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At Weddings and Wakes
At Weddings and Wakes
Author: Alice Mcdermott
Slipping effortlessly between past and present, between memory and observation, At Weddings And Wakes tells the story of three generations of an Irish-Catholic family through the eyes of its younger members. At once a haunting evocation of life's inexplicable calamities and a magical celebration of childhood and familial love, At W...  more »  transforms every experience into the heroic and the universal. It is a testament to the remarkable gift of a literary master writing at the peak of her story telling powers.
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ISBN-13: 9780440215233
ISBN-10: 0440215234
Publication Date: 3/2/1993
Pages: 307
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 17

3.5 stars, based on 17 ratings
Publisher: Dell
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

bookaddict avatar reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on
Helpful Score: 3
A really marvelous book. The story of a family, told from different points of view, with some deft time-shifting. Beautifully written.
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 20 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A female "Angela's Ashes."
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Try to read this when and where you will be free of distractions, because in order to grasp fully the beauty of McDermott's style, you have to pay attention. She writes a bit like Henry James, with long and somewhat complicated sentences. Nevertheless, the story and the way it is told is both moving and memorable. You will feel right at home identifying with the children through whose eyes the tale develops.
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Life in an Irish family as seen and told by the children.
Kind of a comfy read,and very interesting.
Characters are real and at the end you don't want to let them go
Read All 11 Book Reviews of "At Weddings and Wakes"

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MediumDebbi avatar reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 92 more book reviews
I started this because I read Charming Billy and really enjoyed it. This one just didn't grab me. It seemed very stilted and choppy.
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 51 more book reviews
Wonderfully written story of adult life from a child's perspective. Many varied and interesting characters.
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on
NY Times Best Seller
Book of the Month Club selection.
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 88 more book reviews
The author writes with beautiful flowing words. The story is told from the point of view of the Dailey children but, for me, that didn't work well. I would have expected more childlike thoughts & feelings. I feel like I didn't get to know the characters well. However, there is a lot of praise for the book so maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea. So it goes.
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 39 more book reviews
"A moving evocation of life's inexplicaable calamities and a magical celebration of childhood and familial love...the story of three generations of an Irish-American family through the eyes of its youngest members.
reviewed At Weddings and Wakes on + 4 more book reviews
Enjoyable reading.


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