Fiction

Breathe: A Novel

Breathe: A Novel

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  • Create Date：2021-08-16 11:21:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Joyce Carol Oates
  • ISBN：166510046X
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Summary

A NOVEL OF LOVE AND LOSS FROM BESTSELLING AND PRIZEWINNING AUTHOR JOYCE CAROL OATES

Amid a starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico， a married couple from Cambridge， MA takes residency at a distinguished academic institute。 When the husband is stricken with a mysterious illness， misdiagnosed at first， their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each embarks upon a nightmare journey。  At thirty-seven， Michaela faces the terrifying prospect of widowhood - and the loss of Gerard， whose identity has greatly shaped her own。 

In vividly depicted scenes of escalating suspense， Michaela cares desperately for Gerard in his final days as she comes to realize that her love for her husband， however fierce and selfless， is not enough to save him and that his death is beyond her comprehension。  A love that refuses to be surrendered at death—is this the blessing of a unique married love， or a curse that must be exorcized？

Part intimately detailed love story， part horror story rooted in real life， BREATHE is an exploration of hauntedness rooted in the domesticity of marital love， as well as our determination to be faithful to the beloved and our determination to survive the trauma of loss。

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Reviews

Sharon ，

In the unique Oates style， the reader is challenged to understand the unexpected death and dying of a the death of a husband and the younger wife's reactions。 A compelling story of hospitals， confusion and sadness。 In the unique Oates style， the reader is challenged to understand the unexpected death and dying of a the death of a husband and the younger wife's reactions。 A compelling story of hospitals， confusion and sadness。 。。。more

Sophia ，

Breathe by Joyce Carol OatesPublished August 3， 2021 A NOVEL OF LOVE AND LOSS FROM BESTSELLING AND PRIZEWINNING AUTHOR JOYCE CAROL OATESAmid a starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico， a married couple from Cambridge， MA takes residency at a distinguished academic institute。 When the husband is stricken with a mysterious illness， misdiagnosed at first， their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each embarks upon a nightmare journey。 At thirty-seven， Michaela faces the terrifying Breathe by Joyce Carol OatesPublished August 3， 2021 A NOVEL OF LOVE AND LOSS FROM BESTSELLING AND PRIZEWINNING AUTHOR JOYCE CAROL OATESAmid a starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico， a married couple from Cambridge， MA takes residency at a distinguished academic institute。 When the husband is stricken with a mysterious illness， misdiagnosed at first， their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each embarks upon a nightmare journey。 At thirty-seven， Michaela faces the terrifying prospect of widowhood - and the loss of Gerard， whose identity has greatly shaped her own。In vividly depicted scenes of escalating suspense， Michaela cares desperately for Gerard in his final days as she comes to realize that her love for her husband， however fierce and selfless， is not enough to save him and that his death is beyond her comprehension。 A love that refuses to be surrendered at death—is this the blessing of a unique married love， or a curse that must be exorcized？Part intimately detailed love story， part horror story rooted in real life， BREATHE is an exploration of hauntedness rooted in the domesticity of marital love， as well as our determination both to be faithful to the beloved and to survive the trauma of loss。 。。。more

Marjorie ，

Chilling， terrifying story of the impact of grief。 There were times I truly couldn’t breathe。 An apt title for a breathtaking novel。 Most highly recommended。

Joy ，

3。5 starsOates is a fiction writer who needs no introduction; she is a mainstay in lists and anthologies of the past 50 years。 Breathe is much more poetic and technique-heavy than her earlier works。 Oates seems to have abandoned the straight， clean narrative that she had mastered so powerfully and is playing with psycho realism to convey the depths of grief。 Artistically， this works， and for a cerebral， analytical reader， there is much to like。 However， I miss the more direct narrative。 Instead 3。5 starsOates is a fiction writer who needs no introduction; she is a mainstay in lists and anthologies of the past 50 years。 Breathe is much more poetic and technique-heavy than her earlier works。 Oates seems to have abandoned the straight， clean narrative that she had mastered so powerfully and is playing with psycho realism to convey the depths of grief。 Artistically， this works， and for a cerebral， analytical reader， there is much to like。 However， I miss the more direct narrative。 Instead of engaging with the characters and feeling， I spent the entire work thinking。 While there is a section of intensity， it passes， and the book seems to drag out and wander off the impact in the last 20%。 Overall， I was disappointed。Thank you to Joyce Carol Oates， Ecco， and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Connie ，

