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Joe Jones
Joe Jones is Anne Lamott’s raucous novel of lives gathered around Jessie’s Cafe, “a restaurant from another era, the sort of broken-down waterfront dive one might expect to find in Steinbeck or Saroyan.” Jessie, “thin, stooped and gorgeous at seventy-nine,” inherited the cafe years before and it has become home to a remarkable family of characters: Louise, the cook and vortex, “sexy and sweet, somewhere on the cusp between curvaceous and fat”; Joe, devoted and unfaithful; Willie, Jessie’s gay grandson, (“I thought he just had good posture,” said Jessie); Georgia, an empress dowager who never speaks; and a dozen others all living together in the sweet everyday. Lamott’s rich and timeless themes are also here: love and loyalty, loss and recovery, staying on and staying together, the power of humor to heal and to bind. Out of print for fifteen years, Joe Jones is a novel of hilarity and joy
Mass Market Paperback
First published December 12, 1986
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About the author
Anne Lamott
91 books10.2k followersAnne Lamott is an author of several novels and works of non-fiction. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, her non-fiction works are largely autobiographical, with strong doses of self-deprecating humor and covering such subjects as alcoholism, single motherhood, and Christianity. She appeals to her fans because of her sense of humor, her deeply felt insights, and her outspoken views on topics such as her left-of-center politics and her unconventional Christian faith. She is a graduate of Drew College Preparatory School in San Francisco, California. Her father, Kenneth Lamott, was also a writer and was the basis of her first novel Hard Laughter.
Lamott's life is documented in Freida Lee Mock's 1999 documentary Bird by Bird: A Film Portrait of Writer Anne Lamott.
Lamott's life is documented in Freida Lee Mock's 1999 documentary Bird by Bird: A Film Portrait of Writer Anne Lamott.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
June 23, 2010
What a pleasure, and what a relief that the woman who gave me "instructions on writing and life" in Bird By Bird can practice what she preaches. I think in my mind I expected Lamott to be a second Elizabeth Berg, but she's actually not at all. An Elizabeth Berg book is a perfect snapshot of the human race that makes you feel good about the world. Anne Lamott is a little coarser, a little more loose in her prose style, a little more off the wall. She is also quite referential, but in this really amazing way. Somehow she creates a lexicon of quotes and stories that are important to her characters, and by the end of the book, the reader understands their references like they are best friends.
I also found it to be a religious book in the most nontraditional sense. The main character Louise was almost Christ-like in her love for the flawed people in her life. It said all the things I don't dare say about God, and it was more faith-affirming than a Dee Henderson book. This novel certainly wasn't plot-driven, but it went somewhere all the same.
I also found it to be a religious book in the most nontraditional sense. The main character Louise was almost Christ-like in her love for the flawed people in her life. It said all the things I don't dare say about God, and it was more faith-affirming than a Dee Henderson book. This novel certainly wasn't plot-driven, but it went somewhere all the same.
June 2, 2009
I actually read this a few years ago and still think about it fondly. The reason I fell in love with it is that the characters become my friends, and that is rare indeed. I loved all of them and was quite sad when the book was finished and I didn't have them around me anymore. No too cerebral, but still a great read, I highly recommend it.
April 25, 2016
I had to change this from 3 to 4 stars; by the end of the book I was entranced. It starts slow with not much of a plot to move it along. I was hooked by the aura of being a fly on the wall in other lives so different from my own. I was a little put off by the deep CONNECTIONS between the characters with out any BACKGROUND about how they developed into this oddball family of sorts. That is all revealed gradually, but not completely. If you are not a person who develops odd attachments to certain people, this is not the book for you. You won't get it.
If you are still enjoying the meandering story by the time people start to actually do things and make some decisions, you will be gratified by ending. It is not perfect, but it is hopeful, and comforting in an odd way, like potato soup.
If you are still enjoying the meandering story by the time people start to actually do things and make some decisions, you will be gratified by ending. It is not perfect, but it is hopeful, and comforting in an odd way, like potato soup.
