Remembering Laughter

"Throughout the latter part of the morning buggies kept turning in from the highway and wheeling up the quarter-mile of elm-arched drive to the farm -- surreys and democrat wagons, an occasional brougham, an even more occasional automobile whose brass caught the sunlight between the elms." So begins the arrival of funeral guests. And what follows is a truly heartbreaking novella of death, both literal and figurative. But primarily, the death of all that makes life worth living...caused by a refusal to take a single (though difficult) step toward healing. Crushing...

I confess to being a dyed-in-the-wall Wallace Stegner fan. "Angle of Repose" may just be the best-written book I've ever read, and in many ways, the semi-autobiographical "Big Rock Candy Mountain" is the saddest. His use of language and his deep understanding of the human condition make his books powerful and memorable."Remembering Laughter" certainly was a very auspicious beginning to Stegner's career. But it cries out for more. Written as a novella for a contest, it has a powerful beginning and ending, but the middle--the years of family emotion bottled up, corroding relationships and love, gets short shrift. I wish he'd tackled it again, building it into something more.Still, if you're a fan, the story will resonate in your heart and the book belongs on your shelf.

Since I've read several other Stegner books and his Crossing to Safety is a favorite novel of mine, I thought I'd try Remembering Laughter, his very first novel, or 'novelette,' as it was first called. The subject - marital infidelity - is dealt with most delicately, which gives the book something of a quaint, dated feeling. The writing itself, however, is assured and eloquent and gives a good, if limited, sense of Iowa farm life at the turn of the 20th century. My gut response to this short read, with all its details of repressed feelings and pent-up sexuality as well as untimely tragic death and dark family secrets, was that it evokes a kind of Ethan-Frome-in-Iowa feeling. I would recommend the book to any student of Wallace Stegner's work. - Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir BOOKLOVER

Love the author and story but last disc was unplayable.

So long ago having read this book. Very dark book and really short enough to finish on a plane trip. It reminded me of The Mill in the Floss or even more, Madame Bovery. The disenchanted woman and how she copes with her life. Perhaps the women of today are more impatient and take matters into their hands, rather than put up with a rough stretch in life.Still, there is something to be said about sticking it out and looking at a growth one achieves in hard times.

Excellent, fast service. Book just as described, carefully wrapped and shipped promptly.

To start with, I love Wallace Stegner. Remembering Laughter only reinforces what a tremedous writer he is. He has such a languid feel to his writing. It just captives me and seems to spin me into his story web. Remembering Laughter is his first and is a novella. I usually dislike short stories and novellas but this book may cure me of that prejudice. Amazing what a young writer can do. Adding to the book is a short addendum that his wife Mary adds about the making of this book.

This one of my favorite Stegner works. If you enjoy reading Wally, please treat yourself by reading "Remembering Laughter". The influence of the older sister over the entire household is nothing short of amazing. She was able to suck the joy out of most situations without saying a word. Only Malcolm found the courage to break free!

I ordered this book because I read that Stegner was one of Eugene Peterson's favorite authors. It's short and easy to read but I finished it wondering if Stegner had written this later in his career, might he have filled it out a bit more?

The last Potter films were too darkly filmed, most scenes with blue filters. Detail were obscured by this method of filming.The Stegner book in one word, Superb.