A
Amazon Customer
March 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
Oates has long been one of my favorite authors. I read this book a long time ...
Oates has long been one of my favorite authors. I read this book a long time ago, and decided it would be a good gift for one of my granddaughters. It's the story of a complex friendship of an older woman and a younger one, taking place over one solstice. The writing is terrific and the relationship interesting and complicated as they face different events in their own lives. Few other writers know this much about women, what they learn from each other and what their exchanges are that make them so rewarding. Haven't heard an assessment from the granddaughter.
L
LadyJingly
January 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book is a rarity, as it is literary fiction that focuses on two unrelated women and their friendship/relationship with one another. I read this book every January, as it has a very bleak feel about it. The title has many meanings---as with many of Oates' books, there is more to chew on with each reading. "Solstice" as in the title of Sheila's husband's work at the academy, "solstice" as in the light and dark struggling for dominance, and of course, it is clear in the story's timeline that Sheila's darkness takes control of their friendship toward the winter solstice, and Monica (the "blond, light" presence) attempts to take control approaching the summer solstice. However, there are no clear answers here. A great read.
B
Bonnie Brody
May 31, 2009
Oates Gets At the Heart of the Unspoken
In this novel, the relationship between two women is examined primarily from a
cerebral and highly emotional perspective. Most of the action is internal. The
book is mysterious and mystical at the same time. There are undertones of
entrapment, sexual longing and cultural taboos. Oates gets at the heart of the
unspoken and is able to communicate it beautifully.
P
patricia l brandt
December 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
I’ve hear Joyce Carol Oates a few times, read many of her books, and have come to admire her as a writer, teacher, and as a person of good character. This early book is well worth the read.
IT WAS ON A MILD FRAGRANT EVENING IN LATE SEPTEMBER
SOLSTICE
This is the story of Monica Jensen and Sheila Trask who are neighbors and eventually become friends. They are total and complete opposites...and we all know what they say about how opposites attract.
Monica is a teacher at an exclusive boys school and Sheila is a famous artist. These two ladies could not be more different. Yet they form an exclusive friendship. Their relationship is complex, disturbing, and intense. A real love/hate type of deal.
And that's what this book is...a look into their friendship, their homes, and their social and business activities.
For me, this was a different path for JCO. I loved the writing and the characters. However, compared to all of the other JCO books I've read, this one lacked excitement and intrigue. Still, a decent read from one of my favorite authors.
