Noah's Compass

Critics

• Noah's Compass, By Anne Tyler

  Old age is apparently more feared than terrorist attacks. But philosophical schoolteacher Liam Pennywell knows better than to submit to over-reactions something that is natural and inevitable. So when he is made to retire, he decides to downsize and ... (read full critics)

  independent published on Sun, 19 Dec 2010

• Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler

  It's always a red letter day to sit down to an unread Anne Tyler. This is her eighteenth published novel. For any readers not already fans of her books, this American writer observes the ordinary in order to excel at 'making the familiar, strange'. L ... (read full critics)

  thebookbag published on Wed, 29 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  Ann Tyler is one of my favorite authors because she is so skilled at expressing the emotions of her characters in a way that the reader can relate too. Noah's Compass took on the life of a man in his 60's, which is a bit of a departure and one I didn't think I would get into as well as her other bo ... (continue)

  Ann Tyler is one of my favorite authors because she is so skilled at expressing the emotions of her characters in a way that the reader can relate too. Noah's Compass took on the life of a man in his 60's, which is a bit of a departure and one I didn't think I would get into as well as her other books. I was wrong, Tyler was again able to bring the character of a lonely and clueless older man to life in my imagination. My only complaint is that I just don't know if I liked being in his head very much. I like her more outgoing characters better. Still, for readers who enjoy character driven books in a laid back literary style, I would recommend giving it a try.

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  Icedream said on Mar 2, 2010 | Add your feedback

• 

  This is the second book I have read by this author. I have seen the film version of The Accidental Tourist but not read the story. This book is in a similar vain to The Accidental Tourist.

  The book is well written and the narrative flows well but I found the storyline itself a bit weak. The char ... (continue)

  This is the second book I have read by this author. I have seen the film version of The Accidental Tourist but not read the story. This book is in a similar vain to The Accidental Tourist.

  The book is well written and the narrative flows well but I found the storyline itself a bit weak. The characters are not particularly strong, apart from Barbara the bossy ex-wife. Liam goes on a personal journey of learning and love. He is not very good at relationships as he maintains a certain distance with people, but he is basically a good person. He lets life move on and take him with it, lacking self motivation. However, he comes out the other end understanding people's feelings and learning about his family.

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  Booketta said on Apr 14, 2011 | Add your feedback

Book Details

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• English Books
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• ISBN-10: 0739328646
• ISBN-13: 9780739328644
• Publisher: Random House Large Print Publishing
• Also available as: Paperback
• In other languages: other languages Libros en Español, Libri Italiani, Suomenkielisiä kirjoja

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