A marvelous collection of essays by writer Ann Patchett, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, is about “commitment,” as the author explains in this video clip. Each essay – whether about caring for her elderly grandmother, going on book tour, her friendship with Lucy Grieg – is about something that she feels married to. Each one is also about her writing life, so while each (originally published at various points in her life) is personal and revealing in some way, they aren’t confessional. She doesn’t overshare, so that a reader doesn’t feel uncomfortable, as if reading is an invasion of privacy.
Ann Patchett has just turned 50 this month, at least according to Wikipedia. The essays in this collection span a period of time from her early days of writing and teaching up to the present, when she is a well-known novelist and owner of an independent bookstore, Parnassus Books, in Nashville, Tennessee. I think all of the essays would be enjoyed by any reader, but being familiar with her work will give you a little more insight into them. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys writers’ memoirs and writing about writing!
I’ve listened to all of Ann Patchett’s novels on audio, and they’ve all been excellent, although I read this nonfiction book in print. This collection of essays is also available on audio, read by the author.
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
Patchett, Ann
HarperCollins
Nov. 5, 2013
9780062236678
320 pp.
$27.99
Disclosure: I read this book from the public library.
This post will be linked up to Nonfiction Friday at Doing Dewey. Visit Doing Dewey for links to more nonfiction reviews from book bloggers posted this week.
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Ann Patchett is a favorite. When I noticed she narrated the audio version herself, I decided to download it. It will be my first audiobook of 2014!
The essays would definitely stand up to re-reading, so I might listen to it in 2014 too!
Wow! Is this a book about a FUNCTIONAL family? Crazy. 🙂
Ann Patchett is a hit or miss for me, but even the “misses” are of quality.
http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Not entirely, but some!
Thanks for mentioning my non-fiction feature in your post! I feel like non-fiction bloggers are bit scarce so I’d love to really get this going as a way for us to better find one another 🙂
I’ve read reviews of this book before and I think it sounds very interesting. Lately I’ve been particularly enjoying memoirs narrated by the author, so I’ll definitely want to listen to this one.
I realized that I actually read and listen to more nonfiction than I thought I did, once I started counting memoirs, essay collections and foodie books. So even though I mostly review fiction, I may start including more nonfiction reviews. Once I get caught up…
Listening to the audiobook edition of Bel Canto was what hooked me on Ann Patchett’s books. I couldn’t get myself to read it because it was “about” opera, even though another librarian kept urging it on me (my boss at the time) so I listened to it instead, and loved it!