Oh William!
- Downloads：9892
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-09 09:51:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Elizabeth Strout
- ISBN：0241508177
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The Pulitzer Prize-winning， Booker-longlisted， bestselling author returns to her beloved heroine Lucy Barton in a luminous novel about love， loss， and the family secrets that can erupt and bewilder us at any point in life
Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York， navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters。 A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William， her first husband - and longtime， on-again-off-again friend and confidante。 Recalling their college years， the birth of their daughters， the painful dissolution of their marriage， and the lives they built with other people， Strout weaves a portrait， stunning in its subtlety， of a tender， complex， decades-long partnership。
Oh William！ captures the joy and sorrow of watching children grow up and start families of their own; of discovering family secrets， late in life， that alter everything we think we know about those closest to us; and the way people live and love， against all odds。 At the heart of this story is the unforgettable， indomitable voice of Lucy Barton， who once again offers a profound， lasting reflection on the mystery of existence。 'This is the way of life，' Lucy says。 'The many things we do not know until it is too late。'
'Elizabeth Strout is one of my very favourite writers， so the fact that Oh William！ may well be my favorite of her books is a mathematical equation for joy。 The depth， complexity， and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement' Ann Patchett
'A superbly gifted storyteller and a craftswoman in a league of her own' Hilary Mantel
'A terrific writer' Zadie Smith
'She gets better with each book' Maggie O'Farrell
'A majestic book。 I do not know any other writer who can portray life in this way' Rachel Joyce
'One of America's finest writers' Sunday Times
'An absolute delight of a book' Claire Fuller
'A wonderful book' Emma Healey
Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York， navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters。 A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William， her first husband - and longtime， on-again-off-again friend and confidante。 Recalling their college years， the birth of their daughters， the painful dissolution of their marriage， and the lives they built with other people， Strout weaves a portrait， stunning in its subtlety， of a tender， complex， decades-long partnership。
Oh William！ captures the joy and sorrow of watching children grow up and start families of their own; of discovering family secrets， late in life， that alter everything we think we know about those closest to us; and the way people live and love， against all odds。 At the heart of this story is the unforgettable， indomitable voice of Lucy Barton， who once again offers a profound， lasting reflection on the mystery of existence。 'This is the way of life，' Lucy says。 'The many things we do not know until it is too late。'
'Elizabeth Strout is one of my very favourite writers， so the fact that Oh William！ may well be my favorite of her books is a mathematical equation for joy。 The depth， complexity， and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement' Ann Patchett
'A superbly gifted storyteller and a craftswoman in a league of her own' Hilary Mantel
'A terrific writer' Zadie Smith
'She gets better with each book' Maggie O'Farrell
'A majestic book。 I do not know any other writer who can portray life in this way' Rachel Joyce
'One of America's finest writers' Sunday Times
'An absolute delight of a book' Claire Fuller
'A wonderful book' Emma Healey
Reviews
Carol Custer
，
I love Elizabeth Strout's books and I enjoyed this one。 It reads like a rambling， meandering memoir and perhaps someone expecting more 'action' wouldn't enjoy it; but I like the introspective aspects to it。 It's interesting to see yet another look at Lucy Barton。 I don't always like Lucy but I find her interesting。 She presents herself with unflinching honesty here and it's fascinating to watch her realizing things about herself。 The other characters are realistic and though there isn't much act I love Elizabeth Strout's books and I enjoyed this one。 It reads like a rambling， meandering memoir and perhaps someone expecting more 'action' wouldn't enjoy it; but I like the introspective aspects to it。 It's interesting to see yet another look at Lucy Barton。 I don't always like Lucy but I find her interesting。 She presents herself with unflinching honesty here and it's fascinating to watch her realizing things about herself。 The other characters are realistic and though there isn't much action to the story， that's like life isn't it？I hope Strout continues to write about Lucy at her next stage of life。 。。。more
Linda
，
I just love Elizabeth Strout’s quiet， seemingly simple way of storytelling。 In simple language and uncomplicated plot， she gets to the heart of each of us feeling alone or different or invisible。 Her novel causes the reader to reflective on how each childhood affects who we become and how we feel about ourselves。 So powerful。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC to read and review。
Kevin
，
