Orchard

Rating:
Summary: Lofty themes in the most unpretentious of settings.
Review: As connected to the earth as the orchardist who is one of the main characters, this powerful novel weaves the intimate details of everyday lives in rural Door County, Wisconsin, into a riveting domestic tragedy. In simple, spare language author Larry Watson depicts the lives of two couples, very different from each other, each trying to fulfill dreams and cope with the silences and miscommunications which arise in their marriages, then brings the two couples together to make connections with each other.

Henry House is the orchardist, laboriously tending his apple trees and harvesting his crop, a hard-working man living close to the earth. He and his wife Sonja have been devastated by the death of their four-year-old son from a blow to the head. Consumed by grief, they are unable to reach out to each other in their need, each reliving the trauma separately. Ned Weaver, their neighbor, is a talented and respected artist who is willing to subordinate all other aspects of his life to his art. Despite his reputation for womanizing and his many betrayals, especially with his models, his wife Harriet loves him and has found some satisfaction in the role of caretaker of his creative flame.

Watson tells his story of these four people and their interactions obliquely, moving back and forth in time, building the drama and tension to a high pitch as the reader is presented with vivid scenes of danger and violence which sometimes have no context. We do not know, at first, who the characters are, how they may be connected, why they are behaving as they do, or in what order these scenes take place, and it is not until late in the novel that some of these mysterious events are explained. Contemplating how the scenes are connected, the reader becomes intimately involved in the narrative, an involvement which never lets up as the story becomes more complex.

Watson is an exceptionally "clean," no-frills writer, creating many layers of meaning in homely details and images which advance the themes and intensify the emotion. In one of the most unusual scenes in modern fiction, for example, Ned, sun-burned and peeling from an afternoon of painting along the lake, asks his wife to peel his back, a scene laden with far more significance than the simple need to scratch an itch. Themes of love and betrayal, freedom and control, suffering and redemption, innocence and guilt-all universal themes from the beginning of human history-are seen through the prism of an artist's life and his desire to leave a lasting legacy. In all its simplicity, Watson's novel carries the power and resonance of the very best of dramatic fiction. Mary Whipple

Rating:
Summary: And the point was...?
Review: I agree that the author deserves to be published. I loved "Montana." I was disappointed in this novel, but it did have its great points. It was obviously modeled on Wyeth and his "Helga" portraits. But was Wyeth as much of a jerk as Ned Weaver? I am a modern writer and artist, and committed to my art. Many of my friends are in the same category. I've also met a lot of famous artists, and some are egotists. However, I have found that there are very few good artists who go around giving long-winded pedantic speeches about "AHT," as you might call it. I know of one who does this - but even he knows he's a buffoon - and though he tries to pretend that he cares more about "AHT" than people, it never comes across. In the clinch, he's a sweetie. Ned Weaver is such a monster, you had to know that his art could never be truly great. He's just too self-conscious. Anyway, that's my take. And what, exactly was the author trying to say? I felt that he was playing with the reader, instead of being wiling to formulate a strong theme. Did we hate Ned or love him? See Henry as righteously possessive, or simply a typical, weak man? Was it the old Men Are Bores, Women Are Saints theme, that makes women want to scream? I'm so tired of male writers idealizing the "Sonyas" and the "Helgas" of this world. And the Harriets (Weaver's long-suffering, too-good-to-be-true wife) perpetuating the myth of stoical beauties who put up with men's crap in order to perpetuate Great Male AHT. One more thing: to the Wisconsonite reviewer: Denis LeHane's "Mystic River" takes place in Boston, not Baltimore, and in fact he did not do a very good job of describing Boston, my home town. This book I found over-praised. The movie was actually better.

Rating:
Summary: Wisconsite chimes in
Review: I don't know much about Wyeth, his muse Helga, or even other novels with art as a main character (unless you count "The Da Vinci Code," which looks like a poorly crafted nursery rhyme compared to Watson's book), but I DO know Door County, Wisconsin, and I can attest that Watson has captured this dramatically picturesque region as it was in the 1950s with deft and a sad and lovely nostalgia. Sad because, like most once gorgeous North American seaside areas, Door County is now a crowded, over-developed, and cynical exploitation of itself. That Watson grieves the loss of northern Wisconsin as it used to be is evident in nearly every chapter of "Orchard," with his loving descriptions of rocky (and gloriously empty!) beaches, his acolades to the rough winters and the hardy "year-rounders" who could tolerate them, and his detailed, insider portraits of apple picking, ice fishing, and small-town Christmas pageantry.

The post-war Door County he captures is innocent and still dominated by nature's mood swings. In the decades since it has become over-run with condos, golf courses, tourist traps and, yes, superficial art gallaries for the rich and naive (a few of them may even have decent art). It may not yet be a Wisconsin Dells but, to hear natives tell it, it's clearly well on the way.

