a little blurb on what it was about and it starts out a bit confusing, but it's worth the read. It's a story about a man and a community who are mourning the loss of his son who was important to them all in one way or another. A father (and mother's) grief and how he comes to terms with it and his son's life is the basis of the story....McGhee writes in a way that drew me into the story and made me feel some of the emotions of her characters. Good book! Not a light read...

[Crystal Liepa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mcghee delicately delves into small town life, the loss of a child to suicide, and the loneliness that comes after tragedy. Her writing is tender and slow building without ever really climaxing to some grand end result, rather the book settles into this quiet and sad place, which is true to life at times. However, the book is bold in that it's a modern retelling of the Bible's Book of Job. Was it Beautiful, from start to finish, is heartbreaking, but if you can allow yourself to just feel sad sometimes then this book will take you there.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was sad. The main character is struggling all through the book, to overcome his crippling grief brought on by his son's suicide. Not only does he lose his son, but his wife who blames him also leaves him and he loses his job of thirty years.
This book is not easily reviewed in a few words or sentences. The main character, William T., is someone that you care about, someone that you want to comfort. You are pulling for him, cheering him on. In the end you are satisfied.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the two other books I read by Alison McGhee - but this one was a disappointment. The story of a older man coming to terms with his life, the suicide of his adult son and his subsequent divorce. Although there was a very emotional moments that tugged at my heart, the story has a whole came together, not sure why.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Jones struggles with the death of his 27 year old son and the blame for it that his (now-ex) wife lays at his feet. He rejects all efforts by those around him to reach out even as they themselves struggle with the same loss. How can he return to life?

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read others from this author local to our area but wasn't too thrilled with this one. The sadness and emotion of the characters was real and heartfelt but the story never really went anywhere.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would likely have loved it more if I hadn't still been under the sway of Shadow Baby and Rainlight. But excellent and sad.

[Jules Clark]

Not bad, but not as good as Shadow Baby. I got bored and it was due back to the library so I gave up.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

touching portrait of love and loss...kinda hard to read at the end, through all the tears.

[Kelli Holgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really easy read. Fiction but reads like the author has intimate knowledge of grief and it's impact on those closest to the deceased.

[Dorinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ida recommended this and it is very good.

[Patrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written but so very sad

[Lee Arenius · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorites! A beautiful story