I have enjoyed all of Strout’s previous books but this one failed to appeal. The format was confusing.. time sequences unclear. Her characters reappear as does Lucy in this novel but if you have not read the originals you should feel adrift. Strout is the master at describing relationships and family dynamics. Olive Kitteridge is a brilliant creation I instantly loved in both of her appearances in Strout’s books. Lucy is not Olive and I lost interest early on.

“This is the way of life: the many things we do not know until it’s too late.”
I loved this book.. love this author.
I breezed through this because I wanted to hear more of Lucy’s thoughts on her life.. mostly about her life with her first husband William, who she is still close to.
Lucy is 63 in this book, my age now.. so her thoughts were so relatable to me.
Thoughts on her troubled youth and how it related to her life, William and his philandering, their children, William’s ex wives, her own second marriage.
Lucy is helping William through some life situations in this book.. actually, I think they are helping each other.
This was delightful!
Recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC!

Elizabeth Strout never disappoints. We may not particularly "like" her characters but she shows them with all their foibles and misgivings. Lucy is aging, as aren't we all, but she has a clearer vision of what was and what could have been. Love the title---many times I thought "Oh, William." We could insert our own names.

Observation before a full review…How does she consistently write stories that are this close to our heart and souls? While she says we can never fully know another person (and I agree FWIW) from page 1 she anchors us in Lucy’s inner world. Just a wonderful read. Wish it hadn’t ended!

I gave this title four stars in my Goodreads review. It will not be my favorite novel by this author, by far. When we met Lucy Barton in a previous book, I liked her character much better. At this stage of her life, she seems to be unraveling, allowing herself to be pushed along by her ex-husband. But she does come to know herself better and to realize her self-worth. The reutation of Elizabeth Strout will surely propel this to best seller status.

Oh William! is a collection of quite melancholy musings of an aging woman, Lucy, and her ex-husband, William. Both are recently single again, and both seem to be still looking for meaning in their lives. This is the story of how they explore their past lives, and how all the suffering they have experienced has made them the people that they are today. And how through the sadness, they can still find some happiness.

I found this story to be a little depressing, and would have given it 3 stars, but Elizabeth Stout is an incredible story teller, and wove the past and present of both Lucy and William into a cohesive and compelling read. I read it in record time on my beach vacation. It's quite thought provoking, and intense at times. I would not recommend this one for a "beach read".

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to read and review Oh William.

A master storyteller who fortunately doesn’t let go of her characters but brings them to us from a new and engaging perspective!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. Having loved and recommended the two Olive books I opened this book with high expectations. She’s able to write about the inner feelings that are mostly hidden from but guide the outer personas. Oh William explores the string that still connects some divorced people long afterwards. Unfortunately I did find a connection to the characters.

This was a quick read for me. I liked the book but it will not go on my favorites list. There were several times I wanted to say "Oh William!" while reading the book so I really liked the title!

A warm story of how relationships grow and evolve. Honest characters with all their flaws and a little mystery thrown in to move the story. I loved all of them.

Elizabeth Strout creates genuine, prickly, difficult characters and then gives the reader enough insight into their lives and thoughts that they somehow become likable. This is hard to do, and even harder to do when the character is a woman, particularly a mother. And yet, here we have Lucy Barton, back in another novel and still her flawed amazing self. "Oh William!" finds Lucy and her ex-husband, William, mired in various family crises (affairs, divorces, terrible parents). Just when you think you have enough information to understand (or maybe even judge) Lucy and William, Strout turns things around with a new twist.

Elizabeth Strout creates characters that seem as real as the reader's own family or friends. The stream-of-consciousness style of Lucy's voice in "Oh, WIlliam" pulled me in to this story - I felt what Lucy was feeling. Absolutely honest, beautiful writing.

I ADORED Strout's Olive Kittredge books, and really liked My Name is Lucy Barton and the follow-up, Anything is Possible. But this one? Just not for me. I tend to like introspective novels, but this one lacked any depth or, frankly, focal point.
Or maybe I just miss Olive...
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another masterpiece by Elisabeth Strout! Lucy Barton is once again the main character of the novel. it is told in the first person and Lucy examines her complicated relationship with her ex-husband, William. The writing flows so beautifully; I could not put it down. Strout really brings her characters to life; they are flawed but we still root for them. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Loved this! It felt a bit edgier than usual for this author but still with gorgeous writing and incredible characters. Prime fodder for book clubs.

This novel is simply gorgeous! Concise, careful prose that brings you again into Lucy Barton's world, this time focusing mostly on her relationship with her ex-husband, William.

While not much happens in this short novel, being immersed in Lucy's thoughts, recollections, and observations about her family and past is so soothing to read.

You definitely do not have to read Elizabeth Strout's previous novels to enjoy this one (I have only read one), but I'm sure it would help. Cannot wait to dip back into and reread previous books in this series. Strout is such a wonderful writer, really sharing clever insights into the human condition and minds of her characters.

4.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGally for the advanced reader copy!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth Strout never disappoints! Lucy and William remain friends after their divorce. She helps him through a difficult period on his life and discovers much about herself, his mother, and William.

This book continues Lucy Barton’s story as she reflects on and works through her relationship with her ex-husband William. I haven’t read Anything is Possible, the second book about Lucy but I don’t think that made a difference. This is introspective and ready for a reader looking for a quieter book about memories and working through relationships.

There is no better author than Ms Strout. Every single book is tight, lyrical and lovely. Her characters are always relatable. Another best seller. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

I read the Olive books by Elizabeth Strout and loved them so I was super excited to read this new novel of hers. Sadly, this one isn’t for me. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking that this books feels plotless and just like it was going nowhere. Lucy and Williams characters and the interaction between them is just boring. I did not connect with this book at all. I had to push through to finish it.


Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.