Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Marya: A Life

Marya: A Life
Marya A Life
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
ISBN-13: 9780525243748
ISBN-10: 0525243747
Publication Date: 3/12/1986
Pages: 310
Edition: 1st ed
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 3

3.5 stars, based on 3 ratings
Publisher: E P Dutton
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

4 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Marya: A Life on + 6 more book reviews
Oates is one of the great writers of our age. Her works do tend to be dark however.
This is no exception.
reviewed Marya: A Life on + 12 more book reviews
(From Library Journal) ... fairly straightforward narrative ... Constructed on a more intimate scale ..., it is a stark, well-drawn portrait of the title character told in "scenes from the life" style, from Marya's early days of poverty, her life as an abandoned child raised by an aunt and uncle, through hard-won college success and an academic career. Marya's development and her innermost fears and insecurities are revealed in a very personal, almost autobiographical manner.
reviewed Marya: A Life on + 379 more book reviews
Marya's life is described in chapters dealing with a traumatic childhood, religious observations, college experiences, a career in academia, and relationships. Throughout it all, the overwhelming feeling is one of loneliness and a life lived searching for a sense of belonging. The chapter dealing with thoughts on religion reminded me of Flannery O'Connor. The abrupt ending, although disconcerting, is probably intentional. I think this book is brilliantly written, and perhaps gives us more of an insight into JCO as a person than most of her fiction.
ocnsangel avatar reviewed Marya: A Life on + 224 more book reviews
I didnt read this book