That Old Cape Magic

A Novel

By: Richard Russo

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Following Bridge of Sighs - a national best seller hailed by The Boston Globe as “an astounding achievement” and “a masterpiece” - Richard Russo gives us the story of a marriage, and of all the other ties that bind, from parents and in-laws to children and the promises of youth.

Griffin has been tooling around for nearly a year with his father’s ashes in the trunk, but his mother is very much alive and not shy about calling on his cell phone. She does so as he drives down to Cape Cod, where he and his wife, Joy, will celebrate the marriage of their daughter Laura’s best friend. For Griffin this is akin to driving into the past, since he took his childhood summer vacations here, his parents’ respite from the hated Midwest. And the Cape is where he and Joy honeymooned, in the course of which they drafted the Great Truro Accord, a plan for their lives together that’s now 30 years old and has largely come true. He’d left screenwriting and Los Angeles behind for the sort of New England college his snobby academic parents had always aspired to in vain; they’d moved into an old house full of character; and they’d started a family. Check, check and check.

But be careful what you pray for, especially if you manage to achieve it. By the end of this perfectly lovely weekend, the past has so thoroughly swamped the present that the future suddenly hangs in the balance. And when, a year later, a far more important wedding takes place, their beloved Laura’s, on the coast of Maine, Griffin’s chauffeuring two urns of ashes as he contends once more with Joy and her large, unruly family, and both he and she have brought dates along. How in the world could this have happened?

That Old Cape Magic is a novel of deep introspection and every family feeling imaginable, with a middle-aged man confronting his parents and their failed marriage, his own troubled one, his daughter’s new life and, finally, what it was he thought he wanted and what in fact he has. The storytelling is flawless throughout, moments of great comedy and even hilarity alternating with others of rueful understanding and heart-stopping sadness, and its ending is at once surprising, uplifting, and unlike anything this Pulitzer Prize winner has ever written.

©2009 Richard Russo (P)2009 Random House

Entertaining

Perhaps not one of Richard Russo's best, but fun to read nonetheless. If you know and love Cape Cod, you may experience an added layer of enjoyment.

Good but not great

I enjoy Richard Russo's books and this one as well, however it was not one of his best.

Eh, kind of predictable with a fairy tale ending.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

well i was driving so it was mildly entertaining

Would you be willing to try another book from Richard Russo? Why or why not?

it's all about the words and describing characters which is fine, but the story line is basic suburbia.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Guess ya gotta be a Russo fan...

How anyone, who is a fan, does not like this book makes my eyes cross. This book has more humor than I found in any of the other books. And I "read" them all. If you are considering this and are a fan, my money is on the fact that you will enjoy it! I sure did!!

not so magical

narrator good for man but all the women sounded like little girls. enjoyed daughter's wedding.

Very enjoyable book

I greatly enjoyed the storyline in this book. The author does a good job developing the characters and giving just the right amount of history to develop the scene. I felt that there was a good mix of humor and darkness to make the book believable. I will be buying more books from this author.

Sticks with you

I wasn't sure how I felt about it as I was "reading" it. But as time passes I find myself thinking of plot points and scenes again and again. It definitely grew on me.

If you're looking to be depressed ...

I love Richard Russo's writing, most of his characters, and his sometimes offbeat way of looking at things. Unfortunately everything just can't be perfect all the time. I stayed with this because I truly enjoy Russo's writing and I wanted to see how everything turned out, but it was just so depressing that it robbed me of a fair amount of the pleasure I look forward to in his books. It's well-written, as always, just not something to pick up if you're looking to be entertained.

Slow start then I wanted it to go on.

I enjoyed the story, the timeline, the well developed characters and the kindness shown in many of the author's creations.

Slow

So confusing when the author switches from person to person and time and place. I kept waiting for something to happen. Depressing.