At nearly 70, Joe Allston is far from aging gracefully. He is completely fixated on the concepts of aging and dying, and is extremely cantankerous when it comes to his various aches and pains. In his own rather bleak words, he feels as if he is “just killing time until time gets around to killing me.” He is filled to the brim with regret, seeing himself more as a mere spectator rather than an active participant in life.

He laments that “…he has been a wisecracking, fellow traveler in the lives of other people. There has been not one significant event in his life that he has planned. He has gone downstream like a stick, getting hung up in eddies and getting flushed out again, only half understanding what he has floated past, and understanding less with every year.”

One day, when Joe receives a postcard from an old friend in Denmark, it prompts him to seek out his journals from a long ago trip there. With some persuasion from his wife Ruth, a reluctant Joe agrees to read the journal aloud to her. These journal entries form a significant part of the book, which skillfully alternates between the past and the present. As he reads, long-hidden, emotionally charged memories and secrets come to the surface.

The novel may seem deceptively simple at first glance. However, there are numerous underlying themes running through it, including aging, dying, love, loss, grief, and regret. It is both an introspective and retrospective work. The writing is direct, and in some places, strikingly beautiful. Stegner's deep love for the natural world shines through in his vivid descriptions.

Joe's glib and snarky retorts, combined with his self-pity, negativity, and moroseness, at times make him a difficult character to like. Ruth, on the other hand, is the long-suffering wife, and I found myself wishing that I could have known more about her inner life. The end of the novel is somewhat redemptive, yet it leaves me with a lingering feeling of melancholy.

There is a bit of a time stamp on this book. After all, we don't view age 69 in quite the same way today as perhaps we did when the book was written. But overall, it was an excellent read that has brought me one step closer to my goal of reading Stegner's complete oeuvre.

Joe Allston, a 69-year-old retired literary agent, has deliberately immersed himself in a self-imposed old age state of mind.

Life lessons have left Joe with a bitter taste. He is dissatisfied with his life and the things he hasn't achieved. The chip on his shoulder is growing larger and larger, almost approaching the size of Mount Rushmore. He feels his body is gradually weakening and notices that he is becoming invisible to younger people.

Then, a waylaid postcard from an old friend arrives, which prompts him to reread a journal he kept many years ago. Ah, the comforting presence of one's journal. The author's insights are sharp and profound, and I eagerly look forward to reading more of his works.

Getting old is like standing in a long, slow line. You wake up from the shuffle and torpor only at those moments when the line moves you one step closer to the window.

I would read a dictionary if it had been written by Wallace Stegner.

This particular work, I believe, will hold the greatest appeal for those of us who are 60 and above. It is the story of Joe Allston, a retired literary agent who shares many of the symptoms of aging in the tale. Joe and his wife Rose are nearly 70 when they receive a postcard from an old friend, which prompts them to reread their journals and reminisce about a journey they took to Denmark much earlier.

The journey was filled with adventure, and even now, reading the journals has the power to make them begin re-examining their lives.

This book is a must-read for National Book Award Winners. It truly deserves 5 stars.

Wallace Stegner's writing is masterful, and he brings the characters and their experiences to life in a way that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

The story of Joe and Rose is one that many of us can relate to, as we all face the challenges and joys of aging.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read and is looking for a story that will touch their heart and make them think.

I truly relished every single minute that I spent immersed in this book. Each and every line seemed to speak directly to my soul. The lines had me alternating between moments of deep thought and spontaneous smiles.

I find that I have a great deal in common with the central character of the novel. I firmly believe that this is the very reason why I am able to relate to the book on such a profound level. The book is centered around Joe Allston, but it's not just about him. It's also about his wife, Ruth, about the couple as a unified pair, about their relationship, and their respective attitudes. The year is 1974. He is sixty-nine years old and is acutely aware of the fact that he is rapidly approaching old age. Health concerns constantly trouble him. He is now retired. Husband and wife have settled down in a rural community in California, which offers the tranquility of countryside living and is only an hour's distance from the intellectual community at Stanford. They have lived in NYC and have traveled extensively. Literature is an integral part of who they are. Joe's mother was of Danish descent.

