A room full of broken hearts (2021) it is one of the last novels published by Anne Tyler, an accomplished writer who is acclaimed by her audience and critics. Its original title is Redhead by the Side of the Road.
Publisher Lumen is responsible for the Spanish edition of this calm novel full of simple scenes and unforgettable characters. And it is that these are, without a doubt, the premises of A room full of broken hearts, which are very much in line with what Tyler follows in his literature.
A room full of broken hearts
The character of the novel
It is a difficult novel to classify because of the simplicity of its character. People describe her as friendly and very normal. This is precisely what makes it so valued. A room full of broken hearts it is a story of love and life in a contemporary world easily identifiable by the naturalness of its situations and descriptions. Everything flows in this story: its dialogues and characters, conflicts and interpersonal relationships.. Anyone who has read Anne Tyler before will not be disappointed. Whoever discovers it for the first time may find a little gem.
The story and its protagonist
Micah Mortimer is a nondescript and methodical man who will see how his life takes a turn too big for what one might expect.. Having always lived with an iron routine, she never contemplated that a young man could arrive and knock on his door, presenting himself as his son. In addition, he is in a relationship with a woman who is not having the best of his time and Micah is not able to express himself freely and courageously, not even with those closest to him.
This cute character is dazed and can barely bond with others. But the empathy that the reader can feel for Micah is the result of shrewd work from the author, who is capable of connecting with the most isolated and dying hearts.
Digging deeper into the text...
A room full of broken hearts shows the need to adapt to changes. It is necessary not only to subdue the personality, or the customs, but the reiterated and burned habits that create us as human beings. It is about the obligation to unlearn the path, because if not, what would happen if the security of the known disappears? Anne Tyler he conceives a very mundane story with which he teaches to have compassion for oneself and to deal with loneliness. It is a moving story, in large part, thanks to its characters.
What it is about is taking into account that not everything is under our control and that we must be prepared, even if we must act with indulgence. AND then maybe we discover that things being different are not so bad, rather something valuable is discovered with which to learn or improve. In this way, the writer sprinkles the situations of the book with serenity and sweetness. Definitely, Anne Tyler knows how to portray people and lives through words and ink like no other, with all the necessary emotions, without anything left over in a daily life as ordinary as it is imperfect.
what readers are saying
A story that excites and entertains from the mistakes created in privacy. Their sense of humor and capacity for observation stand out in the most domestic and everyday scenes. Thanks to this, Tyler manages to connect readers with the situations that are experienced in the book.
Likewise, it helps those who approach the novel to reflect on life, on us and what we really want. Is interesting because it does not contain a terrific message or a perfect solutionOn the contrary, it raises issues such as loneliness and conformism, how clear or empty our existence and concerns are.
It all makes sense if we understand that the novel was published during the hardest part of 2020 and this is what some readers are saying. Nevertheless, there are also criticisms from people who only find in this story a slightly lackluster text due to the lack of sparkle. Perhaps the same one that its protagonist, Micah, lacks. Do you dare to read it? Perhaps different emotions are awakened in you.
About the author
Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis (United States) in 1941. in a Quaker family. She is a truly valued novelist for her work. Most of the critics praise his sense of literature and his ability to create common scenes. featuring ordinary characters. It's funny how Tyler manages to create compelling and exciting stories from the seemingly insignificant.
was winner of Pulitzer in 1989 thanks to Breathing exercises, the National Book Critics Circle or of PEN/Faulkner. The author has a large compilation of narrative works, such as Meetings at the Nostalgia restaurant, The accidental tourist, amateur marriage: the blue thread.
He trained at Columbia University. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Regarding his personal life, he married and had two daughters. He currently lives in Baltimore, a city that inspires him to frame his novels.. Tyler is very jealous of her privacy.