100. Magnificent Amberson’s Chap. 20 – 35 (the end of the book)

What I like best about reading a good book is when something unexpected happens during the story. I often find with books that sometimes I can figure out what’s going to happen to the characters before it happens, either through the foreshadowing within the book or simply because it’s the only logical possible outcome. So when I read a book where this is not the case I find that my love and respect for the book and author grows.

This is the case with the “Magnificent Amberson’s”. I don’t want to give any story details away so it’s a tricky thing to write about. In the previous post I wrote that George Minafer’s attitude was going to lead to his downfall, this is still the case, sort of. He lives his life reacting to situations, rather than acting and the results are blunders that he truly believes are for the best of all involved. Yet they leave most of the characters including him unhappy. Then, it gets worse.

At the start of the book a number of characters wait with bated breath and gleeful smiles for George’s “come-upance”, I doubt though that these characters would be pleased with the way that it comes about. It’s quite sad actually, and I feel for the guy right up to the end.

He amazes me with his behaviour, his attitude shifts from the self centred privileged ‘dandy’ at the beginning of the book to a mature young man who carries life’s burdens with dignity, which, when the come-upance occurs it is all the more painful.

I enjoyed this book. I don’t think it will end up on my shelf as a book I read over and over, but I certainly didn’t find it to be a waste of my time by any means. Booth Tarkington has written other books, which I am interested in reading. I feel like I’m heading towards a ‘star rating’ 3 out of 5 or something like that. I don’t think I want to do that though, and I’m not sure why. I just don’t want to rate the book, or any of the books I read that way.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I think it is defiantly worth reading. It is a well written story, insightful and interesting. The characters are subtle; as is the writing and I greatly enjoy that. Yes, read it. Then tell me what you think?

Next up: The Ginger Man, by J.P Donleavy