Reader discussion: The Magnificent Ambersons

Public reader discussion about The Magnificent Ambersons in the WeRead Catalog by Booth Tarkington.

The Magnificent Ambersons, Booth Tarkington (pub 1918)

By Fern_Basket

I didn’t really mean to pick this up. I’d heard about the Orson Welles movie version, but I haven’t watched it, and from what I knew it sounded pretty bleak. Then I ended up in a shop that sells those blank books where they use the cover and pull a page or two from older novels, and once I read the little excerpt in it, I couldn’t stop. I’m usually more into plot than anything, and this one felt way more character-focused, with a ton of nice, detailed descriptions. I usually roll my eyes at that sort of thing, but somehow the writing still grabbed me—and some of it was genuinely funny. I also went in thinking it was basically about a rich family slowly falling apart, but it felt more like a closer look at people and society, with a lot of heartbreak. The ending was kind of devastating in a good way, too. Overall, I’d say it’s worth reading. Now I just don’t know if I should also try to watch the film.

“Standard Ebooks is a volunteer driven, not-for-profit project that produces lovingly formatted, open source, and free public domain ebooks.”

By putty_sky

Thanks for sharing—free ebooks usually come with pretty bad formatting.

Help Me Finish “A Book In Each State” Challenge

By honeyCurious2003

I started this local library reading challenge back in January—finish a book set in every state before Dec 31. I’m really trying to find some good picks for the ones I still need. Arkansas Indiana Iowa Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada North Dakota Oklahoma Rhode Island Tennessee I’m good with fiction or non-fiction. I don’t normally go for fantasy or romance, but if it helps knock a state off the list, I’ll give it a shot.

Is there a term for literary works that explore the changes in small town American life from the nineteenth to twentieth century?

By LibrarySinigrin7

I’ve always been into books like *Our Town*, *Spoon River Anthology*, and *Poor White* just because they get into how modern life messes with old, established communities. Is there a name for that kind of small-town American story from that era (like a genre or movement)? And does anyone have recommendations for similar stuff?

The book you love that you know nobody else has read

By WoodBinary

Honestly, this one is all about 188 words for rain for me. It’s this weird little BBC weather department thing, and yeah, the title basically tells you what you’re getting. A whole book built around 188-word descriptions of rain in the UK. Sounds totally dull on paper, but the writing makes it feel like you’re on one of those old steam trains, just getting a tour of Britain while everyone chatters about weather. The prose is kind of cute and cozy, like being wrapped up in a blanket. And if you’re from the UK (or just really into UK stuff), I feel like you’ll end up obsessed. Also, it has like 4 reviews on Goodreads. Four.

His Family by Ernest Poole

By notebookPencil

I started trying to read all the Pulitzer winners for Fiction, and I’m not gonna lie—early on, His Family by Ernest Poole kind of threw me. It was an enjoyable enough story and it felt pretty relevant to America back then, but the writing itself seemed way too simple and honestly not great. I kept thinking, “Did I miss something?” because the next winner, The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington, felt so much stronger. Has anyone else felt similarly about His Family, or am I just reading it wrong?