May 26, 2008
A pleasure to read because of the beautiful, vivid, complex characters, who offer a lot of wisdom for lost souls like me. Every time I opened it, I felt excited at the idea of spending more time with them - Lou is the Madonna of the Tidepool and Willie is the heartbroken angel. Only four stars instead of five because I felt that one read was enough to glean everything the book had to offer, although I might read it again, if I miss the people.
October 12, 2014
Not my favorite Ann Lamott. I like her non-fiction better than her fiction. This was written in 1985, so it was early in her career. The characters were great, but it never jelled into a story for me.
August 31, 2008
This book is probably my favorite Lamott novel. It went out of print and did not get great reviews, but I'm not sure why.
I loved it.
I loved it.
July 7, 2009
My favorite Lamott novel - the characters are made perfect by their flaws.
December 1, 2018
Joe Jones by Anne Lamott. What a bizarre novel. The synopsis is quotes pulled directly from the pages, which I’ve never seen before, and which did not give me a good idea of the plot. But I did love Lamott’s writing in Blue Shoe, so I bought Joe Jones. Lamott is “out there,” but doesn’t push the boundaries of belief. She invents her own words and phrases in ways that work beautifully, reminding readers that part of a writer’s job is to Think About Language.
Joe Jones is set in a San Francisco cafe owned by Jessie, a woman just shy of 80. Her gay grandson, Willie, who is in his early 20s, is best friends with the unlikely Louise, a waitress in her 40s. A few regular characters enter the diner, such as Jessie’s equally-old best bud, Georgia, who doesn’t speak but blows raspberries in answer. There’s Eva, who hangs around after Louise fixed her flat tire, and others. Then there’s Joe Jones. After he and Louise split up, he returned home to his mother in Hawaii. Joe sends odd letters to Louise that seem written in a haze of acid (no proof of this) but eventually returns to Jessie’s Cafe.
I read this novel aloud to my husband, and we both loved it. We laughed a lot, like when Louise notices Willie cut his own hair and says, “Willie, no lie — you look like some old deer that the others in the herd are trying to nudge gently towards the highway.” I could have highlighted so many passages, but I’ll give an example of how Willie talks about everything. In this case, he’s explaining how so many people dump off stray cats at his and Jessie’s house:
I enjoyed myself particularly for the creative oddness. When Louise tries to get Eva invested in a Higher Power, Eva can’t bring herself to do it. Instead she calls the Higher Power “H.P.” or “Hewlett Packard.” Louise often references listening to what her broccoli tells her to do, which we are told on page 6 is a Mel Brooks routine, but the book is 272 pages. It’s easy to forget that broccoli was an early reference. Thus, it’s funny to read, “Willie, my broccoli’s saying loud and clear . . .” and forget what it means. There are quirks like this throughout the book. I even love that Willie and Louise say “sleeps” instead of “sleep,” that they have so many inside phrases I’m practically jealous.
It’s hard to know what one should come away with once she’s completed Joe Jones. It’s more about the people than the plot, so even though there are some loose threads, both my husband and I felt fine with that. You may ask why Joe Jones is the titular character when I’ve written so much about Louse and Willie. We can’t answer that, though we’ve discussed it. I do know that authors are sometimes vetoed on their title choices by a press who may feel something like Jessie’s Cafe, which would have made more sense, would lump the novel into “women’s fiction.”
My only concern with the novel is characters are prejudiced and insensitive when discussing gay men and AIDS. Originally, Joe Jones was published in 1985, so it was a different time and I’m willing to overlook the stereotypes. If you’re reading this review in the morning, I hope you listen to your broccoli today. If you’re about to go to bed, have a good sleeps, friends!
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
Joe Jones is set in a San Francisco cafe owned by Jessie, a woman just shy of 80. Her gay grandson, Willie, who is in his early 20s, is best friends with the unlikely Louise, a waitress in her 40s. A few regular characters enter the diner, such as Jessie’s equally-old best bud, Georgia, who doesn’t speak but blows raspberries in answer. There’s Eva, who hangs around after Louise fixed her flat tire, and others. Then there’s Joe Jones. After he and Louise split up, he returned home to his mother in Hawaii. Joe sends odd letters to Louise that seem written in a haze of acid (no proof of this) but eventually returns to Jessie’s Cafe.
