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“Beautiful . . . funny, heart-hammering, wise . . . superb entertainment.”
–The New York Times
“A book that should join those few that every literate person will have to read.”
–The Boston Globe
Pearl Tull is nearing the end of her life but not of her memory. It was a Sunday night in 1944 when her husband left the little row house on Baltimore’s Calvert Street, abandoning Pearl to raise their three children alone: Jenny, high-spirited and determined, nurturing to strangers but distant to those she loves; the older son, Cody, a wild and incorrigible youth possessed by the lure of power and money; and sweet, clumsy Ezra, Pearl’s favorite, who never stops yearning for the perfect family that could never be his own.
Now Pearl and her three grown children have gathered together again–with anger, hope, and a beautiful, harsh, and dazzling story to tell.
“A novelist who knows what a proper story is . . . [Tyler is] not only a good and artful writer, but a wise one as well.”
–Newsweek
“Anne Tyler is surely one of the most satisfying novelists working in America today.”
–Chicago Tribune
“In her ninth novel she has arrived at a new level of power.”
–John Updike, The New Yorker
“Marvelous, astringent, hilarious, [and] strewn with the banana peels of love.”
–Cosmopolitan
Tyler's work is characterized by a meticulous attention to detail, a genuine love of her characters, and a quirky sense of humor. Her public persona is characterized by its own quirks, as well. She refuses to grant face-to-face interviews. She has never publicly read from any of her books. She does not do book signings or tours. All of this has lent a certain mystique to her novels, although Tyler has said that her reluctance to become a public figure status is actually the result of simple shyness, not to mention her desire for her writing to speak for itself. Fortunately, Anne Tyler's work speaks with a clear, fully-realized voice that does not require unnecessary elucidation by the writer.
Tyler published her first novel If Morning Ever Comes in 1964, and that singular voice was already in place. This astute debut that tracks the self-realization of a young man named Ben Joe Hawkins displayed Tyler's characteristic wit and gentle eccentricity right off the bat. Harper's declared the novel "a triumph," and Tyler was on her way to creating an impressive catalog of novels chronicling the every day hopes, fears, dreams, failures, and victories of small-town Americans. Having come of age, herself, in rural North Carolina, Tyler had particular insight into the lives of her characters. Each novel was a little shimmering gem, winning her a devoted following and public accolades that more than compensated for her refusal to appear in public. Her novel Earthly Possessions, the story of a housewife who is taken hostage by a young man during a bank robbery, was released the same year she won an award for "literary excellence and promise of important work to come" from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The book also went on to become a television movie starring Susan Sarandon and Stephen Dorff in 1999.
However, the most well-known adaptation of one of Tyler's novels arrived more than a decade earlier when The Accidental Tourist was made into an Academy Award winning film starring Geena Davis and William Hurt. Consequently, The Accidental Tourist is viewed by some as Tyler's signature novel, covering many of the writer's favorite themes: the push and pull of marriage, the appearance of a romantic eccentric, personal tragedy, and the quest to escape from the drudgery of routine. The Accidental Tourist won the National Book Critics Circle Award and hit number one on The New York Times Bestseller list.
Three years later, Tyler received the Pulitzer Prize for Breathing Lessons, which further explored themes of marriage and self-examination. Despite having won the prestigious Pulitzer, Tyler still refused to allow herself to be drawn into the spotlight. Quietly, contemplatively, she chose to continue publishing a sequence of uniformly fine novels, including Saint Maybe, Ladder of Years, and The Amateur Marriage.
Anne Tyler's novel Digging to America reexamines many of her chief obsessions, while also possibly drawing upon a personal triumph -- her marriage to Iranian psychiatrist and novelist Taghi Mohammad Modarressi -- and the tragedy of his death in 1997. Digging to America follows the relationship between two families, the Iranian Yazdans and the all-American Donaldsons, as they become closer and closer and affect each other deeper and deeper over a succession of years. Digging to America is arguably Tyler's deepest and most profound work to date. It also delivers more of her peculiar brand of humor, which will surely please her longtime fans, thrilled that she continues spinning tales with the trademark attention to character that has distinguished her stories ever since she was a little girl, whispering to herself in the dark. Tyler may have decided to remain in the dark and out of the public eye, but the stories she has to tell have shed more than their share of light on the lives of her readers.
