I loved Elizabeth Strout’s other books especially the two focused on Olive. This one didn’t pull me in and I had a difficult time getting through it.

Do we ever really know others? Or even know ourselves? This are questions explored by Elizabeth Strout in this wonderful sequel to My Name is Lucy Barton. Her thoughts on marriage and family and memory resonated with me. I'm ready to read a sequel to the sequel. Highly recommended.

I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Strout and will read anything she writes as soon as it's published, but for whatever reason the "Lucy Barton" books weren't my favorites. Until now. I loved "Oh William!," the third book in the Lucy Barton series, in which Lucy, struggling with the recent death of her beloved second husband David, helps her ex-husband William cope with his own traumas. It turns out that William's third marriage to the much-younger Estelle isn't as solid as he imagined and, to make matters worse, William discovers that his much beloved mother Catherine had a secret past that is too difficult for him to accept. While these two storylines weave through "Oh William!" and provide it with a framework of plot, it is Lucy's ruminations on her past, her marriages, and the complexities of families that give "Oh William!" its luminous soul. Unlike Strout's cantankerous Olive Kitteridge, Lucy is timid and unsure of herself, unable to fully shake off the insecurity she feels as a result of her childhood in an impoverished and abusive family; in Strout's straightforward but beautiful writing, Lucy comes alive in "Oh William!" in a way that makes me want to go back and re-read the first two books in this series--and hope this isn't the last we've heard from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review. Highly recommended.

Oh reader! What can I say about the exquisite voice of Elizabeth Strout? She develops narrative and character so gently and so thouroughly that I was entranced. What Lucy tells, says she won't tell, and tentatively still does tell, is a story of love, lonliness, connections, duty, and self realization. There is no one else I have read with Strout's intimate and immediate gift. Recommended for readers of fine literary fiction.

Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Have you ever felt deeply connected to an author, as if the two of you were simpatico?

That is how I feel about my “relationship” (lol) with Elizabeth Strout - I feel as though we are connected, and as though when reading her books, she is speaking directly to me. (As if that were even remotely possible...one can hope, however!).

When I began reading “Oh William” - I will admit to feeling as though Elizabeth Strout was just talking (to me - lol) about her life, even though I knew she had written this book in the character of “Lucy Barton” and about Lucy’s first husband William. Soon, however, I was swept away, by Lucy, her children, and of course, by William.

Lucy Barton unpacks a lot here: from her unresolved feelings for her parents and specifically her mother; to what happened in her marriage to William, and their children; and his current marriage.

Lucy Barton is a character who, through the last 3 novels, you can’t help but like, through trials and tribulations, Lucy perseveres. She is kind, hard-working, and honest. Far from perfect, Lucy does her best and that is something I think we can all strive for. To know her, frankly, is to love her.

As an aside, at the beginning of this book, Lucy Barton had an encounter with Pam Carlson, ex-wife of Bob Burgess, of “The Burgess Boys” - another novel by Ms. Strout - which just happens to be one of my favorite novels by Elizabeth Strout, after the Olive Kitteridge series. I adore Bobby Burgess, perhaps because I recognize a kindred spirit. So, Ms. Strout, if you read this and if you take requests, I would love it if you would consider writing another book about Bob Burgess, whose story broke my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Elizabeth Strout for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Instagram, and Twitter.

I was lucky to receive Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinions. This was the first book I've read by this author however many of my friends had suggested her to me in the past. Boy, I was missing out by not following their lead and reading her! This was a fantastic story and I really enjoyed reading it. I will for sure go back and read more by her after reading this. Do yourself a favor and listen = read it!

This was my first Elizabeth Strout novel and, for me, Oh William! was a journey without a destination. Lucy and William held my attention, and I enjoyed the musing style of writing. The ending, however, was a non-ending, and vaguely unsatisfying.

Although I've liked some of this author's books I didn't care for this one at all (and actually didn't finish it). The writing seemed choppy and didn't flow. I just never got the point of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Elizabeth Strout for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Oh William follows Lucy Barton (fans of Strout will recognize her as the titular character of My Name is Lucy Barton) and her complex relationship with her ex-husband, William as he struggles with his own identity crisis. I can only say this: Strout is a genius at zeroing in on the complexity of human personality and relationship. She captures, exactly, the particular layers of fact and fiction that occur throughout the lifespan of a marriage, even (or especially!) one that ends in divorce. Strout also excels at capturing the voice of her main characters, and I've often felt, as I read her books, that I jump straight into her characters' heads, their singular voice ringing straight through in their idiosyncratic thought processes and dialects.

If you've read and loved anything else by Strout, this book stands among her other novels. If you haven't read Strout, please do. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Elizabeth Strout, and was thrilled to get a sneak peak at her newest novel. It does not disappoint! This work focuses on Lucy's two very different marriages and her relationships with both men. Her second husband has passed away and she is still grieving his loss. Her first husband, and the father of her daughters, is still a friend.

She reflects on what drew her to each man, what worked (or didn't), and thinks through how her upbringing drew her to each man and impacted her relationships. In her classic style of free-flowing thoughts and memories, Ms. Strout weaves a beautiful story of the complexity of relationships. Lovely and heartwarming from start to finish!

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.

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout is a thought-provoking book about a woman, Lucy Barton, who has recently lost her second husband. In her grief, she turns to her first husband, William, with whom she shares two adult daughters and an amicable relationship. William’s third wife has just left him and is also reflecting on his life and, in particular, his mother. The book is written in the first person and I felt as though I was listening to a friend reflect on the various relationships in her life. Through Lucy, Strout reflects on marriage and family life, the secrets we keep, the mistakes we make, and how all of those intersect. As a woman who has recently lost her husband, I too have felt the need for such reflection and found Lucy’s journey helpful to my own. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

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!