Anything is Possible – Elizabeth Strout

Thanks for such a great discussion on Elizabeth Strout’s novelAnything is Possible. It was really interesting to hear all of your comments and thoughts on the many characters, their stories and how they were all connected. I think we all agreed it was not a “feel good” novel. Frankly, it was anything but. I read a New York Times review that described it as the opposite of Little House on the Prairie. Yes, it most assuredly was! The stories take place in the small rural town of Amgash, Ill., where everybody knows everyone – or do they?

The stories explore relationships between parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends, lovers – you name it. Many of the relationships hide painful truths, some dealt with and some not. These stories highlight the lasting impacts of old hurts and slights, some of them so painful that it’s hard to fathom how anyone could come of of them unscathed. Yet, some of them do and the grace they carry themselves with is touching and empowering. The way the characters weave in and out of the stories is masterful, although there were so many different characters that it was hard to keep track of them all. I found myself at times thinking a character’s name sounded familiar and yet I couldn’t place them without searching back through the stories.

Not everyone liked the book. It is not a “feel good” book. In fact, sometimes it was downright depressing. It talked about things that happen to people, their impacts and how the characters deal with them (or not), things that follow them into adulthood. It is not an easy read.

There is another book calledMy Name is Lucy Barton, by the same author. It’s mentioned inAnything is Possibleby the character that actually writes the book in Elizabeth Strout’s novel. I haven’t read it but from what Diann said, it was put together much the same way Strout didAnything is Possible. Additionally, it might help explain a few things. I think I’ll read it! This was my first round with Elizabeth Strout and I really enjoyed her writing style. Yes, I’m hooked!