This valedictory novel is on the same elevated plane as plainsong and eventide. It is a beautiful, simple and direct story that should be on everyones summer reading list. The idea for the book has been floating around in my mind for quite a while. A guide to words, ideas and phrases in night developed in collaboration with the united states holocaust memorial museum and hill and wang, the publisher of night. Our souls at night is kent harufs final novel, as he passed away in 2014 at the age of 71. I dont want to say too much, but i found this upclose look at an unlikely relationship. An interview with cathy haruf on the publication of her late husband kent harufs novel our souls at night. Addie drove her car into the alley behind her neighbor ruths house, got out and went up to the back door. Our souls at night is a best book club book for discussion set in holt, colorado, a beautiful story of second chances between two people who have lost their.
We started a book club at first draft book bar the coffee, beer, and wine bar inside changing hands phoenix. In his final novel, haruf once again casts an aura of spiritual resonance over the small town of holt, colorado. Fonda and redford will star as addie moore and louis waters, a widow and widower whove lived next to each other for years. Its an exquisite book made all the more poignant by. Kent haruf wrote our souls at night under a death sentence. A spare yet eloquent, bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future. Sunny spoiler i just saw the movie with robert redford and jane fonda on netflix and loved it. Our souls at night, his final novel, opens with an evening visit that addie moore pays to her longtime neighbor, louis waters. Our souls at night is one of the most moving books ive read in ages.
When read as a final tribute to a lifelong love, this book becomes a thing of. Brown bag book club discussing our souls at night by kent. Our souls at night by kent haruf mount prospect public library book discussion questions. Even now, thinking of endings, of the ending of this book, the kent haruf wrote our souls at night under a. Our souls at night is a best book club book for discussion set in holt, colorado, a beautiful story of second chances between two people who have lost their spouses. Kent harufs final novel, the national bestseller our souls at night, is a quiet tale of love and second chances.
Our souls at night, by kent haruf the new york times. The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of our souls at night, the final novel from. Our souls at night was inspired, in part, by harufs own marriage and the intimate, latenight conversations he and his wife relished, just like addie and louis. Book club meetings are held on the 2nd friday of each month. Both are widowed addie is 70, louis about the same and. But from beyond the grave he died last november haruf reaches out with our souls at night. The book is split into three sections, including a first one which alternates chapters between the time of ellies disappearance and the present and a second section that begins as laurel and floyd meet. How this relationship develops, the impact it has on their families and.
Kent haruf died at the end of last year, leaving behind one final tale. On multiple occasions at harufs home in salida, they discussed reading, writing, and the meaning of life, some of which outcalt writes about in the precious ordinary in our june issue. Knitting book club our souls at night third place books. Our souls at night book pima county public library. February 14th discussion is on our souls at night by kent haruf. It is precisely the absence of drama that makes the book such a deep reflection of the ordinary lives that are lived all around us.
But i found little of that now wait who said what that i have found in other books. I felt the ending was left unfinished and i wanted more. Our souls at night is as much a book about love late in life as it is about the connection between two people no matter their age. Attendance at the meeting was way down, only four gals attended, but we had a spirited discussion over this short, gem of a book. Our souls at night book club discussion yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. This book really swept me up and moved me, and id like to page through it for a while longer before i return it to the library. Feb 18 2020 tue finksburg large meeting room tuesday, february 18th, 2020. Our souls at night is a 2017 american romantic drama film directed by ritesh batra and written by scott neustadter and michael h. And just like addie and louis, haruf proved that youre never too old to reinvent yourself, take risks, find love, and write a great novel. It is about intimacy the nonsexual variety that makes harufs novel so compelling, and about how two people can find a sense of. As with his earlier novels, our souls at night is set on the plains of eastern colorado, in the town of holt. I read our souls at night in one sitting and wept in the final pages.
In holt, colorado, widower louis waters is initially thrown when the widowed addie moore suggests that they spend time together, in bed, to stave off. Our souls at night kent haruf, 2015 knopf doubleday 192 pp. The old lady was waiting, sitting in a chair on the porch. Henry le nav indeed no quotation marks, and that drives me crazy too. A with cathy haruf, kent harufs wife, we ask her to talk. I suspect that the book will live on as many readers will identify with the issues presented. Our souls at night is just as beautiful as harufs earlier books, albeit somewhat shorter and focused only on addie and louis vs. As a recently popular book club novel, our souls at night has received a lot of interest of late not least because of the film tiein version.
The pair have almost no relationship, but that all changes when addie tries to make a connection with her neighbor. Louis waters and addie moore are the focus of this bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the future. Our souls at night, by kent haruf my extensive reading. His ode to love late in life, in this case the stirring romance between a widow and a widower, compellingly captures the halting rhythms and kaleidoscopic moods of old age. Teachers guide guide your students through this books narrative and historical impact while giving them the tools to begin asking the important questions themselves. The quality of this book was of such that i could forgive the lack of quotation marks. It is a touching and thoughtprovoking tale of love found in the later stages of life. Our souls at night is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable writing career.
In the familiar setting of holt, colorado, home to all of kent. Our souls at night brings veterans robert redford and jane fonda together for a heartfelt movie, set in a small town in colorado. The movie is directed by ritesh batra and based on the novel with the same name by kent haruf. In his final work, the plainsong novelist, who died last year, returns to colorado one last time.
It will not take you long to read, but it will live with you forever. Join us to knot or crochet while we discuss a our souls at night, which tells the story of a widow, addie moore who makes an unusual proposition to her neighbor louis waters. I cant really explain how such a short, simple book achieved such profound. For the cover of our november 2017 issue, we asked jane fonda, twotime oscar winner, mother, political activist, fitness queen, book author, and wife to three dramatically different menwhat. Now that i know i have, you knowa limited timeit was. Kent harufs novel, our souls at night, tells the tale of the unlikely love found when addie moore proposes that her neighbor, louis waters, sleeps in the same bed as her because the nights are lonely. Rainy day books book club discussion of our souls at night. The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of our souls at night, the final novel from acclaimed author kent haruf questions and topics for discussion. Our souls at night is the final book from the folio prize shortlisted author of plainsong, eventide and benediction, kent haruf. Our souls at night has less grit than eventide, with its dickensian views of the lives of the poor, or plainsong, where favorite characters draw relentless spite. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation.
Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers. Their arrangement immediately comes under fire from the other elderly folks. It was discussed last year by the 21st century literature group before it was. Yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. Mary mcbride, bookseller, will discuss our souls at night in detail with the attendees about the book. Rainy day books will present an instore book club discussion of our souls at night by kent haruf. Harufs sixth and final novel, our souls at night, was. Based on the bestselling novel written by kent haruf and adapted for the screen by scott neustadter and michael h. Jane fonda interview on her new movie, our souls at night. I cant believe i didnt read this book years ago, because now that ive read it, it reminds me so much of my alltime faves wallace stegner, wendell berry, and marilynne robinson. The first draft book club will discuss kent harufs devastating final book, our souls at night, on wednesday, july 22. I enjoyed this book very much, however i must ask, did mr.
1007 1443 1213 1405 177 1162 228 826 132 611 929 1495 510 788 1030 871 663 1392 764 115 1000 979 475 1447 454 915 173 688 1130 1295 1467 92 403 1483 769 1304