SO LONG, SEE YOU TOMORROW by William Maxwell

I requested So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell from the library after seeing it mentioned in an online discussion between two authors I admired, Kate DiCamillo and Rebecca Stead at Number Five Bus.

At 135 pages, it was deceptively slim. I thought to read it in a few hours. Instead, I labored over it for days. I struggled to connect and “get” this book. I had to read, then re-read passages. I couldn’t keep the three families in it straight. More than once I’d see a character named, and in frustration, I’d say aloud “Who?” or, “Who the hell is ____?”

This is the longest 135 page novel I have ever read.

So why did writers I admire themselves admire it?

3 Responses to “SO LONG, SEE YOU TOMORROW by William Maxwell”

  1. carolyn Says:

    I only have two friends who’ve rated it on goodreads. You…and one other who rated it five stars. Heh.

  2. carolyn Says:

    ps that was a cool conversation, thx for the link

  3. girldetective Says:

    This post was a draft when I dusted off the blog link, so it’s been several months. I do wonder if it’s an amazing book that I was just not sharp enough to “get” at the time I was reading it, but the experience was so unpleasant despite how short the book was, I’m loathe to try again.