Rating: 
Summary: Was it oppression or selfishness?
Review: I have been to the breaking point occasionally in my life, but did I ever seriously consider leaving it all behind? No. I can except the fact Delia may have felt the need to leave her husband, but even after I read the entire novel, I still could not fathom walking away from my children. Whatever horrible persecution Delia was feeling in her life, a mother worthy of her children would not leave them. Delia needed to establish her self worth and to find out what she really wanted for herself-without someone else telling her what she really wanted. I believe the way she discovered these things was selfish and held no regard for anyone's feelings except her own. So, her teenaged children didn't appreciate her anymore...Oh, like this is something new in life. Deal with it, get a hobby if you're feeling oppressed, but to abandon your family is the coward's way to deal with your problems. Delia finally decided her life was worth coming back to, but she needs to make changes or the next family vacation, she might be taking another infamous walk down the beach. Although I did not place Delia in high regard as a mother, she did a great job of establishing a new life for herself. I'm glad she decided to go back to her family, but I found myself feeling bad for Joel and Noah, as well. I enjoyed this novel, but continued to want more in respect to character development. I wondered about the intimate details of Delia's father, Sam, Joel, Noah and even Adrian. I felt Tyler left her readers too much in the dark, maybe purposefully. All in all, even though Delia's journey didn't seem to prove much, the novel itself was entertaining and worthwhile to read.
Rating: 
Summary: This Ladder Is Worth the Climb
Review: While I initially found Anne Tyler's writing style dry, and her reluctance to delve into her character's psyche's disappointing, by the end of this novel, I actually began to appreciate how this approach allowed my imagination to fill in the gaps. I felt I almost knew more about the main character, Delia, by all the things she DIDN'T say, rather than by the little she did say. I also appreciated living vicariously through her when she literally walked away from her unappreciative family and began a new life apart from them. Although I was angry that she stayed away from her children as long as she did and did not even try to contact them, I did admire the courage it took (although she never did seem truly frightened)for her to take the time she needed to come to terms with herself, BY herself. Now that I think of it, however, she probably was never afraid of being on her own because she knew that help from Sam, or even her sisters, was only a phone call away. And it is that fact -- that unconditional acceptance from her family about her choice to run away -- that left me annoyed and yet just a little bit envious at this modern day fairy tale,where everything seems to turn out okay in the end. No one seems more than slightly ticked off that Delia left for a year.
She just waltzes back into everyone's life and things go on pretty much as usual. No questions (or too few, anyway) asked. Well, I guess that's why it's called fiction. Still, I would recommend this book because of its commentaries about marriage, families and not taking those we love for granted.
Rating:
Summary: Underlying Tones
Review: There are so many underlying tones of this book. It is a great one for book clubs and book discussions, because there are so many things that one could talk about. The symbols used throughout the book really get one thinking and it places you in the life of Delia and it has you questioning what you would do in her situation. It is written with a brillance that takes you from behind and does not let you go. I would recommend it highly, especially if you have someone to discuss it with.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit thin
Review: Ladder of Years was my first experience with Anne Tyler. I was only mildly impressed, because I thought the development of the plot was a bit thin. The book incorporated many real-life situations and emotions, but Tyler was too vague in her descriptions. Tyler left too much to the reader's imagination, which made it a bit difficult to really connect with the characters. It was a constant guessing game throughout the book as too what Delia was really feeling. It was almost impossible because of lack of description to decipher the real reason for Delia leaving, and whether or not she was justifiable in doing so.
Rating:
Summary: perspective
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the clarity that Anne Tyler writes with. When reading her book you could feel the sand beneath your toes as if you were walking down the street with Delia. You could feel the thoughs racing through your head as if you were her. My thoughts enjoyed collaborating with her writing style. It also gave me another pers[ectove of how people handle life and deal with isues. I did not like how Delia communicated through out the book. She had a lot of issues going on but never really confronts them completely to others verbally. I believe she made her life the way it was. In the book, page nine (9)-paper back- it states' "She was sad, tired, anxious, forty-years-old woman who hadn't had a champagne brunch in decades. And her husband was even older, by a good fifteen years,...". I agree with a reader from Milwaukee- Feb. 15, 2001, who wrote about Delia missing out on life. Delia did enter into life early through marriage. Also a reader from UK-titled: Disappointing, June30, 2001,She states, " I like her writing style, but not this character." Delia did show to be a weak character. Never really voicing her opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Delia trying to find herself.