Lucy Barton， I have discovered after reading OH， WILLIAM！， has appeared in a couple of Elizabeth Strout's other novels。 Oddly enough， reading those books is not necessary; the author gives more than enough information so that the reader picking up this novel first is not lost in any way。 That's the good news。 The bad news， however， is that I don't feel any great desire to read those other novels featuring Lucy Barton。 And that is disappointing， as enjoyment of one book by an author should lead y Lucy Barton， I have discovered after reading OH， WILLIAM！， has appeared in a couple of Elizabeth Strout's other novels。 Oddly enough， reading those books is not necessary; the author gives more than enough information so that the reader picking up this novel first is not lost in any way。 That's the good news。 The bad news， however， is that I don't feel any great desire to read those other novels featuring Lucy Barton。 And that is disappointing， as enjoyment of one book by an author should lead you to want to read other books by the same author。I liked OH， WILLIAM！， and Lucy Barton especially。 She is a strong character， even if she is， perhaps， too involved in her former husband's life。 （Lucy and William's current wife， Estelle， get along very well。） And the ending was satisfying as well。 But I think the reason for this story -- the information concerning William that comes to light -- arrives too late in the story and then gets very little time as far as page count， even if in one way the entire book sets up the moment。But that may be the point， after all。 Life sometimes leads us to important points that make up a small fraction of the sum total of our lives。 And life continues on from there。I received a DRC from Random House through NetGalley， for which I thank them。 All opinions are mine。 。。。more
Eva
，
Elizabeth Strout has written a lovely companion novel to My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible。 It has been a while since I read both of those so only some details have stayed with me。 With that said I didn’t have any trouble with understanding what was happening in this new book， Oh William！Strout is an auto-buy author for me and I am a particular fan of the Olive Kitteridge books。 Oh William！ steps more inwardly and examines the world around us， our histories and where we came from， Elizabeth Strout has written a lovely companion novel to My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible。 It has been a while since I read both of those so only some details have stayed with me。 With that said I didn’t have any trouble with understanding what was happening in this new book， Oh William！Strout is an auto-buy author for me and I am a particular fan of the Olive Kitteridge books。 Oh William！ steps more inwardly and examines the world around us， our histories and where we came from， and what we seek out in others。 In this novel， Lucy has lost her second husband， David， a year ago and is still mourning。 Her ex-husband William and Lucy are good friends and share two grown daughters。 Lucy left William after his cheating on her with a common friend。 Now William’s third wife Estelle， with whom they have a young daughter， is unhappy with him and moves out。 Leaning on each other for support， William invites Lucy on a fact finding trip with him about his past and that of his mother who has passed。 I admire the way Strout captures real life。 She doesn’t sugar coat how people speak or feel。 For example you can still love someone and have them totally piss you off。 The writing always draws me in and I come out of my reading time thinking about the lessons that the characters live by。 Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions。 Oh William！ Publishes October 19， 2021。 。。。more
Jan Fore
，
Oh WilliamElizabeth StroutOctober 19， 2021In 2016 Elizabeth Strout gave us our first introduction to Lucy Barton。 This novel told of her troubles as a girl， her relationship with her mother， and more of her struggles as a wife。 In 2017 we find Strout giving us a second look at Lucy。 It is the second book of the Amgash series where we find Lucy after 17 years struggling to meet with her sister。 Now in 2021 we find Barton in Oh William taking a look back at her life， her marriage， and her parents。 Oh WilliamElizabeth StroutOctober 19， 2021In 2016 Elizabeth Strout gave us our first introduction to Lucy Barton。 This novel told of her troubles as a girl， her relationship with her mother， and more of her struggles as a wife。 In 2017 we find Strout giving us a second look at Lucy。 It is the second book of the Amgash series where we find Lucy after 17 years struggling to meet with her sister。 Now in 2021 we find Barton in Oh William taking a look back at her life， her marriage， and her parents。 She talks easily about her father who she dearly loved。 She goes into some details about the mother who really didn't love her at all。 Lucy questions the sad relationship she was destined to live with the hurtful woman who never offered kindness， consideration， or affection。 As I read through the conversations with her ex-husband it seemed that they needed more， just more。 Sometimes it appeared as if I were reading the consultation and notations from a counseling session。 In this characterization of William he seems to be a best friend not a lover or husband。 He calls， he visits and would like to travel with Lucy。 Reasons always dealt with something less than a personal bond。 Oh William will be published on October 19， 2021 by Random House of New York。 I appreciate their allowing me to read and review another triumph narrative by Elizabeth Strout。 It is another literary winner destined for the best seller list。 。。。more
Aoife McMenamin
，