1. Beck Tull’s leaving was extremely harmful to Pearl and her children, but was it really the root of all of the family’s problems? What problems would have been the same if he had stayed? What would have been different?
2. How does the time period in which the novel takes place influence the actions of the characters? For instance, if Pearl and Beck had separated during a time when divorce was more common and seemed like a more viable option, would things have turned out differently? Do you think Pearl would have remarried? If so, how would that have affected the children?
3. In the inscription on Pearl’s engagement ring, Beck calls her a “Pearl among Women.” In what ways is this description apt? In some ways, Pearl seems rather oyster-like, with her three children acting as the precious pearl she must protect. Does she succeed in protecting them, or does she fail? How?
4. How would you characterize Ezra’s role in the Tull family history? Would the family have been able to survive without him? Does his family’s need for his peacemaking skills ultimately hold him back? Does Pearl?
5. Despite his ultra-competitive nature and his tendency to be mean to his brother, Cody can be a remarkably sympathetic character at times. What circumstances excuse, or at least explain, his behavior towards Ezra?
6. Why does Cody steal Ezra’s fiancée? How would the lives of both brothers have been different if Cody had not married Ruth? In what ways would each of them have been better off? In what ways would each have been worse off? What, for instance, do you think would have happened to the Homesick Restaurant if Ezra had married?
7. Throughout her mothering career, Jenny graduates from violence to humor in her method of parenting. In the beginning, we see glimpses of her beating Becky in the same way Pearl used to beat Jenny when she was a girl; later, we see Slevin accusing Jenny of “always laughing and having fun.” Does she decide that there’s no point in taking life so seriously anymore? How is her rather dramatic transition positive? How is it negative? If Pearl had had the opportunity to “shop around” for husbands, as Jenny did, do you think she too would have made a similar transition? Why or why not?
8. The Tulls’ attitudes toward food seem to say a great deal about their respective characters: Cody manipulates his appetite in order to get what he wants (i.e., Ruth), Jenny becomes a borderline anorexic, and Ezra’s primary way of relating to others is by feeding them. What do you think a person’s attitude toward food says about his or her character? Which member of the family do you think has the healthiest relationship with food? Why?
9. In what ways do all three of the Tull children become excellent providers? What does this common trait say about the Tulls, and about Pearl in particular?
10. Throughout the novel, Anne Tyler writes from several different characters’ points of view. Do you think she is more sympathetic to certain characters than others in exploring their perspectives, or do you think her portrayal of each is fair? How well do the characters really understand what is going on outside the confines of their own minds? Are their self-concepts consistent with how the rest of the world perceives them? Why or why not? Which character do you think is the most self-aware?
11. Why did Anne Tyler name the novel after Ezra’s restaurant?
12. One of the great tragedies of Ezra’s life is his failure to get his family to actually finish a meal at his restaurant. What is it that makes the completion of a family dinner at the Homesick Restaurant so important to Ezra?
13. Upon his reappearance, Beck offers very little in the way of explanation or justification for abandoning his family. Do you think he fully understands the impact his leaving has had on the entire family? Beck concludes that everything is fine largely because of appearances–the size of the “assemblage” of family members at Pearl’s funeral–but clearly, appearances can be deceiving. Is he right in thinking that his children have turned out alright, despite his deserting them?
14. Why does Anne Tyler set the story in Baltimore? Would the Tulls’ story have played out differently in another town or city? For instance, how would the family have fared in a small town, with a stronger sense of community? Would this have changed Pearl’s mistrust of outsiders, or merely made her guard her privacy and her home even more fiercely?
15. Whose fault was the archery accident, really? Each of the two brothers blames himself, Pearl blames Beck, and Jenny appears to have no opinion on the subject. Can blame be assigned at all? Why is it so important to Ezra that he assume the blame for the accident, that he does not get off the hook? What is the significance of the incident?
16. How would you describe the ending of Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant? Was Pearl’s life a success? Was she a successful mother? How are the Tull children doing at the end of the book? Do you think they will continue to change, or have they all hit plateaus in their personal and emotional development? How do you see them five, ten, and fifteen years after the book ends?