I'm sorry， but this book was all over the place。 No rhyme or reason！ I'm sorry， but this book was all over the place。 No rhyme or reason！ 。。。more

Linda ，

4。5。 I need to catch my breath。。。 Review to come。

David Madara ，

Michela is tending to her husband Gerard in a hospital in New Mexico。 Heis near death， and she wants to help her husband keep breathing。 What willhappen with her once he's gone？A harrowing tale of death。 This was a struggle as there is no respite for the events that are occurring。 Well written but may trigger those who are close tothe situation being depicted。 If you're up to it， go for it！ Michela is tending to her husband Gerard in a hospital in New Mexico。 Heis near death， and she wants to help her husband keep breathing。 What willhappen with her once he's gone？A harrowing tale of death。 This was a struggle as there is no respite for the events that are occurring。 Well written but may trigger those who are close tothe situation being depicted。 If you're up to it， go for it！ 。。。more

Emi Bevacqua ，

Incredibly intense rendition of the havoc grief wields。 When Mr & Mrs McManus leave their New England home for his sabbatical in New Mexico， everything is alien and alienating。 But when Gerard suddenly begins dying， Michaela is incapacitated in turns by debilitating anxiety， self-doubt， and delusions。 In her mind， everything from her marriage， to her career， to her ability to make a decision at all crumbles and falls in a sinister way that only Joyce Carol Oates can kill with。 The desert god Ish Incredibly intense rendition of the havoc grief wields。 When Mr & Mrs McManus leave their New England home for his sabbatical in New Mexico， everything is alien and alienating。 But when Gerard suddenly begins dying， Michaela is incapacitated in turns by debilitating anxiety， self-doubt， and delusions。 In her mind， everything from her marriage， to her career， to her ability to make a decision at all crumbles and falls in a sinister way that only Joyce Carol Oates can kill with。 The desert god Ishkitini is just as terrifying as her psychological trauma， and it isn't clear how much of the cowering fear she exhibits in response to thoughts of her husband have a basis in reality or not。 I found the breathe motif a tad laborious， but the rest of the story was riveting， especially all the different and varied scary bits: will she pull it together enough to get through the class she's teaching？ will his relatives hold it against her that she didn't reach out before he lost lucidity？ is this a story about a haunting or a mental breakdown？ Joyce Carol Oates is so prolific， so genius， I can't wait to read what she comes up with next！ 。。。more

Maggie Rotter ，

In book discussions with others， I notice there are those who love JCO's books and those who seem intimidated or don't know where to start。 Her fans will welcome this first person journey through the stages of grief created by a writer well acquainted with the territory。 A fictional counterpart to Joan Didion's Blue Nights and The Year of Magical Thinkin， Breathe is highly recommended to mature readers。 As an introduction to Oates， consider Blonde or Wonderland。 In book discussions with others， I notice there are those who love JCO's books and those who seem intimidated or don't know where to start。 Her fans will welcome this first person journey through the stages of grief created by a writer well acquainted with the territory。 A fictional counterpart to Joan Didion's Blue Nights and The Year of Magical Thinkin， Breathe is highly recommended to mature readers。 As an introduction to Oates， consider Blonde or Wonderland。 。。。more

Valerie ，

This was a real struggle for me， I wanted to DNF it so many times but as I don’t do that I plowed through to the end！ I understand the love story part of this book but I didn’t like the part of the weak， heartbroken wife that can’t function on her own！ “Part horror story rooted in real life”， I must have missed that part！ I so used to enjoy Ms。 Oates books but not this one！

Pcox ，

Her writing pulls you in even if the story is morose

Linda ，

Didn't enjoy it like her other books。 Didn't enjoy it like her other books。 。。。more