Oh William！ is Strout’s new book （out later this month） and it’s the third in the Amgash series， following on from My Name Is Lucy Barton and Anything Is Possible。 Lucy is our narrator again， this time introducing us to her first husband William， who she divorced years ago but with whom she remains on good terms。 They have two grown up daughters together and William is now married to his third wife， Estelle。 When one of their daughters gifts William a “find your ancestors” type present， a whole Oh William！ is Strout’s new book （out later this month） and it’s the third in the Amgash series， following on from My Name Is Lucy Barton and Anything Is Possible。 Lucy is our narrator again， this time introducing us to her first husband William， who she divorced years ago but with whom she remains on good terms。 They have two grown up daughters together and William is now married to his third wife， Estelle。 When one of their daughters gifts William a “find your ancestors” type present， a whole host of family secrets come tumbling out， and William asks Lucy to embark on a trip to Maine with him to help uncover his past。 The trip leads to them examining their marriage， their friendship and life in general。 It’s written in Strout’s signature unadorned prose and her distinctive turns of phrase are dotted throughout。 Admittedly， the Oh Lucy！ and Oh William！ schtick wore a bit thin by the end for me， but the beauty of Strout’s writing is in its simplicity。 There’s a quiet wisdom in her stories， a gentle stroll through all life’s travails， and an acceptance of just how unknowable each of us really is。 3。5-4/5 ⭐️ *Oh William！ will be published on 21 October 2021。 I was delighted to read an advance digital copy of the book courtesy of the publisher @penguinukbooks and @netgalley。* 。。。more
Karen Axnick
，
This is my first exposure to Elizabeth Strout’s work。 While I recognize that she is a popular， award-winning author， the book was not an enjoyable or satisfying read。 This story， apparently the third that features Lucy Barton， explores the complexities of her relationship with her first husband， William， now seventy years old。 Despite her divorce and a subsequent second marriage， she still maintains a unique connection with him， discovering that paradoxically she knows him well and not at all。 T This is my first exposure to Elizabeth Strout’s work。 While I recognize that she is a popular， award-winning author， the book was not an enjoyable or satisfying read。 This story， apparently the third that features Lucy Barton， explores the complexities of her relationship with her first husband， William， now seventy years old。 Despite her divorce and a subsequent second marriage， she still maintains a unique connection with him， discovering that paradoxically she knows him well and not at all。 The author posits that we are all mysteries and that we do not know anyone， even ourselves。The story is told in a first-person narrative by Lucy。 I found it challenging to read on several levels。 First， the storyline rambled with an overabundance of breaks and asides， skipping back and forth in time and place。 There was also a fair amount of repetition， which， coupled with a slow pacing， made the reading tedious most of the time。 Finally， I never felt fully engaged with either Lucy or William。 I appreciated the impact of their respective unresolved childhood issues， yet I felt little or no emotional connection to either of them。My thanks to the author， the publisher， and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book。 The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Gina Moltz
，
Oh William！ Is a beautiful book about love and loss as you get older in years。 Told from Lucy’s perspective， it feels like you are listening to a lovable aunt tell you about her love life。 I have read Elizabeth Strout’s other books and love that she brings back characters that you have met before （but it is a stand alone story）。 Lucy makes you realize you never stop learning about yourself and other people。 Loved it！
Joy Lenton
，
I’ve not read any other books by Elizabeth Strout but I was aware that Lucy Barton， the main character here， held a special place in people’s hearts from a previous work。 Therefore I came to this novel with no preconceptions but with eagerness to know what had charmed them so。But oh， Lucy！ You have a mixed catalogue of frequent and rather irritating turns of phrase which I couldn’t help noticing whenever they appeared。 They almost succeeded in turning this reader off， if it hadn’t been for the a I’ve not read any other books by Elizabeth Strout but I was aware that Lucy Barton， the main character here， held a special place in people’s hearts from a previous work。 Therefore I came to this novel with no preconceptions but with eagerness to know what had charmed them so。But oh， Lucy！ You have a mixed catalogue of frequent and rather irritating turns of phrase which I couldn’t help noticing whenever they appeared。 They almost succeeded in turning this reader off， if it hadn’t been for the author’s gifted storytelling prose。I wanted to shake both Lucy and her demanding ex-husband William at times for their strange manner of speech and odd behaviour combined。 Though I was curious to discover how the story panned out and how satisfactory their relationship might prove to be when the end was reached。 I found it touching and tender in places， largely due to the writer’s skill with the characters’ back stories。 But much of it didn’t hold my interest all the way through because it reads more like a disjointed diary than anything else。I really wanted to love it but I’m afraid I didn’t。 Perhaps I’d have enjoyed this novel more if I’d read the earlier Lucy Barton book or others by Elizabeth Strout。 Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the ARC。 。。。more
Ann
，
This is book 3 in the Amgash series。 As always Ms。 Strout writes of a family with very real characters that face a crisis。 Lucy and William are divorced after a 20 year marriage but still communicate with each other。 Lucy is older now， 63 in this book and has aged gracefully。 She is still lovable and has a way of examining her memories that make you feel you're there。 My favorite is still book 1， My name is Lucy Barton but this is a good addition to the series。 I received a copy of this book in This is book 3 in the Amgash series。 As always Ms。 Strout writes of a family with very real characters that face a crisis。 Lucy and William are divorced after a 20 year marriage but still communicate with each other。 Lucy is older now， 63 in this book and has aged gracefully。 She is still lovable and has a way of examining her memories that make you feel you're there。 My favorite is still book 1， My name is Lucy Barton but this is a good addition to the series。 I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Karen Farrow
