Errands [Paperback]

Guest. (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: G K Hall & Co,US; Largeprint edition (December 31, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078388060X
• ISBN-13: 978-0783880600
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Multi-Kleenex read for Fall., September 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Errands (Hardcover)

Judith Guest has once again, since "Ordinary People" wrapped grief around her readers and allowed them to actually feel what loss is like. I used to think I knew how death of a loved one would affect me, but now that I've read "Errands" I no longer can assume I'll know how to react. At first I thought that Annie the mother was a bitter and inflexible woman and did not truly love her children. However, as she tried to be everything to everyone - a mother, sister, daughter and good employee, I realized that she was only "acting" the roles in an effort to avoid the true grieving process. The children, unfortunately, suffered the most in this novel. Judith Guest's ability to take the reader into the minds of each different child helped one visualize in a more florid way the trauma that they endured. Annie was not an easy character to like; Harry, the oldest, made me want to reach out and help. Errands was a quick, easy read that brought you to tears yet warmed your heart

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This review refers to the abridged audio version., October 21, 2005

By 

Donna K. "bookcrosser" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Errands (Hardcover)

This wonderfully composed, emotionally engaging story follows a young family on their remarkable journey, coping and adapting to their life's circumstances when their family dynamics change with the sudden illness and death of the husband/father. It was very realistically presented, especially from the children's viewpoints. My heart was with Jimmy thoroughout much of the novel and I related very closely to Annie's frustrations as a mother, especially in dealing with her children not getting along with each other.

I probably wouldn't have read this book at all had it not been for the opportunity to listen to this abridged audio-version, so I appreciate this chance to experience it. However, I did feel that I was missing out on important bits and details along the way that were probably included in the complete versions, particularly development of the secondary storyline about Jess and her almost-divorced boyfriend Ryan. Also, I have mixed feelings about the way the story ended - there were a lot of loose ends left hanging and after investing so much emotional energy into these characters, I was left wanting to know more about what happened to them beyond just the one year following their life-altering circumstance that this story covers.

Still, all-in-all, it was a very pleasant story to listen to.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the stages of grief described in a novel, February 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (sioux city, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Errands (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the story of widow Annie Browner and her three children and the way they cope with the sudden death of their husband and father from a brain tumor. They have all the difficulties you would expect. The death benefits are not generous. The kids have school problems. Annie has not been employed for 14 years and suddenly must find a job. Relatives are unbelievably cruel. Yet there are a whole bunch of people out there cheering them on in a quiet way. While I have never dealt with the sort of grief the Browners go through, it seems as if all of those stages you read about are in this book. At the end, you get the feeling that they are through the worst stages and that life will, after all, be worth living for the Browners. A good read.