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Summary: Ordinary lives, extraordinary lessons
Review: Anne Tyler mines the lives of an ordinary, middle-class Baltimore family and achieves extraordinary effects in Saint Maybe, arguably her best novel. Saint Maybe traces the subtle, yet complete transformation of Ian Bedloe, a genial 17-year-old paralyzed with guilt after he plays a role in the "accidental" death of his older brother. Searching for relief, Ian discovers the Church of the Second Chance, a new purpose for his life, and eventual redemption. Like many of Tyler's previous works, including The Accidental Tourist and the Pulitzer-Prize winning Breathing Lessons, Saint Maybe examines how unpredictable events jolt even the most mundane lives. In the aftermath of domestic tragedy, the Bedloe family declines and rallies in ways that are occasionally shocking, yet completely logical. The depiction of Ian's evolution is especially masterful; while his transformation is both radical and extraordinary, never once does it seem unrealistic or strained. The joy of reading Saint Maybe lies largely in its endearing, familiar characters: as in other Tyler novels, they are sometimes foolish, frequently eccentric, and always thoroughly human. Even minor players get their turn in the spotlight: the awkward foreign graduate students who live near the Bedloes; the overeager yet supportive parishioners at the Church of the Second Chance. In this novel, every character, however bumbling or marginal, has important lessons to deliver. Therein lies Tyler's greatest strength: the compassion and humor with which she examines both her characters and the mundane world in which they live. She finds lyricism and meaning everywhere: in her capable hands, musty linen closets, spiritless summer camp, and even a late night trip to the grocery store become imbued with significance. Saint Maybe is both luminous and sublime: a beautiful tribute to the drama of the commonplace.
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Summary: A haunting, wonderfullly sad tale
Review: Despite the many life-altering, sad, depressing occurances that happen in this book and the theme of death happening to a family that runs through this novel, this is not a terribly depressing book. Yes many sad things do happen and you witness the characters disillusionment, but honestly the unfaltering faith of Ian in himself and his love for his family keeps this novel moving and keeps it from sticking on the mopey side. It is such a touching novel and so clearly depicts the variances one single family can have along with some of the worst tragedies a family can face...this is a lovely coming of age novel.
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Summary: Slow reading but good story
Review: I like the characters and the story, but the author takes too much time with details and the pace is slow.
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Summary: Actions have consequences
Review: Ian is the youngest child of the Bedloe family. His brother Danny marries a woman, Lucy, with two children, Agatha and Thomas. Subsequently Ian becomes suspicious of the morals of Danny's wife and shares his misgivings with Danny. Danny dies when he crashes his automobile. Ian feels responsible for Danny's death.
The story is told from shifting viewpoints, first Ian, then Agatha, Thomas, Daphne. While Ian is away at college he receives a call from his mother telling him that his brother's widow Lucy has died. Ian learns from a former babysitter that Lucy had been a shoplifter and was not going out to meet a lover that evening before Danny's accident. This of course changed things in Ian's estimation since even he had shoplifted with his friends.
When Ian returns home for Christmas break Lucy's three children are still with his parents and the laundry is undone and the presents are unwrapped. He busies himself performing the chores. Returning from his vacation job as a mover Ian passes the Church of the Second Chance. Ian learns there that he has to offer God reparations if he wants to be forgiven.
Ian drops out of college and apprentices himself to a furniture maker to help his parents raise the children. By the time two of the children are young teenagers Ian feels as if he has been atoning and atoning and is beginning to hate God for not forgiving him. The minister tells Ian to view his burden as a gift and to lean into it. Raising the children and building furniture is his life. Ian, through an investigator, manages to locate the children's paternal grandmother.