Jeff ，

A beautiful and lyrical journey into loss and grief。 JCO never disappoints！

adeline Bronner ，

As usual with the great JCO there are more questions than answers 😁 the obvious is like the trees and woods analogy。 It’s about grief but it’s so much more and this more seems so elusive。 I’m still wondering the part of sarcasm， worry， engagement behind some parts about racial bigotry。 I love the way she is turning the grief and pain into something so physical or incarnated it sounds like a living vivid beast inside and outside Michaela。 The mind is definitely able to bring both he’ll or heaven As usual with the great JCO there are more questions than answers 😁 the obvious is like the trees and woods analogy。 It’s about grief but it’s so much more and this more seems so elusive。 I’m still wondering the part of sarcasm， worry， engagement behind some parts about racial bigotry。 I love the way she is turning the grief and pain into something so physical or incarnated it sounds like a living vivid beast inside and outside Michaela。 The mind is definitely able to bring both he’ll or heaven and every purgatory in between。 Brilliant 。。。more

Steve ，

3。5

Kathy ，

Breathe is a raw， painfully real， and emotional look at love， loss， and grief。 Michaela and Gerard have been happily married for 12 years。 Their home is in Cambridge， MA， but they are currently living in New Mexico where Gerard is teaching at an academic institute。 When Gerard first falls ill， they both assume it is a small bump in the road and that he will be back on his feet shortly。 That is not the case。As Gerard's health quickly worsens， they both come to realize that he is in his final days Breathe is a raw， painfully real， and emotional look at love， loss， and grief。 Michaela and Gerard have been happily married for 12 years。 Their home is in Cambridge， MA， but they are currently living in New Mexico where Gerard is teaching at an academic institute。 When Gerard first falls ill， they both assume it is a small bump in the road and that he will be back on his feet shortly。 That is not the case。As Gerard's health quickly worsens， they both come to realize that he is in his final days。 How does Gerard handle his remaining time？ How can Michaela face and handle the death of the person who has been her home and center？ Their love defined her; who is she now？ Is it possible to survive such grief？Joyce Carol Oates once again takes a difficult subject and handles it with depth， realism， and skill。My thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for allowing me the privilege of reading an ARC of this book which is scheduled to be published 8/3/2021。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more

