Another interesting book from Strout featuring Lucy Barton - this time from December 2019 through to 2021 and covering the pandemic in some detail.
The writing is sparse and I didn't really like any of the characters (but I'm not sure you're supposed to) but it was the best book I've read covering the Covid years.
I also liked the oblique references to other of Strout's books and characters.

Strout's writing is so unique, I always find her books insightful and thought provoking, but in a kind and compassionate way. I loved to read how Lucy dealt with the pandemic and all the tribulations her and her family went through (thank God William was there!). Couldn't recommend this highly enough!
Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I wish I had read this when I first downloaded it - I waited too long and delayed the pleasure it brought! Written in Elizabeth Strout's inimicable style, it is perhaps a stream of consciousness in the time of Covid in New England, which brought back a lot of memories of lockdown, as well as characters from some of her previous novels. William and Lucy, once previously married, escape New York and the pandemic, and take up residence by the sea in New England, where Lucy writes and makes a new friend or two, (surprised by and enjoyed another character from previous Strout novels) and gradually and somewhat reluctantly reconnects with William.

It's a novel about a pandemic; about loneliness, about loss, about life. And about reflections and regrets and perhaps coming to terms with life as it is. Grief and love, family and friends.

There were many quotes I scribbled down as I read - always a good sign, that shows the books has spoken into my own life.
"And then this thought went through my mind.
We are all in lockdown, all the time. We just don't know it, that's all.
But we do the best we can. Most of us are just trying to get through."

And although that spoke to me, I realised that while it may be true for many people, that sad and rather pessimistic quote also made me realise that happily, there's more to life than this.

I regretted finishing the book and will certainly re-read it soon.

I have given this novel 4 stars because, as always, Strout’s writing is incredible. I confess that I have never warmed to Lucy Barton in the same way that I did Olive Kitteridge and nothing about this book changed that feeling. Although I really appreciate the way Strout utilises characters from her other novels, which makes for an interesting game of spot the novel, to be perfectly honest this story reflected so many people’s lived reality of lockdown, I was left with a sense of wanting to know more. Maybe the events of the past 2 years are a little too fresh in my memory and on returning to this book in a few years I will appreciate the details and nuances more.

I have loved all of Elizabeth Strout’s novels and this really was like returning to an old friend. This is also probably the best pandemic novel I’ve read so far, focusing on the daily realities of lockdown like against a backdrop of unfathomable horror. If you’ve enjoyed any of the other Lucy Barton (or Olive Kitteridge) novels, you’ll love this but you could also start here as all the background is explained. A deceptively easy read that transported me back to a moment in time. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy by the Sea is the fourth book in Elizabeth Strout’s series centring on Lucy Barton and her family, relationships and childhood in the impoverished town of Amgash, Illinois. This instalment finds Lucy in lockdown with her ex-husband William in a house in Maine.

I have read the other Lucy Barton books quite recently due to Oh William’s inclusion on the longlist for this year’s Booker Prize. They are all quite short and highly readable books. The character Lucy Barton has such a strong and unique narrative voice and, although we see into the lives of others in her orbit only in fragments, the plot of each novel is quietly compelling.

This book is part of what I think will one day be a genre called Pandemic Literature. This is an experience we have all lived through so recently, and there were many times in the book where I would say to myself “yes! I felt that too, exactly!”

Strout also touches on other issues that Americans were grappling with in 2020 and early 2021, such as the murder of George Floyd, the 2020 Presidential Election and the Capitol Riots. Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence deals with similar themes. Strout’s novel deals with these real world events with her typical subtlety and sensitivity.

Lucy Barton is a character who is open to people and to connections. Even as it becomes easier to connect to others online, it seems to have become more difficult to connect in a deeper, more human way. We tend to see the headlines of people’s lives and just end there. Lucy Barton is a character who is still willing to see the humanity in people.

A deeply human book.

This is the first book I’ve read that is set in the time of the Covid pandemic and it really captured the atmosphere of that time.

I would describe it as rather slow paced - which I assume is a conscious choice to illustrate how different our lives were during Covid. What I liked about the book is the writing style - without any artificial prose but rather basic but powerful descriptions the author sets the scene and let the reader feel with the main character.