In this Watson compares favorably to Dennis Lahane's "Mystic River," which captured pre-yuppie Baltimore with a similarly nostalgic view. I do appreciate the respect and compassion with which he treats a now long-gone region. Door County is as much a main character here as the two couples.

But it was Sonja's perceptions and lonely grief that moved me the most, even to the point of weeping a few times while reading this. I'm a sucker for great character portraits, and here Watson excels. Maybe, as others here have mentioned, the men aren't as fully drawn and believable. His handling of Sonja's grief, yearnings, regrets, and growing self-awareness more than makes up for it. She'll stay with me a long time.

Thank you, Mr. Watson, for a great read!

Rating:
Summary: Wisconsite chimes in
Review: I don't know much about Wyeth, his muse Helga, or even other novels with art as a main character (unless you count "The Da Vinci Code," which looks like a poorly crafted nursery rhyme compared to Watson's book), but I DO know Door County, Wisconsin, and I can attest that Watson has captured this dramatically picturesque region as it was in the 1950s with deft and a sad and lovely nostalgia. Sad because, like most once gorgeous North American seaside areas, Door County is now a crowded, over-developed, and cynical exploitation of itself. That Watson grieves the loss of northern Wisconsin as it used to be is evident in nearly every chapter of "Orchard," with his loving descriptions of rocky (and gloriously empty!) beaches, his acolades to the rough winters and the hardy "year-rounders" who could tolerate them, and his detailed, insider portraits of apple picking, ice fishing, and small-town Christmas pageantry.

The post-war Door County he captures is innocent and still dominated by nature's mood swings. In the decades since it has become over-run with condos, golf courses, tourist traps and, yes, superficial art gallaries for the rich and naive (a few of them may even have decent art). It may not yet be a Wisconsin Dells but, to hear natives tell it, it's clearly well on the way.

In this Watson compares favorably to Dennis Lahane's "Mystic River," which captured pre-yuppie Baltimore with a similarly nostalgic view. I do appreciate the respect and compassion with which he treats a now long-gone region. Door County is as much a main character here as the two couples.

But it was Sonja's perceptions and lonely grief that moved me the most, even to the point of weeping a few times while reading this. I'm a sucker for great character portraits, and here Watson excels. Maybe, as others here have mentioned, the men aren't as fully drawn and believable. His handling of Sonja's grief, yearnings, regrets, and growing self-awareness more than makes up for it. She'll stay with me a long time.

Thank you, Mr. Watson, for a great read!

Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet
Review: I found this novel to be strong and well-written, a fantastic contemplation of the dualities that surround us and haunt us: Love/hate; possession/betrayl; life/death; starkness/sensuality.

Couched in the midst of a harsh, sad life in an isolated region a woman bares herself willingly. Beyond the money she earns, we understand that Sonja is content with posing, but we never learn exactly why. A Norwegian in Wisconsin, her comfort speaking English is limited; even though Sonja serves as the inspiration for Weaver's artistic expression she seldom reveals herself. Mute, she is a compelling muse. Submitting to the rigorous gaze of Ned Weaver means focusing on her muscles and her skin; perhaps Sonja's emotional grief is mercifully eclipsed by the focus on her physical self. Perhaps the chance to be frozen in place is the chance to stop feeling the pain of life or loss. Perhaps the best place to escape is under the most intense scrutiny.

Larry Watson explores the idea of duality with the other characters as well. Ned, the artist, is both charming and cruel; he is a mysogynistic lover of women. Harriet, Ned's wife, is a doormat who, on occasion, considers exacting revenge. Henry, Sonja's husband, is both domineering and helpless; I think he is the most achingly real and vulnerable of the four characters.

I enjoyed reading Montana 1948, and I enjoyed Orchard as well. The relationships between the characters, the details of their environment and the possibilities that are never realized all combine to create a novel that is bittersweet.





Rating:
Summary: Flat
Review: I really like Larry Watson's novels but Orchard just left me flat. The characters are just a bit cold, a bit flat, and uninspiring. To enjoy the novel, the way it is laid out, you have to have some empathy for the very different characters. But I didn't. I felt as cold and distant from the characters as they seemed to feel toward each other. (Maybe that's the brilliance of the book?).

Overall, this is a fine and well written novel. But I don't feel I'd be missing out to have not read it.

Rating:
Summary: Flat
Review: I really like Larry Watson's novels but Orchard just left me flat. The characters are just a bit cold, a bit flat, and uninspiring. To enjoy the novel, the way it is laid out, you have to have some empathy for the very different characters. But I didn't. I felt as cold and distant from the characters as they seemed to feel toward each other. (Maybe that's the brilliance of the book?).