I read this novel aloud to my husband, and we both loved it. We laughed a lot, like when Louise notices Willie cut his own hair and says, “Willie, no lie — you look like some old deer that the others in the herd are trying to nudge gently towards the highway.” I could have highlighted so many passages, but I’ll give an example of how Willie talks about everything. In this case, he’s explaining how so many people dump off stray cats at his and Jessie’s house:
People take their cats out to the dump, chuck ’em out the window. They stay a night or two — they’re these junkyard, wino cats — and then this social worker cat comes by. She’s Harriet Tubman, you know, and she looks at her clipboard, finds out address, locates the North Star, and leads them to our home—Notice how “junkyard” is partially italicized. Lamott does a fantastic job of indicating how her characters would actually sound, which made a great time for me when I was reading out loud! I enjoyed knowing the inflection of the dialogue and giving the characters a rhythm to their speech patterns.
I enjoyed myself particularly for the creative oddness. When Louise tries to get Eva invested in a Higher Power, Eva can’t bring herself to do it. Instead she calls the Higher Power “H.P.” or “Hewlett Packard.” Louise often references listening to what her broccoli tells her to do, which we are told on page 6 is a Mel Brooks routine, but the book is 272 pages. It’s easy to forget that broccoli was an early reference. Thus, it’s funny to read, “Willie, my broccoli’s saying loud and clear . . .” and forget what it means. There are quirks like this throughout the book. I even love that Willie and Louise say “sleeps” instead of “sleep,” that they have so many inside phrases I’m practically jealous.
It’s hard to know what one should come away with once she’s completed Joe Jones. It’s more about the people than the plot, so even though there are some loose threads, both my husband and I felt fine with that. You may ask why Joe Jones is the titular character when I’ve written so much about Louse and Willie. We can’t answer that, though we’ve discussed it. I do know that authors are sometimes vetoed on their title choices by a press who may feel something like Jessie’s Cafe, which would have made more sense, would lump the novel into “women’s fiction.”
My only concern with the novel is characters are prejudiced and insensitive when discussing gay men and AIDS. Originally, Joe Jones was published in 1985, so it was a different time and I’m willing to overlook the stereotypes. If you’re reading this review in the morning, I hope you listen to your broccoli today. If you’re about to go to bed, have a good sleeps, friends!
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
August 10, 2019
Beautiful character-driven novel. Just warms the heart. Great on audio.
June 20, 2012
"Joe Jones" is a novel or maybe more of a descriptive narrative that centers on Jessie’s Café. It is a rough and tumble down old place on the waterfront of San Francisco. Jessie inherited that café and at 79 lets Louise run the place while she sits at her favorite table at the window with her best friend Georgia who is mute and senile.
Louise is a rather sexy 40-ish woman who is the cook, pop philosopher/psychologist, and mother to all. Willie is Jessie’s 20-ish gay grandson who is trying to stay off drugs and develop some kind of relationship; he is waiter, dishwasher and pastry chef. Joe is Louise’s hypochondriac, drifter boyfriend whom she sends away because he has been unfaithful. In the meantime she pines over him. Everything that goes on in the café is centered on these characters. Later, Eva is introduced and becomes part of the “family.” She has a life threatening illness and is a rather fragile high school science teacher.
I read this book knowing that is was not one of Ann Lamott’s finest pieces, but I was curious about what she could do wrong as a writer. What’s wrong is that the images and metaphors are beautiful, but far too plentiful and forced. Reading some of them, I was reminded of a creative writing class where you practice writing descriptive passages.
Too much of the novel is over the top—like a mediocre soap opera. I was grateful to see that writers have their pitfalls too when starting out. This is one of Lamott’s pitfall. Ironically, I’m glad I read it.
