This very touching book by Justin Cronin spans the course of several decades. Each of the four main characters ... Harry Wainwright, Joe Crosby, Jordan Patterson and Lucy Crosby (Joe's wife)tells this poignant story in their own words and from their own perspectives. The story begins with Harry, who is dying of lung cancer, returning to a beautiful spot.... a fishing camp in Maine.. where he has spent nearly all of the summers of his life and which has great personal significance.. for him and each of these characters. Harry has a last request and in working up to the carrying out of this request, the reader is told the very personal stories of each of these characters and just how interconnected their lives are.Although I had a bit of trouble following the story in the beginning as the author wrote the story in such a way that the characters traveled back and forth in time, once I became immersed in the story, I began traveling through time with these wonderfully human characters. Mr. Cronin demonstrated his understanding of the complexity of human relationships.. the relationships between men and women, husbands and wives... but most especially the relationship between fathers and daughters..I can personally attest the complexity of this particular type of relationship. One of the most touching descriptions written by Mr. Cronin was about the relationship between Joe Crosby and his daughter, Kate. He wrote... "I didn't know a thing about babies, but it turned out I didn't need to. It happened like this: I held my little five-pound Kate against my skin, each one of my senses tuned to the little puffs of air that moved from her chest as she breathed and slept, and as the days slid by, taking all my loneliness with them, that's when she became my Kate."Mr. Cronin created characters which were relatable and likable... even in the midst of their mistakes and failings. I was drawn into their lives and felt happiness for their joys and sorrow for their pain. To me, there is no greater compliment I can pay an author than that.
This is my first Justin Cronin novel, and I loved his writing. I will say, though, I started this a couple of weeks ago and I just couldn't do it. It was too wordy. I tabled it for later. I'm glad I did because once I started this again, I gained an appreciation for his descriptive style. He didn't simply describe something, but he added an extra layer of description and then sometimes another layer. Because the descriptions were so rich, the people and the place were vivid. The characters had a deep and abiding love for the quiet setting of this novel, which was a rustic fishing camp/lodge where they wished to be there forever. I found that very interesting because we live in such mobile time. Our generation always seems to be moving on to bigger and better. The characters were flawed but they were basically good. There was such a tight focus on them and their relationships. This was enjoyable. It was slow in a few places, but I hardly noticed because during those times, I was paying attention to the writing.
What do You think about The Summer Guest (2005)?
I picked this after reading and loving The Passage. The Summer Guest is quite a different experience than the former, and I'd describe it as a little sleepy. I'm not sure how the story could have been made more exciting, but I don't think it was really meant to be. A lot of the best parts arrive late in the story, and you do find that you care about the characters by that point which certainly makes a different. I'm a little ho-hum about this one in reflection but it was a pleasant read nonetheless.
—Candace
Solid, yet somewhat predictable plot. My biggest complaint was the names of the characters...Joe, Jordan, Hal, and Harry. It may seem trivial, but when I read a novel like this, I usually peg character names to a picture in my head of that character, but only end up seeing the first couple letters of each name as I'm reading through the novel. So when the four main characters have the same first two letters in their names, I end up getting all the characters confused and the plot gets all muddy. I'm sure this is just an idiosyncrasy of mine, but it prevents me from giving it a higher rating. Petty, I know, but was just irritating to have to re-read pages paying closer attention to names to make sure I had it right in my head.
—Kim
This is a stunning novel written in 2005. I think it is so breathtaking, everyone should be able to share in its beauty. The story takes place at a rustic fishing camp on the northern tip of Maine, and spans the eras just after World War II and continues through three generations of family and friends. The plot revolves around a wealthy entrepreneur who fell in love with the camp as a young man and revisited it for thirty years. The last trip he makes there is different in that he has come for his final visit - he is dying of terminal cancer. The camp itself serves as the physical and emotional center for the extended circle of family and friends. Each character tells their back story in alternating chapters that depict love, war, disease, loss, betrayal and redemption . These stories are told with such deep and touching sincerity of emotions that it’s hard to look away. The novel has a lovely timeless quality that remains constant even when dealing with the bedrock realities of family and place. Mr. Cronin has a superb ability to create tremendous beauty out of the everyday business of living, loving and dying. This is an extraordinary book peopled by fantastic characters and heartbreaking warmth. Do yourself a favor and become a summer guest in this beautifully created tale.
—JoAnne Pulcino
