MixedThe New York Times Book ReviewI have to admit, I read Paul Newman’s autobiography...with a sinking heart, partly because I had a feeling that what I was reading wasn’t the book Newman had in mind when, over a five-year period, he and his screenwriter friend Stewart Stern recorded many hours of conversations about Paul’s life. Nor, I feared, was it the book that David Rosenthal envisioned ... Newman’s insistence on fierce honesty does not always align with what appears to be the mission of his daughters, at least two of whom were involved in the publication of this book. On the one hand, the goal seems to be to dispel the fairy-tale version of their parents’ marriage favored by the press, but they seem equally determined not to sully the memory of the father they loved ... Even if some of the more salacious material in the Stern transcripts has been diluted, Newman’s voice comes through loud and clear, offering a first-person glimpse into the heart and mind of a man we imagined we knew. The book provides compelling evidence we didn’t.
Sue Miller
RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewIt’s a rich, complex book—but in the end it’s the story of a marriage, a remarkably good one considering how mismatched this fictional husband and wife appear to be ... what a village Miller offers us here! Her great gift is how clearly she sees these all-important people of hers, even in the smallest of moments ... Without exception Miller’s minor characters spring to life with Dickensian vividness...In this way the novel builds by accretion, each character existing to shed light on the others ... But as fully peopled as the novel is, it’s Annie and Graham’s marriage that centers things, a feat all the more remarkable given that Graham dies in the first act ... may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re looking for spare, show-don’t-tell narration, brisk pacing and snappy dialogue spoken by easily comprehended characters, look elsewhere. There’s a lot of very good TV that operates on these principles. Miller operates differently, and the result is an old-fashioned, slow burn of a novel that allows readers to dream deeply. But be forewarned: Miller’s generosity requires a corresponding generosity on the part of readers. Unlike her protagonist, Miller knows exactly who she is and what she wants to take pictures of. As a result those pictures are full of depth and contrast and lush detail. They need to be studied, not glanced at. They belong in an art gallery, not on Instagram.
Richard Russo
RaveThe San Francisco Book Review... a compelling tale of friendship, sacrifice, loss, and redemption ... The book is darkly humorous at times, particularly in its portrayal of the political and social attitudes of the late 60s and 70s, which contrast those in 2015 during the run up to the most recent presidential election. But it is the utter joy and heartbreak these three men share that make Chances Are . . . a near perfect book.
