Picking up and deciding to read the latest novel of a celebrated writer who has been at it for decades, I expected ... what? To be captivated, drawn in, struck by how the situations and dialog were so precise, so right, so perfectly rendered? Not. Even. Close. It's almost shocking how bad this was. ( )

The phrase disappointment lurks came to my mind as I closed the book after finishing the last page. Then, instead of thinking about the book, I was distracted enough to Google how “disappointment lurks” got stored away in my head. It’s from Neil Young’s, “Time Fades Away,"

Down on pain street,
disappointment lurks

This was my third or fourth attempt at reading this book, released this last spring. As much as I love Beattie’s work (I’ve read at least eighteen of her twenty previous books), I never connected with any of the characters in this novel. She has centered the story on a group of older millennials who came to know each other at a New Hampshire boarding school. They were in high school when 9/11 happened, and yes, Beattie has moved away from her usual baby boomers, whose touchstone in time was the Kennedy’s assassination.
The book starts off within the boarding school’s honor society—lead by a pompous, blowhard faculty member, Pierre LaVerdere. Then, the book centers on one student, Ben, as he graduates and moves on with his life. For this reader, I hated Beattie’s introduction to all her large cast of rather vapid millennial characters. I never liked Ben any better than most of the rest of them, but at least fewer annoying people was a step in the right direction.
Beattie has centered a book on a generation that she doesn’t seem to know much about, at least from the inside, the familiar. Their dialogue in the book seems far off the mark, I’ve never heard anyone of these character’s age use language like this. There are a number of references that leap out at the reader, as from a much different time. Michael Schaub of NPR point out the same thing in his review of the book, by citing “the films Five Easy Pieces and McCabe & Mrs. Miller, both of which delighted audiences during the Nixon administration.”
Very few things in Ben’s life seemed interesting. His run-ins with his former classmates and LaVerdere are slightly different from the blandness of the rest of the book, but nothing seemed worth publishing.
Okay, I found nothing but depressing circumstances and found nobody enjoying anything in their lives. This would be a horrible book to have in a suicide prevention facility.
I should have gone with my first impressions from each time I attempted to read this book, give up, it’s not working for me. But, because I love Beattie so much (I once walked across campus in a Vermont blizzard to meet her in college), I believed that there would be something that worked in the book. In that back of my head, I can hear Vicky telling me not to be driven to finish books that are not connecting on any level, but like leaning into that snowstorm all those years ago, I felt committed to making it all the way. Please, Ann, don’t take advantage of me again when I start your next book. ( )

I have been reading Ann Beattie since the 70's. She is an excellent writer with great prose and very incisive insights into the psyche of her characters. Her problem is that she has great ingredients but she doesn't always make a good dinner. Her story about Ben and his contemporaries moves from just before 9/11 while he is attending an exclusive high school. He is part of an exclusive honor society directed by a powerful teacher Pierre LaVerdure. The elements are all there for a potentially interesting story as we see Ben go through life over the next 15-20 years. The influence of Bailey Academy is every present as he continues to stay connected to friends from the school. We see his different relationships with friends, family, and ultimately LaVerdure. I gave the book 3 starts because the quality of the writing was so good. However there really was not much of a plot and there were way too many loose ends. If you have never read Beattie then I suggest you start out with one of her short story collections(The Accomplished Guest). Well worth it. ( )

I really wanted to like Ann Beattie's new novel since the premise seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, the book as a whole fell short for me. While I enjoyed and appreciated Beattie's writing style, I found the plot meandering and the characters insipid--there is not much to hold the reader's attention. I consider Beattie a very talented writer, but I don't think she hit the mark with A Wonderful Stroke of Luck.

Thank you to Viking for sending me a free copy of this book. ( )

A Wonderful Stroke of Luck by Ann Beattie is a recommended/so-so novel following a disaffected young man through his coming-of-age into adulthood.

Ben is an honor student at the elite Bailey Academy where he finds himself part of the honor society led by teacher Pierre LaVerdure. LaVerdere is a capricious advisor who teaches his group of students how to discuss topics, with both reason and deception. As Ben moves aimlessly on after graduation, eventually to college, and in and out of relationships, LaVerdere's influence seems to continuously be a part of his subconscious.

The quality of the writing is excellent, but the execution of the plot and the character development is not very satisfying. Basically this came across as yet another novel about an indecisive, aimless, indifferent unfulfilled millennial going through not even a very interesting existential crisis in a somewhat pointless plot. That may seem harsh, but I feel as if I've read about this character before but placed in a much more focused narrative with a decisive plot. Beattie provides some incredible emotional insights and the quality of the writing elevates this above the ordinary, both of which influenced my rating, but with a sharper focus on the plot this could have been a more powerful novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/04/a-wonderful-stroke-of-luck.html ( )