，
I quite enjoyed this title of Elizabeth Strout’s。 I have read her previous books and enjoyed reading more about the life of Lucy Barton。 It is a little self indulgent and does read like a very long conversation Lucy is having with herself。 However you do learn more about Lucy， William， her two grown up children and her late husband。 This is a very easy to read book and doesn’t tax the brain too much。 Ideally I would give the book three and a half stars
Michelle Lane
，
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC。 I enjoyed the story overall but I felt some parts repeated too much。 I felt very disconnected from the characters and this may be because I have not read the first two books and did not realize this was the third book until about 50%。 It was a quick read for me but I felt like it just didn't have a lot of substance。 Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC。 I enjoyed the story overall but I felt some parts repeated too much。 I felt very disconnected from the characters and this may be because I have not read the first two books and did not realize this was the third book until about 50%。 It was a quick read for me but I felt like it just didn't have a lot of substance。 。。。more
3 Things About This Book
，
I started Lucy’s start with this one！ I haven’t read earlier books in the series to know about who Lucy or people in her circle are， but I liked the sincerity of her voice。 Lucy talks about her husbands， one particularly: William。 He is the father of her children and， as much pain as he caused for her， he is still one of her best friend。Every time Lucy says “Oh William！”， I felt like she is saying “Oh Lucy！” to herself more。 She is reflecting on her childhood and the days she was raising her chi I started Lucy’s start with this one！ I haven’t read earlier books in the series to know about who Lucy or people in her circle are， but I liked the sincerity of her voice。 Lucy talks about her husbands， one particularly: William。 He is the father of her children and， as much pain as he caused for her， he is still one of her best friend。Every time Lucy says “Oh William！”， I felt like she is saying “Oh Lucy！” to herself more。 She is reflecting on her childhood and the days she was raising her children through William’s experiences。 Lucy has a very calm and collected tone even when she was talking about William’s affairs and her daughters’’ both past and recent struggles。 She wanted to make sure that she can protect herself from emotional harm while letting her daughters to continue respect their father。 I’m sure I would have more comments and find more connections， if I read the previous two books。 But it was still enjoyable as a stand alone story of a woman trying to make peace with her childhood and ex husbands。 If you liked other Lucy books， this one is calling your name。 。。。more
Becky Hansen
，
This was not the book for me。 I did finish it but mostly only to see if I would start liking it more。 For one I wasn't the right demographic， maybe my MIL would have like it more。 Two Lucy's voice and constant justification of what she was saying annoyed me。 Three nothing happened and nothing interesting or true was said as far as I could tell。 This was not the book for me。 I did finish it but mostly only to see if I would start liking it more。 For one I wasn't the right demographic， maybe my MIL would have like it more。 Two Lucy's voice and constant justification of what she was saying annoyed me。 Three nothing happened and nothing interesting or true was said as far as I could tell。 。。。more
Lisa Gilbert
，
Elizabeth Strout does it again。 She truly has a way with words that makes the reader feel every emotion。 She makes us laugh， makes us cry and makes us go hmm。 Oh William！ is narrated by Lucy Barton who we met in “My Name is Lucy Barton” and “Anything is Possible”。 This time around she tells us about her marriage to William， which was strife in infidelities， and the numerous challenges a marriage can bring， including divorce。 Even though Lucy and William have been divorced for years， and have bot Elizabeth Strout does it again。 She truly has a way with words that makes the reader feel every emotion。 She makes us laugh， makes us cry and makes us go hmm。 Oh William！ is narrated by Lucy Barton who we met in “My Name is Lucy Barton” and “Anything is Possible”。 This time around she tells us about her marriage to William， which was strife in infidelities， and the numerous challenges a marriage can bring， including divorce。 Even though Lucy and William have been divorced for years， and have both been remarried， they remain close。 They are confidantes who are brutally honest with each other and this is one of the reasons their friendship thrives。 William finds out through DNA testing that he has a step-sister so he asks Lucy to help him find her。 During their travels and places they encounter， Lucy starts to think about her abusive past and how people’s lives are so intertwined with how and where they were raised and the difficulties they endured。 William and Lucy are stunned that his mother， who has always been somewhat of a saint to all who knew her， gave up a child in her early years。 It causes them both to do some self-reflection and us readers get to feel all of their remorse， confusion， happiness and regrets。This book is written in sparse words that Strout weaves into such beautiful prose。 I am addicted to her stories， all of them， and Lucy Barton has become so real to me， simply because of the author’s ability to write as if she’s actually having a conversation with the reader。 I give this a well deserved five stars！I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House。 It is due to be released in mid-October and you need to get yourself a copy。 #OhWilliam #NetGalley #ElizabethStrout #fivestarreview #readthis 。。。more
