Describes a youth's breakdown and recovery and how it affects his family.
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I had seen the Robert Redford film over a hundred times before I finally got around to reading the book. Judith Guest's novel about the Jarrett fam... (show more)
I had seen the Robert Redford film over a hundred times before I finally got around to reading the book. Judith Guest's novel about the Jarrett family coping with death, guilt, and feelings that have been kept secret but now emerging and leading to the destruction of a family. Conrad Jarrett is the center piece of the story. He is eighteen years old and recovering from the death of his older Buck (killed in a boating accident) and from attempting suicide. His father, Calvin, is loving but feels responsible for Conrad's suicide attempt while his mother, Beth, insists on moving past the tragedies with superficial optimism and cold denial. Meanwhile, Conrad is seeing psychiatrist Dr. Berger in his follow up to find where the guilt and burden is coming from and I can tell you it has nothing to do with feeling guilty for Buck's death. Conrad experiences many changes in his life and he befriends the lovely Jeanine Pratt, who also becomes his girlfriend. As young Conrad goes through the motions of change and progresses in his therapy, his parents' lives are also changing and not necessarily for the better. Specifically, Beth is showing her true colors underneath the warm and perfect exterior: she is insecure, cold, and self-centered. She is not the woman Calvin married and she is not the mother Conrad needs her to be. She has emotional limitations that make it impossible for her to love unconditionally. Calvin is so torn and his attempt to keep his family together slowly dies along with his love for Beth.
The book is far more in depth than the movie in the sense that it shows Conrad changing for the better and blossoming on his terms rather than his brother's. The tragedy of the story is not the death of a son, but the unraveling of a family and yet it is about the strength to forgive and to accept others emotional limitations. When you to the part where Conrad hugs Beth and she doesn't even respond (in fact she doesn't know how), you will know what I mean. (show less)
Guest narrates the story through two characters; one, a 17 year old (Con) who has recently exited an in-patient hopsital after attempting suicide a... (show more)
Guest narrates the story through two characters; one, a 17 year old (Con) who has recently exited an in-patient hopsital after attempting suicide after his brother drowned (he feels responsible), and two, the father (Cal) of said teen. We do not get to see in the mother's (Beth) head; Guest uses this to remover her even further from the family. Apparently, Beth dislikes her husband for what she thinks is caring too much about Con. Perhaps she is used to being the center of attention? Beth thinks Con attempted suicide to punish her for being distant. Mothers are weird. Cal, deperately in love with his wife, tries to get her to open up, to no avail. By the end of the novel, Con is on the road to mental health, Cal has bonded with his son, and Beth has moved to Europe for an extended vacation. Con and Cal both feel abandoned and the book ends nebulously--a "life goes on" sort of theme. Overall, this is a quick read. Robert Redford turned this novel into a movie in the 80's. It highlights issues of dysfunctional families dealing with great loss and the intrapersonal relationships that suffer as a result. Would I reccommend it? Perhaps to people who don't get enough of their own dysfunctional existence. This was psychology before drugs. (show less)
This is one of my favorite books, and I never get tired of reading it. I first read it when I was twelve and then again at seventeen. Every few years, I pick up this book and am always amazed at how it still touches me. My viewpoint of various characters has changed throughout the years, and I think that has to do with how I have changed throughout the years. I like how Guest mirrors Conrad’s struggle with Calvin’s but also manages to show Beth’s pain and sadness. My favorite character h... (show more)
This is one of my favorite books, and I never get tired of reading it. I first read it when I was twelve and then again at seventeen. Every few years, I pick up this book and am always amazed at how it still touches me. My viewpoint of various characters has changed throughout the years, and I think that has to do with how I have changed throughout the years. I like how Guest mirrors Conrad’s struggle with Calvin’s but also manages to show Beth’s pain and sadness. My favorite character has always been Berger. Who wouldn’t want a guy like that in his/her life? (show less)
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I first read this book in a single sitting on a plane back when I was in high school. It really moved me and I kept that copy on my shelf for ten years. There it stayed until last week when I wanted to cull some books and I thought I'd re-read it one more time and give it away. Of course I became totally engrossed and now I don't want to give it away.
This book is SO perceptive, so real. So filled with character and detail and real emotion. It's a masterpiece and more people should read it... (show more)
I first read this book in a single sitting on a plane back when I was in high school. It really moved me and I kept that copy on my shelf for ten years. There it stayed until last week when I wanted to cull some books and I thought I'd re-read it one more time and give it away. Of course I became totally engrossed and now I don't want to give it away.
This book is SO perceptive, so real. So filled with character and detail and real emotion. It's a masterpiece and more people should read it. I don't know if I'm going to get rid of my copy, In ten years it'll be just as amazing. One of my all-time favorite books. (show less)
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