July 7, 2013

Five Days



Five Days by Douglas Kennedy
Fiction
2013 Atria
Finished on 6/1/13
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)




Publisher’s Blurb:

When Laura leaves her small Maine town to attend a radiography conference in Boston, she is relieved to have a few days away from the heartbreaking realities she shares with cancer patients every day. A weekend’s respite from her failing marriage and her two children who are leaving the nest finds her unexpectedly in the company of a man she has only just met. At first, Richard seems gray and uninspired, but after a second chance encounter, Laura begins to imagine a life beyond the one she has rooted herself to—and to ask herself if the ultimate sign of maturity is realizing that one always has a choice between passion and loneliness, happiness or despair. Douglas Kennedy’s powerful new novel poignantly examines the death of hope, the limitless possibilities of love, and how the entire trajectory of a life can change through one brief encounter.

I happened upon the finished copy of Five Days one day at work (sent by the publisher for review) and after glancing at the back cover blurbs by Will Schwalbe (author of The End of Your Life Book Club), Lorrie Moore (author of A Gate at the Stairs) and Colum McCann (author of Let the Great World Spin), I decided to give it a try. Not only had I not read anything by Douglas Kennedy, I’d never even heard of him.

As Schwalbe states in his blurb, Five Days is “a brilliant mediation on regret, fidelity, family, and second chances.” With the exception of “brilliant,” I concur. Kennedy’s evocative prose had me reaching for my sticky notes and I’m sure I commented (on more than one occasion) to my husband that I was quite impressed with the author's writing, as well as his ability to write from a woman’s perspective. Yes, this is a love story, but it is by no means a fluffy bodice-ripper. Serious and contemplative, Kennedy’s novel is more reminiscent of John Irving or Richard Russo than of, say, Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans.

Final Thoughts: Five Days is a compulsive read, albeit somewhat predictable, but nonetheless entertaining. I’m always happy when I discover a new writer with a large backlist. I look forward to discovering more winners by Kennedy. Have you read anything by this author? What would you recommend?

12 comments:

  1. Hurray... a new-to-me author and a backlist! Thanks, Les. Off to check my library's website.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome! I'd be happy to send you my copy, if you'd like. Let me know and I can get it in the mail this week.

      Delete
  2. Oh this sounds so good. And I love the description of maturity. Very interesting. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really was quite good! And I like that description, too.

      Have a great week!

      Delete
  3. I have not read any Douglas Kennedy, nor have I heard of this title. But I will be adding it to my "check it out" list. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you get a chance to give this author a try.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  4. I've read one of Kennedy's books but I can't remember the name of it. I do remember that I liked it, though, so this sounds good to me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm, I wonder which one you read. The reviews for Five Days are pretty mixed and I'm eager to try one that has a higher rating.

      Delete
  5. I have never read this author, but own a couple of his books, including this one -- must try it.

    Hope u r enjoying your summer Les -- so humid here lately UGH

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure which to try next, but I do know I'll read more by Kennedy.

      Yep, we're enjoying our summer. It's hot & humid here, too. I'm almost ready for Fall! ;)

      Delete
  6. I know I see a lot of his books when I'm in Germany. I'm assuming he's quite popular in the U.K. I have an ARC of this one so I'm looking forward to it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll bet you're right about him being popular in the UK. Hope you enjoy this book! And I hope you're having a good summer. TX sure is hot this time of year! UGH!

      Delete

I may not answer your comments in a timely fashion, but I always answer. Check back soon!