I think these are all strong picks, but I'd have to add The Beautiful Mystery (of course the problem is I'm not sure what i'd take out.) Penny is just doing so much in The Beautiful Mystery — exploring faith, brotherhood, betrayal, found families — while making it look easy.
great summaries of the books, but I can't choose 5 favorites. They all call on different emotions and as a reader it is like taking a journey with friends each time I reread the series.
I love your picks, but I think I have missed a few along the way and need to do some back reading. Perhaps I love Still Life best because it introduces us to this remarkable character and the others in this beautiful world of Three Pines. Tied for second would be Bury Your Dead for the agonizing soul-searching and historical digging about Quebec that Gamache does, and All the Devils Are Here because we learn so much about Gamache’s background and his difficult relationship with his son. Thanks for your thorough discussion. Makes me want to reread every one!
I’d agree with your selections, and while I’ve read these in order - sooooo important to follow the growth of characters - these are not in my order of favorites. All the Devils Are Here is my fave, and if I was allowed a sixth, The Beautiful Mysteries is also high on the list. Great works, all
The Beautiful Mystery was my first read. It remains the one that stands alone, as a unique introduction. I have read 8 or 9 of them now--just finished A Great Reckoning and found it to be a page-turner. The first page was a writer's tutorial. It succeeded in portraying Ruth as having profound intellect. The book's intricately woven message drove home the horror that the world has inflicted on its young people. . . finding them expendable if a war needs to be fought. Somehow expecting the remaining family to find a way to accept their loss. Gut-wrenching tale.
This article is great, however a little bit of editing and spell-check would make it excellent.
This description of Three Pines in the summary for Still Life is inaccurate, when it says “in the mountains outside of Quebéc“. It is not close to Québec City, but Montréal. Perhaps something like: “the mysterious village of Three Pines, in the Eastern Townships” would be more informative.
Plus the accent in Québec is on the wrong “e” throughout the entire article.
I think these are all strong picks, but I'd have to add The Beautiful Mystery (of course the problem is I'm not sure what i'd take out.) Penny is just doing so much in The Beautiful Mystery — exploring faith, brotherhood, betrayal, found families — while making it look easy.
great summaries of the books, but I can't choose 5 favorites. They all call on different emotions and as a reader it is like taking a journey with friends each time I reread the series.
As a newcomer, I so appreciated these summaries -- they whetted my appetite without ruining it.
I love your picks, but I think I have missed a few along the way and need to do some back reading. Perhaps I love Still Life best because it introduces us to this remarkable character and the others in this beautiful world of Three Pines. Tied for second would be Bury Your Dead for the agonizing soul-searching and historical digging about Quebec that Gamache does, and All the Devils Are Here because we learn so much about Gamache’s background and his difficult relationship with his son. Thanks for your thorough discussion. Makes me want to reread every one!
I’d agree with your selections, and while I’ve read these in order - sooooo important to follow the growth of characters - these are not in my order of favorites. All the Devils Are Here is my fave, and if I was allowed a sixth, The Beautiful Mysteries is also high on the list. Great works, all
I think this is the right top five for Gamache. It shows a mix of his goodness and his weaknesses so that he is a complete person.
The Beautiful Mystery was my first read. It remains the one that stands alone, as a unique introduction. I have read 8 or 9 of them now--just finished A Great Reckoning and found it to be a page-turner. The first page was a writer's tutorial. It succeeded in portraying Ruth as having profound intellect. The book's intricately woven message drove home the horror that the world has inflicted on its young people. . . finding them expendable if a war needs to be fought. Somehow expecting the remaining family to find a way to accept their loss. Gut-wrenching tale.
This article is great, however a little bit of editing and spell-check would make it excellent.
This description of Three Pines in the summary for Still Life is inaccurate, when it says “in the mountains outside of Quebéc“. It is not close to Québec City, but Montréal. Perhaps something like: “the mysterious village of Three Pines, in the Eastern Townships” would be more informative.
Plus the accent in Québec is on the wrong “e” throughout the entire article.