tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post1044078580060766999..comments2024-03-28T15:50:29.884-05:00Comments on The Nature of Things: Breathe by Joyce Carol Oates: A reviewDorothy Bordershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-11067696631660340402021-09-20T08:41:20.669-05:002021-09-20T08:41:20.669-05:00Yes, I just looked it up. It was called A Widow...Yes, I just looked it up. It was called <i>A Widow's Story</i>. I think grief over the loss of a loved one is something one never gets over; we just learn to deal with it. JCO has obviously dealt with hers by writing. Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-26749987748369210712021-09-20T06:14:24.552-05:002021-09-20T06:14:24.552-05:00Didn't JCO write a memoir of grief too? About...Didn't JCO write a memoir of grief too? About the loss of her husband in 2008, so perhaps this novel is a further extension of that? It's too bad the character can't get out of her grief over time, or at least not have everything affected by it.thecuecardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08870323589682197091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-15030278425446591662021-09-19T08:30:00.097-05:002021-09-19T08:30:00.097-05:00Such experiences, especially two of them, must lea...Such experiences, especially two of them, must leave a lasting and profound impression on one's psyche and would doubtless influence a writer's work. Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-14901271730434947182021-09-19T02:22:48.959-05:002021-09-19T02:22:48.959-05:00I am always amazed by the fact that JCO can churn ...I am always amazed by the fact that JCO can churn out high quality novels on a yearly basis. How she does it, I'm not sure. To be honest, until I read your review, I didn't even know JCO had published another new novel recently! JCO has been widowed twice, so am curious how much of her personal life may have inspired this novel.Captivated Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15789205839634527219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-30717782038230123162021-09-15T13:42:02.191-05:002021-09-15T13:42:02.191-05:00I did not know those facts about her personal hist...I did not know those facts about her personal history, especially about the death of her husband. I suspect that experience did inform her interpretation of Michaela.Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-55976933059146679462021-09-15T13:40:39.420-05:002021-09-15T13:40:39.420-05:00She is definitely prolific and has been for a very...She is definitely prolific and has been for a very long time.Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-6550606342904709272021-09-15T12:58:14.749-05:002021-09-15T12:58:14.749-05:00I think Blogger ate my comment from yesterday. I&...I think Blogger ate my comment from yesterday. I've never read anything (knowingly) by Joyce Carol Oates but I wonder how much of this story may have been inspired by the death of her first husband. Oates was born about 2 1/2 hours from where I live in upstate New York (in one of the villages the Erie Canal runs through, Lockport) so she's "almost" local to me. I should give her a read.Alanahttp://ramblinwitham.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-3697558841171704192021-09-15T12:47:14.621-05:002021-09-15T12:47:14.621-05:00Oates used to be a particular favorite of mine, an...Oates used to be a particular favorite of mine, and I've read dozens of her books over the decades. It's been a couple of years, though, since I've read one because I kind of lost faith in her for personal reasons. But that's another story. I will just add that I am amazed at how prolific a writer she is while still managing to maintain such a high quality of writing. Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-21146531260168086592021-09-15T08:52:37.925-05:002021-09-15T08:52:37.925-05:00This one is focused very much on Michaela's in...This one is focused very much on Michaela's inability to deal with her grief and her subsequent creation of a dream world where Gerard still lives. It certainly works on that level but personally, I found hard to identify with her character.Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-67006931462135439002021-09-15T08:23:46.704-05:002021-09-15T08:23:46.704-05:00I'm always careful about books with a grief th...I'm always careful about books with a grief theme. If they work, I may go through a cathartic but unwanted sadness myself. jenclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06046532245054911248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-49220729503889048332021-09-14T16:14:32.912-05:002021-09-14T16:14:32.912-05:00I think "deep books" are Oates' spec...I think "deep books" are Oates' specialty.Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-85558669636778494412021-09-14T16:10:21.616-05:002021-09-14T16:10:21.616-05:00She has quite a lot of them to choose from, should...She has quite a lot of them to choose from, should you decide to give them a try.Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-75060557777469011032021-09-14T15:12:25.531-05:002021-09-14T15:12:25.531-05:00We used to have to read a lot of her short stories...We used to have to read a lot of her short stories in my high school English class. I've sadly never tried any of her novels. Lark https://www.blogger.com/profile/13777891312147377769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-59972079187220213782021-09-14T09:12:32.918-05:002021-09-14T09:12:32.918-05:00Like you, I've put off reading her for years. ...Like you, I've put off reading her for years. I found this one almost equal parts enjoyable and annoying, but I'm not unhappy that I read it.Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-36355244310819429172021-09-14T09:09:56.925-05:002021-09-14T09:09:56.925-05:00If Miriam is a fan, I'm sure she will enjoy th...If Miriam is a fan, I'm sure she will enjoy this one.Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-38780207172393414372021-09-14T09:09:11.467-05:002021-09-14T09:09:11.467-05:00My experience of her books is that each is very di...My experience of her books is that each is very different and yet much alike in that they all get to the heart of the matter and give us much to contemplate. Dorothy Bordershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441731296027227394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-72628248077745173272021-09-14T06:04:03.395-05:002021-09-14T06:04:03.395-05:00This sounds like a very deep book. I'm not sur...This sounds like a very deep book. I'm not sure I would be able to read it NOW but maybe later in time :)Esther @ BiteIntoBookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00521908679162311172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-16689100271233137142021-09-14T05:50:23.153-05:002021-09-14T05:50:23.153-05:00This sounds very deep and unusual - well at least ...This sounds very deep and unusual - well at least Michaela's response to grief. I haven't read Oates in 20 years perhaps but, I always check out her new book when I see them at a bookstore and the stories ALWAYS sound like ones I'd want to try. Perhaps some day soon.(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-21592403855750158222021-09-14T04:17:26.676-05:002021-09-14T04:17:26.676-05:00nice your postnice your postAzka Kamilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02780265118841349492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-84249611453821849902021-09-14T04:10:22.437-05:002021-09-14T04:10:22.437-05:00Like you, I have not read her for years. I will se...Like you, I have not read her for years. I will see if the local library has this one. Miriam has always enjoyed JCO so I have no doubt she will be anxious to read it too.David M. Gascoigne,https://www.blogger.com/profile/17229638811027153569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560838335414244511.post-85700169843046497022021-09-14T00:03:21.473-05:002021-09-14T00:03:21.473-05:00I'm surprised that I've never read any of ...I'm surprised that I've never read any of her books. I've come close because some titles have intrigued me. Phillip Oliverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01546160918395373740noreply@blogger.com