The story artfully flips back and forth between the present, 1974, and the past, 1954. In 1954, Joe and Ruth embarked on a several-month-long journey to Denmark. Ostensibly, Joe was recuperating from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. Additionally, their son had tragically died in a surfing accident. Now, in the present, Joe is reading to Ruth the journals he wrote during that trip, and they are finally having a conversation about things that they have not been able to speak of before.

This book delves deep into one's thoughts as one nears the age of seventy. It explores family relationships, guilt, misgivings, and the acceptance that how one feels one ought to be may perhaps not be how one can actually be. There is a great deal here about having the courage to voice one's innermost thoughts. The book is also about connection to others. Just look at the title. Are you a "spectator-bird", observing others from a distance, or are you one who allows others to come close?

Before his retirement, Joe had been a literary agent, which makes it quite natural that authors and books are interwoven throughout the telling of the story, but not in a name-dropping sense. Instead, characters and events from well-known books are used as reference points. If you have read the book, you know the kind of person Joe or Ruth is speaking of, understand their train of thought, and catch the underlying humor. Nothing is explicitly explained; readers must themselves figure out what is being inferred. If you have read the book, you will understand. If you haven't, you won't!

Cultural differences, particularly the Scandinavian lifestyle in comparison to the American, are amusingly and insightfully depicted.

The details are simply perfect—ranging from the lack of adequate illumination in European hotels to the experience of traveling on a boat during a violent storm, from the behavior of a Siamese cat to the tone of a Danish dinner party compared to its American counterpart, and to how a husband and wife who have been married for many years communicate both verbally and non-verbally.

I really like how the story concludes. I like the choice that Joe made in the fifties. I like seeing where he is today, having made that choice twenty years earlier.

The book does not deviate into tangents. In tone, it is low-key. It has historical underpinnings of both the 1950s and the 1970s, that is to say, the years after the Second World War and the Hippie 70s.

Edward Herrmann's narration of the audiobook is truly fantastic. There is no question that I would rate his performance with a perfect five stars. He knows precisely when to pause. He never over-dramatizes. He captures exactly how this couple would have spoken to each other. The speed is ideal, and every word is easily audible.

This is truly a remarkable book, and the audiobook is extremely well-read. I do believe that it will appeal more to some readers than others. The words underlined in the second paragraph indicate the kind of person to whom the book will appeal the most.

One of those novels that can truly resonate with a reader,

particularly when that reader finds themselves at a specific juncture or in a particular place in their life.

I suppose I am among those readers.

Typically, I read two or three books simultaneously,

shifting from one to another throughout the day.

Nevertheless, once I picked up this particular one,

I simply could not put it down.

Mr. Stegner is a highly skillful and masterful writer.

His words have the power to draw the reader in and keep them engaged from beginning to end.

It's rare to come across a book that has such a profound impact on me.

I found myself completely immersed in the story,

experiencing the emotions and adventures of the characters as if they were my own.

Cheers to Mr. Stegner for creating such a wonderful literary work!

I look forward to reading more of his novels in the future.

Added 9/7/13. (first published 1976)

I listened to this book via audible.com. Such great writing! It is very rich with allusions and metaphors. Wallace Stegner is truly remarkable!

This was a heartrending story. Stegner poignantly describes the agony of being torn between two loves. There is also a detailed back-story with ominous overtones, but the romantic scenes are always pure.

The audio book was read by Edward Herrmann who definitely added to my enjoyment of the story. His reading brought the characters and the story to life in a wonderful way.

One GR reviewer wrote that the main character's "interior monologues are delightfully curmudgeonly". I wholeheartedly agree! The main character's thoughts and musings add an extra layer of depth and charm to the story.

This book won the National Book Award for Fiction (1977), which is a well-deserved recognition of its literary merit.

I also enjoyed Stegner's Angle of Repose. His writing style is unique and engaging, and his stories always leave a lasting impression.

