Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object [Mass Market Paperback]

Laurie Colwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 1979

When Sam Bax, that charming daredevil of a Boston lawyer, sails his boat into a storm off the coast of Maine, Elizabeth "Olly" Bax, his wife and ardent sidekick, becomes a widow at the edge of twenty-seven.  With no pretense of "courage", Olly grieves, coping with the warmth and awkwardness of family ties and trying to rethink her own life.  Realizing that her risks are as daring as any of Sam's -- while he chanced life and limb, Olly risks her heart -- she finds that love can take some surprising turns.

Laurie Colwin depics Olly's recovery with humor, compassion, and a decided lack of sentimentally, creating a real heroine who remains true to her heart and still manages to keep her head.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Engaging, rapid, and filled with witty and exciting imagery." -- -- Houston Chronicle --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Laurie Colwin is the author of five novels: Happy All the Time, Family Happiness, Goodbye Without Leaving, Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object, and A Big Storm Knocked It Over; three collections of short stories: Passion and Affect, Another Marvelous Thing, and The Lone Pilgrim; and two collections of essays: Home Cooking and More Home Cooking. She died in 1992. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 12, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345284151
• ISBN-13: 978-0345284150
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 3.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,498,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Shine On, Bright & Dangerous Object (Paperback)

I think this is her best novel, though Happy All The Time is probably my favorite. Shine On.... is the story of Ollie Bax, widowed at 27 by her daredevil husband. The language is beautiful, and Colwin's portrait of Ollie's grief is full of surprises and, oddly enough, comedy. Her language is astonshing in the evocativeness of the detail, which is intimate but never overwhelms her prose. Her descriptions "He smelled like cooked sugar" -- they made me feel like I recognized a place I'd never been to.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shine on, Laurie, December 26, 2001

By 

Manola Sommerfeld (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object (Paperback)

In my trips through Contemporary American Literature I have not found anyone with better sense for character development than Laurie Colwin. What a shame she died so young! I have read a few of her other novels, but nowhere is this skill better shown than in this work. In this story, a young woman (Olly) becomes a widow after her husband (the `bright and dangerous' of the title) dies in a boating accident. She and her brother in law grieve together, and almost as a consequence they fall in love. This story, explain so succinctly, sounds like it came from a pulp romance. In fact, it is slightly corny in its premise. However, Laurie Colwin depicts the pain, the anguish, the disbelief, and the whole array of emotions that the main characters go through. She does it in such a detailed, intimate way, that I would recommend this book to anyone that is going through a grieving process.

But! I could not give it five start because of Part III. Part I deals mostly with the blow, the sadness and the moving on, and Part II with Olly's new life as a widow in NYC. But Part III focuses on her trip to music camp, and what develops there. Without giving too much of the story away, I do not understand how Olly, now happily in love, could justify her behavior. It is all explained in there, I have to admit that. But my shortcomings as a reader get in the way, and I was disappointed about the ending. In any case, this is a great book, and a prime example of the exquisite skill that Laurie Colwin left us with.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful love story about an unlikely couple., March 30, 1999

By 

Joy "lafortuna" (HACIENDA HEIGHTS, US, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shine On, Bright & Dangerous Object (Paperback)

The late Laurie Colwin was masterful at creating stories about relationships. Never sentimental but always deeply moving, "Shine On.." is the story of a young widow and her brother-in-law. You'll never forget this story or Olive and Patrick. A beautifully romantic story.