Customer Reviews

A Common Life (The Mitford Years, Book 6)

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(42)
1 star:		(91)

 

 

I read this sixth Mitford installment after completing the second one, which is where it really belongs, and I have to say that Jan Karon continues to please me. While A Common Life is not as long or as in depth as her other Mitford novels, it still maintained that downhome sweetness and comfortable, cozy feeling that I've come to expect and love in these books.

A Common Life tells the story of Father Tim's acceptance of the importance and neccessity of Cynthia in his life. After proposing, the couple encounters the typical problems, jitters and joys that most engaged couples do. And as expected, the whole town of Mitford is getting into the celebration: Hessie Mayhew is in charge of the flowers, Esther Bollick is waiting for her invitation to bake the cake, and Uncle Joe is busily searching for the best joke to tell at the reception. And of course the wedding couldn't come off without at least a small hitch -- at 10 minutes after starting time, Cynthia is nowhere to be found...

Jan Karon has written another pleasing and endearing story. It is written in the same beautiful, classy way as the others, and any Mitford fan will consider this novel to be a wonderful addition to the series. Having said that, I can see where some readers could be disappointed if they were reading the books in order since A Common Life (#6) does not continue with the story where #5 stopped but instead goes back in time to between #2 and #3. However, despite which order you read it (and I recommend #6 after #2), I believe A Common Life is a treasure and perfect as a gift for any engaged or newly married couple as it celebrates a wonderful and simple romance. Looking forward to continuing on with the third book in the series. I know I won't be disappointed.

No,it isn't long enough - hence 4 stars, not 5 - but it is a sheer joy for what it is. As a Mitford-addicted reader and tape listener I approached with trepidation hearing the tape read by anyone but Jan. Dana Ivy is superb and captures Cynthia especially with new shades of color cast on this fascinating character. The complexity and challenge of what it means to make a marriage commitment is genuinely explored through Father Tim; we learn more about the Mitfordites through vigniettes connected to their own marriages or love stories; Miss Sadie is ALIVE again; Dooley's singing, so eloquently done by Dana on the tape - all are joys. The simple reiteration of the Gospel and how to find spiritual wholeness - for me,the heart of all Mitford books- is there in power.

A COMMON LIFE is a lorgniette-view of characters about whom we have come to care during the single event about which we would most like to know every detail. The book delivers - but we'll never stop wanting more, because Jan's storytelling gift has made room for itself permanently for so many.

I think the bad reviews on this site are based on disappointment -- and a misunderstanding of what this book is. This is not a continuation of the Mitford series, but rather a novella (that means it's short!) about the engagement and marriage of Father Tim and Cynthia. I thought the story was lovely -- I especially appreciated seeing a more vulnerable side to Cynthia... we learn things about her that we didn't know before.

I'm sure that Jan Karon is under great pressure from her publisher to write MORE, MORE, MORE Mitford books, and they would like to have one a year from her. Well, she won't do that; she can't do that. So we wait longer between books and receive stories of astonishing depth and quality. This novella reminds us how desperate we are for the next in the series.

I have to admit that I think the publisher's price and the packaging are a bit deceiving -- the double-spacing and wide margins feel like an attempt to pull the wool over our eyes. But don't blame Jan Karon -- she is like her character, Cynthia Coppersmith... she agonizes over her deadlines and worries that her work isn't up to her readers' expectations.

My wife and I have read each of Karon's Mitford books aloud to each other over the past few years. This is one of the better ones.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is that several different characters narrate it. In the other Mitford books (thus far) everything is narrated from Father Tim's perspective. But here we are privy to the thoughts and observations of other well-known characters, such as: Esther Bolick, Uncle Billy Watson, and Mayor Cunningham. I think this change of structure works well for this particular installment. It gives us a fuller view of that most dramatic of events: the marriage of a beloved old bachelor. Let's face it; if it were up to Father Tim to remember the events surrounding his wedding to Cynthia, we wouldn't have much to work with because he had too much going on around him.

This book is slimmer than the others, perhaps offering less story than fans are used to. One compensatory value might be that it has a nice two-color interior design.

I recommend _A Common Life_ to fans of the series mainly on the virtue of its unique structure, giving voice to other familiar characters

To enjoy Jan Karon's writing, you have to be somewhat of a romantic at heart or at least believe that a place like Mitford could exist. To enjoy her latest "A Common Life" you have to believe in the fun and excitement of a small-town wedding, and the love of two people pledged to marry. This book would make a great gift for a bride, and Jan Karon has done a good job of helping the first-time reader feel welcome in Mitford. For those who love Mitford, this book fills in the gaps between Father Tim and Cynthia. Just enjoy this book for what it is: an affirmation of true love and marriage, and a pleasant visit to Mitford! I too look forward to the next installment of the Mitford series, but I am glad that Jan Karon went back to fill in the wedding story details.