Lolly K Dandeneau ，

via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞， 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫。Joyce Carol Oates is one of the best authors to read if you want characters whose emotions are unfiltered， bloody and raw。 With Oates， the guts are on full display- every single one of their fears， flaws， strengths， desires， shame， regrets， hopes， delusions， illnesses both physical and mental- are magnified。 I don’t think there is a surface left unscratched nor depths remaining via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞， 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫。Joyce Carol Oates is one of the best authors to read if you want characters whose emotions are unfiltered， bloody and raw。 With Oates， the guts are on full display- every single one of their fears， flaws， strengths， desires， shame， regrets， hopes， delusions， illnesses both physical and mental- are magnified。 I don’t think there is a surface left unscratched nor depths remaining to be explored。 It’s not always pretty but it makes for magnificent writing。 The horror of this novel is in the diagnosis and the crashing terror of pending doom， because what is loss if not doom？Death is an ever present threat， a stark reality that nothing can stop-certainly not Michaela’s loyal， bottomless love for her husband， Gerard （nine years her senior）。 Gerard McManus has taken an eight-month residency at the Institute for Advanced Research in New Mexico。 Having left behind their comfortable life in Cambridge， Massachusetts they have taken on the challenge of living in a desert terrain， with all it’s exotic surroundings and where they don’t know a single soul。 Michaela discovers， in their new home， artifacts that horrify her with their ugliness， particularly an awful female figurine。 In time， those native pieces feel like a curse。 She means to make the best of it， this ‘time-out-of-time’ in an unfamiliar place。 She must adjust her expectations and not weigh Gerard down with her fears nor disappointments。 Neither expected what would come next， that Gerard would succumb to a mysterious illness， before they’ve barely settled into this new life。Michaela is accustomed to her role as Gerard’s happy wife。 He has always been her protector， like a father figure in numerous ways。 She has lived the past twelve years of their life together being defined by his love， his presence。 As his condition worsens， she must face what could be a future without him。 With childish faith， hope， she believes her love will save him， chase death out of the room。 She remains by his side， faithful as a dog。 Gerard faces the terror of failing health， chasing diagnosis and treatments while Michaela wants to believe that by offering herself （her hope， her goodness） that he will be saved， that soon they will put this catastrophe behind them。 She uses her teaching as an escape， working as an adjunct in the English Department at a University， nothing so prestigious as her beloved husband’s career。 If only she could focus on the students， but living what feels like a tragedy makes her feel like a fraud and yet it is a chance to pretend everything is fine in her life， this stolen time away from her suffering husband。 She is ill too， sickened by sorrow， plagued by terrors real and imagined。 There is no one else to lean on， Gerard has always been her pillar。 He cannot abandon her like this！ He must Breathe！ “Breathe， Darling！” If she could， she would let him take the oxygen from her own lungs。Maybe she doesn’t know him， after all these years， which should in and of itself allow for more time。 She is afraid for him， sometimes of him when he becomes confused， uncertain。 The doctor’s words alarm her， everything feels like a curse， payback for all the happiness and love they’ve shared。 Disease， illness， it is a threat to the world they share， and how could she possible continue to exist the world in which he is no more？ Who is she without him？ No one。 Nothing。 She cannot process this frightful reality， its hit them too fast， leaving her reeling， shocked！A story about a loved one dying has never felt so sinister。 Her childish petitions to what， who- God， universe- leave us feeling as helpless as Michaela。 This is what it means to exist， to be in the bed or beside it， either way no one is winning and death is not a romance。 Our failing bodies are a horror show， nature’s cruel trick。 Michaela is fading from her life as much as Gerard， unable to deal with the practical details that never stop demanding our attention， to hell with what we’re dealing with， what crisis is haunting our soul。 She is sleepless， vulnerable， on the verge of madness and no one is there to bear witness， to comfort her， that is Gerard’s role。 Her universe is shrinking！ She is guilty， ashamed of the life inside of her while Gerard’s light grows fainter。 Who wants the remains of this life？ She’d rather be dead。Widow or widower， it’s a bleak future for the spouse left behind。 Oates doesn’t tread lightly when it comes to these ‘common’ subjects。 It’s scary because it’s not really fiction， is it？ Love costs us， it’s dreadful to have a heart。 We all come to the end， and there is no bigger abandonment than death， no greater nightmare than watching the deterioration of our beloved。 Some of us have already been there and if we’re lucky， have recovered， been spared more time。 Her writing is heavy no matter the subject。 I’ve long been a fan-I don’t think there is another writer that can take life events and unearth every emotion quite like her。 In her stories， as in life， there is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ for how we react when our lives are upended。 Those of us familiar with loss， illness （if you aren’t yet， you will be） can understand Michaela’s decline。 There is no escape， not for any of us。Publication Date: August 3， 2021 Available TodayEcco 。。。more

Katy McCollom ，

This book details the guilt and grief associated with losing a loved one。 Split into two parts， the first section details the long monotonous hospitalization。 The feelings a spouse may have that they are not doing enough。 Not doing it right。 The second part details the weeks after。 The guilt and anger of being the survivor。 This process is particularly hard for Michaela how is seemingly alone in the world。 As she loses herself further and further to the role of widow， she become a less reliable This book details the guilt and grief associated with losing a loved one。 Split into two parts， the first section details the long monotonous hospitalization。 The feelings a spouse may have that they are not doing enough。 Not doing it right。 The second part details the weeks after。 The guilt and anger of being the survivor。 This process is particularly hard for Michaela how is seemingly alone in the world。 As she loses herself further and further to the role of widow， she become a less reliable narrator。 The lines of reality and fiction become more and more blurred。In short， this book was raw， sad， and a little perplexing。 Being a master of her craft， the tale is artfully told。 However， it was at times hard to take。 The subject matter was simply heart wrenching。 The switch between second and third person left me wondering what was real and what was a delusion。 I recommend this book the fans of JCO who are in the mood for something melancholy。 。。。more

