Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Off Season
Book Review: Mainstream literature
Summary: 3 Stars
The story begins shortly after the funeral services of Lilly Constable McCall's husband, Cam. Against her daughters' protests, she decides to head to coastal Maine where her family's cottage and its memories await her. Lily takes us back to her childhood of innocence and the losses she experienced and then her life with Cam.
Before I go further, let me make something perfectly clear. I feel Anne Rivers Siddons is a phenomenal writer. In OFF SEASON, she digs deep, exposing the human side in all of us. Do you hear a "but" coming? There really isn't one, but Siddons goes too deep that it's painful for me to experience. The last time I was moved to such a state was over Terms of Endearment. The writer packed such an emotion punch that leaves me so sad and full of pain days after reading the last page. It's a wonderful literary read, but sensitive types might feel Lily's pain all the way to their bones.
Now that I have made that perfectly clear, the ending was a total let down. I can understand no happily ever after, but this left me bitter. This is just a suggestion. If this isn't an author you tried before, try another book first. This was my first and it's totally ruined me for reading another.
These are the things I look for in a good story. I had a heck of a time getting into the book. I picked it up several times and what I read was good, but it wasn't enough to hold my interest. So for me, it had some dry spots.
The second problem was at the end. I just thought that was wrong. Maybe I became too wrapped up in Lily. But I asked the question what was the purpose for Cam's betrayal and couldn't come up with a logical answer. That was cruel, totally cruel. The book doesn't get a check in the good ending department.
Book Review: Maybe her best yet
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read all of Ms. Siddons' books, but I think "Off Season" might be the very best one. I didn't want it to end.Book Review: Mrs. Siddons has reproduced the Maine coast with vivid affection
Summary: 5 Stars
A wonderful story that combines myth, dreams, and tragedy with such intensity it will hurt your heart to read. All I will say about the ending is it will knock your socks off!Book Review: No Peachtree Road
Summary: 3 Stars
I have long been a fan of Anne Rivers Siddons,with Peachtree Road still being my favorite and what I consider her best work. I found Off Season disconcerting and jerky. Lily and Jon were far too young to have the adult conversations they shared. For Lily, a reclusive, cosseted daughter of old DC society, to rush into the arms of a complete stranger in a Georgetown restaurant and then agree to marry him was ludicrous. There were too many handing threads....what happened to Dr. Constable ? If Elzabeth Comstable had no lymph node involvement following surgery, how could she have so suddenly been in extremis? Cam and Peaches ? A talking cat who waits patiently for someone to come resue him ? Puleeze ! I was enjoying myself in spite of some of the strange happenings and things left unexplained until the end of the book. I had the feeling the author didn't know what to do to wrap the story up, so she just made up some convoluted,unrealistic conclusion. I have read the ending several times to be certain I wasn't missing something. I'm still not sure I have the whole thing sraight, and it is very disconcerting. References to the Jungle Book were right out of Peachtree Road,but that's where any resemblance between a great read and this book end.Book Review: Not Her Best
Summary: 3 Stars
Like many reviewers, I have been a big fan of ARS. IMHO, her best stuff was her earlier work like Peachtree Road, King's Oak, Colony and Downtown. Her characters in most of those books were deeply complex and interesting and the plots covered controversial topics. That was what made her books so good. I just didn't get that feeling from this book. I felt the relationship between Lilly and Jon was a little unrealistic - given that they were 11 and 13 respectively. Actually, when their ages were finally revealed, I felt quite shocked, as Lilly's thoughts struck me as coming from a girl much older. Likewise, the conversations between her and Jon really sounded like they were taking place between much older teenagers.
Most of the book felt 'rushed' to me, with characters and story-lines not being well developed, especially Lilly's relationships with Jon and Cam.
While I will continue to read ARS's books I did feel disappointed by this book - the ending seemed very contrived and rather confusing. One of the things I noticed with authors who produce a large of body work like Ms. Siddons, is, after a while, there is a noticeable decrease in the quality of the work. It's as if they run out of steam or ideas or they are now allowing other people to write their books (a much more common practice than the average reader realizes.) Ms. Siddons is now 72 years old and, sadly, I have begun to think her peak writing days are over.