Alisia's Review: The Optimist's Daughter - Eudora Welty
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 by Nyssaneala
Title: The Optimist's Daughter
Author: Eudora Welty
Country: America (south)
Year: 1972
Rating: B+
Pages: 180 pgs
Prize: 1973 Pulitzer
The Optimist's Daughter is a character-driven rather than a plot-driven story. Therefore, a quick summary of the plot does not do it justice. The majority of what makes the novella a good read is hidden below the surface, as Welty explores issues including love, loss, memory and the passage of time. Although short, it is not an easy read, and is best read at leisure, absorbing the words rather than scanning them.
Read more here.
I agree that scanning this book deprives you of the greater good of the book. Her use of language made the book a real treasure for me. I have a friend who always focuses on character development, though, and she found this book frustrating for the same character-related reasons you mention.