Question re: Loving Frank vs. The Women

[DawnMTL]

Well, I made Loving Frank last as long as it could -- reading slooooowly so that it wouldn't end -- but it did end. I finished it last night. Not to ruin it for anyone who hasn't yet read it, but WHOA! I did NOT expect that ending and am so glad that I had not researched Mamah before finishing the book. That was a wild ride.

[RDSLOTS]

Glad you liked Nancy Horan's work. Now, you can do a little research on Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright.

When you've caught your breath, you should start TC Boyle's The Women, which is told from the perspective of one of the young architectural assistants at Taliesin. It works backwards, however, beginning with the assistant's arrival at Taliesin, and then his account of Olga (Wright's 3rd wife, but 4th love interest), Maude Miriam Noel Wright, Mamah Cheney, and Frank's first wife Catherine (called Kitty).

[pinetreelover]

Originally Posted by DandJ

Well, I made Loving Frank last as long as it could -- reading slooooowly so that it wouldn't end -- but it did end. I finished it last night. Not to ruin it for anyone who hasn't yet read it, but WHOA! I did NOT expect that ending and am so glad that I had not researched Mamah before finishing the book. That was a wild ride.

I agree! I had the same response - total surprise - sort of amazing given that the events are factual (even if there is some creative liberty taken in the book). My husband who is an architecture buff was intrigued that I didn't know the entire Frank Lloyd Wright story including the shocking events at the end of the book.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by RDSLOTS

Glad you liked Nancy Horan's work. Now, you can do a little research on Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright.

When you've caught your breath, you should start TC Boyle's The Women, which is told from the perspective of one of the young architectural assistants at Taliesin. It works backwards, however, beginning with the assistant's arrival at Taliesin, and then his account of Olga (Wright's 3rd wife, but 4th love interest), Maude Miriam Noel Wright, Mamah Cheney, and Frank's first wife Catherine (called Kitty).

I'm going to read a book or three in between so that I don't OD on FLW, because I don't think The Women is going to be the end of my reading on him. Wow. Just wow.

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

I agree! I had the same response - total surprise - sort of amazing given that the events are factual (even if there is some creative liberty taken in the book). My husband who is an architecture buff was intrigued that I didn't know the entire Frank Lloyd Wright story including the shocking events at the end of the book.

Right? In fact, because the book is labeled as fiction -- albeit historical fiction -- I thought, "there's NO WAY that really happened!" Then I Googled it and was even MORE shocked that it really did.

[DawnMTL]

OK, so I started The Women. I had a few minutes, so I read a few pages. I'm already hooked!

The real bummer is that I'm up to my shoulders in work projects over the next couple of months, and will have little time to read. Why does work have to infringe on my reading time???

[PeacenHarmony]

Ok so I just finished loving frank, this was for my book club read. We meet on monday to dicusse this book.

First off I learned a ton of things about him an his life an also a few lives of others in the book that I didn't know before. I also found the different country's they inhabited in the book to be interesting.

To tell the truth it took me 1 week an 2 days to get through the first half of the book, I struggled to get what the author was trying to put across. I think some of it had to do with the writing style. Really choppy, Start one thing in the paragraph with one sentence then something different in the next.

But then surprisingly the second half of the book I finished in a days time. Witch I thoroughly enjoyed. The second half seemed to me to be written differently. Way less choppy an more fluid writting style.

Did I like it? yes I thought the story was interesting an gave loads of information

Did I love it? no
I thought the writing style lacked some finesse till the last half.

Over all a good read, BTW I didn't hate her like some did I thought she was a very brave and true person.

[webenomads]

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

Have you read any other T.C. Boyle stuff?

For what it's worth, I have read everything ever written by T.C. Boyle (minus one or two collections of short stories) and I have never once been disappointed!