The Story of Avis

great reader, mediocre book

(2.5 stars)

Sara Perry

As usual, Elizabeth Klett's reading is stellar. The book, however, is an exploration of the complexity of the marriage relationship that falls heavily on the side of "marriage is a prison and a relinquishment of dreams for women", combined with the attitude that men are pretty weak at their core. Maybe I've just been getting too much of a steady diet of those subjects but I found the book to be progressively more annoying with every chapter. I will conceed that the complexity of competing emotions was explored in an interesting manner but in the end it did not make up for the annoying "women are perfect, men are schlups" theme.

Warning - very heavy subjects, NOT light reading

(1.5 stars)

k howley

Spoilers included. - Genuinely love Elizabeth Klett’s narration. I was also enjoying the book a lot before the gut wrenching death of a child. I generally turn to historic fiction like this when I just need a light little thing to float me through a commute or silly data entry task at my job. So I was not prepared for how horribly sad this book would leave me.

(4 stars)

Rosiknitzar

I greatly enjoyed the unique storyline which I felt was well written. Although not action packed, this rather introspective story progressed well. Detail was spent on particular scenes, then the author proceeded to the point without insulting the reader's imagination by reporting every word of her well developed characters. At 25 chapters of about that many minutes, it's a rather short story. Enjoy!

A sad story that's well written and read

(4 stars)

Mindyloutoo

What a good story and read beautifully. I was amazed at how little situations have changed from the time it was written. Women sacrifice a lot for their families and often lose themselves in the process.

Heartbreaking...

(3.5 stars)

K Dav

Such a sad book. But I really liked the style and of course Elizabeth Klett's reading is always great!

(3 stars)

Erika

Wonderful narration as always! I did find the story a bit unrealistically negative and depressing but well written.

A very introspective and imaginative story.

(3 stars)

Robert Cruthirds

I thought it'd be a cute love story, instead, it radicalized me

(5 stars)

Ana Paula Kendall

It touches on how heavy the burden of housekeeping and raising kids can be when you have to carry it alone, and how soul crushing it is when it's not something you ever wanted for yourself, but had to step up into. Sad to think that even now, more than a century later and after the conquering of many rights, so many women find themselves in Avis's place, almost conned into marriage, thinking he'd fight for her dreams just like she would (and is expected to) do for him, but, instead, having to put aside her ambitions and identity to keep order in the house, married, but doing it alone. Also, Avis had a gift, while he was just an average man. To think of how prosperous and rich they could've been, if only he had helped her with the housework and the babies, letting her have time and energy to work. If only he had though that, like he was a professor and an explorer, as well as her husband, she had the wish and the right to be something, as well as his wife. That she was human, before she was a woman.