JULY 28, 2019 - Although I listened to this book back in 2013, I'm coming back to it again now, in 2019, to try to hear the whole book again, since I still have it in my Audible Manager. I paid for it when I first got it in 2013, and it was a great investment. Listening to Stegner's words is a delicious experience. There are so many wonderful and original turns of phrase that it's like a literary feast for the ears. I'm looking forward to rediscovering this amazing book all over again.

Introspective novel about long-term marriage and aging. The protagonist, Joe Allston, a retired literary agent, feels that he has let circumstance, coincidence, and opportunism rule his life. He and his wife Ruth have retired to Palo Alto, California. As he nears 70, he looks back on his passive life with regret and bitterness. A postcard from an old acquaintance prompts Joe to find the journal he kept when the couple traveled to Denmark twenty years ago, after the tragic loss of their only son. He reads the journal to his wife, and as he does, it brings back memories of a time when their marriage seemed at risk. Joe finally reveals to Ruth what happened all those years ago.

Set in the 1970s (and published in 1976), a recurring theme is Joe's dissatisfaction with the counterculture movement in which his son participated. Themes such as aging, guilt, and regret are explored. The book is structured in two timelines, the present day and, through the readings of the journal, flashbacks to the earlier time in Denmark. The main characters are vividly portrayed, and the writing is sophisticated. This is a slow-burning build-up to the revelation of one of the few times when Joe took a stand and made a crucial decision. Humor and descriptions of natural phenomena are interspersed throughout. Woven into the Danish saga is a story of eugenics, which may be disturbing to some readers. Recommended for those who enjoy quiet, reflective novels about the human condition or character-driven literary fiction.

A beautiful novel by a master of the form.

As we age and become more settled in our lives, we often find the past beckoning for its reckoning. In this remarkable novel, Stegner leads his protagonist on a journey of reckoning that spans from present-day (1970's) Northern California to post-war Denmark. This is achieved through the journals that the protagonist had carefully stashed away among his relics.

Stegner is truly a writer's writer. With his finely honed descriptive eye, he paints the most evocative and striking scenes, transporting the reader into a world that is both vivid and real. At the same time, he creates characters of sharp wit and intelligence, who have the capacity for rich and varied expression.

The novel is profoundly truthful, delving deep into the human psyche and exploring themes of memory, regret, and redemption. The story-telling is satisfying, keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. And the writing is simply stunning, a testament to Stegner's talent as a wordsmith.

Am I permitted to proclaim my eternal love for Stegner's writing after having read just two of his books? Is it bold, is it hasty? I couldn't care less. I am in love with his writing!

The Spectator Bird is told from the perspective of Joe Alston, a despondent, sullen, seventy-year-old, retired literary agent. He resides with his dedicated wife, Ruth, in Northern California. Their life is peaceful, and he appears to be more content simply staying at home and reading rather than socializing.

There is a more thrilling, diverting incident related to the couple's visit to Denmark twenty years ago when Joe, while recovering from an illness, attempted to trace the roots of his Danish-born mother. They rent a room in the house of the mysterious countess Astrid, a remarkable woman who has fallen on hard times. While spending time with her, they discover her family's strange history and a few other things.

The indignities of aging, long marriage, grief, depression, making choices versus simply falling into things are some of the prominent themes of this relatively unassuming novel.

This novel was published forty-two years ago. It has aged extremely well due to its universal themes.

The Spectator Bird is literary fiction of the highest quality, the kind that makes me think "This is why I read."

I neglected to mention that this audiobook was narrated by the amazing Edward Herrmann, who earns a million stars.

I wonder what my younger self would have thought of this book and Joe Allston had I read it when it was first published.

Would I have been able to truly understand Joe's position in life, how inescapable looking back is from his perspective, and how poignant it can be?

Joe is 70 years old, staring old age right in the face. He hasn't completely lost his faculties yet, but he sees himself deteriorating and watches his friends, some his age or a little older, faring worse or passing away.