Tracy
，
5+ starsOh Wow！ Those are the first words that come to mind as I sit down to write my review for Oh William！ Written by the incomparable Elizabeth Strout， here is one of of those anomalies I did not want to put down and dreaded coming to the last page。 Every book I have had read by Ms。 Strout has been phenomenal， and this a new favorite。Oh William！ takes us through the trial and tribulations in the life of author Lucy Barton as she ponders her experiences from childhood right up to present day。 5+ starsOh Wow！ Those are the first words that come to mind as I sit down to write my review for Oh William！ Written by the incomparable Elizabeth Strout， here is one of of those anomalies I did not want to put down and dreaded coming to the last page。 Every book I have had read by Ms。 Strout has been phenomenal， and this a new favorite。Oh William！ takes us through the trial and tribulations in the life of author Lucy Barton as she ponders her experiences from childhood right up to present day。 The storyline discusses in great detail her difficult， complicated and traumatizing childhood which she reflects back on quite frequently to explain how she became who she is today。 Despite always feeling invisible， anxious and less than， Lucy becomes successful against all odds as she secures a full scholarship to college， becomes a renowned author， has two successful and supportive daughters with first husband William， and a second marriage to a man with whom she found true love。The novel centers around Lucy's complex relationship with her ex-husband William as they still talk and see each other - taking trips， celebrating milestones， and supporting one another - intermittently through the years。 Lucy spends a good deal of time pondering why it is so difficult to untether herself from the codependent relationship she continues to have with William， and what drew her to marry him in the first place。 After Lucy's second marriage leaves her a devastated widow， and William's third wife has just left him， they take a life changing trip to Maine in search of discovering unanswered questions about William's ancestry。 Along the way they discuss warm and hurt feelings never before revealed to the other and come to a place of understanding and forgiveness。 One moment on this trip in which I found particularly relatable and hysterical （literally laughing out loud as I read） was when Lucy notices William is wearing pants that look ridiculous on him because they are much too short。 Upon hearing her observation he looks down and starts belly laughing at himself。 Lucy was especially touched by this because William rarely laughs and she was glad she could draw this out of him。 This moment also brings to light much about who they are to each other。It is only at the end， after processing what and who she saw while on the trip with William in Maine， that Lucy realizes that she （growing up poor） and William （ growing up with wealth） have a lot more in common than she ever imagined。 Her journey is touching and relatable， giving a voice to the difficulties and insecurities many of us share which are too often left unspoken - and ultimately， that no one is terminally unique。With special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 #NetGalley #OhWilliam！ 。。。more
Bonnie Brien
，
This was unlike any book I’ve ever read， and I liked it quite a bit。 It’s character-driven and follows the thoughts of Lucy as she deals with her grief over the loss of her second husband and interacts with her first husband （and father of her children）。 This first husband is William （Oh， William）， and the book examines their past and present relationship， as well as Lucy’s relationship to herself。 Her insights were fascinating and evocative， and I felt like these must be real people。 The writin This was unlike any book I’ve ever read， and I liked it quite a bit。 It’s character-driven and follows the thoughts of Lucy as she deals with her grief over the loss of her second husband and interacts with her first husband （and father of her children）。 This first husband is William （Oh， William）， and the book examines their past and present relationship， as well as Lucy’s relationship to herself。 Her insights were fascinating and evocative， and I felt like these must be real people。 The writing feels like rambling， disjointed thoughts， but it’s never off-putting。 For me， it was quite the opposite， like I was listening to a dear friend tell me what’s going on in her life。 Truly well-crafted and definitely worth reading， especially if you’re interested in psychology or relationships。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Bob Berman
，
Brilliant！ Ms。 Strout's ability to get into the mind of her main character， Lucy Barton， is extraordinary。 At the same time， so much of the action is really quite ordinary， making it relatable to anyone reading the book。 Maybe that's why it's a nonchaptered book， as there's no need to separate the action into chapters。 I didn't realize that there were no chapters until I finished the book， which didn't take long。Highly recommended。 Brilliant！ Ms。 Strout's ability to get into the mind of her main character， Lucy Barton， is extraordinary。 At the same time， so much of the action is really quite ordinary， making it relatable to anyone reading the book。 Maybe that's why it's a nonchaptered book， as there's no need to separate the action into chapters。 I didn't realize that there were no chapters until I finished the book， which didn't take long。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Tria
