Crossing to Safety

Rating:
Summary: Lovely
Review: I absolutely loved this book- I was very taken with the characters Stegner created as well as his outstanding powers of description. Some passages were so lovely I would stop and read them aloud to anyone that would listen! This book probably ranks in my five all-time favorites.

Rating:
Summary: breath-taking
Review: It has been more than a year since I read this book but even now, when I look at it on my bookshelf, I am filled with a feeling of serenity. This book reminds me of the later poetry of WB Yeats. It looks back with realistic eyes but the narrator has never lost his wonderlust with life. This book is just incredible. I couldn't recomend it more highly.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written and incredibly powerful
Review: 'Crossing to Safety' is a remarkably well-written and extremely poignant reflection on the nature of friendship, marriage and the effects of time on both of them. It should be required reading for anyone who has been married for decades, for those who are just starting out and for those of us who may be contemplating this lifelong commitment.

Rating:
Summary: A book that reflects the true nature of friendships
Review: This book made me remember how friendships develop and how powerful they can be. Stegner draws you into the relationships. I did not want to finish it and when I finally did, I appreciated the friends I have and those I have lost. My brother in Amsterdam is reading it now. He just keeps muttering about how great it is. If you've known real friendship, it will touch you.

Rating:
Summary: A Dissenting Opinion
Review: With respect to the other reviewers, this is not the best novel ever written. It is, on its surface, a feel good book (with an appropriate dose of tragedy). But what is there to feel good about in such a clearly dysfunctional relationship? The harmony and tranquility of Battelle Pond contrast with the destrutive imbalance of power between Charity and Sid. Although Larry and Sally despair this imbalance, neither dares direct confrontation. I suspect that Stegner's message is more subversive and less reassuring than most readers apprehend. Put another way, if the roles of Sid and Charity were revesed, the dark side of Battelle Pond would be more apparent.

Rating:
Summary: it was a pleasure to read
Review: I'd always heard Stegner's name mentioned with a tone of reverence. Now I know why. Reading this book was just plain nice. The story was interesting, the writing was beautiful and it made me long for friend like Charity. She's annoying but you had to love her. I also will be buying Stegner's other works.

Rating:
Summary: Now I would like to read more Wallace Stegner!
Review: A wonderful reading experience, especially since this is the first Wallace Stegner book I have read. I am now driven to read "Angle of Repose" and "The Sound of Mountain Water", and perhaps other works of his in the future. The prose is beautiful in its fluidity and richness of details, save maybe for Stegner's skewed characterization of Charity over Sally. Personally, I would not like to meet a character like Charity, and I do not understand how a reasonably strong character like Sid would put up with her, unless, of course, he is attracted to exceedingly cosmopolitan and worldly---not to mention annoyingly feisty and obsessive-compulsive---types like Charity. The last part was a little slow, and I was somehow expecting that Larry would find Sid in that "edenic pool" that seemed like their (the two couples') best-kept secret from their long-ago hike in the woods. I would think that that might be an appropriate symbol of Sid's reconnecting with his persona without Charity's incessant controlling and smothering manipulation---that it was never too late to find himself and feel free again. I know it sounds selfish, but , inasmuch as their friendships seemed so perfect and ideal, Charity's dominant personality and self-righteousness spelled like a potential omen to their entire relationship. Moderation and the tenets of civility ruled over the book, however, and I was nonetheless captivated by it.

Rating:
Summary: a beautiful piece of work
Review: Its been at least two months since I read this book, and the characters and images are still fresh in my mind. Stegner has a gift for making the most everyday occurances beautiful; his book made me love the art of literature all the more. I saw each character as unique, complex, and interesting; the richness of life was beautifully illustrated. At 23 years old, I still tend to think that my parents' lives revolve around me. Stegner not only showed me how wrong I am, he also reminded me of all I have to look forward to as my friendships grow deeper and stronger over the years.

Rating:
Summary: Truly the best book i have ever read
Review: I hate being redundant, but can not help myself. The writing and character development were wonderful!! I loved the chapter on their year in Italy-it was beautiful and enchanting after having my first Itallian experience last spring. The reference to the town of Gubbio was perfect. and the ending of the book was so appropriate and well done. Our book group enjoyed dissecting the characters flaws and strenths. Who thinks Sid was a weak character? We also learned that this book was autobiographical and Sid does remarry!

Rating:
Summary: The meaning of life...
Review: A veteran of Stegner's novels, Crossing to Safety took me by suprise. His prose was as captivating as ever and his characters as beautifully developed, but reading this novel of life-long friendship profoundly affected me. I fell in love with the Morgans and the Langs and at times even found myself jealous that they had found each other. I desperately looked for parallels in my own life. At 27, I wondered who the Sid's, Charity's, Larry's and Sally's of my life would be. Surely this deep rooted, long lasting friendship is an essential ingredient in life. Or, as I now believe, maybe it is its purpose...