This makes him grumpy and cross, but also reflective.

"I drifted into my profession as a fly lands on flypaper, and my monument is not in the libraries, or men's minds, or even in the paper-recycling plants, but in those files. They are the only thing that proves I ever existed. So far as I can see, it is bad enough sitting around watching yourself wear out, without putting your only immortal part into mothballs."

Spurred by a postcard from an old friend, Joe starts to remember a trip to Denmark after the death of his only son. As the story of that trip unfolds, we get a glimpse of who Joe was, who he has become, and at least part of the journey he has taken in life.

"There is a feeling part of us that does not grow old. If we could peel off the callus, and wanted to, there we would be, untouched by time, unwithered, vulnerable, afflicted and volatile and blind to consequence, a set of twitches as beyond control as an adolescent's erections."

I felt a kinship with Joe, this man with more life behind him than ahead but with no desire to leave the stage before the final curtain. I understood his sorrow for both the present and the past, his respect for the life he lived, and his nostalgia for the life he might have had.

"I was reminded of a remark of Willa Cather's that you can't paint sunlight, you can only paint what it does with shadows on a wall. If you examine a life, as Socrates has been so tediously advising us to do for so many centuries, do you really examine the life, or do you examine the shadows it casts on other lives?...And what if you're the wall? What if you never cast a shadow or rainbow of your own, but have only caught those cast by others?"

Maybe every man approaching seventy asks himself these questions. I certainly have. I suspect Stegner did too. I'm fairly certain this is a book I encountered at the right time in my life. It took me a long time to get here, but the timing was perfect.

I can clearly understand the reason why this novel was awarded the National Book Award.

Stegner's writing style is extremely beautiful, and he is capable of expressing very profound ideas through his vivid and expressive language.

His reflections on the process of getting old truly resonate with me. He ingeniously places these thoughts within the grand sweep of time and nature, which gives them a much broader and more profound context.

After reading this book, I find myself filled with a sense of joy and satisfaction. It has not only provided me with an enjoyable reading experience but also made me think deeply about many aspects of life.

I firmly believe that this novel is a masterpiece that deserves all the acclaim and recognition it has received.

3.5 stars.

Retired literary agent Joe Allston and his wife Ruth are a couple that I can easily envision inviting over for dinner. They are refreshingly unpretentious. They aren't significantly older than my husband and me, and like us, they have successfully maintained a marriage that has endured for several decades. They have endured the most unimaginable kind of hell - the loss of their only child - yet they remain the best of friends. They cherish a quiet, predictable life filled with books, walks, and the company of a few close friends. The four of us could comfortably share a bottle or two over a simple supper and commiserate about our aches and pains, both physical and emotional - common ground for us older folks.

However, here our similarities and cozy conversation would come to an end. I really didn't connect with Stegner's account of Joe's and Ruth's time in Denmark (through Joe's nightly reading to Ruth of his 20-year-old "diary"), and I wouldn't want to listen to them rehash this strange chapter in their lives. I understand the reason for their trip. I sympathize with the mysterious countess and her "incredible" tale, as well as with Joe's infatuation with her. But this part of the story was odd, ultimately predictable, and rather uninteresting to me. Also, after a while, Joe's constant "woe is me - I'm so old" began to irritate me a little. I would have liked to read more from Ruth's perspective on their lives.

This is the third consecutive novel I've read that alternates between a single narrator's past and present life, and it didn't work as well for me as the previous two. That being said, Wallace Stegner's ability to accurately capture human emotions and relationships is unparalleled among any writer I've ever read, and this book is filled with numerous rich examples. So, I'm rounding up. Plus, he wrote 'Crossing To Safety' - one of my all-time favorite novels.

"When we had been married no more than twelve hours, she told me she had made a vow never to go to sleep on a quarrel. It must be settled before we closed our eyes. Since my impulse is to close my eyes on the quarrel and sleep it off, our systems have not always meshed." ~ Joe Allston

That, in a nutshell, is marriage, as only Stegner can write it.