，
A beautifully written book in classic Elizabeth Strout style。 The third book in this series， she eloquently and astutely describes the relationships between friends， lovers， family and the complexities， joys and insecurities that exist within relationships， including the ones we have with ourselves。 I want to revisit Lucy Barton in the earlier books， and enjoy these characters in different phases of their lives。 Thanks to NetGalley & Random House for the advance reader copy。
Kim Pet
，
When you have your safe person， you remain with them always。 Strout writes of William and Lucy’s relationship as if she’s sitting having coffee and conversation。 The writing seems effortless and the plot unfolds as it should- it’s a nice feeling， this familiarity with Strout’s voice。 A bit different as far as novels go， but it’s a comfortable and enjoyable read。
Patricia Romero
，
The amazing Ms。 Strout has brought us back to Lucy。 Reading a book by this author is like having someone talking to you about their life。 There aren’t a bunch of descriptions to clutter the simple， and beautiful conversation。Lucy tells us about her first husband， William， in this story。 Their relationship is what it is。 They take each other as they are。 Friends， parents， and secret keepers。 We see the story of how they met and how and why they divorced。 There is no drama in the telling of infide The amazing Ms。 Strout has brought us back to Lucy。 Reading a book by this author is like having someone talking to you about their life。 There aren’t a bunch of descriptions to clutter the simple， and beautiful conversation。Lucy tells us about her first husband， William， in this story。 Their relationship is what it is。 They take each other as they are。 Friends， parents， and secret keepers。 We see the story of how they met and how and why they divorced。 There is no drama in the telling of infidelity。 Again， it is what it is。 And that empathy towards each other is what is so beautiful。 There is no judgment。 Just support given and received。Secrets long kept come to light and I loved how these two handled them。 Lucy learns quite a bit about herself as well。 And how others view her。 And she accepts this and adjusts。 Again， no drama， no extra stuffing， just a crystal clear voice of calm。I connected at once with her almost stream-of-consciousness style of writing。 It was so easy to slip into her world。 A story of life， love， and a lot of empathy。NetGalley/ October 19th， 2021 by Random House 。。。more
Cheri
，
’I would like to say a few things about my first husband， William’This story continues sharing the life of Lucy， who those of us who read Strout’s Anything is Possible and My Name is Lucy Barton already have been introduced to， and begins shortly after her husband David’s death。 She realizes that in her grief for the loss of her second husband， David， she finds herself reliving the grief of losing William， although that loss was through divorce。 Although they have remained friendly， their relati ’I would like to say a few things about my first husband， William’This story continues sharing the life of Lucy， who those of us who read Strout’s Anything is Possible and My Name is Lucy Barton already have been introduced to， and begins shortly after her husband David’s death。 She realizes that in her grief for the loss of her second husband， David， she finds herself reliving the grief of losing William， although that loss was through divorce。 Although they have remained friendly， their relationship grows closer as he begins to confide in her his fears about his life， his mother， his current - third - wife， along with the night terrors he’s begun having as he is rapidly approaching 70。This is a reflection on a life， or two lives， really。 Lucy’s reflections on William， and on her own life， as well， although their children and parents and siblings are tangentially referenced， as well。 His heartbreaks。 Her heartbreaks。 It is also a reflection on time， and the old adage of time healing all wounds， even though it may leave scars， even those connect to not only bitter， but occasionally better， memories。 Strout has a gift for sharing those human emotions we don’t often share， in a way which can be easily related to。 Strout allowing us to be able to relate to them always brings these characters to life in a way few other authors have done。 Their loneliness isn’t just a prop to move along the story， it is strongly felt。 All their emotions from sadness， regret， disappointment， sorrow， love， and anger are relatable， and so we relate， connect to them as people， instead of just characters on a page， and through that， Strout brings them alive。 These last years have been difficult ones for all， and all levels of complex human emotions have been at the forefront in the news and in our minds。 I love Strout’s dedication， which is to her husband as well as ’to anyone who needs it。。。’ We all need this， a reminder of what it means to be human， to be kind， and to offer forgiveness。 Pub Date: 19 Oct 2021Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Random House / Random House 。。。more
Donna Shaw
，
Lucy grew up in a loveless home and in poverty。 She won a scholarship to a university and met William。 They married and had 2 daughters。 When the girls were grown， Lucy walked away from the marriage though she and William remained in touch throughout their lives。 The novel is told as memories and reflections of situations in her past。 She discovers that we are all mysterious and we know very little about each other， including ourselves。 This is a fast reading novel filled with interesting insigh Lucy grew up in a loveless home and in poverty。 She won a scholarship to a university and met William。 They married and had 2 daughters。 When the girls were grown， Lucy walked away from the marriage though she and William remained in touch throughout their lives。 The novel is told as memories and reflections of situations in her past。 She discovers that we are all mysterious and we know very little about each other， including ourselves。 This is a fast reading novel filled with interesting insights。 。。。more
