Review: Oh, William | Some Good Books

Review of the book “Oh, William” by Elizabeth Strout.
By Paqui Bernal.

This Easter I read “Ay, William”, by Elisabeth Strout, a renowned North American writer.

In her work the author usually talks about family relationships and friendship, but of the themes of this novel I would like to highlight one. I would say that the author highlights how the experiences of the parents influence the education of their children (for example, that these parents are war veterans, as is the case of her protagonist, Lucy Barton). And she shows us how this education opens up questions in our own lives to which we do not stop looking for answers to be at peace with those parents.

But, regardless of what issues Strout touches on in her novels, I feel that this writer is a balm. Or maybe it’s not her, maybe it’s Lucy Barton, her character.

I have only read two novels in this saga, the first, “My Name is Lucy Barton” and this last one. And although the first narrated a very difficult relationship, that of Lucy with her mother, the atmosphere that was breathed in that story returns and returns to memory.
Strout is contagious. I realize that she spoke in a tone similar to her Lucy’s voice. I don’t really know what she is. Naturalness, spontaneity, a young soul… I only know that Lucy from “Ay, William”, a mature woman, divorced, with grown daughters, has made me fall in love again. How has the author been able to make her character mature and for her to retain that unique personality of hers?
Strout must also be a balm because it does not overwhelm us with details or incidents, because it flows in time like the water of a river drains between stones, with a slight noise. Because he talks to us about New York or Illinois as if we had known them all our lives.

That could be it, familiarity. Elisabeth Strout is family, like a sister or an aunt with whom we spend entire afternoons. If I were you, I would invite her home without the slightest hesitation on her part.

Long live this very close novelist.