Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is one of my favorite authors. No doubt, this Pulitzer Prize winner is a talented writer. But what I admire most is her persistent probing into the human psyche. What does it mean to be a person? Can we know ourselves? Can we really know the people we love? Strout’s books quietly invite readers to reflect on the nuances of family relationships. If you haven't read ‘Olive Kittredge’ and ‘The Burgess Boys’, I highly recommend them. 

With “Oh William!” Strout explores the dynamics of a marriage. She revisits Lucy Barton, the protagonist of her last two novels. Lucy’s beloved second husband, David, has died, and Lucy has been pondering her life while grieving. Her ex-husband William, the father of her grown daughters, asks Lucy to join him on a road trip to Maine. His second wife has left him, and he wants to investigate a recently uncovered family secret. Romance is not the motivation; William needs Lucy’s company.   Throughout their short adventure, Lucy thinks more specifically about her relationship with William and her initial attraction to him. With the passing of time and the help of a therapist, she is aware of just how little she knew about herself and William. Though her marriage lasted twenty years, she thinks, “William had always been a mystery to me. I am only saying:  I wondered who William was.” Of course, she knew intimately William’s likes, dislikes, preferences and needs. But Lucy is wondering about something more profound, more complicated about their relationship. 

 

Though Lucy is a successful 63-year-old writer living in New York City, she is still naïve and trapped within her youthful feelings of invisibility. Her voice is passive and distant. She has not psychologically moved beyond her impoverished childhood filled with neglect and disregard. Grateful for her writing career and kindhearted daughters, Lucy still doesn’t believe she deserves happiness. She tolerated William’s bad behavior in their marriage while making poor judgments herself. She reflects, “Who ever really knows the experience of another?” 

 

Driving with William for hours in a car creates an opportunity for Lucy to understand more. Lucy and William query each other about different moments in their marriage and share their perspectives. The discovery of William’s family secret enriches their conversation. 
 
When they return to their separate lives in New York City, Lucy comprehends a bit more about herself and her life with William. Without angst, she states on the final page, “Everybody in this whole wide world, we do not know anybody, not even ourselves! Except a little tiny, tiny bit we do. But we are all mythologies, mysterious. We are all mysteries.”  
 
This short novel is packed with thought-provoking insights about marriage and the complexities of human relationships. Another gem by Elizabeth Strout.