Anonymous
Posted August 20, 2007
As soon as I started reading the book the character that stood out the most to me was Pearl, the mother of the three children. Throughout her life she went through many difficulties, including her husband leaving her, being short on money, and having to raise three kids by herself. Throughout these experiences she stays strong and is never afraid to speak her mind. Another thing that I enjoyed in this particular book was the way it was written. The way it was narrated along with how the chapters were set up was nice to hear about one characters view points to a situation, then the other characters express their own point of views on the same situation. By having the chapters set up this way I feel that it grasps the reader¿s attention by giving more descriptive details. Along with keeping those speculating on what the other characters view point will be. The experience I had with this book was it really grabbed my attention and I never had to force myself to read it, it was actually a book that I enjoyed reading.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.tchrreader
Posted May 30, 2010
This is a book that is good to read and a quick, fun, fast read too. You will enjoy finding out what happens to the characters in this story! This is the story of Pearl as she looks back on her life. Her husband left her to raise their three children who are all very different. The children are Cody, Jenny and Ezra and is all about their grown lives. Cody is very mean. This book is a bit depressing. You will like the characters. This is an easy book to read, you won't want to put it down.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RyCarMad
Posted August 23, 2012
Good book but quite depressing. It is hard to imagine the life the kids
must have had. It made me reevaluate my life and try and do better by
my kids. All in all, a good read but be prepared to examine your life
and hope to God you raise your kids with love no matter what crap life
throws you.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 19, 2008
Ok. Times were tough - her husband left her with 3 kids. Sometimes the mom was joyful and tender, other times, she went into a fitful rage and was very mean. The kids, typical: sometimes good, sometimes not good, and they did the best they could do in the conditions in which they lived and were being raised. Then, they became adults, they made their own lives, and no matter what they did as adults, you somehow relate it to what happened to them as kids. If you want to read about depression, frustration, rigidness, and read it over and over again, then this is the book for you.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 20, 2012
I enjoy Anne Tyler's writings. This one shows a lot of insight (as do all her books) into the personalities of the characters and why they are the way they are. Some of it is sad, but its real life.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 20, 2012
Insightful portrayal of complex family relationships
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 5, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Anne Tyler brings her characters to life in this story. it's a blend of many emotions. She puts the "fun" in dysfunction. I highly recommend this book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The feelings that exist between two brothers can be a lifetime bond of closeness and companionship. But the "heartsick" feeling of wishing for such a brotherly relationship become the earnest theme of this very engrossing book. My book club, the Gourmet Readers, chose it to read as we thought the title fit with our name. Sitting down to a cozy lunch to discuss this book, we all agreed that it was indigestable. The author has created a family that should have never been; and gave us the reasons why, when, and how miserably it did exist. The jealousy of the older brother never cools; but still the younger brother tries to fit all the odd family members together for a real family meal. Dispite the angst, all of the Gourmet Readers were compelled to read each word as Anne Tyler drew us compelety into their complex lives. Read it, you won't forget it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 9, 2009
I Also Recommend:
With its interesting structure, focusing on one member of a family in each chapter, this book uncovers motivation and responses below the surface of events. This way, Anne Tyler thoroughly involves the reader in each life as she creates its interaction with others. A sense of sad inevitability along with compassion occurs in the reader as her lucid language moves easily in this family saga.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 20, 2007
Anne Tyler¿s objective, when writing not only Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant but in all writing, is to make the reader feel ¿that they are living the lives [she¿s] describing¿. Tyler opens us with Pearl Tull, an 81-year-old woman as she lies on her deathbed recalling and questioning family¿s past. As we are pulled into the past we experience this dysfunctional family through the perspectives of different characters, Pearl¿s children and herself. Often the same stories are told however from altering view points this is an interesting, but effective, way of letting the reader come to understand the nature of each character. Tyler shows us both sides of 20the story, lets us experience the physical and verbal abuse through child¿s eyes, lets us feel what is being conveyed and from this writing method an insight into the nature of humans is uncovered. When reading the altering viewpoints we come to understand the characters better than they do themselves. This story has been receiving awards from it first day '1982' and is still being commended for its insight and making the reader feel the ¿lives [she¿s] describing¿. I plan on rereading and seeing others read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant for years to come.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 21, 2002
