A Thousand Acres
by Jane Smiley
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jane SmileyEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-09-30
ISBN: 0804115761
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Ivy Books
Book Reviews of A Thousand Acres
Book Review: 'King Lear'/'A Thousans Acres'. Read it before you comment!
Summary: 3 Stars
I have read many reviews of 'A Thousand Acres', and I have one point to make about many of the other reviews - please stop believing that this book is the story of 'King Lear'. It is not. That is the whole point of Smiley's book. She used the fundamental story-line of 'King Lear' to base her novel on. Entirely separately from whether you like the novel or not, it is not the same as 'King Lear'. All of the characters are different; Jess, Ginny, Rose, Caroline, Larry, Harold and Pete are all much more complex and different characters than they are in 'King Lear'. Moreover, if you read interviews with Jane Smiley, she says that she based virtually the entire novel on one speech in 'King Lear' which is approximately four lines long - this gave her the idea for the abuse of Ginny and Rose by Larry.
Secondly, having established that they are not the same, personally I feel that this is one of the most tragic novels I have ever read. All of the characters are poisoned and seem beyond repair. Caroline escapes, but also loses her family - not just her mother at an early age, but also her father (and her memories of him are tainted by the abuse allegations) and her sisters. Rose dies, bitter and alone, her husband having killed himself and her lover having left her. Pete, of course, kills himself (it is not explicit, but seems fairly certain) because life on the farm with this motely collection of people is too much for him. Pammy and Linda are left, at best, self-sufficient. Larry dies alone and unloved (this may be fair, of course). Ty's wife leaves him and his dreams for the farm collapse - he moves away to try and start again. Ginny herself, abused and damaged, has had an affair, tried to kill her sister, remembered some terrible abuse - and winds up alone, unable to let people get close to her, regretful of her life and unconnected to Pammy and Linda.
FINALLY: You are free to have your own opinion on this book, whether you think it absolutely terrible or a work of genius. But please, PLEASE know your facts before you start commenting! One reviewer paid so much attention to the novel that she didn't even know where it was set (she said 'somewhere in Midwest America, I think' - my dear, it says on the back of the book that the story is set in IOWA. The second person, 'a reader' (the title of the review was 'Lear comparison very misleading. don't bother with this book' and gave the novel 2 stars, also seems to think that Ginny never 'actually explicitly remembers anything herself.' May I draw your attention to pages 225-229 and page 258? Ginny certainly remembers the abuse there.
And finally, all those who mistakenly believe Jess' name is 'Jessie'. It is not.
Read the book before you criticise it - at least try and know what you're talking about.
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