For me, this book is a 3.5 out of 5 because the book left me wanting for more. It was rather like watching an episode of a series than watching a movie. I’m aware that this book is indeed a part of a series but I was still hoping for a more closed narrative.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This is the fourth book in Elizabeth Strout's Amgash collection, featuring the eponymous Lucy. The first in the series, My Name is Lucy Barton introduced Lucy to the reader when she is married to William and they have two young daughters. In the second, Anything is Possible, Lucy is a published author, returning to her hometown and siblings, sharing recollections of a difficult childhood. In the third, Oh William!, she is older, no longer married to William, but accompanies him on a trip to explore his childhood. In Lucy by the Sea, we meet Lucy and William again in very recent history as they navigate the pandemic.
These are all hugely enjoyable novels, filled with recollections which come to Lucy as she considers past events and sees things in a different light. We meet many recurring characters, a particular favourite style of mine, and their stories are expanded and enriched.
Although this could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the first three Amgash novels (and Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again for that matter!) to gain maximum enjoyment. Highly Recommended.

Raw and real
Oh Elizabeth, you have done it again. Another brilliant novel, from the simplicity of its cover to its last word not a word is wasted, the harsh reality of covid in New York and Maine, makes me remember how it was in the U.K.
Lucy is yet again thrown into dilemmas as William comes to her rescue and takes her to safety, also making sure their daughters are safe. What are Williams motives?
The past is often revisited, throwing up more of Lucy's tragic childhood and her escape from it. Her relationship with her siblings and parents, still unfolding and tenacious.
Lucy's panic attacks are so real and frightening, her honesty and insights thought-provoking.
Thank you Elizabeth and NetGalley for this arc

How lovely to be back with Lucy and William! I was a bit wary of going back to very recent history, but it's all done really well. The setting is fantastic, really vivid but overall it's a very touching look at family, our own responses and what happiness means to different people. This will keep people reading, one of those books that when you look up from finishing it, you're surprised to find yourself in your own surroundings. Brilliant.

Honestly, if Elizabeth Strout's next novel was called 'Lucy Barton eats a banana' I would still be rushing out to read it, as no doubt she could deconstruct the every day action of eating a banana into a literary masterpiece.

The beauty of Strout's writing (and characters) is in its every day simplicity, the manner in which she can take a simple scene between two people and just make it human goes beyond any writer I have ever read.

In this novel, set against the backdrop of the pandemic, Lucy leaves New York as Covid-19 is about to hit America. Her ex-husband, William, is a parasitologist and knows with Lucy's age and health that catching Covid could be fatal for her. They head for New England to isolate themselves and try to see out the worst of the pandemic. We learn more about her daughters and their lives as William seeks to protect them from the virus also.

This could be read as a standalone however I think it would be less enjoyable if you haven't read the previous Amgash novels (My Name is Lucy Barton and Oh William - (Anything is Possible isn't a necessity for me))

Genuinely my favourite series of books and one of the best characters in literature.

A genuine thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Viking for the privilege of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I must say this is the first Elizabeth Strout book I have read so I read this book as a standalone and was not familiar with the characters from previous books or their backstory as some other reviewers are. I read Lucy by the Sea in one sitting, and I have mixed feeling about the book.

Set in the first year of the pandemic in the US, the story is based around Lucy Barton, a writer living in New York City who is whisked away in the initial days of “the virus” to isolate in Maine with her scientist ex-husband William.

And that’s essentially it! Whilst, at its heart there are some big themes here that are being explored about family and intimate relationships, connection, reconciling the past, growing old and trying to understand the changing world around us, nothing else happens!

There are parts of this book I liked; it accurately captured those first days of confusion around what the pandemic meant for how we live our lives. The simple, almost conversational tone of the writing was precise and refreshing. The big issues that happened in the year are covered including George Floyd’s death, the Capitol riots and the US election with Lucy reflecting on the bigger picture of these events unfolding.

And then there are other parts I really didn’t enjoy; there is absolutely no descriptions of Lucy (except for a small mention of going back to blonde) or most of the other characters so I could not clearly picture who these people were, the almost bullying way her ex takes her out of the city and the way Lucy almost seems a bit dim witted (however I’m unsure if she is written this way intentionally as she talks about feeling like she’s losing her mind).