Cody | CodysBookshelf ，

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC！ This one releases on 8/3。 My favorite author has done it again—looks like， barring an unexpected favorite， Breathe will be my favorite novel of the year。 But it took a while for me to warm up to it。 The first third or so of this novel is incredibly insular and white-hot， off-putting， and written in a sort of stream-of-conscious style。 I was reminded of JCO’s Black Water。 It was still good， mind you， just incredibly visceral and 。 。 。 weird？ But Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC！ This one releases on 8/3。 My favorite author has done it again—looks like， barring an unexpected favorite， Breathe will be my favorite novel of the year。 But it took a while for me to warm up to it。 The first third or so of this novel is incredibly insular and white-hot， off-putting， and written in a sort of stream-of-conscious style。 I was reminded of JCO’s Black Water。 It was still good， mind you， just incredibly visceral and 。 。 。 weird？ But I warmed up to the novel， and I must say this is one of Oates’s best stories about grief yet。 She’s still processing the death of her husband（s） in her art， and the result is an emotionally vulnerable and honest story in Breathe。 Even more open-ended and gleefully unpredictable than JCO’s other novels， which is really saying something， this isn’t one for impatient readers or readers expecting easy， neat answers。 Ends are left loose， the narrative often zigging when you expect a zag。 I am so glad my favorite writer is still willing to challenge her readers with works that easily measure up to her well-loved classics。 。。。more

Lydia Nefedov ，

BreatheJoyce Carol OatesFictionJoyce Carol Oates is one of my favorite authors of all time; so naturally when I saw this book on Net Galley I hoped and hoped that I would be approved to read the ARC。 Unfortunately， this was not an enjoyable reading experience， as EVERY OTHER book by JCO was for me。 This book deeply examines loss and anguish after the protagonist Michaela loses her husband early in the book。 The first few chapters for me were very hard to push through as Oates shoves the panic do BreatheJoyce Carol OatesFictionJoyce Carol Oates is one of my favorite authors of all time; so naturally when I saw this book on Net Galley I hoped and hoped that I would be approved to read the ARC。 Unfortunately， this was not an enjoyable reading experience， as EVERY OTHER book by JCO was for me。 This book deeply examines loss and anguish after the protagonist Michaela loses her husband early in the book。 The first few chapters for me were very hard to push through as Oates shoves the panic down the readers through， but my internal monologue was saying “okay okay get on with it。”Throughout the book I struggled to understand what was real and what was fantasy as Michaela jumps to past， present， and future。 There were several parts of the story where I never was sure if this was a day dream， a nightmare， or it did take place。 Additionally， and this is a big one for me， there are a lot of inaccuracies in the medical language that transpires in this book and that absolutely irks me because it is very preventable。 I am not sure who the intended audience is of this sad sad story。 Possibly in a classroom setting， examining grieving？ I saw another reviewer mention on #goodreads that this was written not long after the death of JCO’s second husband; I do not know if that is fact however if it is I hope putting these feelings down was helpful to the author， but I imagine someone in a similar situation would have unpleasant reactions to reading this。 As with many books by Oats there are some other trigger warnings to share: rape & cancer。It saddens me to give this unfavorable review of such an accomplished author; but there are so many 5 star JCO books out there to choose from！Thank you ECCO publishers， Net Galley， and Joyce Carol Oates for this ARC of Breathe。 #Netgalley #Breathe #Joycecaroloates 。。。more

