Oh William!: A Novel

· Sold by Random House
4.5
11 reviews
Ebook
256
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout explores the mysteries of marriage and the secrets we keep, as a former couple reckons with where they’ve come from—and what they’ve left behind. 

BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air

“Elizabeth Strout is one of my very favorite writers, so the fact that Oh William! may well be my favorite of her books is a mathematical equation for joy. The depth, complexity, and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement.”—Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House


I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William. 

Lucy Barton is a writer, but her ex-husband, William, remains a hard man to read. William, she confesses, has always been a mystery to me. Another mystery is why the two have remained connected after all these years. They just are. 

So Lucy is both surprised and not surprised when William asks her to join him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret—one of those secrets that rearrange everything we think we know about the people closest to us. What happens next is nothing less than another example of what Hilary Mantel has called Elizabeth Strout’s “perfect attunement to the human condition.” There are fears and insecurities, simple joys and acts of tenderness, and revelations about affairs and other spouses, parents and their children. On every page of this exquisite novel we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart. 

At the heart of this story is the indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who offers a profound, lasting reflection on the very nature of existence. “This is the way of life,” Lucy says: “the many things we do not know until it is too late.”
 
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Time, Vulture, She Reads

Ratings and reviews

4.5
11 reviews
Kristina Anderson
December 12, 2021
Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout is the third novel in the Amgash series. I did not know Oh William! was part of a series when I started reading it. I do not know if I would have understood the story more if I had read the other two books or not. Oh William! has Lucy Barton going on a trip with ex-husband William when he discovers he has a half-sister. The story is told from Lucy Barton’s point-of-view. She is telling her tale to the readers in a diary format. The story rambled along going back in forth in time (in no certain order). The story seemed plotless and pointless. The writing is descriptive which provides many details that are not needed. There is quite a bit of repetition as well as slow pacing. I was unable to connect with the characters in the story. I wanted to like Lucy and William, but I could not. The book may be short, but it felt like it went on forever. The story consists of only two long chapters. I wanted to like Oh William!, but I could not get into this story. I was not a fan of the writing, the characters, or the dialogue. I especially did not like the way the author presented the story. I found Oh William! to be boring and a hard book to finish. While Oh William! was not for me, I suggest you obtain a sample to check it out for yourself. Lucy’s takeaway at the end is that everyone is mystery and that we do not even know ourselves.
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Toby A. Smith
January 12, 2022
Although I've enjoyed several books by Elizabeth Strout, this one was not a favorite. 3.5 stars is closer to my target rating. Lucy Barton (a woman from a deeply disadvantaged background) and William (a more sophisticated man from far greater affluence) meet in college and marry young. William's widowed mother Catherine welcomes Lucy into the family and becomes a central figure in their lives. William settles into a professorship in the sciences and Lucy becomes a successful writer. But after some years together and two daughters, they divorce. Despite each remarrying, they remain friends. So when William turns 70 and receives a gift that allows him to explore his ancestry online, it's not surprising that he uses Lucy as his sounding board. And when he discovers a BIG family secret, William asks Lucy to take a trip to research this secret together. It sounds like a bit like a set-up to a mystery novel but the novel is much richer than that. What the author does so exquisitely is explore relationships, emotions, and psyche --especially over time. Lucy's upbringing, William's relationship with his mother, Lucy's relationship with her mother-in-law, Lucy and William's multiple marriages, grief, and all the intricate ways people dance with intimacy throughout their lives. Strout's examination is subtle, complex, and insightful. Don't be surprised if you recognize people you know among these characters. Perhaps even yourself. What keeps me from rating the book more highly is the episodic nature of the book's narrative style. Much of it is stream-of-consciousness. And I found that kept me a bit at a distance, unable to fully disappear into the story. Of course, that may have been Strout's intent for all I know. But that distance kept me from LOVING the book. Let's say I appreciated it instead.
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Wendy Williams
October 19, 2021
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout is the third book in Elizabeth’s Strout’s Amgash Series but can be read as a stand-alone, however, it’s really best to read the series in order. The book is written all in first person POV by Lucy is an author and the book is like a conversation with Lucy about her life, and especially about her ex-husband William. Lucy Barton tells us all about her ex-husband, William. Although no longer married, Lucy and William still have a relationship, not only do they share their two adult daughters, but they share past experiences and a history together. Oh William, is all about Lucy, telling us about her marriage to William and how they both have navigated love, loss, divorce, and love again. At first, the writing style is a bit jarring, but after a while, I felt like I was having a conversation with Lucy. Her insights into herself and her family are intimate and thoughtful and I enjoyed this easy conversation we had while reading the book. At first, Lucy seems kind of ordinary, but as you read through the book, you realize what an extraordinary woman she is. The story was more than just flashbacks and memories, Lucy and William work together and find out some family secrets, and learn more about each other’s background and they grow stronger as they work together. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about families and relationships. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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About the author

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Olive, Again; Anything Is Possible, winner of the Story Prize; My Name Is Lucy Barton; The Burgess Boys; Olive Kitteridge, for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize; Abide with Me; and Amy and Isabelle, winner of the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize. She has also been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize in London. She lives in Maine.

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