6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A failure looks for peace, 18 May 2001
By Kurt A. Johnson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Time on Earth (Hardcover)
It is October of 1962 and Albert Carlson, a 64-year-old Swedish immigrant, is coming to terms with his life. Living alone and lonely in a hotel room in southern California, he thinks back over his life: over his loss of faith in God, his failed relationship with his parents, his two failed marriages, his failed relationship with his sons, and his failed businesses. Remembering constantly his older brother Sigfrid, who died tragically at the age of eighteen, he seeks only one thing anymore--peace.
I deeply enjoyed Vilhelm Moberg's Emigrants books, and I picked up this one seeking more such writing. Unfortunately, I did not find what I had hoped. With the exception of Carlson, all of the characters are two-dimensional, being provided as mere props for Carlson's reflections. I found Carlson himself too depressing to be realistic, and did not find any grounds on which I could sympathize with him.
Perhaps my mindset is just too different than that of the author of this book--that's possible. Overall, I did not appreciate this book, and do not recommend it.