Ian is told he has to forgive his brother and his wife. The children decide Ian should meet Daphne's teacher. Daphne uses the name Saint Maybe for Ian because he is so careful. When Ian's mother Bee dies, Daphne feels the vacancy keenly. Without Bee the house is a mess. Tthere are no provisions for the cat and so forth. Bee was the executive. Now everything and everyone still living at home look shabby. Daphne is still living at home at age 22. To put the house in order she hires a clutter counselor. I will not continue the story and ruin it for the reader. Suffice to say it is wonderful. This is the work of Anne Tyler that is most fully realized.
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Summary: Perhaps Tyler's Best - A Joy to Read
Review: It is hard to believe that this book is a more than a decade old-but then again, it is perhaps a measure of its usefulness to all seeking Christians that what was fresh and new in 1991 remains so today. A modern classic both as an American novel and as an exploration of the interrelationship of faith and life, SAINT MAYBE is perhaps the greatest work by this acclaimed contemporary novelist. Born in Minnesota, reared in Raleigh (NC) and infused with a slice of America mid-Atlantic milieu, Anne Tyler is the author of more than a baker's dozen of novels, and all have the ring of truth about them-from BREATHING LESSONS (awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988) to THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST. Here, the setting is Baltimore, the scene is a once-fashionable, now down-at-the-heels cul de sac, which serves every bit as well as the more oft-used device of an English market village for exploring what makes her extraordinarily real ordinary characters tick. The story centers around a multi-generation family on this street and the others whose lives intersect their own. Chief among them are what seem to be an offbeat, storefront church group of Christians who are having all too good a time following Jesus. Dubbed by its founder as "The Church of the Second Chance" this congregation (with members who get as much of a kick out of forgiveness as they do picnics) can serve as a plumb line for any other church you've known or know. Anne Tyler has created a lively read, but much more. She has turned the idea of "church" slightly askew, and having done so, perhaps given us all an idea of how to set things right where we worship now. If this is not enough to make you want to read this book (or reread it)... Well, give it a look because it is by one of the best living writers in the English language. And then, of course, you will want to read everything else by Tyler, too.
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Summary: Good readin'
Review: Loved it! Especially the kids characters, Daphne, Agatha and Thomas. I felt very attached to them. My third Tyler novel and this one I thought was on par with "Breathing Lessons". "Ladder Of Years" is still my favorite.
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Summary: One of her best
Review: One of her best books, and the only one I can recall where she really deals with the subject of religion in depth. A great look at guilt & atonement from Ian's perspective.
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Summary: saint maybe
Review: One of my Favorite,Nov,24,2003
Rewiewe: Jacqueline Ballestas from West Hartford Conn
Ann Tyler really makes you feel so connected with the Chareacters in this story.I originally read this bacouse It was assigned to me for a book report at school. I wasn't to thrilled about that...but it just happened to be the best school assigment ever. Saint Maybe is just a Womderful book. I was very upset when it ended, because I felt so in tune with the tone of the book and it's characters.
Ian, the main character, has some tramatic events that happend to him his life forever changes after that. I highly reccomened this book! to any body even young kids between 12 and up.
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Summary: Tyler with a normal twist - sort of
Review: This is something new. Instead of writing about weirdos, Anne Tyler peoples Saint Maybe with ordinary people who rise to extraordinary heights as a result of tragedy. The cheerful Bedloe family is plunged into despair when suicide rears its ugly head. Ian, the teenage boy who was perhaps the cause of his brother's suicide, seeks redemption at the Church of the Second Chance and subsequently drops out of college to care for the three children orphaned as a result of his unthinking statement that began the whole tragic series of events. Redemption and forgiveness eventually come in a very satisfying ending.
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Summary: Second Chances
Review: This was a very good read. Like many of Anne Tyler's other books the plot is well thought out, but with twists enough to keep us reading. I really became involved with the characters and found them to be so real sounding. I found traits in them that are in people I know. Ian and dealing with his guilt and grief will stay with me for a long time. I think we all, at times in our lives, have that desire to know what we can do to make atonement for the wrong(s) we've done in our lives. Did Ian find that? A great book, and a definate good look at guilt, religion, and what saves. But not just for the "religious" out there.
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