Louise is a rather sexy 40-ish woman who is the cook, pop philosopher/psychologist, and mother to all. Willie is Jessie’s 20-ish gay grandson who is trying to stay off drugs and develop some kind of relationship; he is waiter, dishwasher and pastry chef. Joe is Louise’s hypochondriac, drifter boyfriend whom she sends away because he has been unfaithful. In the meantime she pines over him. Everything that goes on in the café is centered on these characters. Later, Eva is introduced and becomes part of the “family.” She has a life threatening illness and is a rather fragile high school science teacher.
I read this book knowing that is was not one of Ann Lamott’s finest pieces, but I was curious about what she could do wrong as a writer. What’s wrong is that the images and metaphors are beautiful, but far too plentiful and forced. Reading some of them, I was reminded of a creative writing class where you practice writing descriptive passages.
Too much of the novel is over the top—like a mediocre soap opera. I was grateful to see that writers have their pitfalls too when starting out. This is one of Lamott’s pitfall. Ironically, I’m glad I read it.
December 18, 2009
It's a rather odd book, actually. Slim, superficial in many respects. But it has enough of its own flavor to linger in my imagination. The title is awful. Should have been Jessie's Cafe. Lamott's cast of characters is wonderfully drawn, even memorable. Yet we never get past the level of their interaction with each other. Even the moments of interior monologue don't take me past their relationship issues.
Since I had just finished Justin Cronin's Summer Guest--brilliantly written/told--he provided the scale/standard to sort out depth of characters. Cronin shows the whole person--how they feel about trivial things as well as plot issues. Lamott never tells us how Louise, her protagonist, feels about cooking, for instance. Yet Louise cooks some pretty interesting stuff for a diner grill. Showing her attitude toward food would reveal just as much as a chapter-full description of how she and Willie and Joe are getting along these days.
Still, Georgia, the old old lady who never speaks, who only blows pszts instead of language--Georgia is good. Very, very good.
Since I had just finished Justin Cronin's Summer Guest--brilliantly written/told--he provided the scale/standard to sort out depth of characters. Cronin shows the whole person--how they feel about trivial things as well as plot issues. Lamott never tells us how Louise, her protagonist, feels about cooking, for instance. Yet Louise cooks some pretty interesting stuff for a diner grill. Showing her attitude toward food would reveal just as much as a chapter-full description of how she and Willie and Joe are getting along these days.
Still, Georgia, the old old lady who never speaks, who only blows pszts instead of language--Georgia is good. Very, very good.
July 26, 2009
Anne Lamott is a favorite of mine mostly because I feel deep in my soul her warped sense of humor. She writes from a San Francisco/Marin County point-of-view, which is uniquely skewed, screwed, and loving, and she does that better than anyone. This is a novel reminiscent of Alice Hoffman's "Sad Cafe", only happy. I had a smile on my face the whole way through.
"Really, she thinks to herself, you ought to be in love with someone you wouldn't mind being.' ..AND...
"She will go home and put on her pajamas and crawl into bed with a book, and will look up with a start from time to time. It is like when the bell has been ringing outside your window for years and suddenly stops, and you look around puzzled and wonder, What's that?" ....And this gem.......
"I have plenty of peace of mind. I'm just edgy."
"Really, she thinks to herself, you ought to be in love with someone you wouldn't mind being.' ..AND...
"She will go home and put on her pajamas and crawl into bed with a book, and will look up with a start from time to time. It is like when the bell has been ringing outside your window for years and suddenly stops, and you look around puzzled and wonder, What's that?" ....And this gem.......
"I have plenty of peace of mind. I'm just edgy."
March 26, 2024
przebrnalem przez ta ksiazke tak szybko, ze nawet tego nie odczulem. ksiazka jest piekna, poruszajaca i jak to zostala opisana w streszczeniu bardzo refleksyjna. pieknie porusza temat relacji miedzyludzkich. bohaterowie pieknie zarysowani, zabawni, bardzo ludzcy. nawet postacie, ktore mialy za zadanie wypelniac tlo, byly pokazane w taki sposob, ze nie dalo sie zaznac tego, ze nie byly one tak wazne w historii. ksiazka zostawia z przemysleniami. jezeli jestes fanem egzystencjalizmu, refleksji nad zyciem i przemijania to pozycja idealna.
