Picturing Will

By Ann Beattie

Book Overview

Picturing Will, the widely acclaimed new novel by Ann Beattie, unravels the complexities of a postmodern family. There's Will, a curious five-year-old who listens to the heartbeat of a plant through his toy stethoscope; Jody, his mother, a photographer poised on the threshold of celebrity; Mel, Jody's perfect -- perhaps too perfect -- lover; and Wayne, the father who left Will without warning and now sees his infrequent visits as a crimp in his bedhopping. Beattie shows us how these lives intersect, attract, and repel one another with dazzling shifts and moments of heartbreaking directness.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679731946
• ISBN13: 9780679731948
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Will's Life

This is a very well-written account of adult lives as perceived through their relationships with a young boy, Will. The mother and father divorce when Will is young and the first half of the book is devoted to Will's life with his mother. The second half of the book is about Will with his father. The very last part is a flashback - Will is an adult viewing his childhood. This book is very different from Ann Beattie's characteristic minimalist style writing, and much better!

Insightful observations

Picturing Will offers an perceptive insight into the minds of serveral interesting characters from several different perspectives. The pace is fast, the story interesting, the character development solid if somewhat fragmented. A wonderful insightful book which looks into the mind of a child, the mind of a step-parent, the mind of a divorced mother, and several other characters as well. Mostly though the book is about the effects of others actions on each other and the writing and style is masterful. Highly recommended especially to those unfamiliar with fragmented families.