Golden Age

Finale. Jane Smiley completes her trilogy of the Langdon family over the last century with the novel titled, Golden Age. Time flew by as I returned to the huge cast of characters, and the connected storylines of their lives, their land, and their loves and losses. Wiser critics than I can assess the degree to which this saga constitutes a great American novel. I enjoyed the sweeping scope of this series, Smiley’s fine writing, the deeply developed characters and the ways in which the Langdon family story is “our” story. My one minor irritation is that I wish Smiley ended the saga in 2014 or 2015. Instead, she projects the story into the future. Readers who like settling into a big novel and spending lots of time with interesting characters are those most likely to enjoy this novel and this trilogy. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Golden Age from amazon.com.