June 1, 2009
I have LOVED Anne Lamott's more recent writing, but I just liked this one. Some of the same themes are here - bad things happen but we can still find moments of grace if we look for them, sometimes the best thing you can do to help someone is just show up. I enjoyed the quirky characters but couldn't muster up much sympathy for Joe. Her writing is great, but this one didn't have me laughing out loud or in tears as most of her others do.
June 20, 2014
Didn't finish--but I'm done with it. Made it about 3/4 of the way through, but still didn't have enough to latch onto plot or character wise to push through to the end.
Probably a 1.5 star would be more accurate, based mainly on language, but since I didn't feel it was worth finishing, I rounded down.
Probably a 1.5 star would be more accurate, based mainly on language, but since I didn't feel it was worth finishing, I rounded down.
October 22, 2008
I really came to care about the characters who hang out at jessie's cafe. Lamott's beautiful use of language only enhances this read.
August 16, 2015
this was a rough one. it was like a train wreck. i didn't want to look but couldn't help myself. and the end just... disturbed me. i was a little pissed.
June 2, 2019
Feels like a southern fried-green-tomatoes type novel, but in the Bay Area, and nothing happens. In a tedious way.
June 3, 2025
I have always loved Anne Lamott’s non fiction writing, one of my favorite authors, but have not always enjoyed her fiction to the same extent (the writing is good, but the stories did not move me in the same way and with less hope). I did like this novel, the stories of the love and devotion between chosen family were touching, sometimes funny and sometimes sweet or bittersweet reflections on aging or loneliness, and more. Glad I went back to read it, it’s been in my TBR list and on my bookshelf for a while.
February 3, 2010
After reading Anne Lamott's non-fiction book, Bird by Bird, I was interested in trying one of her fiction titles. Bird by Bird was funny, irreverent, and very entertaining so I expected some of the same from her other work.
Joe Jones (if you can get past the blah title) is a meandering tale of a man named, you guessed it, Joe Jones, and the people in his life. Actually, the book focuses more on his semi-ex girlfriend Louise, the cafe she works in, the cafe's geriatric owner Jessie and Jessie's homosexual grandson WIllie. Somewhere along the way, someone performed a plot-ectomy on the book as there was just not much going on from start to end. The book could have been 50 pages or 500 pages long and the story line would have been the same.
I struggled to get through the book. Some of the writing is really lovely and the characters are well-developed, I just didn't much care what happened to most of them. I found the eponymous character to be a rather unlikeable self-indulgent, whiney, narcissitic loser. Speaking of whiney, the characters spend a lot of their time whining at each other - "Willie!", Louise whined. "Leave me alone Louise," Willie whined. "Quit whining, all of you!" I whined as I read it. As long as I'm whining, I might as well mention that the ubiquitous partial-word italics really became annoying. I mean, really, does anyone talk this way naturally?
Joe Jones (if you can get past the blah title) is a meandering tale of a man named, you guessed it, Joe Jones, and the people in his life. Actually, the book focuses more on his semi-ex girlfriend Louise, the cafe she works in, the cafe's geriatric owner Jessie and Jessie's homosexual grandson WIllie. Somewhere along the way, someone performed a plot-ectomy on the book as there was just not much going on from start to end. The book could have been 50 pages or 500 pages long and the story line would have been the same.
I struggled to get through the book. Some of the writing is really lovely and the characters are well-developed, I just didn't much care what happened to most of them. I found the eponymous character to be a rather unlikeable self-indulgent, whiney, narcissitic loser. Speaking of whiney, the characters spend a lot of their time whining at each other - "Willie!", Louise whined. "Leave me alone Louise," Willie whined. "Quit whining, all of you!" I whined as I read it. As long as I'm whining, I might as well mention that the ubiquitous partial-word italics really became annoying. I mean, really, does anyone talk this way naturally?
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June 7, 2009Anne Lamott has a wonderful and teaching sense of humor. Her grasp of character is amazing and ultra-real. She comes from the cusp of traditional storytelling form while using modern techniques of execution. This is a gently moving novel.