I read "Dinner" eleven years ago. It was the first Anne Tyler book I'd read. Since then I have read, and re-read, all of her books. With only one exception ("A Slipping Down Life"), Tyler achieves the miraculous: Making us deeply care about people as mundane and messed up as everyone around us, including ourselves. I recently re-read "Dinner" and was powerfully moved by the complexity in the apparently simple story of family members who have decided to survive and love each other despite their failings. The first time I read the novel I was drawn to Ezra; I saw him as a sort of saint in the midst of the turbulence. This time, however, while still feeling an affection for Ezra, I saw his imperfections, something I chose not to see the first time through. This time I came away with an understanding of Cody, a character I had mislabeled in my mind as a "bad one." I always hesitate to call Tyler's families "dysfunctional," a word too often used to describe her families. Her families are not dysfunctional, they are real. While the characters may be quirky (another word used too often to describe Tyler's characters), the interactions are dead on-target. Reading her work the audience is exposed to truth about the human condition and human families. I often say that, aside from the scriptures, Tyler is the writer who has taught me the most meaningful lessons in life. I don't say that lightly or disrespectfully. And, of all her works, "Dinner" is arguably the most meaningful, the most insightful, and the most valuable of her profound body of work.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mamablue
Posted April 27, 2012
Anne Tyler is an excellent writer, and I have previously enjoyed her books. While the plots are not always rosy, her characters experience trials and transitions with a sense of resolution and hope for the future. Not so with this book. I've never met such a group of whiney, miserable people who refused to learn from their mistakes. I had hoped for a sense of resolve at the end, but I was left empty and disappointed.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 28, 2011
I highly recommend it, but you will need a dictionary for Tyler's beauutil prose.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 23, 2011
Super it kept my interest
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 18, 2011
Somewhat sad story but told in a way that keeps you interested.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 19, 2007
Anne Tyler¿s novel Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is comprised of authentic family ups and downs relevant in any time or place. Each fully developed character is dynamic and is not all good or bad no cliché characters here (some remind me of my family members or even surprisingly of myself). For instance it is easy to identify with the struggling single mother who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. The novel is out of the ordinary because each event is seen repetitively and through different character¿s eyes. The novel questions the elapse of time, parenting, rejection¿s effects, and the true meaning of family. It tells the truth that although one may despise his parents for how he was brought up, ironically that individual reflects the same parenting skills when he has children of his own Tyler¿s underlying humor and natural style make the novel compelling when the plot is drab. Family never goes out of style this book can teach the fundamental lessons of a ¿dysfunctional family¿ for years past and years to come. The novel examines the difference between what is perceived and what happens behind closed doors, which might make you think twice about the lives of those alleged ¿perfect families¿. The novel reveals that no such thing exists and that we should embrace what family we have been given whether good, bad, or indifferent. Tyler discloses that a family can make it without a male figure in the household love and trials are the glue that keeps the family together, not a man, despite social convictions. It was no page-turner, but it left a meaningful impression afterwards on the way I view my own personal family and was a relevant read since it hits so close to home.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 20, 2007
Anne Tyler¿s novel Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant not only delves into, but truly explores, the somewhat controversial topic of dysfunctional families and the complicated dynamics with which they become intertwined. Although the book takes place in the mid 1900¿s, it is still relative to today¿s world, perhaps even more so now, thus ensuring that it will remain pertinent to young and seasoned readers alike. Not only are the familial aspects relevant to today¿s literature lovers, but the characters themselves are relatable as well. Every reader is certain to identify with one of the many rambunctious and memorable characters: Jenny, the last-born who constantly feels scrutinized and a desire to live up to the expectations her other siblings did not fulfill-Ezra, the spoiled and favored middle child who is left with the duty of being the parental caretaker-Cody who portrays the oldest child, forced to play the role of ¿man of the house¿ and care for his younger siblings when his mother was inadequate-or Pearl, the stressed mother simply trying to survive and provide for her children to the best of her abilities. With the basic family roles covered, Tyler ensures that most any reader will be able to connect, at least somewhat, with one of the characters and perhaps gain some insight into the viewpoints of other family members. Through these characters, Tyler lends much insight into the topic of ineffective, conflicting families, and how this can affect the courses life may take. Although this novel did not have a picture-perfect, happily-ever-after resolution, it did leave the reader with a realistic perspective of life and the many struggles one may endure. Perhaps through this truthful outlook on familial life, Tyler will leave readers with ideas on how to better understand family members, and a hope of a promising future.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 20, 2007
