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Breathing Lessons

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Breathing Lessons

Written by: Anne Tyler
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
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About this listen

Breathing Lessons covers the events of a day in the life of Maggie Moran, nearing fifty, married to Ira and with two children. Her eternal optimism and her inexhaustible passion for sorting out other people's lives and willing them to fall in love is severely tested one hot summer day.

Maggie and Ira drive from Baltimore to Deer Lick to attend the funeral of the husband of Serena, Maggie's childhood friend. During the course of the journey, with its several unexpected detours - into the lives of old friends and grown children - Anne Tyler shows us all there is to know about a marriage: The expectations; the disappointments; the way children can create storms in a family; the way that wife and husband can fall in love all over again; the way that everything - and nothing - changes.

A classic novel from one of America's greatest living novelists, now available as an audiobook.

©1998 Anne Tyler (P)2014 Audible, Inc.; Published in the UK by Random House Audiobooks Contemporary Women's Fiction
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The story follows a married couple Maggie and Ira on a one day trip to a high school friend's funeral. But they had to take some unplanned detours. Maggie is talkative and a meddler whereas Ira is practical, uncommunicative and distant and they exasperate each other. In the beginning portion of the book I was wondering why am I reading about a middle aged couple bickering all day in a car. But, then came the portions that actually made me laugh, and I judged myself.
Anne Tyler has done an excellent job in making us care about the characters.
Although I did find the character of Maggie a little too immature for her age. With her meddling habits she turns her whole family upside down.

Anne really made us care about the characters

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Maggie isn't quite believable but she reminded me of a few women I've known. Ira's character was a great deal more well drawn.
My problem was that Maggie wasn't described as lacking in intelligence as a young person. She wants people to get along with each other, she is transparent, but she doesn't have a moment of introspection.
the narration drove me batty. the horrid simpering Maggie and Fiona were unbearable. I got through the audible book only because Anne Tyler's flashbacks are absorbing.
I suppose the breathing lessons were for Ira, who has earned a PhD in the course.
I wouldn't have bestowed the Pulitzer on this work.

most unusual portrait of a family in the USA

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