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Strong characters, good plot twists, Jui 22 2004
I've read all of Shreve's novels and this one is near the top of my list. The heroine, Etna, is a powerful figure, but in the tradition of the period in which Shreve writes, Etna must keep her power undercover and hidden from her husband, a boorish professor at a local New England college. The source of Etna's power -- perhaps the very power itself -- is her ability to hold a part of herself back from her husband and family. She keeps secrets, both of fact and of feeling, so that her integrity as a person can't be breached by a husband who feels entitled to know and own her totally. I identified deeply with Etna's need to do this, as I believe many women will who have been married to men who at first seemed innocuous but after a few years of marriage are revealed to be unbearably possessive. In self defense, Etna must keep her true self contained and hidden from her husband's impulse toward emotional rape. While that may sound a bit strong, it seems very legitimate to me. I found the fact that Etna creates a personal studio space for herself -- and keeps it secret from her husband -- a natural response to his overwhelming intrusiveness. It's a testament to Shreve's ability to finely draw her characters that a reader such as myself can so thoroughly identify with the heroine's emotions, as well as feel stifled by a fictional character such as the husband. Overall, this is a very good novel with enough depth and action to entertain readers without being shallow.
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All He Ever Wanted Review, Jui 7 2004
This is the second book I have read by Ms Shreve, and I wasn't disappointed. I found that I couldn't put this book down. At times I felt so sorry for Nicholas Van Tassel (our narriator) and at other times I disliked him with a passion. This book is basically a journal written by Nicholas Van Tassel about his courtship and marriage to Etna Bliss. Upon meeting Etna after a fire in a hotel where they were both dining, Nicholas became obsessed with Etna. This obsession lead to a loveless marriage. Etna had many secrets (which in my opinion we didn't get enough answers to in the end) that ended up destroying her marriage and family. Overall I liked this book, I just wish we would have found out more in the end. I felt as if I was left hanging there wondering what happened between father and daughter. I will definitely be reading more of Ms. Shreve's books.
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Repressed Dignity, Avril 19 2004
Par Un client
Anita Shreve's ability to parse emotionally laden words with such aching discipline results again in a sparsely-drawn, heartbreaking sketch of two people inexorably tied together in a "bound-to-be-tragic-in-the-end" knot. It is a superb illustration of the price we can pay for the choices we make.
Olive Gallagher
Author of "A Simple Path to The Good Life"
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Wonderful and telling, Mars 22 2004
Par Un client
This is the first time that I have read Anita Shreve and very much enjoyed it. I agree that the first few chapters are slow and somewhat confusing. However, after the very beginning, the book takes off and shortly in, I could not put it down. The story describes the marriage of Nicholas Van Tassel and his wife, Etna Bliss. It is taken solely from the side of Nicholas as he is writing his story on the way to his sister's funeral in Florida. The reader is not very much aware of Etna's private thoughts and feelings as the story is written by Nicholas. This, i thought, was a stroke of genius on the author's part and skillfully, she enticed us into this dysfunctional marriage. This story is a true story of finding oneself, marrying for the wrong reasons and then resurrecting oneself after failure. I will recommend it to anyone.
