NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Includes Elizabeth Strout’s never-before-published essay about the origins of The Burgess BoysNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • NPR • Good HousekeepingElizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” wrote The New Yorker on the publication of her Pulitzer Prize–winning Olive Kitteridge. The San Francisco Chronicle … of her Pulitzer Prize–winning Olive Kitteridge. The San Francisco Chronicle praised Strout’s “magnificent gift for humanizing characters.” Now the acclaimed author returns with a stunning novel as powerful and moving as any work in contemporary literature.
Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their Maine hometown of Shirley Falls for New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a sleek, successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his bighearted brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney who idolizes Jim, has always taken it in stride. But their long-standing dynamic is upended when their sister, Susan—the Burgess sibling who stayed behind—urgently calls them home. Her lonely teenage son, Zach, has gotten himself into a world of trouble, and Susan desperately needs their help. And so the Burgess brothers return to the landscape of their childhood, where the long-buried tensions that have shaped and shadowed their relationship begin to surface in unexpected ways that will change them forever.
With a rare combination of brilliant storytelling, exquisite prose, and remarkable insight into character, Elizabeth Strout has brought to life two deeply human protagonists whose struggles and triumphs will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. Tender, tough-minded, loving, and deeply illuminating about the ties that bind us to family and home, The Burgess Boys is Elizabeth Strout’s newest and perhaps most astonishing work of literary art.
Praise for The Burgess Boys
“What truly makes Strout exceptional . . . is the perfect balance she achieves between the tides of story and depths of feeling.”—Chicago Tribune
“Strout’s prose propels the story forward with moments of startlingly poetic clarity.”—The New Yorker
“Elizabeth Strout’s first two books, Abide with Me and Amy and Isabelle, were highly thought of, and her third, Olive Kitteridge, won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. But The Burgess Boys, her most recent novel, is her best yet.”—The Boston Globe
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I enjoyed the characters. It was a good and interesting read.
This is a literary novel, so probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed watching this family and those connected to it cope with scandal and secrets that have the power to drive them apart and back together again. If I had to describe the style, I’d say it combines the finely observed everyday moments and insights of a Virginia Woolf with the kind of New England family saga you might expect in a novel by Richard Russo or John Irving. There’s some sharp commentary on politics and class and morality, but really Strout leaves it up to readers to make up their minds, purposely exposing them to a variety of ways of looking at them along the way. Embarrassed to say it was my first Elizabeth Strout. Hopefully not my last.
Enjoyed the book and great story taking place in Maine, well done
Just a great story. I was sad when I finished it
How family can define and destroy us.
Characters are believable and wide-ranging. The story is presented at the pace and level of detail that pulls in the reader, hinting at more to come as relationships and events unfold. Clear, precise writing and a solidly built time-line.
Nobody handles family dynamics better than Elizabeth Strout. Slowly but surely, she compiles layer upon layer of memories, actions, jealousies, and secrets. Her characters can be petty, liars, misdirected but maintain the reader’s desire to see them work their way out of their issues. If you like character-driven stories, this book about siblings is definitely for you.
Like Elizabeth Strout, I am from Portland, Maine so of course read this. I did enjoy it.
I loved the details of environment. Clanging pipes and open windows. Good tension, humor and pleasure to read.
Elizabeth Strout’s books are always interesting to read. She gives us amazing
characters in different situations with an intriguing story line. It is just everything you want in a book! You will never be disappointed reading
Elizabeth Strout.
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Excellent descriptions of physical and emotional experiences.
I will present “he Burgess Boys” to my book club, should be great for discussion
This is a topical story with many aspects to discuss in a book club……. the incursion of people with a different culture into a small, traditional community, a single mom raising an introverted boy in a small community, sibling rivalry, a family secret, marital stress, the pressure of celebrity/ notoriety.
As always, Elizabeth has given us a readable book with much to think about. The trajectory given to us by our families isn’t always what it ought to be…such a tragedy. I do recommend this book. Some readers need this book more than others.
Exceptional writter.
Sibling rivalry to the max.
Great characters. Simple yet lovely prose.
Enjoyed reading this book.
In the real world no family functions perfectly. This story is well written with very believable characters. Jim, Bob, and Susan are siblings. A family tragedy that happened when they were growing up, effects how they interact as adults. It left me feeling sad when I finished their story. If you like a feel good book, this isn’t it.
one of my favorites