Review: This is not a bad book. When I frist started reading I couldn't understand why Delia would just leave her family. She had a big family,there was her two sisters and their children, and her husband and their three children. There was always someone around their was always something to do. "Delia was the perfect mother and whife" why would she just want to leave her family?
After reading more of the book I came to realize that she left because she felt that her family didn't love her. She felt she was invisible to them. When she disappeared it took them a couple hours to realize that she was gone. And when they were giving a description of her to the police they couldn't even remember the color of her eyes or what she was wearing.
Another part of Delia that I came to realize is that she is still grieving over the loss of her father. She keeps thinking about Sam and how he picked the youngest dauther and just steped in and took over her fathers business. Leaving gives her a chance to full grieve for her father and figure out who she really is. Anybody can read this book you just have to take some time to understand it.
Rating:
Summary: One Way Ticket
Review: Don't we all wish at some point in our lives that we could pick up, get on a plane or in a car and never look back? Sure, but what would happen if we really did that? Would we be truly happy or would there be new problems waiting for us at the end of this road too? Anne Tyler's novel "Ladder of Years" explores these questions with her main character Delia Grinstead. Delia, while on a family vacation, decides that she is feed-up with her life and wants to leave. Walking off the beach and away from her family, Delia starts a new life, with a new identity, in a new town. Is Delia truly happy though and where is the road of life leading her? Leave it up to Ms. Tyler to give you an interesting turn of events and an ending you wouldn't have planned for. Maybe you wouldn't want to leave with that one way ticket after all. I didn't. Some readers respond that you have to be Delia's age to understand her while others disagree. I am one of those that disagrees. We all want to walk away from something at some point in our lives, but is it really worth it. I learned in the end, by reading Ms. Tyler's book, that maybe it isn't. This however, is only my responds to the book. Pack "Ladder of Years" in your next carry on bag and see what you think at the end of your journey and Delia's.
Rating:
Summary: A roller coaster ride
Review: Ladder of Years was the first book I read by Ann Tyler. Needless to say, the book was like being on a roller coaster ride with my emotions. I absolutely loved Delia for making a stand and having the courage to leave everything behind. Although at first, I thought she was very irresponsible for leaving her family like she did. Yet, the first page confirms all her reasons to leave, no one really knew her. Delia felt like she was being used, abused and living in the shadows of her husband and father. I believe Delia did what some of us would only fantasize about doing. Since most of us would be afraid of what other people would think. I applauded "Miss" Grinstead's new life, she was finally doing what she wanted, when she wanted. I cheered for her all the way until the end. However, I was very disappointed with the ending of this book. After she had come so far in her new life, to have Delia fall back into her old "habits" was a devastating blow to an otherwise fairy tale story.
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: I had high expectations for this book, based on the reviews printed on the first few pages. I was very disappointed. I disliked the style of writing and found the storyline to be both contrived and excessively drawn out. I didn't particularly like Delia, the main character, and none of the other characters were developed enough for me to really get a feel of what they were like. I thought this book would never end and when it did, I found myself left with nothing more than I had had when I started reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Tyler's Best Work
Review: If you have seen the movie Accidental Tourist or read the book, don't waist your time reading the Ladder of Years. It felt as if Tyler had taken her wonderfully written book Accidental Tourist and re-written it - badly. In the Accidental Tourist, the main character had a sister that was perpetually single, same in this book. The A. T. had a character who was focused on people speaking improper English, same in this book. Both books main characters marriages are close to ending and both main characters are uncaring. The similarities go on and on. That aside, the biggest problem I had with this book was that the main character never experienced any type of personal growth. She left her husband, really without any thought or plans, to live an invisible life. She wasn't happy or unhappy in this new existence, just there. In the end, she walks away again to return to the old life without expressing her feelings or needs to her husband. It was as if she took a hiatus from her life and family without any thought or remorse for their feelings. This book left me feeling very disappointed.
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