David ，

BREATHE （Ecco， 2021） is a major new novel by Joyce Carol Oates that once again plumbs the topic and tributaries of "marriage"--a theme familiar to even the most casual of Oates's reader。 It concerns a husband and wife—Gerard and Michaela—who are temporarily living in New Mexico where Gerard is engaged at an academic institute。 Michaela’s world tilts， as in an earthquake， when Gerard becomes suddenly and gravely ill， requiring around-the-clock vigil and triggering severe and at times terrifying e BREATHE （Ecco， 2021） is a major new novel by Joyce Carol Oates that once again plumbs the topic and tributaries of "marriage"--a theme familiar to even the most casual of Oates's reader。 It concerns a husband and wife—Gerard and Michaela—who are temporarily living in New Mexico where Gerard is engaged at an academic institute。 Michaela’s world tilts， as in an earthquake， when Gerard becomes suddenly and gravely ill， requiring around-the-clock vigil and triggering severe and at times terrifying emotions in Michaela。The setting of New Mexico’s high desert is unfamiliar territory for Oates （most of her work is set in upstate New York， New Jersey， Detroit）， but no less vividly evoked on the page than her usual settings。 As always in Oatesworld， the location is inextricably tied to story; the jagged desert escarpments， the “breathless” high altitude， and a pantheon of Pueblo gods haunt the protagonist， Michaela， as she prays/wills her ailing husband’s convalescence。It is not a spoiler to say that her husband， Gerard， succumbs to cancer and pneumonia， because the focus of the story is on Michaela。 One could select from Oates’s vast oeuvre any number of stories/books where a spouse， often a woman but not always， tumbles into a chaotic， self-imposed or self-destructive delirium， at the marital or physical loss/separation of the other spouse。 An example of a male protagonist that comes to mind is Jerome “Corky” Corcoran in WHAT I LIVED FOR （1994）。The image of a character jolted into a new and unfamiliar world echoes Oates’s lifetime fascination with Alice in THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS， which she credits as one of her earliest influences。 For example， Michaela is reminiscent of Ileana from an early Oates story “The Dead，” a takeoff on James Joyce’s story of the same name and collected in Oates’s MARRIAGES AND INFIDELTIES （1972）--a woman under totally different circumstances than Michaela in BREATHE but nonetheless caught in a psychological pressure cooker that leaves her somersaulting through hellacious， personal grief and loss and romance。Michaela suffers through sustained interior torment in counterbalance to the rudimentary functions of widowhood she must undertake， from the disposition of cremains to the task of finishing Gerard’s last manuscript。 Some of this territory is familiar to readers of Oates's searing memoir， A WIDOW'S STORY （2008）， about her marriage to Raymond Smith and， especially， the aftermath of his （unexpected） death。 If there is autobiography to be found in Gerard， though， it is not principally Smith but Charlie Gross， Oates's second husband and the renowned father of cognitive neuroscience。 Oates renders Michaela’s confused sublimation into widowhood in the hallucinatory， dreamlike prose that has become a hallmark of her long career。 As in her story “The Dead，” Oates employs a number of devices in her narrative style that simulate the protagonist's psychological unbalancing: shifts between second- and third-person points-of-view， the interrogative mood， elliptical and rhetorically repetitive prose， and so on。 This style can be irritating to the reader （as is Oates’s obsessive employment of italicized prose）， but it is ultimately effective in creating an indelible literary experience that is at once utterly original and frighteningly familiar。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

This is an at times difficult to read portrait of a woman dealing with immense grief。 Michaela and her husband Gerard had a good life， a happy life， for twelve years until a suddenly cascading medical crisis puts him into a state where she finds herself begging him to breath。 Which of course he can't。 His death unmoors her in a way she didn't expect （does anyone？） It's not helped by the fact that they are not in Massachussets where they've lived for so long but in New Mexico， a place they though This is an at times difficult to read portrait of a woman dealing with immense grief。 Michaela and her husband Gerard had a good life， a happy life， for twelve years until a suddenly cascading medical crisis puts him into a state where she finds herself begging him to breath。 Which of course he can't。 His death unmoors her in a way she didn't expect （does anyone？） It's not helped by the fact that they are not in Massachussets where they've lived for so long but in New Mexico， a place they thought would be one of joy but which has turned to horror。 Michaela's spiraling descent becomes more frantic and propulsive until。。。no spoilers （and to be honest， it's debatable。）。 There are times， as is so often the case with Oates， that this feels overwritten but the emotion comes through loud and clear。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 For her fans。 。。。more

Eric Anderson ，

How do we maintain self-worth when we lose those we value the most？ This is one of the arresting questions at the centre of Joyce Carol Oates' heart-wrenching novel “Breathe”。 Gerard and Michaela are academics who have temporarily moved from their home in Massachusetts to New Mexico in order to work at a distinguished institute。 They consider this trip to be like the honeymoon they never had time to experience when they first married twelve years ago。 However， when Gerard becomes terminally ill， How do we maintain self-worth when we lose those we value the most？ This is one of the arresting questions at the centre of Joyce Carol Oates' heart-wrenching novel “Breathe”。 Gerard and Michaela are academics who have temporarily moved from their home in Massachusetts to New Mexico in order to work at a distinguished institute。 They consider this trip to be like the honeymoon they never had time to experience when they first married twelve years ago。 However， when Gerard becomes terminally ill， Michaela's life spirals into chaos and she's left alone struggling to continue。 Oates' novels often concern the question of survival for those in challenging situations where the individual faces vast obstacles of oppression， violence and prejudice。 They chronicle the irrepressible will of the human spirit to overcome challenging circumstances。 This novel describes the journey of a woman confronted with the insurmountable reality of death and the solemn fact that we will eventually lose those we love。 Unable to face the fact of Gerard's death， she becomes lost in a fever dream where time is looped and she's plagued by wrathful gods eager to consume her。 It's a tense， sobering and artfully-composed tale full of insight and tender feeling。 Read my full review of Breathe by Joyce Carol Oates on LonesomeReaderJCO and I had a lovely long discussion over zoom about what she's been up to lately and her new novel Breathe which you can watch here: https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=NElkoUXn2Nc 。。。more