But John Gardner would hate her. She has a knack for colloquialism, but she loses the authorial voice in the process because she's too in love with her language. She distracts from the clarity of the narrative with poetic interjection and wordplay, which would best be restricted to the dialogue. Also, her attempt at Salinger-style italics does NOT work; it just slows everything down and makes people sound sarcastic.
She's a little like Tim Burton, in that Burton's films are best if viewed scene by scene as individual performances. As a whole, this novel is fragmented without a larger vision. She's putting wonderful characters together and seeing how it plays out, but the whole package is loose and full of excess. If some choice changes had been made to chronology, POV, and transitions, this could have been a fantastic novel. Right now, it's mediocre with great moments that tend to be unrelated to one another.
I have a feeling that her nonfiction is really amazing. She has that style, and seems to want to teach more than she wants to portray.
But John Gardner would hate her. She has a knack for colloquialism, but she loses the authorial voice in the process because she's too in love with her language. She distracts from the clarity of the narrative with poetic interjection and wordplay, which would best be restricted to the dialogue. Also, her attempt at Salinger-style italics does NOT work; it just slows everything down and makes people sound sarcastic.
She's a little like Tim Burton, in that Burton's films are best if viewed scene by scene as individual performances. As a whole, this novel is fragmented without a larger vision. She's putting wonderful characters together and seeing how it plays out, but the whole package is loose and full of excess. If some choice changes had been made to chronology, POV, and transitions, this could have been a fantastic novel. Right now, it's mediocre with great moments that tend to be unrelated to one another.
I have a feeling that her nonfiction is really amazing. She has that style, and seems to want to teach more than she wants to portray.
January 13, 2009
Anne Lamott how a very engaging writing style. Her similes and her characterizations are spot on and funny. How her character relate to each other and their dialog in particular is extremely realistic. It reads as if you were over hearing old friends chat, complete with the conversational shorthand and in-jokes all close friends have. Her characters feel very true to life and easy to empathize with and care about.
For all of that, though, I thought the plot was lacking. The novel is a depiction of a couple of months at a cafe and while the months were exciting, the plot drifted and there was neither tension nor resolution. Without a plot to keep the story going or a promise of some sort of growth or closure, it became harder for me to stay interested. I'm very glad I read it but I am not necessarily going to seek out more books by the author.
For all of that, though, I thought the plot was lacking. The novel is a depiction of a couple of months at a cafe and while the months were exciting, the plot drifted and there was neither tension nor resolution. Without a plot to keep the story going or a promise of some sort of growth or closure, it became harder for me to stay interested. I'm very glad I read it but I am not necessarily going to seek out more books by the author.
August 9, 2016
**Spoiler alert- Don't read this if you don't like spoilers. This is not a review. I write these summaries just to keep track of what I have read. *** I am listening to this book. It is a small story- in that it feels like a slice of life of a close group of people who work in and frequent a small restaurant/bar in California. The heartfelt love the main character has for her friends is palpable as I listen. I can totally relate to her feelings, even the back and forth yearning and fear around her love interest.
Finished it. Liked it, the story never got very "big", just the lives of friends who are family to each other. One death, one moved away, all through the eyes of a couple main characters. Showed the difference between a person who loved whatever and whoever came her way, and another who lived in fear and self-loathing (almost). It was a joy to listen to.
Finished it. Liked it, the story never got very "big", just the lives of friends who are family to each other. One death, one moved away, all through the eyes of a couple main characters. Showed the difference between a person who loved whatever and whoever came her way, and another who lived in fear and self-loathing (almost). It was a joy to listen to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2008
I have read and loved many of Anne Lamott's non-fiction books, but Joe Jones is the first I have read of her fiction. What a delight. She is such a wonderful writer, both in voice and in her amazing ability to develop detailed, real characters. You can easily visualize the restaurant in which most of the book takes place, and will find yourself rooting for every one of these likeable, flawed people. There are two older women in the story whose friendship is based on an intuitive kind of communication (one is a Bronx cheer) and love, which still makes me smile when thinking about it. She fills the story with her trademark life-observations and learnings, so that you come away from it with some truths about yourself.
