Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Harper, 2023
320 pages
audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep
HarperAudio
HarperAudio
11 hours and 22 minutes
My one-sentence review:
This may just be the perfect novel... I loved every sentence!
A bit more:
Tom Lake, my most anticipated release of 2023, was every bit as good as I'd hoped. It's billed as Patchett's pandemic novel, though the pandemic isn't central to the story. Instead it serves as a mechanism to bring adult children home to their family's Michigan cherry orchard for an extended period of time. Telling stories becomes their preferred form of entertainment... in particular, one about a long ago summer theater run when their mother, a budding actress, and a soon-to-be-hugely-famous movie star are involved in a brief, but significant relationship.
Everything else - characters, writing, setting, atmosphere - really is perfection. This book made me feel all of it, and I did not want it to end.
Tom Lake was a read/listen combination for me. The audio version is truly something special... Meryl Streep's narration is exquisite. In my twenty-plus years of listening to audiobooks, this is one of the very best.
One final note:
I strongly recommend reading the classic play Our Town by Thornton Wilder prior to Tom Lake, especially if you've not read it before. It figures prominently into the story, so being familiar with the characters and plot will add to your overall understanding and appreciation. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov has also been suggested as a prerequisite but, for me, it didn't add to my reading experience.
My rating:
Tom Lake will surely be one of my favorite books of 2023.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love seeing how much you enjoyed this story.
ReplyDeleteDeb - This was such a great reading experience!
DeleteThis sounds so good! Thanks for recommending we read Our Town first, I should start it soon.
ReplyDeleteVicki - I thought I'd read Our Town in high school, but it wasn't even vaguely familiar when I read it last month. It's short, so not u huge time commitment.
DeleteSounds as if my long wait to get a turn at a copy of "Tom Lake" from my local library will be well worth it. As of this morning, I'm mired at #65...sure wish people read a little faster. Now i need to find my copy of Our Town in preparation...at least I have my own copy of that.
ReplyDeleteSam - Patchett just keeps getting better and better, and this will be worth the wait. Definitely give Our Town a quick reread while you're waiting.
DeleteThis is the second 5 star review I've seen. It's time to add this to my TBR list. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHelen - I hope you love it, too!
DeleteIt really isn't a pandemic novel, is it? She wrote These Precious Days during the pandemic, and I think this one right after (if there is an "after"), but the pandemic is really just a backdrop. I've been watching some of her interviews and am just so in love with book. As you said, every sentence is perfect. I love the relationships between the father and mother and daughters. I think it would make a marvelous movie. Now to finish Lonesome Dove (on audio) so I can start listening to Tom Lake with Streep!
ReplyDeleteLes - The various relationships in this book were just the best.. so authentic and loving. It would make an excellent movie!! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your Lonesome Dove experience. It took me a long time to settle into the audio. I hated it at first because the volume of Gus's speech was so loud! Eventually I grew to love it.
DeleteAuthentic is the perfect way to describe the relationships, JoAnn. Everything about family life on the cherry farm felt so real. As far as Lonesome Dove... I'm about 38% in. It's good, but so far, I'm not feeling that it's going to hit my Top Ten for the year. Funny you mention Gus's speech volume in the audio. It reminds me so much of Calamity Jane's in Deadwood. :) It doesn't both me, but I'm waiting to feel more for the characters...
DeleteLes - I cared more and more about the characters as the story progressed, especially Gus. I'm trying to remember where 38% puts you. Checking back on our MMD discussions, around chapter 58 seemed to be a turning point. It gets kind of graphic, so be prepared of you're not there yet...
DeleteGood to know. I'm on Chapter 46. It's holding my interest, but I'm waiting to connect to the characters a bit more. Thanks for the encouragement (and warning).
DeleteLes - Let me know when you get there!
DeleteYay! I know it's definitely in my top five for the year so far, and honestly, I expect it to stay there through December.
ReplyDeleteAmy - I can't imagine what other book could knock this off my list!
DeleteThis one has been on my TBR since I first heard of it and I'm so excited to see how much you enjoyed the audio version. I'm not the waitlist at my library for it and I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I'm not sure whether Meryl Streep has narrated any other audiobooks, but this was something special! Hope you love it, too.
DeleteThat's great praise, loving every sentence. I think I have it and must look it up. Thanks for the reviee.
ReplyDeleteHarvee - I hope you do have it... and love it, too!
DeleteI'm so glad you loved this book. It's always great when you connect with a book and love it. Dutch House and Bel canto are my favorites by Patchett.
ReplyDeleteNot sure when you are returning to Florida but I suppose you are watching the tropics. Here we go again ...
Tina - Yes, I'm watching and so far the forecasted path sounds just like Ian a week out. My friends on the island are freaking out! We probably won't go back until after the holidays this year - 2 weddings this fall, then Thanksgiving. If nobody can travel to FL for Christmas, we will stay in CT.
DeleteThanks for the tip about Our Town, it's not a play I'm familar with at all, although was their an old movie of that name?
ReplyDeleteBrona - There is an old movie, but I was told the 1940 film changes the ending in a very significant way. I'm so glad I read Our Town first - it gave some important context. Thought I'd read it in school, but it wasn't even vaguely familiar. Hope you love Tom Lake, too!
DeleteI've just started the audio ... and Meryl does a good job as Lara. I will see how this goes along. Glad you liked it a lot.
ReplyDeleteSusan - Will be curious to hear what you think. My mother read it this past week and didn't like it all that much... we usually agree on books.
DeleteJumping in on your comment to Susan, JoAnn. I wonder what your mom didn't like about Tom Lake. My mom read it, too, and thought it was very good. She gave it 4 stars to my 5 stars, though.
DeleteLes - I think my mother would come in between a 3 and 3.5 rating. She generally prefers more in the way of plot, plus she wasn't familiar with Our Town. Patchett's writing was the highlight for her.
DeleteSo great to hear that this novel did not disappoint. I have never read nor seen Our Town--I will make a note to do so, though it is so prevalent that I have picked up a lot of it by osmosis.
ReplyDeleteJaneGS - I thought I'd read or seen Our Town somewhere along the way but once I started reading, it was obvious I had not. Glad I took the time to read it first!
DeleteI'm so glad you loved it! I read Our Town once in high school many years ago, so I think a reread is in order.
ReplyDeleteDiana - I'm sure a quick reread will add to your enjoyment of Tom Lake.
DeleteI just put this on my list because Erin mentioned it in her blog post today. Fun to have it confirmed by someone else so quickly!
ReplyDeleteJoy - I hope you love it, too! Just starting to see reviews from readers who thought it was too slow, too boring, etc... but I thought it was excellent.
DeleteExcellent review JoAnn and when I get to this one I think I'll definitely have to do a re-read of Our Town as it's been many years since I read that play. I have to say I do think I'm tempted to do an audio of this as I really like Meryl Streep and can only imagine what this must be like to listen to.
ReplyDeleteIliana - I think you'll be glad you reread Our Town. At this point, I'm not even sure it was a reread for me... it was completely unfamiliar! Town Lake is in the running for my favorite book of the year. Meryl Streep's narration was a real treat!
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