Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose was the winner of the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The book is set in Grass Valley, California, during the spring and summer months of 1970. Lyman Ward is the novel's protagonist. He is a physically disabled professor of history and has retired from teaching and is living in his grandparents' old home. He undertakes to write a biographical novel focusing on his grandparents' lives, Susan Burling Ward and Oliver Ward, from the late 1800’s.
Susan Burling, Lyman's grandmother, was a prolific letter writer, artist, and cultured young woman from New York. Her husband and Lyman's grandfather, Oliver Ward, was a talented mining engineer whose career took his family to California, Colorado, Mexico, Idaho, and back to California.
Lyman feels the world around him is sliding downhill, both morally and intellectually. It was written during a time of great political and social upheaval in the United States. In that vein, he juxtaposes the life of his grandparents as a time of more commitment to family, relationships, work, and dreams. While their lives were in no way trouble free, their commitment to the life they had chosen was steadfast. There are also many similarities between the time periods. At one point in the novel, Lyman refers to the resulting "rictus" or grimace of the historian when he or she sees how the present is tied to historical precedents. He leaves the reader contemplating which generation has the better life.
This novel is very slow paced, particularly in the beginning. It weaves the story between the past and present, initially confusing and difficult to follow but settles into a rhythm that makes sense towards the middle and end.
Many of us found Susan Burling Ward a totally unlikable and snobbish character. Perhaps the intent was to see the west, through the eyes of an easterner. This theme is pervasive throughout the novel, the stark contrast between East and West. She was initially horrified at the lack of culture, the dust, dirt, and extreme climate. Susan eventually finds herself able to appreciate the raw beauty of her new surroundings, and is successful in building comfortable homes for her family. Yet throughout her married life she defines herself through her east coast roots, questions Oliver’s worthiness as a husband and provider, and pines over what she has given up in exchange for her life in the west.
Briefly, we touched on references throughout the book to the Doppler Effect. You hear a frequency much louder as it approaches than as it recedes. Meaning, that while time doesn’t completely heal all wounds, the pain lessens over time. We talked about the role of the Western terrain as a “character” itself in the novel. We discussed the definition of “angel of repose” and how is applies to the story. Also discussed was the power of nature, human frailty, and the healing power of forgiveness. That is a lot to cover in 2 hours!
While this book had much more content that could be discussed and studied, there is no way I can do it justice in this short review. The ratings ranged from a high of 4.5 to a low of 2.0. Many of us liked it so much more after our discussion, as is often the case with our group. The common complaint was that is was boring, slow paced, difficulty getting into the book and the unlikeable characters. Others felt that the book was an intellectual stretch, a novel of great historical significance, a literary work of art, and a beautifully written piece of literature.
Until next time…
Lindsay
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