Customer Reviews

Chilly Scenes of Winter

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, let me say the movie version of this book, while well acted, chops the story up in ways that kills some of the best things about the book.

This is one of those books that is tough to describe. I've read it several times now and find new things everytime. Beattie does an incredible job of creating these people who walk through their own little world, trying to deal with the hand that life has dealt them. They're just like us, selfish, unaware, worn out in places, but full of humanity. There are acts of kindness, warmth, vulnerability in these people the author has created. This is what makes this book, you follow these people along an episode of their lives and wonder where its going to go. I find that when I take a step back, I question where they end up, but while I'm in it, I don't.

At the heart of the matter is a love story, an awkward, imperfect love story about a man who is obsessed. It drives him through his days, drives him into doing dumb things, and gets his friends and family to roll their eyes.

An excellent read, the first or fourth time around.

In "Chilly Scenes of Winter," Beattie creates a crisp, objective (except for the subjective parts) snapshot of a life. Main character Charles (never Charlie!) yearns for what he doesn't have and believes he wants -- but maybe he doesn't. These are a few days in the life of Charles, his best friend Sam, sister Susan, love-of-his-life Laura, the ghost of Janis Joplin, and step-dad Pete (the dancing, Turtle Wax devotee) and Charles' crazy mother. And these days are at once funny,poignant, sardonic and absolutely riveting. Although it takes place in the mid 1970's, the references are a snap for any pop culture fan and the story is timeless. This is Beattie's first and best book. A must!

Ann Beattie's first novel captures the mundanity of everyday life and the exquisite pain of unrequited obsession perfectly. Our hero, Charles, takes trips to the supermarket where nothing in the entire store looks appetizing, and cuts work to take long walks in the cold. Every characterization and conversation plays itself out with sharp realism. Highly recommended.

This book started out interesting, grew rather tiring, you started feeling slightly melancholy and reflecting on the good things in your life and then just as it started to become emotionally warm and fuzzy, it stopped. From an academic standpoint, the voice and the character development were phenomenal. This book isn't exciting but it is one of those things that makes you scratch your head and be amazed that you really aren't the only one having these inane types of conversations and bizarre interpersonal relationships. A good read for a cold night and a hot cup of tea but not a good read if you are wanting to really entertain yourself. If this book were a Friday date night, it would be more of a glass of cognac at a quiet piano bar than a night of dinner and dancing in a nightclub. It has great value at the right time and place.

This book, copyrighted in 1976, is a story of "twenty-somethings" who are floundering. The economic environment is very challenging, but Charles, the protagonist, actually has a secure government job, although he finds it unfulfilling. You get to know Charles very well, which is not a total positive, although he is a decent man, a great friend, and a romantic. Beattie employs two approaches to developing his character. I loved the dialogue, which was often very funny, although sometimes more repetitious than it need be to sound authentic and get the point across. I found my entry into Charles' thoughts frequently dull, and I wonder how much of this book Beattie could have gotten across by just relying on dialogue and some narrative. There is more to this book than Charles: several other characters make their mark. In particular Charle's step father is almost pitiful, but really a vulnerable and well meaning person doing the best he can with a situation with no good resolution, the mental illness of his wife.

Things I Liked:

-The prose style. The book seemed to create inside jokes with itself. It was funny. I liked it.

-The dialogue. Sometimes the characters seemed to talk at each other instead of to each other. It was funny. I liked it.

-Flashbacks/backstory. Always seemed 'well done,' 'transparent.' I liked it.

-The main character was hopelessly in love with someone who, for the most part, didn't love him in the same way back. I liked it.

-The main character was male, the author is female. This is a stupid comment, but I liked it.

Things I Didn't Like:

-The ending.

Simply wonderful. The protagonist makes peace with his stepfather with a gift of Turtle Wax. Multiply this detail a hundred times and you get the picture.

themes like the concept and importance of marriage and how music is "the soundtrack of our lives" help make Chilly Scenes of Winter a wonderful, Catcher-in-the-Rye-esque experience. One of my favorites.