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler will not be read for much longer in the future. It contains questions about man's purpose and identity but does not unsettle the reader as most prasised books do. On the same level, the three children can only partially be identified with. The theme of broken families applies to many people however the characteristics of Cody, Ezra, and Jenny do not. The main message is saved till the end where it hits the reader after earlier subtle implications. As Cody watches his broken family walk toward him the idea is presented of it still being perfect. Without much insight, the story is still realistic and transcends the time period in which it takes place. There will always be what society calls untraditional families that may be missing a member, hate one another, or can never finish a dinner at a restaurant. This relatable idea is somewhat lost in the second half of the book, though, as the reader loses track of the characters when many years go by unaccounted for. The audience is trying to catch up on what happened in the gap while the main idea is being further revealed. After all this I applaud the book and recommend it to those who have the time and patience to read it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 16, 2006
The book I read was called Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, by: Anne Tyler. This book was about a women named pearl, she got married to a man named beck and they got married. Beck had a job that mad them move around a lot but pearl didn¿t mind. After a while that had 3 kids. The oldest was Cody he was wild and funny and obsessed with money. Then there was Ezra, he was a trouble maker and very clumsy but he was her favorite. Last but not least there was jenny, she was high spirited and very determined. Pearl thought everything was going well but one day beck came to her and told her he was leaving, she thought it was for business and she immediately started asking when and for how long, he interrupted her to say he mean he was leaving her. He started packing as she asked him what was wrong? And when he would want to see the children he said he wouldn¿t. he finished packing and said goodbye and then told her he would send her $50 a month, and it was over. The kids never asked and nor did she, they when about as if he was never in their lives. As they grew they came over some obstacles, if you want to know more about this book then you can read it. I really didn¿t like this book. There really wasn¿t anything very interesting ever going on it was so boring and dull I wanted to stop reading it numerous amounts of times but I decided to suck it up and finish it. I wasn¿t really able to feel like I was in the book because it was so dull and I really couldn¿t relate to a lot of the characters. The characters seemed realistic, they liked switched personalities though like for example, you would think pearl would like cook and plant flower and clean the house or something but she did all the hard work like fixing toilets and sinks that was kind of interesting I thought. I cant really say if the ending was good because I stopped reading the book I didn¿t like it! The author used dialog and like a narrative voice it was like she would explain most of what happen, maybe that made it a little more boring than it was. The author used a some vocabulary that I didn¿t really understand but that¿s because the setting in this book took place in franc so they called things different than what I am used to but I learned a few new words. The author didn¿t give a lot of tone to each person she just had them say it then said they stomped away or something like that. I think the author shouldn¿t have done as much narratation as she did I mean a little is okay but it was to much and it made the book almost dreadful to read. I would rate this book about a 3 out of 10. I didn¿t really enjoy it and it didn¿t seem to me that it had a point. If I were to recommend this book to anyone it would be someone older and wiser maybe they¿ll like it but I don¿t know all I know is that I didn¿t! I think this book was meant for older people not for kids in middle school. This book is defiantly at the bottom of my favorite books. I really didn¿t enjoy a lot of the book.
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Posted December 6, 2005
Anne Tyler's, 'Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant,' is a plausible look into the life of a single mother. I had a love hate relationship with this novel, as the characters are extremely well developed, although at times the plot had me bored. Tyler has an extrodinary gift for exposing her characters personas. I was continually surprised, as to how she intertwines the characters lives around one central theme. Although, the plot is hard to get into at the beginning. Her languid style of writing progressively grows on you, as the book goes on.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
“Beautiful . . . funny, heart-hammering, wise . . . superb entertainment.”
–The New York Times
“A book that should join those few that every literate person will have to read.”
–The Boston Globe
Pearl Tull is nearing the end of her life but not of her memory. It was a Sunday night in 1944 when her husband left the little row house on Baltimore’s Calvert Street, abandoning Pearl to raise their three children alone: Jenny, high-spirited and determined, nurturing to strangers but distant to those she loves; the ...