Overall, this is a fine and well written novel. But I don't feel I'd be missing out to have not read it.

Rating:
Summary: A mixed bag . . . but Watson is improving as an author
Review: I'm a both a fan and a critic of Larry Waton's work. I've read all of his books except for one and, while I enjoyed his work, I had major issues with the author's depiction of female characters who seemed to be either spineless wimps or aggressive nags. This was especially true in "Laura," less so in his other novels.

I have to agree with other reviewers that this effort is a bit flat and detached. But with that said, Watson seems to be progressing as an author. His female characters are now become more rounded, more human. Although, sadly, it also felt to me that he stepped away from his typically superb ability to handle male characters.

While it seems that many folks like it's shifting from past to present, I found it meandering. And, while the improved female characters are welcome, there just wasn't enough here for me. This isn't to say that there aren't huge moments of human insight here. There are definitely moments in this novel where almost any reader will have to stop and pause as Watson drives home a point with profound subtlety.

Given Watson's growth here I look forward to his _next_ book with great anticipation. But as for "Orchard," I can't say I enjoyed it that much.

Rating:
Summary: A rising literary master
Review: Larry Watson takes the less-traveled roads, through landscapes and heartscapes vaguely familiar, intensely poetic, always jangling.

From his breakout novel, "Montana 1948" -- which explores a family's disintegration when an uncle is accused of sexual abuse in a small town -- to his sixth and newest novel "Orchard," he has established himself as one of the leading poetic realists, painting his stories across the canvas of interiors: small-town America and the human heart.

Weaver and Sonja's erotic, artistic relationship clearly harks back to the real-life coupling of American master Andrew Wyeth and his most famous model, Helga. But the reader is well-advised to acknowledge the similarities between art and life -- then forget it. "Orchard" is more. It is filled with characters who are as flawed as their surroundings and circumstances, and a landscape that is achingly painted.

Watson's earlier works -- most notably "Montana 1948" and "White Crosses" -- have won the Milkweed Fiction Prize, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, the Mountain and Plains Booksellers Association Regional Award, and many other literary prizes. Publishers Weekly even predicted that if booksellers talk up "Orchard" it might match the commercial success of "Montana 1948," the book that put Watson on the literary map.

But it's too bad that books as lyrical as "Orchard" and writers as starkly poetic as Watson must depend on the kindness of strangers to get the exposure they deserve in today's speed-obsessed marketplace, where character development and thoughtful prose are too-often considered poisonous.

In American letters, the good old days of strong characters in dire human straits have dwindled to a handful of writers and books. Even so-called reality TV isn't real. Watson's real-life themes -- lust, self-absorption, jealousy, grief and loss -- will grab the reader's gut and twist it better than any cat detective, cynical ex-CIA operative or vampire terrorist.

One must simply venture down a road less traveled.

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Summary: A 50¿s melodrama of sexual politics and art
Review: The apple orchards of 1950's Door County, Wisconsin are the setting for this mellifluous story of artistic endeavor and sexual politics. Watson has a nice, easy, relaxed style that lends itself very well to this type of small town story. His style is at times poetic, and at times stark, as he paints a picture, and sets the story against the backdrop of the changing seasons.

Watson presents us with two couples whose betrayals will forever haunt them. Henry House, earthy, sexy and the owner of the apple orchard is newly married to Sonja, a Swedish immigrant. After losing their son in a terrible accident they suddenly drift apart sexually and emotionally. Ned Weaver is the controlling selfish artist who treats his wife Harriet, without respect and combs the town looking for muses for his art. When Sonja decides to model for Ned to earn some extra money, the sparks really fly when Henry finds out that other men in the town have been furtively watching the "artistic" exchange between artist and model. From the opening, Watson engages us in sexual politics, nasty game playing, petty betrayals, and family tensions and we get a feeling of inevitability as the story reaches its shattering climax. It is the men in the novel who come out looking bad - selfish, uncommunicative, nasty and controlling.

Orchard addresses the sexual hypocrisy and dysfunctional marriages of the time, while also addressing the wider themes of sexuality and art. To Ned Weaver a beautiful nude model is not necessarily a sexual being, unless he wants her to be a sexual being! And it's all on his terms. For Ned unclothing beautiful women and painting them is all about his art and work, and his work is the most important thing in his life; more important than his marriage, children or friends. Henry's challenge is to try and understand that "nakedness is craft and art"; and to transcend the idea that his wife is merely being labeled as a "sexual object" by Ned.

There is good character development in this novel, along with a wonderfully adept use of metaphor. Watson really makes us appreciate the tension and sensuality of a single action - the peeling of sunburn, the eating of an apple, the removal of slinky negligee - and he does this so economically. Deftly weaving together imagery of four very different lives, Orchard could almost be called a literary painting. This is an interesting and quite moving work.

Michael