Melissa
，
”We are all mysteries， is what I mean。 This may be the only thing in the world I know to be true。”I was entirely unfamiliar with Elizabeth Strout’s work when the publisher of Oh William！ offered me an opportunity to read and review a copy。 In fact， I went into this book completely blind， knowing absolutely nothing about its premise， its characters， or the prior works in this series。”On some very fundamental level， I feel invisible in the world。”I will admit that I half-expected Oh William！ to be ”We are all mysteries， is what I mean。 This may be the only thing in the world I know to be true。”I was entirely unfamiliar with Elizabeth Strout’s work when the publisher of Oh William！ offered me an opportunity to read and review a copy。 In fact， I went into this book completely blind， knowing absolutely nothing about its premise， its characters， or the prior works in this series。”On some very fundamental level， I feel invisible in the world。”I will admit that I half-expected Oh William！ to be just another mundane relational drama that attempts （but falls hopelessly short of） any actual depth or meaning。 I’m so glad to have been so wrong！”People are lonely， is my point here。 Many people can’t say to those they know well what it is they feel they might want to say。”At just over 250 pages， this sweet little book reads as fast as a short story， but it packs a punch。 In it， the recently-widowed Lucy Barton offers a first-person， stream-of-consciousness narration as she processes the loss of her second husband and a reconnection with her first husband， interspersed with personal recollections from throughout her life。”William is the only person I ever felt safe with。 He is the only home I ever had。”Thematically， Oh William！ is a literary symphony， touching on every issue from aging to loneliness to loss to shame。 Elizabeth Strout deftly weaves in and out of discussions surrounding mental health and childhood neglect and mother-daughter relationships and divorce， her commentary so nuanced and subtle that you almost wonder if it was ever really there， save for the lasting impression it leaves behind。”I am not invisible no matter how deeply I feel that I am。”Lucy’s narrative voice is unique， moving， and profound， and ultimately left me wanting to return to the beginning of her series to get to know her and her family from the very start！”There has never been anyone in the world like you… You steal people’s hearts， Lucy。”——A huge thank you to Elizabeth Strout， Random House， and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Ruth
，
Another well written book about Lucy Barton， Lucy was married to William， got divorced and went onto remarry。 William had affairs which broke up the marriage。 They have a good relationship and William find out some information and they go and find out if it’s true。 Elizabeth writes very well， but I did find the book a tad boring。 It’s a short book so quick to read。 I do feel you need to have read the previous books in this series before reading this one。 3。5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and the Another well written book about Lucy Barton， Lucy was married to William， got divorced and went onto remarry。 William had affairs which broke up the marriage。 They have a good relationship and William find out some information and they go and find out if it’s true。 Elizabeth writes very well， but I did find the book a tad boring。 It’s a short book so quick to read。 I do feel you need to have read the previous books in this series before reading this one。 3。5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy。 。。。more
Andrea Epstein
，
I have enjoyed Elizabeth Strout's novels from Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kitteridge to My Name is Lucy Barton。 The POV and actual "voice" of Lucy tends to be both introspective - often with run-on thoughts， sentences and flashbacks。 This style takes some pages to get re-acclimated to so the reader eventually almost feels s/he is inside Lucy's head along with her。 This novel is in essence Lucy's deep dive into her first marriage to William， their relationships with their daughters， and Lucy's a I have enjoyed Elizabeth Strout's novels from Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kitteridge to My Name is Lucy Barton。 The POV and actual "voice" of Lucy tends to be both introspective - often with run-on thoughts， sentences and flashbacks。 This style takes some pages to get re-acclimated to so the reader eventually almost feels s/he is inside Lucy's head along with her。 This novel is in essence Lucy's deep dive into her first marriage to William， their relationships with their daughters， and Lucy's and William's respective family histories。 Much of the story is also devoted to their relationships with their respective mothers， and Lucy's relationship with William's mother， Catherine Cole as well As layers are peeled back on the secret past of William's mother， it will change both William and Lucy's perspective on their history and their marriage。 For me， William is not portrayed as a very likable character and as a result， this novel moved slower than the prior novels in this series。 Still， there are many deep topics related to marriage， family secrets， and the challenges that our own family histories bring to our future partnerships and as such， this will be another great book club read。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Judith
，