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really entertaining, Mars 6 2004
you wont be displeased reading this book
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Never judge a book by it's...title, Mars 3 2004
Never having the pleasure of reading any of Shreve's works prior to delving into "All He Ever Wanted", I admittedly formed an unfair and premature opinion of the novel based on its somewhat flimsy melodramatic title. However, I was soon to discover that it is definitely a fitting and descriptive cover for the thespian narrative that unravels within. I was also taken unaware that this was a period piece, set in New England in the early part of the 20th Century - a fact I was all too happy to uncover, as I am an aficionado of period works. "All He Ever Wanted" is a heart-wrenching account of unrequited love, obsession, jealousy and betrayal; exploring the most intense (and at times, darkest) workings of the human heart. Dreary and rather depressing, this candid narrative painstakingly chronicles a marriage of convenience gone sadly awry. It is written in the voice of Nicholas van Tassel, an English literary professor at a small college in New England as he ponders upon the memories of his fateful past... One harrowing evening after escaping a restaurant fire, van Tassel happens upon the striking Etna Bliss and is instantaneously enraptured. Here commences their somewhat stifled and confusing courtship. Ultimately, their marriage forces each character to make critical compromises that will change their lives forever: Man gives up romantic ideal of marriage (knowing full well his wife does not love him) if only to 'possess' her for himself; Woman relinquishes hope of marrying someone she loves and settles instead for a man who offers her freedom and a degree of independence (which is ultimately counterfeit). Although the story is a little slow and one-dimensional at the outset, as the plot proceeds the reader will be taken in by the rich detail and character definition that quickly develops. The letters between certain characters were also a nice touch, allowing a glimpse into their personal thoughts - a unique perspective for the reader, digressing temporarily from the narrator's recital. All in all, I must say I was thoroughly impressed by Shreve's shrewd portrayal of affections not reciprocated in "All He Ever Wanted"...it is a theme all too familiar in the human game of love.
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The obsession with love!, Fév 19 2004
What a read this book will be for those who decide to pick it up. Nicolas Van Tassel stumbles, in a tragic fire, upon a woman whom he finds himself completely consummed with. Suddenly his entire purpose in life is to have her, marry her, and if possible, win her love back.Is this possible? Can someone fall in love with you simply because you love them? Can decidng to 'settle' on marrying someone really be a pay off in the end? And what about women, not only of hte early 1900's , but of today also- who find themselves absolutely consumed in their family and home- what is their freedom in life? And finally, what is 'crossing the line', when you yearn for the one you love to be near you..... These questions are all so complex, and this novel will push you to the end of exploring these questions. A deeply moving yet very subtle novel. Very light on dialogue, this story consists more of Van Tassel and his obsession filled thoughts, his needs and desires, and how they rule his life. I was a bit stunned on his final admission of freeedom from this obsession and the only way he reaches it.
Not a fast paced novel, but defintely deep and emotional..... through VanTassel's point of view you only pity him and his warped view of love. This is a book that will keep you thinking and discussing long into the night..... a good book for people who love to read!
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Long on human behavior short on plot, Fév 6 2004
Wow did I ever love Shreve's "Fortune's Rocks", "Sea Glass" and "The Pilot's Wife", but this one took a turn somewhere into less than a page turner. Her description of how Etna and Van Tassel meet after a fire is riveting and charming. The unraveling of their relationship that never really was as told by Van Tassel is uncomfortable as intended but not as compelling as the description of their initial connections.
There are moments of genius in the way Shreve works Van Tassel's unlikeable character into the book. I think though that because he's so despicable I projected that dislike of him into the my overall opinion. This book is good no doubt - but not really enough to rise to the level of some of her best I'm afraid.
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GOOD ...........but slow, Fév 6 2004
Par Un client
This book started off very very slow. I kept reading and did find it hard to put down but at the same time found myself getting bored at times. Still...a good story but many unresolved issues in the end.
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Stick With This Surprising Tale, Oct. 8 2003
I am a fan of Anita Shreve, although some of her novels have dipped below par. I was afraid this was one of them, but the longer I stuck with it the more I enjoyed and admired this surprising tale. The language, which seemed stilted at first, became natural in both the appropriateness of the time period and the quirks of the characters.The last thing I expected from this story of unrequited love was a feminist slant, but the Virginia Woolf aspect of the story is very well conceived. Stuffy Professor Nicholas Van Tassel is not a monster, but a prim and proper man of his generation. He reacts to what he perceives as his wife's betrayal in a despicable manner, but probably not much differently than other men of that time would have. We never get much into the head of his unhappy wife, Etna, who keeps her secrets from the reader as well as from her clueless husband. Shreve has taken a chance writing a period novel featuring some unlikeable characters, and I think succeeds admirably with the material.
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Ce produit
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CDN$ 16.99 CDN$ 12.40
Habituellement expédié sous 3 à 5 semaines
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Accueil Amazon
