I was surprised to spot a novella-length book by Anne Tyler on NetGalley. It seemed like a new departure for her or perhaps I’ve missed a previous piece of her short fiction. Three Days in June follows Gail whose daughter is about to be married, beginning with the wedding rehearsal day.
Boundaries; that was his problem. He lacked boundaries.
I myself was all about boundaries.
Gail hasn’t been much involved in the wedding preparations. Debby’s prospective mother-in-law is much better set up to arrange a day spent in the beauty parlour than Gail who’s been cutting her own hair for decades and is resurrecting an old outfit for the big day. Her three days have already started badly, summoned to her bosses’ office for news which sees her walking out of her job. It’s true, Gail’s ‘people skills’ are not her best feature, but she knows she’s good at what she does. Then her ex-husband turns up unexpectedly, complete with a foster cat, needing a place to stay. The cat settles in happily, but things are more awkward between Gail and Max. When Debby drops a bombshell, Gail immediately switches into fretting mode while Max takes a more considered stance. Over the next few days, a revelation is made that throws a very different light on their marriage and its breakup. Gail comes to understand that compromise and forgiveness are more important than being in the right, and that her daughter is perhaps more mature than she is.
Anger feels so much better than better than sadness. Cleaner, somehow, and more definite. But then when the anger fades, the sadness comes right back again the same as ever.
Tyler unfolds this short novel about marriage, love and relationships through Gail’s voice with characteristic insight, empathy and a pleasing humour. Obdurate, irascible and emotionally buttoned-up, Gail reminded me very much of Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, my favourite Strout character. Thrust into unexpected domestic intimacy with Max, she finds herself reassessing her part in the breakup of their marriage, gaining a better understanding of herself in the process, while he emerges as far from the inept character who walked through Gail’s door with a cat-carrier. It’s a simple, straightforward narrative handled with Tyler’s consummate skill, honed over many decades. The novella length suits her well. I enjoyed this one more than some of her previous novels, and the ending left me quite tearful.
Chatto & Windus London 9781784745752 192 pages Hardback (read via NetGalley)
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I am a big Tyler fan, so I will be watching out for this one. She is adept at unravelling the nuances of relationships, like Strout.
I felt the novella length suited her very well. Definite echoes of Olive in Gail for me. Hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Lucy.
I haven’t read Tyler for a while but Liz’s review of this made me think I should catch up with this one. Your Olive Kitteridge comparison is very tempting!
It would make a good #NovNov read. Gail could be Olive’s sister!
I’ve never read any Tyler but like the sound of this one!
I’ve enjoyed many of her novels but I think the novella length suits her better. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to go for it.
I also think this is the Tyler I’m going to try after reading two I felt lukewarm about (but according to Liz were not two of her best). I like the tight chronological structure.
I’ve had a patchy experience with Tyler’s more recent novels but this one hit the spot. That structure works very well, particularly for a novella.
I’ve not read Tyler for ages, Ladder of Years vintage. This one sounds great and the novella length is a bonus.
Just spotted you’re reading the Eowyn Ivey. I’ve just finished it – Fab-u-lous!
Not me, I’m afraid, but you’ve made me think I should!
Doh! Got it mixed up with the Sarah Moss somehow. I want to read that one.
I think her new one is her best yet.
I enjoyed those early novels much more than the recent ones. I’m hoping she’ll write more novellas.
See, this is what I like about Tyler – she isn’t afraid to finish a story when it is finished, and if that means it is only novella length, that’s fine. Far too many famous authors end up bloating their stories beyond recognition, and their editors are too afraid of them to tell them that they could cut out half or more of their story and have something really special. I really MUST get a copy of this one.
Couldn’t agree with you more about bloating stories. The novella form works beautifully for Tyler. I hope you enjoy it when you get your hands on a copy!
I do love Anne Tyler and I have enjoyed pretty much all the novels by her that I’ve read. I share her fascination with ordinary life and ordinary people. In truth, some of the earlier ones I liked less because they were more melancholy, whereas I appreciate her sense of humour (particuarly about families!). I’ve got a stonking cold and – tomorrow – a new Audible credit on the way which is earmarked for this book. I’m delighted it was one that you enjoyed.
I’m so sorry to hear about the cold. Such a miserable time of the year for low grade bugs that pull you down. I hope the Tyler will help get you through it
I really enjoyed this one, too, and was also tearful at the end, just a little. I saw a slump around Spool of Blue Thread but I did really rate French Braid. Apparently she’s already writing the next one, hooray!
Good for her! She really does have staying power. I’d quite like it to be another novella.
I was just thinking about rereading Olive and spending some more time with Strout’s fiction again (and catching up). Tyler is so so good…and it sounds like this one is even more so.
I love the way she’s taken to the novella length. Hoping for more like this one.