A Good House

by Bonnie Burnard

Book Overview

A runaway #1 bestseller in Canada, this richly layered first novel tells the story of the intricacies and rituals that shape a family's life over three generations A Good House begins in 1949 in Stonebrook, Ontario, home to the Chambers family. The postwar boom and hope for the future colors every facet of life: possibilities seem limitless for Bill, his wife, Sylvia, and their three children. In the fifty years that follow, the possibilities narrow...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805064958
• ISBN13: 9780805064957
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 309 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.7" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A chronicler's narrative

The debut novel by Bonnie Burnard caught me unawares, simply because whatever I had expected, I hadn't expected this. Set in a small Canadian town on the shores of Lake Huron, "A Good House" is a chronicler's narrative, a history of one large family, or rather a set of blood-interconnected families. Divided into chronologically ordered parts, the novel unveils the events from the family's life, just as it started, with scattered hints regarding previous generations, and then the overlapping histories of children chime in, their lives chronicles as decades pass, and they lose their childhood in favor of the dramas, joys and troubles of adulthood. We observe them from a distance, as they age, get married, divorce, die and get reborn in the generations two times removed. That distance is quite well-kept throughout the narrative, being the most prominent feature of the novel. In fact, despite the dialogues and first-person thoughts prickling our reader's mind from time to time, the narrative quickly comes back to the steady flow of description. Not even a third-person narrative that is, simply because the objects change like in a kaleidoscope, families fuse together, and there are no characters who are allowed any kind of introspection. Even Margaret, the backbone of the family, does not deserve anything more than a casual look, as if the author had decided to write a story about some imaginary town with equally imaginary family. The fact that this is work of fiction does not imply that the reader is not to feel engaged, to live with the characters, standing there, just beside them, silent and observant. Reading "A Good House", I did not have that feeling of being lost; at all times I was aware that I am reading a book, that not even the author could relate to her own characters. I am quite sure that was intended, but as intended as it might have been, I am even less sure that the final effect was anything to write home about. Whenever the new part of the book looks at us with the bold typeface, within the very first page, or two at the most, we learn that this or that happened in the meantime, a few of the characters have been removed to make place for twice as many. Indeed, it's a bit of a strain to keep track of the names, barely mentioned lives, bits and pieces of events. All of this contributes to the general feeling that "A Good House" is a chronicler's tale, written from the point of view of a very distant relative, omnipotent enough from technical point of view, but not quite as potent with respect to the structure. All this said, I admit I liked the novel enough, especially its softer edge, compared to contemporary American literature, as if Canadians were just a tad closer to Europe and its traditions. If you like family-oriented books, that's a very good book to spend some time with, but I doubt it will stand up to second reading.

Deceivingly Simple

This novel tells the story of one family, 3 generations, over a span of 50 years. Burnard allows us to share in their happiness, anger and grief, as well as all those other parts day-to-day existence.The simple writing can seem one-dimensional at first glance, but take a slightly closer look and all the layers of the characters, their lives, and the story open up before you in this beautiful tapestry that we call "life."I can honestly say that this book had a strong impact on me, to the point where I think it might actually be a life-changer for me. "A Good House" is the newest addition to my list of all-time favourite books.

A Beguiling House

This novel beguiled me from the back cover intro right through to the superbly satisfying ending with its slow, elegant pace. Readers who want speed and sensation should look elsewhere. This is for readers who want to turn every page slowly and thoughtfully and reflect on the lives of the characters. Bonnie Burnard pierced my heart with her truths several times - particularly the experiences that I shared with the characters. Each of the characters is slowly revealed over the years and spotlit in their own time. I think this is a masterpiece and I am recommending it to my writers group as an example of the honestly we should have the courage to write with. Anyone who enjoys Jane Hamilton and Barbara Kingsolver will be more than happy with this book.

Looking for your reading group's next book?

This is a beautiful book. It lulls you and pulls you into the world of a Canadian family from the war years on -- a group of ordinary, decent people who brave life's usual difficulties: kids' accidents, the deaths of loved ones, troubled children, good people undone by old age. You can tell that this author loves people: the stuff of ordinary life, she seems to say, is worth our attention. As an American reader, I enjoyed this book because the characters also seem a little exotic in their own way (if you can think of Canadians as exotic). These are fairly stoic people, a little repressed, moral, genuinely preoccupied with the importance of acting decently. This is not a book that relies on fabricated drama or cute characters to grab your attention. Instead what you get is the wisdom of an author who really knows people, and who is able to capture the small and great events in their lives with beautiful, precise language. This is also a novel that acquires momentum and becomes more profound with every page. The portrait of Mr. Chambers in his old age is powerful, moving and brilliant.

great story

In 1949 Stonebrook, Ontario, Bill and Sylvia Chambers and their three children feel optimistic about the future after the gloom of the recent war. However, the boom economy fails to keep reality out as a few years later, Sylvia dies. Not too long after that, Bill marries Margaret Kemp.Over the subsequent years, happiness and tragedy strike the now extended Chambers family. Through the best and worst of times, Margaret surprisingly becomes the glue that keeps the family together even as new families have been formed and the younger generation moves on to new lives.A GOOD HOUSE is a very good character study of a Canadian family during the latter half of the twentieth century. The story line is low keyed, but very insightful into the desires, motives, and even the "protective" lies that provide the audience with a full look (so deep readers will feel voyeuristic) into the heart and soul of the lead cast. Though by the latter years the extended family becomes difficult to keep track of, that approach adds depth to the prime players by showing the new tugs on their time and emotion, which in turn drags them away from one another. Bonnie Burnard writes an intriguing tale that shows when discerning "voyeurism" can be entertaining, realistic, and perceptive.Harriet Klausner