booklife ，

Publishers Synopsis:Amid a starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico， a married couple from Cambridge， MA takes residency at a distinguished academic institute。 When the husband is stricken with a mysterious illness， misdiagnosed at first， their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each embarks upon a nightmare journey。 At thirty-seven， Michaela faces the terrifying prospect of widowhood - and the loss of Gerard， whose identity has greatly shaped her own。 Review:"Nothing matters e Publishers Synopsis:Amid a starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico， a married couple from Cambridge， MA takes residency at a distinguished academic institute。 When the husband is stricken with a mysterious illness， misdiagnosed at first， their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each embarks upon a nightmare journey。 At thirty-seven， Michaela faces the terrifying prospect of widowhood - and the loss of Gerard， whose identity has greatly shaped her own。 Review:"Nothing matters except: he must not die。 He must breathe。 He must not cease breathing。He is neither fully awake nor is he unconscious。。。You are alert and alive as you have rarely been in your life determined that your husband breathe。 Pleading in desperation。 In childish hope。 Begging your husband Breathe！ Don't stop breathing！ " This is our greeting into this hauntingly tragic story of one decision; One instant that you will focus on where everything seemed to change You will drive yourself mad wondering if things could have been different， if only things could have been different。 Then Michaela would not be gripping the cool limp hand that once gripped hers back firmly， repeating that you're there and that you love him。 "What you love most， that you will lose。 The price of your love is your loss" and so it goes on， we sit watch as Michaelas husband dwindles physically， as does Michaela as a result of worrying over him and trying to support him。 However， Michaela declines mentally as well， dipping into dark territories as she watches the cancer eat away at once was her husband。 Joyce Carol Oates paints a disturbingly authentic picture of what it's like on the inside of one watching their loved one slowly slip away。 Her prose is beautiful， urgent and striking。 At times I must confess to catching myself holding my breath， tears streaming down my face as I read along， feeling every ounce of pain and fear that waxes and wanes throughout the months。 This surprised me as I am not a crier， more a quiet mourner but oh！ the brilliance between these pages wrapped themselves around me and before I knew it， I was crying and pleading right along with Michaela。 After we watch her fall apart， we must watch what follows as she tries to move act normal， keep herself pulled together， a facade that may save her as she has nothing left。 Everywhere she goes though she feels the loss。This book is one you need to read when you are not distracted by family members running around or the tv playing。 Every single word of this demands to be fully understood， fully felt which takes turning away from outer distractions for a brief time but OH， will it be worth it！ It is true that Joyce Carol Oates is a master story teller encompassing a wide array of styles and techniques in each of her stories， each unique in themselves yet unmistakably hers。 Breathe is a masterpiece that will not disappoint。 Part love story part horror that is terrifying beyond belief because it is the horror many of us either already know， or will one day know all too well; and nothing， nothing will prepare you for that absurdity that is the last moment。 the end。 If there is an end。 Joyce Carol Oates has taken a topic that is ugly， disturbing with an air of being unapproachable in conversation and exposes is in an equally disturbing yet beautiful way。 I feel as though I could go on for days about the beauty of Breathe， though I could never say enough。 This is not a story that is easy to describe beyond a fairly simplistic synopsis it's the beauty between the pages that no one can expect to accurately describe except perhaps， Joyce Carol Oates herself。 I strongly recommend you pick this up， whether you relate to the storyline， need a good cry， or are simply a fan of brilliant literature this book has something for you。 Don't miss it。 4。5 out of 5 stars is the rating I would choose given the choice of half star ratings。 Thank you to netgalley and the wonderful Joyce Carol Oates for providing me an advanced e-copy to read in exchange for this honest unprompted review。 I was thrilled beyond words when the approval came in， and I cannot thank you enough for bringing Breathe to the public。 。。。more

