Whistler
Whistler ~ Ann Patchett
Daphne Fuller and her husband, Jonathan, are spending the afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, when they run into Eddie Tripplet, who was, for a brief time in her childhood, Daphne’s stepfather. Daphne and her sister Leda had three fathers – their biological father, Buddy, who probably should not have had children, his first love was the ocean; Eddie, who probably should not have married their mother; and Lucas, to whom Daphne never felt connected. Both Daphne and Leda have strong affection for Eddie, and consider the time with him in their lives to be the most stable and happy.
As Daphne and Eddie reconnect, we discover that their bond is twofold. One, they are very similar people, and loved each other greatly from the beginning. Two, they were in a serious car accident when she was 9, an accident that precipitated the end of Eddie’s marriage to Daphne’s mother, Abigail. Daphne has locked a lot of these memories away, it is too painful to think of how immediately and absolutely Eddie was erased from their lives.
I loved this book so, so much. It brought up a lot of thoughts for me, though I have never had and lost a wonderful stepfather. (Though I gained and then lost a wonderful father, probably that is it for me.)
When my mom was pregnant with my older brother, she did not want his father involved in their life. He was a musician in San Francisco and was pretty involved in the drug scene. She instead married a good friend, whom she told me she did love, who turned out to be gay. They could perhaps have had a good marriage had everything about both of them been different (a line from Whistler). When Eddie and Daphne reconnect, she is in her early 50s, he is 70, and he goes around introducing her to everyone as his daughter, and his love and pride are so evident. I first met my father when I was 21, and he later told my mom that he was like a new dad, showing strangers on the bus my picture and telling his story. I wouldn’t say that my story and Daphne’s parallel so much as the feelings that are brought up are on the same trajectory.
There is drama, but it’s gentle drama. There’s a car crash, but it’s all in the past so we know they survive. We know that Abigail and Eddie divorce, we just don’t know the whole story going in. There are no really bad people in this book, no abuse or cruelty. This is a story about impermanence, and the love that makes impermanence (almost) bearable. I loved this book so much, I read it three times. First I put it on hold to listen to via Libby, then I got impatient and tried to read it on my iPad (it was available right away on Libby to read), which I HATED, so I bought a physical copy with a store credit I had at Bookstore.org, and I read that twice. Then when my Libby hold came in, I listened to it. Highly, highly recommended. (I thought, given the cover, that there would be more horses. It’s OK, the horses that are there are pretty darned good.)
24 Comments
Michelle G.
This sounds like an interesting book, and even more interesting because you loved it so much that you’ve read it three times! It’s also cool to know more of your story!
J
It was so, so good. I loved it.
Margaret
I love Ann Patchett and have heard wonderful things about this book.
J
It’s so good, I think you will love it.
Coco
I love this book!!! Such a gentle and beautiful way to tell a non conventional love story.
J
YES!
Nicole MacPherson
I loved this book, as you know!
Wow, J, your backstory is very complex! How long did the marriage between your mom and Dick last? Did you know him well growing up? I know you didn’t meet your dad until you were an adult.
J
Nicole, my backstory (my mom’s story really) is SO complicated. My mom and Dick got married 6 days before my brother was born (she in a red velvet maternity dress), and they were separated when I was conceived, divorced by the time I was born. I’ve never met him. It was difficult on my brother, who was a toddler when he lost the only dad he had known.
StephLove
I’ve heard good thing about this one from variois people.
J
It’s really good! I’m glad I own it.
DB Stewart
A book about imperanance…that really speaks to me. Mary Oliver wrote a devastating but thoughtful poem about this topic…I’ll quote a line from it, but I encourage you to google it so that you can experience it yourself: “To live in this world / you must be able / to do three things:”
I hope you enjoy it…adding this book to my TBR.
J
Oh goodness, that was indeed a devastating poem, and one that could teach me a lot I’m afraid. The letting go is the hard part.
Suzanne
I gave this book to a friend for his birthday, and he loved it so much he gave it back to me when he was done. I have been carrying it around for a few days now, trying to start it and worrying that I won’t love it the way everyone else loves it. Normally, I feel like every book has a reader, but not every reader is for every book. But sometimes the pressure is too much to bear!
Lovely review, though, and I loved reading about your mother and her friend, and you and your father.
J
I am imagining you carrying it around literarally, from room to room, considering starting, then putting it down.
I know, that is a lot of hype when everyone loves a book so much. No book is for everyone, and if you are the person this one is not for, it will be OK. (I suspect you will love it.)
PocoBrat
As you know I loved this book so much… I was so glad to share th eimmediate aftermath with you.
(My red herring was that I thought it was about the painter Whistler, given that it is a PAINTING of a horse and begins in an ART gallery… LOL)
J
LOL, that hadn’t occurred to me!
Stephany
I skimmed your review because I want to go into this book as blind as possible. I am hit-or-miss with Patchett but this one has everyone raving so I can’t imagine I won’t like it, too!
J
AMEN, I love going in blind. Thankfully, usually I put something on hold and then it’s many weeks before I get it so I have zero idea what I’m in for. I hope you love it!
Jacquie
I finished it last week and I absolutely loved it!! I’m a fan of her books and I think this is one of her best.
J
Yay! I’m glad you loved it!
Jenny
Wow, you read it three times? On the face of it this sounds like a book I wouldn’t like (I don’t usually appreciate “character driven” novels) but EVERYONE has raved about this one. I probably will read it at some point, but I kind of feel like Suzanne (above)- I’m worried I won’t like it as much as everyone else. Oh well- I’ll give it a shot anyway!
J
Maybe give it some time for the hype to come down. Going in with your expectations too high is rough! Having said that, I felt that way about The Correspondent, but ended up loving it.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
This was n’t a book I planned on picking up but you did make it soudn interesting.
J
If you give it a try I hope you enjoy it!