November 15, 2010
Joe Jones is a bittersweet story about a bunch of misfits at a San Francisco cafe who are all jonesing for something out of reach. Pockets of brilliant observations keep the pages turning, but this slice of life story feels like a reworked, extended AA meeting. What is Eva dying of, or is she simply a sadomasochist? Why name the book after such a narcissistic character, when it focuses on a collection of oddballs?
Having spent my Wonder Years in the Bay Area, I couldn't help but ponder exactly where this elusive cafe is supposed to be located. The descriptions were so vague, it was impossible to anchor it.
After reading Bird by Bird, I expected more than this. Yet, I'm jonesing to read something else from Anne Lamott.
Having spent my Wonder Years in the Bay Area, I couldn't help but ponder exactly where this elusive cafe is supposed to be located. The descriptions were so vague, it was impossible to anchor it.
After reading Bird by Bird, I expected more than this. Yet, I'm jonesing to read something else from Anne Lamott.
March 9, 2012
An unusual book with interesting characters but some of the writing was hard to follow. I'd have to read a line over to figure out who was speaking and some references weren't explained. It seemed that two different people would be speaking on the same line, with no clue as to who was speaking to whom, so maybe the formatting of the book was not the best. I kept thinking I'd missed a page somewhere at times but I enjoyed the very flawed characters and how they hung together through thin and thinner. I kept waiting for Joe Jones to grow up and be a man but like reality it happened in his own way. Loved these unforgetable characters.
March 3, 2016
I loved this 1985 novel. Maybe it's my mood, the burgeoning spring, knowing so many like those in the book long ago.
Gathering for food and warmth galore, all sorts and types of people.
I loved Louise, Jessie, Willie, Eva and the grande dame Georgia whose lack of voice except for the proverbial raspberry is hilarious. Joe? What a narcissist. What an excuse for a human.
Loved the invocation near the novel's end:
O, go in beauty
Peace be with you
Till we meet in our hearts
In the light.
And an old Ibo proverb:
May you live until tomorrow. May tomorrow have no end.
Maybe a bit corny, but lots of truth to be plumbed in this book.
Gathering for food and warmth galore, all sorts and types of people.
I loved Louise, Jessie, Willie, Eva and the grande dame Georgia whose lack of voice except for the proverbial raspberry is hilarious. Joe? What a narcissist. What an excuse for a human.
Loved the invocation near the novel's end:
O, go in beauty
Peace be with you
Till we meet in our hearts
In the light.
And an old Ibo proverb:
May you live until tomorrow. May tomorrow have no end.
Maybe a bit corny, but lots of truth to be plumbed in this book.
June 21, 2012
A very interesting read. I enjoyed Anne Lamott's writing a bit more in Crooked Little Heart; this at times felt too chaotic and disconnected, but at the same time, the characters were so intriguing and real, it definitely kept me reading. The strange inflections in all the dialogue took some getting used to, and most of the 80s references were a little flat now, but the complex characters were well drawn out. They made mistakes and were selfish, oblivious but at times self aware, and loved with abandon. Very glad I read this.
June 16, 2018
I enjoy Anne Lamott's fiction and non-fiction. This is no exception. Her books are full of gentle, quirky, imperfect characters who genuinely care about each other and are doing their best to be kind to everyone. I particularly enjoy her somewhat offbeat religion, getting mad at God, calling Him an a**hole from time to time and then trusting in the concept of complete unconditional love and forgiveness. In spite of bad things that happen in her books, just as in life, these are happy optimistic books. Strongly recommended.
March 19, 2010
I'm an Anne Lamott fan- from her funky hair dreads to her hip writing style. She meanders her way through everyday lives of some pretty strange people- most of whom I liked. I was glad it didn't end with Louise taking back Joe the philandering Jerk- boy does this guy have issue or what?? I'll definately pick up another Lamott (wish she made the 1001 books to read before you die list. I hate to wander of my list but I need to once in awhile!)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews