Bitter Lake: A Novel [Paperback]

Ann Harleman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Gort Hutchins has a history of leaving and then returning to his family when he becomes overwhelmed by the responsibilities of life. This time, his disappearance seems more permanent and has a profound effect on his wife, Judith, and daughter, Lil. Stubborn, independent, and full of teenage angst, Lil is determined to prove herself faithful to her father's memory. Judith, however, has long since accepted the fact that the essence of Gort has been lost to her for years. Ironically, as Lil tries to prove her herself different from Judith, she falls into the same pattern from which Gort and Judith need to escape. Harleman (Happiness, LJ 3/1/94) uses the tension between Judith and Lil to explore themes of abandonment, loss, and acceptance. A well-written debut by a writer of promise; recommended.?Caroline M. Hallsworth, Cambrian Coll., Sudbury, Ont.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

. . . While the novel is thick with family secrets and sadnesses, Ms. Harleman's real achievement is the playing out of . . . estrangement and reconciliation. . . . Ms. Harleman is a dexterous writer. . . -- The New York Times Book Review, Lisa Shea

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Southern Methodist University Press (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870744054
• ISBN-13: 978-0870744051
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,276,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to be savored, November 15, 2001

By 

John R. Hodgkinson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bitter Lake: A Novel (Paperback)

This is a novel of many pleasures! Ann Harleman writes
intensely sensual prose. At the same time she is a witty,
astute and unsentimental observer of the human comedy. In
this novel, she switches deftly between the voice of a
teenage girl angry and anguished over her father's disappearance
and a mother dazed and eventually awakened by the same loss.
Along the way, Harleman writes with equal intensity about
first-time sex and first-time-in-a-long-time sex, about teen
angst and middle-age muddle. She illuminates not only the
high drama here but also the small actions that make up
our lives: folding sheets; breaking bones; building, figuratively
and literally, a home. This is a book to be savored for
its many flavors, from the bitter to the sweet. Enjoy!