The Maytrees: A Novel

The Maytrees, set in the 1940s, evolves in the sands of Cape Cod Bay. The story and the characters are intimately linked with those sands, and the seasons and the sea set the rhythms of events. The narrative spans a period of some thirty years.Dillard explores three main themes: love, age and death. Her characters, as they move in and out of relationships question the very nature (and necessity) of love. What becomes of it after the initial period of infatuation, some 18 months at best? Does it last? Was it ever meant to? Her characters are hardly monogamous. Several of them shed partners/husbands like changing clothes. As the seasons change and years pass, the characters age, and Dillard does a beautiful job of describing these changes.The author is at her lyrical best describing the deaths of two main characters, first Deary, then Toby. These descriptive pages, lengthy and poignant are among the best I've seen on the subject.There are 5 primary characters: Toby Maytree, Lou, whom he marries, Dear Hightoe, with whom he runs off after 14 years of marriage, Arevadare (sp?) and Pete, the son of Toby and Lou. These characters are molded by the sands of the Cape. Toby and Lou live in a shack on the beach, complete with snakes and serviced by an outhouse, also with snakes. Deary, a free spirit, doesn't bother with dwellings at all, so long as weather permits. She sleeps right on the beach.Much has been written about Dillard's narrative style. For this reader it seems to fall somewhere between prose and verse, neither fully one or the other. This makes for difficult reading, but well worth the effort. For the most part she eschews dialogue, using free indirect discourse instead.This is a book I shall read again sometime in the future. All too often I found myself stepping back wondering what I'd missed when the narrative meandered off track. Not light reading at all, but worth the effort, for sure.

Although the backdrop of this fine book is on the sandy dunes of Cape Cod, this is not a casual affair for beach reading chick lit lovers. This is a sensuous romance for those who seek the crashing waves of human experience to the lust for shallows who's water soon becomes stagnant. This Steinbeckian-of-sorts novel embraces a cast of coastal dwelling bohemians who despite their simple lifestyle of reading, poetry, and painting find themselves struggling with the intellectual complexities of love, marriage, and relationships. Sometimes these struggles seemed so consuming that life seemingly passes them by, only to find that age put a new spin on the whole endeavor. At times this caused me to become impatient with the characters and was even angered by both their audacity and their naivete which bordered the unrealistic. It was the fine writing that kept me reading rather than the actual storyline. If you are OK with that, then this is a great novel for you. Do know that the story spans quite some time and although much is left unanswered, there is an ending that offers some closure, but still leaves much open for individual interpretation. Perhaps, as the saying goes, the journey is more important than the destination. It did take some time after reading this book to digest it all and draw conclusions. This was not a cheap date. Although it is a short book, one needs a desire to invest some time into it. This book is satisfying to readers who prefer the subtle seduction being provoked with thought and emotion rather than being raped by drama and sensationalism.

In this fine piece of fiction, Dillard portrays Life, Love and Death in their most natural and realistic presentation. The setting for the book is Cape Cod and surrounding area. The sea and the sky and the air and the stars figure deeply in Dillard's descriptive narration of a life story that is delicate, romantic and realistic.Perhaps more interesting than the plot is the way in which Dillard describes the life of the characters she constructs in the book and the environment around them. The characters are full time residents of Cape Cod and they live a life of both hardship and depth. The feelings and visions of the characters are more important than the advancing of the plot. Yet the plot does advance.Maytree, the main protagonist, marries a young woman who resembles Ingrid Bergman, but that resemblance is all physical. Her character and her love of reading and observing are tantamount to the well elucidated construction of the character development. When without warning, Maytree decides he will leave his wife and live with another women up in Maine for the next 20 years it does not devastate or destroy his wife. She has so much to live for, she never collapses into sadness and despair, but goes on with her life and the raising of their son, Petie.But as time goes by, Maytree's new lady friend becomes old and starts to die of congestive heart failure. She is not one to succumb to a life of hospitalization, so slowly, her heart starts to give out. When an accident befalls Maytree, he is unable to take care of her anymore, and returns to Cape Cod, to the house of his wife, whom he hopes will help take care of both of them for a while. Maytree recovers, but his lady friend does pass away, in a bed overlooking the ocean.Maytree is a poet, and as such, he captures important aspects of life and its sentimentality in his poetry. He writes epic poems, on the order of Walt Whitman, and he does get them published and recognized. He never makes a lot of money with the poetry, but does become a modern day epic poet who receives some level of critical acclaim. This depth of feeling, this understanding of life and nature, this wholesome view of the world is what Dillard captures so wonderfully in this short novel. As always, Dillard sees these things and with true aplomb and sensitivity is able to convey in words that the reader can use to extrapolate the deepest thoughts and experiences of the characters. The stars themselves play a great part in the telling of the story that Dillard creates.The book is truly an American epic itself. As usual, she is able to put into words what so few authors have the ability to convey. Yet Dillard does it with fantastic finesse. The book is highly recommended for readers of fiction who are students of life. The deeper the reader's literary background, the more the reader will appreciate what Dillard has done with this fine novel. It is recommended to all serious readers of fiction who wish to once again get a close glimpse inside the human spirit. It is a sensational piece of work!

Annie Dillard is brilliant, a lovely book. Good condition.

A wonderful story that grabs your attention....you really care about the characters....always a good sign : -) Was recommended to me and I was not disappointed

nice romantic book-needs though to be calm and focused to read itlasting love is a rare evolutionary lagniappe..best quote

A story of love and literature and longing and forgiveness. It's densely written, like a poem, and oh, so beautiful.