I had such high expectations for this book。 I’m a big Elizabeth Strout fan。 Her writings tend to be stream of consciousness stories， moving seamlessly from one idea to the next。 Instead of a run on sentence， it’s a run on one sided conversation。 It was so depressing。 I understand this book is the last part of a series however I don't feel that makes a difference in my review。 It was a long negative journal entry about insecure self involved people who occasionally see other peoples POV。I receive I had such high expectations for this book。 I’m a big Elizabeth Strout fan。 Her writings tend to be stream of consciousness stories， moving seamlessly from one idea to the next。 Instead of a run on sentence， it’s a run on one sided conversation。 It was so depressing。 I understand this book is the last part of a series however I don't feel that makes a difference in my review。 It was a long negative journal entry about insecure self involved people who occasionally see other peoples POV。I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher。 。。。more
Kerrin P
，
Based on other reviews of Oh William！ I knew I needed to read My Name Is Lucy Barton （Amgash #1） before reading this third book in the series。 I did not read Book #2 in the series， and I do not think that was necessary to enjoy Oh William！William Gerhardt was Lucy Barton’s first husband。 His father died when William was only 14 years old。 His mother， Catherine， was a very present person in Lucy and William’s marriage。 When she died， Lucy changed her last name back to Barton。 Within a few years， Based on other reviews of Oh William！ I knew I needed to read My Name Is Lucy Barton （Amgash #1） before reading this third book in the series。 I did not read Book #2 in the series， and I do not think that was necessary to enjoy Oh William！William Gerhardt was Lucy Barton’s first husband。 His father died when William was only 14 years old。 His mother， Catherine， was a very present person in Lucy and William’s marriage。 When she died， Lucy changed her last name back to Barton。 Within a few years， she left William because of his numerous affairs。 They share two daughters and have remained friends over the years。The story starts when William is 71 years old。 He is married to his much younger third wife， with whom he has a ten-year-old daughter。 Lucy’s second husband， who was her soulmate， has recently died。 William goes through two crises。 One involving his wife and the second regarding startling news he learns about his late mother。 He calls upon Lucy to help him deal with both of the situations。Listening to Lucy Barton talk is like listening to a very chatty old friend who loves to tell stories。 She is very introspective and digs deep into her thoughts。 Sometimes， it is like she has ADHD because she will randomly go off on a strange tangent。 She often repeats herself。 But Lucy always manages to get back to the point。 I think the point of Oh William！ is to first examine marital relationships。 What do we bring in to them， what do we add to them， and are they worth maintaining？ The second point is to ask the question， do we ever really know someone， including our own selves， more than just a tiny bit。3。5-stars rounded up to 4。 Thank you to Michael H @ Random House for my advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Shirley
，
Review – Oh William！ By Elizabeth Strout Reviewer – Shirley Weidner 10-3-2021 Lucy Barton is the protagonist who is writing the story of her ex-husband， William。 Love is a complicated thing！ Lucy has remarried and was very in love with her second husband who has passed。 It is a short book， but full of depth。 She and William are still friends。 There are so many layers to a marriage and why it works or doesn’t。 Many beautiful and tormented feelings are mulled around in Lucy’s mind。 Definitely w Review – Oh William！ By Elizabeth Strout Reviewer – Shirley Weidner 10-3-2021 Lucy Barton is the protagonist who is writing the story of her ex-husband， William。 Love is a complicated thing！ Lucy has remarried and was very in love with her second husband who has passed。 It is a short book， but full of depth。 She and William are still friends。 There are so many layers to a marriage and why it works or doesn’t。 Many beautiful and tormented feelings are mulled around in Lucy’s mind。 Definitely worth a read and creates compelling reflections to your own life situation。 Why we love， who we love and the intricate factors that make success， unhappiness， and confusion interwoven with family and friends。 I was given this book for free and this is my review。 。。。more
janne Boswell
，
Another twisted tale of intrigue and mystery involving Lucy Barton。 All of her books are character driven， and at the heart of the story there is family drama。I am not aware of any other author whose tales of woe， deliver a poignant message of the human condition。 She draws you in immediately， "let me tell you about my husband William。"As a reader you immediately know， it is going to be a wild and crazy ride， so hold on。We return to the same characters over and over till we， as readers get it ri Another twisted tale of intrigue and mystery involving Lucy Barton。 All of her books are character driven， and at the heart of the story there is family drama。I am not aware of any other author whose tales of woe， deliver a poignant message of the human condition。 She draws you in immediately， "let me tell you about my husband William。"As a reader you immediately know， it is going to be a wild and crazy ride， so hold on。We return to the same characters over and over till we， as readers get it right。 They are fallible， lonely people searching for the correct answer in a dysfunctional world。Mystery and mayhem delivered in literary prose。I look forward to my next adventure with Ms。 Strout， 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Oh William!
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Oh William!&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Oh William!&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0