...which is why I went right out and bought "A Common Life: The Wedding Story". It matters little to me the length of the book or the size of the margins. It's a visit to Mitford, renewing acquaintances and visiting old friends. The confusion regarding the subject matter and length is a bit of a puzzle to me. First of all, the subtitle of the book is THE WEDDING STORY - that seems pretty clear, and Jan Karon told us it would be a novella, which is exactly what it is. Of course, I would have loved for it to be longer but I felt that way about all of the books. With a writer like Karon and books like the Mitford series, nothing is ever long enough. So I joyfully accept this lovely book for just what it is...a glimpse at the wedding of Fr. Tim and Cynthia. I especially loved the fact that she shared some of the thoughts of the characters we've grown to love: Dooley's apprehension regarding the marrage, Hope Winchester's thoughts on her "...once-ardent crush" on Fr. Tim, Absolom Greer's enduring love for Miss Sadie, and dear Uncle Billy's method of staying awake during the ceremony - deciding whether or not to have mustard on his ham! Thank you Jan Karon for this small, yet delightful return to Mitford. Please take us there again soon and let us see what transpires next with these wonderful characters you've created.

I shouldn't have read the reviews which bemoaned this Mitford volume before reading. It added some trepidation about a forecasted letdown.

The forecast appeared to be true for awhile, in fact for the first 99 pages. Then, with the letter Father Tim wrote to Cynthia delivered by his dog, I was captivated again by this witty, wordsmith and creator of the Mitford life which so many have found refreshing reading.

Touching is the sentiments expressed here, the sudden shift of their jitters about marriage, shifting from Tim to Cynthia. Further, her love of his being glad in his own skin is truly a characteristic more should seek in themselves, mates and friends.

The getting locked in the bathroom with the broken knob was a suprise twist (actually, this happened to me recently locked behind a second story stairwell, when the knob broke off in my wife's hand, and forced the door to be kicked down so I could attend the Voters' Meeting already late for.)

She is so apt and tying in on the preparation and thoughts of key Mitford characters before and during the wedding service. Loved Uncle Billy thinking of whether to have his ham with or without mustard!

This again is superb literature in my estimation and is certainly up to the level and regard I'm use to from the author. Looking forward to her future offerings.

I enjoyed the whole Mitford series as a delightful and enjoyable escape. Therefore I was disappointed after reading Karon's latest. It was entertaining and was a satisfying completion of the series but it could have been included in the previous book instead of stretching it into another book. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours. The pages of this book had wide margins and was obviously straining to fill enough pages to make a book. I don't like feeling that an author is taking advantage of her public. Having said all this, I still enjoyed finishing up the series with the marriage. It was sweet and left me with a warm fuzzy feeling.

You have given us just a taste for a bit more. After finding myself immersed in the first 5 books of the Mitford series this book filled in a part of the story that I truly feel I missed out on. Written as an episodic adventure, we find out the circumstances behind the proposal and marriage of Father Tim to Cynthia. Karon, with her loving touch has also given us a glimpse of characters that we have long since grieved for in the earlier novels. It was a joy to have them back in the world of Mitford even if only for this book.

Though shorter than the original books, it is written with the same warmth and grace that we have come to know from this author. From the moment I started chapter one I had a huge grin on my face with every page I turned. I do wish we had been privy to the reception since I am greedy for any time spent in Mitford. The last chapter, spent on their honeymoon in Maine and entitled, "The Beginning" more than solidifies the idyllic love that these two people share. Again I say, Thank-you Jan Karon. Kelsana 4/29/01

I was excited to hear that there was another installment of the endearing and addicting Mitford series, but a bit disappointed to learn that it wasn't a new saga, but the untold story of Father Tim and Cynthia Coppersmith's wedding. And then I read it.

I devoured the book in less than four hours (a new record for me, even with my propensity for speed-reading!). I loved it! From Father Tim's breathless proposal to his inability to even tell his dog about his marriage plans to Cynthia's doubts and fears to Dooley's misgivings, it held me enthralled, just as the first five books did. My only disappointment was that the book, by necessity, couldn't be as long as its predecessors. Oh, and I would have liked to have seen Edith Mallory's response to the nuptials! Oh well, you can't have everything.

Bravo Jan Karon- another job well done!