Customer Reviews

Searching for Caleb

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anne Tyler is my favorite living author and one of less than a handful who produce books that I must rush out and buy immediately. In hardback, at full price - and I HATE paying full price! Novels like this are what made me fall in love with Anne Tyler. I do not understand other comments from readers. Apparently they want fictional characters to be inspirationally motivating role models that will save the world and enlighten us all. Well, sorry, but people are not like that in real life, either. They are exotic and boring and delightful and monstrously annoying, all at the same time, As are the Pecks. The story works brilliantly. While we are wondering if Caleb Peck will be found, we're learning about "black sheep" Justine and Duncan, how they met and married. Justine's story about the cousin who was such a bad influence on her, and what happened to him, is amusing, with a terrific ending line. I found all the Pecks delightful. I found neither Justine nor Duncan "weak" or "unpleasant," but flawed, and delightfully so. Perhaps other readers were made nervous by Justine's rootlessness; I don't know. I DO know that I have enjoyed all Tyler's books, and yet I constantly return to the Pecks - I love them! Anne Tyler has a great gift - that cannot be denied. Good writing like this is so hard to find, and needs to be treasured. I highly recommend this book - it's a gem!

Once again Anne Tyler outdoes herself with another intriguing novel, Searching For Caleb. The mix of irresistible details along with Tyler's ability to reach the irrational root of human nature absorbs and enchants the readers. Katha Pollitt, a reviewer of contemporary fiction, clearly states her opinion in a 1975 review, "Reading `Searching for Caleb,' one is constantly being startled by such moments: gestures, words, wrinkles of thought and feeling that are at once revelatory and exactly right." In Searching For Caleb, Anne Tyler creates and leads us to understand the Peck family of Baltimore. As a reserved, wealthy family, the Pecks are concerned with and only with the well being of their family, choosing to ignore the world outside of the secluded suburbia that several generations have called home. The presiding figure over the many generations is the aging grandfather, Daniel. Daniel's every thought is fixated on the mysterious disappearance of his musical brother, Caleb, which occurred over 60 years ago. Ironically, Daniel's grandson, Duncan, an untamed boy consumed by an infatuation with danger, also rebels against the Pecks. Justine, previously a fervent member of the Peck family and an amateur fortune-teller, marries her cousin, Duncan. The couple races through small New England towns and life trying to make a living with Duncan restlessly changing his profession and Justine's predictions. When Justine decides to join her grandfather, Daniel, in an effort to find his long, lost brother Caleb, she is also searching for much more. She is looking for an answer to love, life, and to the ever-changing directions of her unsettled husband, Duncan. Searching For Caleb is a "must-read" for any die-hard Anne Tyler enthusiasts. A twisting plot and an accelerated emotional roller coaster make this novel a classic and a compelling addition to Tyler's collection of heart-warming novels.

I have read everything from Anne Tyler, and this is without a doubt my favorite. Although I agree that Justine, Duncan, or any of the Pecks are hardly rolemodels, they are fascinating characters and not that hard to relate to - haven't you ever wondered what your life would have been like if you had run away every time you felt like it?

One additional thought on Anne Tyler's writing style: she's amazingly talented. I've never read anyone who is as capable of making you understand a character though details of converstation as is Anne Tyler. It's more than worth giving her a chance.

A novel concerned more with its characters than any storyline, it's basically about the Peck family, especially the brothers Daniel and Caleb. Caleb, a musician, is not at all interested in the family business, which he is expected to take over with Daniel, and he runs away. The year is 1912. Daniel, and then his offspring, spend much of their lives looking for him.

Finally, after a private detective is hired, Caleb is located living in an old folks home for the poor in Louisiana. You'd expect this to be a good thing, but after all that, things don't turn out so hot: Daniel dies before being reunited with his brother and Justine, Daniel's granddaughter who brings Caleb home, is disappointed with him and leaves. It's a dark theme, but honest in its way, and Tyler handles it well. It's the most interesting thing about the book - the irony of the good turning bad. The book has a scattered feel about it, however, and some of the subplots are never resolved.

Anne Tyler succeeds in the difficult art of making essentially boring, humdrum, quirky, flawed, annoying, bizarre, weirdo social misfits the fascinating and eminently readable subjects of her books. The Pecks are no exception, who set about searching for the missing Caleb. What a rare and unusual talent this lady from Baltimore has. In reading a bio of her, I discovered she was a 19yo senior at Duke University when I was a clueless 17yo freshman there. Damn! If I'd only known...

There were a lot of great moments for me in "Searching For Caleb"...if it was condensed a little, (40-50 pages) this could've garnered an easy 5 stars from this reader. Though I love Anne Tyler's style of writing where she peels back the layers of her characters fascade, for me, I love it when she stays more linear, as opposed to all the long back-tracking, and gets on with the storyline, as in Ladder of Years and Accidental Tourist.
Still, her writing style is very thought provoking. I found myself pondering over my relationships with my own female cousins, as well as current relationships with my family members and girlfriend.
I thought Justine was hard to figure out, and at first it didn't seem believable that she was becoming as eccentric as her husband/cousin Duncan. I liked the way Tyler addresed this isssue towards the end of this very in depth journey into their lives.

Searching for Caleb is quintessential Tyler -- quirky and bittersweet with characters you'll remember for a long time after you read the book. If you are an Anne Tyler fan, you will enjoy this one -- I couldn't put it down.

I am an avid fan of Anne Tyler, marking her on my top ten list of female authors. Why? Because she has the amazing ability to take, quirky, eccentric, unusual characters, throw them into everyday life, and stir the mix into grand entertainment. As readers we come to appreciate oddity; not to fear it or judge it. Humor is paramount to her tales that flow with effortless dialogue and exquisite descriptions.

The Peck family is a staple of Baltimore society; their homes are meticulous; their manners impeccable; their views staunch and unchanging; their style set in stone like the identical homes they reside in. BUT, Duncan and Justine, walking to the beat of different drummers, break away in search of spontaniety. Their idosyncratic attempts toward this end, make for a most insightful presentation.

Don't be afraid. Meet the Pecks. You will come to accept and like them warts and all. This is quite a delightful read!

Follow a century in the life of a family in this true to life story that leaps right off the page.

Hi again. Anne Tyler is still great. Her versatility is a marvel to behold. With every book, I see her pushing her own limits and making it look oh so easy. In THE CLOCK WINDER, she wrote a "whole family saga" spanning years and generations. Here, she really explodes, covering an entire century or thereabouts and making it as real as it gets. Amazing.

Maybe I should pause to read some garbage or else I'll run out of superlatives. Nah, I can't do that, so maybe you should do this. After you celebrate Read An Ebook week, go to the library or bookstore and stock up on Anne Tyler. You'll forget to turn on your computer during Shutdown Day and everybody will be happy.