Steve Essick ，

The dedication of Joyce Carol Oates new novel，#Breathe， says simply In Memoriam Charlie Gross。 Charlie Gross was Ms。 Oates second husband 。 He died in April of 2019 at the age of 83， being one of the world’s most renowned cognitive neuroscientists， studying how we recognize what we recognize。 And make no mistake about it， this is a story of recognitions and memories : painful， haunting recognitions and memories。 To start， the publisher’s disclaimer- This Is A Work Of Fiction…。 Michaela’s anguish The dedication of Joyce Carol Oates new novel，#Breathe， says simply In Memoriam Charlie Gross。 Charlie Gross was Ms。 Oates second husband 。 He died in April of 2019 at the age of 83， being one of the world’s most renowned cognitive neuroscientists， studying how we recognize what we recognize。 And make no mistake about it， this is a story of recognitions and memories : painful， haunting recognitions and memories。 To start， the publisher’s disclaimer- This Is A Work Of Fiction…。 Michaela’s anguish should not be confused with Oates’ anguish。 I perceive #Breathe to be a form of therapy through art and as such it succeeds marvelously。 Author’s do this by putting words on paper。 Most others keep our stories in their heads， where they can continually revise them until the details fit theirneeds。 # Breathe is a story that will inhabit you like a ghost from open to close。 。。。more

Christine ，

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC。 I love Joyce Carol Oates， but this just wasn't the book for me。 While the topic was haunting and mesmerizing， the style made it difficult for me to keep reading。 Maybe it was the topic， which was so depressing， and maybe this review is a testament to Joyce Carol Oate's writing-- just too real and personal to keep a reader comfortable。 If you are a fan of the author， you probably owe it to yourself to give it a try。 Thank you NetGalley for an ARC。 I love Joyce Carol Oates， but this just wasn't the book for me。 While the topic was haunting and mesmerizing， the style made it difficult for me to keep reading。 Maybe it was the topic， which was so depressing， and maybe this review is a testament to Joyce Carol Oate's writing-- just too real and personal to keep a reader comfortable。 If you are a fan of the author， you probably owe it to yourself to give it a try。 。。。more

Gwen ，

In this book， readers experience the terrible depths of grief that one woman goes through just before and then after the death of her husband， It is very descriptive， dark at times， and sad to read。 I am finding this book difficult to rate because it is well-written and relates it’s messages effectively， however， I found it depressing to read。Thank you very much to NetGalley and Ecco for the advanced reader’s copy of this book。

Janilyn Kocher ，

I love the both the cover and the setting that captures the unique beauty of New Mexico。 Micaela and her husband have just moved to NM when a nightmare begins。 Gerard becomes ill。 The novel traces Micaela’s journey， coping with the harsh reality and all，of，her musings。 Sometimes it was a bit difficult to discern when it was Micaela’s voice or Gerard’s voice she was hearing。 It’s a poignant read and deals with several strong issues。 Although fiction， it felt like it could have been non fiction， a I love the both the cover and the setting that captures the unique beauty of New Mexico。 Micaela and her husband have just moved to NM when a nightmare begins。 Gerard becomes ill。 The novel traces Micaela’s journey， coping with the harsh reality and all，of，her musings。 Sometimes it was a bit difficult to discern when it was Micaela’s voice or Gerard’s voice she was hearing。 It’s a poignant read and deals with several strong issues。 Although fiction， it felt like it could have been non fiction， as the author’s realism shines through in her prose and images her writing evoked。 Thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for the early read。 。。。more

Tom O’Leary ，

The prose here， as expected， is beautiful and moving and true。 This novel fully captures the tsunami that is grief。 I did get worn down by the relentless and the repetition of the story。 I would have been more moved if this work were more concise。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Breathe: A Novel

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Breathe: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Breathe: A Novel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0