What do You think about The Distinguished Guest (1999)?
I picked up two Sue Miller books for 50 cents each at the book sale at our church's Christmas Fair, this one and "The Senator's Wife." I'm a huge fan of "While I Was Gone" and "The World Below," and I remember thinking "Family Pictures" was a great, if sad, book. But I have to admit I didn't love either of these. Her writing is interesting, but I just did not get interested in the characters as I did in her other books. (At least I didn't despise them, as I did almost everyone in the awful "Lost in the Forest.")
—Martha
At 72 Lily finds literary fame after publishing her memoir. She appears to have been a polarizing woman with strong views on racial integration, religion and marriage. Her writings are offerings of her paradigm and little interest or understanding of those to whom she is genetically related. As the story meanders along I develop a somewhat detached relationship with her the protagonist - in fact I don't think I like her and to be honest I can't tell if I am supposed to or not? It is with the secondary characters that I fuse and feel a fondness towards. These are the ones that keep me turning the pages particularly her son Alan who is uncomfortable with the bare all nature of her writings, his wife Gaby a sure bodied French women with a great back story, the fragile journalist Linnett trying to get a unique angle on Lily, and finally her grandson Thomas who is just a bit quirky for favor or popularity. They all become more than Lily and I suspect it is because they project a need from others which Lily does not.This is a story of how the business of living day to day gets mired in our own perception and personal agenda. Yet when we stop and look in the rearview mirror we discover just how much we missed of our nearest and dearest needs and their rationale for why they did what they did. Often it is the obvious cues that are missed and once lost create life long misconceptions with unfortunate consequence. The truth is often only reveled once that person is no longer with us - fascinating stuff and for some duller than watching paint dry I know. But for me I am endlessly fascinated with these subtle nuances both in my own reality and fictional attempts to figure this stuff out. So when an author can bring them alive for me and do justice to it I am delighted. Sue Miller writes very beautifully and I enjoy her particular style of laying relationships down for me to examine and mull over this was no exception.
—Kate
Examaning life near the end is not normally a topic I would choose to read, but as a fan of Sue Miller, this book's topic and the timing of reading it is unsettling. With Busia living with my parents, Lily's life is very pertinent to what I see a few blocks away. In light of recent diagnosis of people I know, it is too frightening to really want to look at life so closely---yet facinating in the way that Miller does it. What is true? How does finding a new truth late in life impact you? Am I being true to myself and those around me? Lily reads all her old letters and then destroys them after one last read. I thought about why I keep so many old letters and print out favorite emails. What is the point? Do I want to remember who I was then? No one else will be interested in reading them...nor do I really want them to. Why can't I get rid of them?I have checked off quite a few of "Things to do in my lifetime." but nothing that impacts other people---all selfish things I want to experience or see--Is it wrong if I don't strive to do more for those that have less privledge than myself? Why was I so fortunate when others are not? Is there something more that I am suppose to do? Lily becomes a famous writer in her seventies which reminds me that life is long and I can accomplish and do more. I am not stagnant or settled yet in my thirties although I often feel like this could be the case (like when I attend a class reunion and sum up my life in two sentences). However, deciding to be a mother and a wife has value and being in the life of my family is crucial. Allen (Lily's son) refers often to his father not being around...and although the reason his father was absent is noble, is the ultimate lack of relationship justified? ...and the deeply disturbed overshadowing emotion that the absentee parent has on their off-spring ever worth it? Obviously...a good read...
—Jlawton
