Blending literature and memoir, Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder, Run, and Bel Canto, examines her deepest commitments—to writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husband—creating a resonant portrait of a life in This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage takes us into the very real world of Ann Patchett’s life. Stretching from her childhood to the … Patchett’s life. Stretching from her childhood to the present day, from a disastrous early marriage to a later happy one, it covers a multitude of topics, including relationships with family and friends, and charts the hard work and joy of writing, and the unexpected thrill of opening a bookstore.
As she shares stories of the people, places, ideals, and art to which she has remained indelibly committed, Ann Patchett brings into focus the large experiences and small moments that have shaped her as a daughter, wife, and writer.
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Ann Patchett is a supremely talented writer, and she excels at weaving gorgeous tales like State of Wonder and Bel Canto. Author’s memoirs, such as Stephen King’s On Writing, are often my favorite type of book, and Patchett provides a compelling addition to the set with This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.
Compiling her additions to magazines …
Ann Patchett is known for her fictional works such as Bel Canto or The Patron Saint of Liars, but this book of nonfiction essays show another side of her writing — pulled from little snippets of her life story. From sharing what it was like to live in a blended family from a young age and finding her way as a writer in Iowa with the help of …
If I’d stopped reading this book about a third of the way in, I would have given it **. But the more I read, the better the essays got. At first the writing seemed emotionally distant, glib, trying too hard to be clever. But the second half of the book is filled with deeply personal stories that are rich, emotional and reflective of the universal …
I love these essays, many of which touched me to the core.
Simply captivating. Individual stories that add up to a clearer portrait of one of America’s best writers. I recommend the audiobooks that she reads.
It’s a book you’d turn to over and over again rereading. Beautiful writing, and a touching inspirational stories from everything to marriage, divorce, love, art, creativity and the craft of writing.
A lovely collection of essays and an insightful sharing of Ann’s journey as a writer. Of course, some of my fave bits were about her dog and the meaning the dog brought to her life. Very relatable:)
As a fellow novelist, I loved this collection of essays about the writing life and married life. Given that the author is Ann Patchett, the writing here is wonderful. While I think this collection particularly resonates with writers, I also imagine the book would appeal to anyone who has ever had to make hard decisions about life–in other words, …
This is a book of essays on a myriad of subjects. I really enjoyed reading it.
What’s not to love about Ann Patchet? She offers absolute brilliance on every page of every book she’s ever penned. But there’s something about THIS book that really made my heart sing. It feels a bit like Ann, unplugged. There’s something authentic and boiled down about this work that makes me want to go back and re-read all her masterpieces with …