I’m undecided if I just needed to read the other books in the series to enjoy this book and the characters more – I felt the whole time like I’d missed something major! But to be honest, I’m still trying to figure out if I’m even interested in discovering these characters more or if I just leave them on these pages. Given all the 5-star reviews I’ve seen so far, I think maybe I was just not the target audience and readers who have followed the series from the start will love this latest installment.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I love Lucy! She naive, wise, complex, and just very human. I didn't intend to read 'Oh William' but I think now I just might, I loved this so much.
Thank you Penguin and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

Elizabeth Strout’s writing is wonderful, and I love her work, but I didn’t realise this work would be set in the pandemic. I had a difficult time, as many did, and it’s not something I’d like to read about. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

By coincidence, I read this partly in New York, and partly in New Haven - being a couple of the settings in this novel, and I think that has only heightened my experience of reading this novel. It is, in short, a brilliant novel. Set throughout the Covid period, from just before, to the present day, and written in Strout's brilliant and highly readable first person narrative style, this is fiction imbued with non-fiction, tackling 'in the moment' scenes of news of the time being experienced by Lucy Barton. It moves at a pace, of course, starting off with Lucy being chivvied by her ex, William, into leaving NYC because of the forthcoming pandemic and moving to Maine. Their daughters move to New Haven, where it's safer than Brooklyn, and the novel explores Lucy's experience of lockdown, and her relationship with her family. It's a novel about giving things up, about starting afresh, and about the human condition - big issues of our time - and what make it work so well is the simplicity of the narrative, the conversational style. What makes it even better is that it ends in a way that you know that Lucy isn't finished yet. Excellent. Very highly recommended. My grateful thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Yeah Lucy is back!! What a delight that Lucy Barton is back so soon after Elizabeth Strout gave us the wonderful Oh William! The story of Lucy picks up in the run up to the start of the first Lockdown during the pandemic. William comes to the rescue, taking complete control, organising for his daughters to escape New York to their in laws place and for Lucy to come with him all the way to Maine where with the help of Bob Burgess ( from the Burgess Boys book) he has rented a house overlooking the sea. William claims that his only desire is to "save Lucy's life" but he may have other reasons to want to be in Maine and perhaps he could be manipulating Lucy to his own ends?.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Lucy again, even (my favourite) Olive Kitterdige gets a few mentions! At the start of the book I felt a bit frustrated as Lucy seems totally infantile and unaware about the pandemic - does the woman never watch the news or look at a headline! but once Lucy is ensconced in Maine the narrative flows with Lucy's conversational observations on people, herself and quite a lot of political ruminations. I was suckered right in. Fantastic stuff.

I have been a fan of Elizabeth Strout for years, and her latest offering doesn’t disappoint. Although her writing is spare, with little room for unnecessary adjectives, she writes with such clarity and precision.

I anticipate that this book will serve as an important reminder to all who read it of how difficult, unsettling and momentous the Covid pandemic was and still is. Strout handles the sweeping disruption of lives caused by the disease, as well has the smaller personal tragedies that were almost directly caused by the impact of lockdown.

Lucy Barton is a tricky character - I’ve never fully warmed to her. Whether or not this is a deliberate authorial choice is unclear. But it is the only thing holding me back from giving it 5 stars. The narrative voice comes across occasionally as impersonal or slightly stilted, and it always left me at a bit of a distance. Nevertheless, an important and deftly written novel!

The latest chapter in lucy and Wiliam's lives. Lockdown takes them to Maine; they are forced together yet isolated from their daughters.

Lucy's naivety and bewilderment by life has been a huge part of her charm. The brief, and to the point, prose initially demonstrated Lucy's belief that she was right, but as she softens with age, there are more queries, and sometimes, she even suggests that other people may have a different view to herself! It was lovely to see Lucy find a happy place in the world with William and her daughters; however, I think this is probably a book to far for me. I am finding Lucy a little grating and perhaps a little repetitive.

I have read everything Elizabeth Strout has written and I was so pleased to hear the next chapters of Lucy Barton’s life story.

Strout writes with such honesty and she details the minutiae of every day life in such a way that it is fascinating. And this time Lucy is living through the lockdown caused by Covid and we hear how this affects her and those around her. Lucy is the first person narrator and we share her fears, worries, sadness, losses and occasional nuggets of happiness. We learn a lot about her ex-husband William, of Oh William!, as he is the one who takes charge of her and insists she leaves her New York apartment and go to Maine with him, where they will both be safer. But in this isolation Lucy cannot read, or write, and just thinks. She is gripped by her own disbelief that the pandemic, and all that entails, is happening to her and her wider family.

You’d think a visit to the supermarket or stopping at a gas station would be dull but Strout makes self contained stories out of the smallest incidents which, nevertheless, build to create a whole mood. Strout writes in beautiful lean prose. Every word seems to have a place.

Lucy makes new friend. Bob Burgess from The Burgess Boys appears as a kindly sounding board for Lucy’s worries. And another favourite character is there too and I was just aching for Lucy to visit ‘them’ , now in a care home, but it never happened. Next time please.

I read a copy provided by Random House and Netgalley but this had no bearing on my true opinions. One of my favourite authors and highly recommended.