The River Is Waiting (Oprah's Book Club)

I am a fan of Wally Lamb. He is an excellent writer and creates great characters. This was a very sad, dark story, but I got drawn in and could not wait to finish it (hoping that there would be some kind of redemption at the end after enduring so much sadness). The main character was such an enigma—so kind and wise at times and so foolish and immature at others. His wife was an unlikeable,albeit sympathetic, character who played the selfish victim card continually. The first portion of the book was compelling and set the reader up for what I thought was going to be a very riveting family drama, but the book evolved thereafter mostly into a story about his prison sojourn and the justice system.What did I think were the main defects?1. The author’s blatant political and social biases detracted from the story and its pacing. They were often literally shoehorned into the narrative and actually distracted from the telling of the story. Why do fiction authors think readers want to be weighed down with real world issues they read fiction to escape?2. The ending. I felt like the ending was a cop out. Not only did the reader not find out if there was redemption and reconciliation post-release from prison, the ending was hurried and even darker than what the reader had been enduring.3. The title. This may sound picky, but an author whose prior books bear titles that are creative, quirky and very memorable comes up with a bland title that no one will remember. How many books already have “River’ in their title and how many use rivers as tropes and symbols? Way overused

"She's Come Undone" is my absolute favorite of Wally Lamb's books, but this one is a very close second. The book was gut wrenching and heartbreaking. Mr. Lamb has a way of getting you inside the head of his characters like no other. I can't stop thinking about this book. it’s probably going to be my top read of 2025.

As so many others have said, I could not put this book down. I’ve read so many novels in my lifetime but I don’t recall ever sobbing at the end as I did reading The River is Waiting. I finished it this morning and 15 hours later I’m still thinking about it.Beautifully written, masterfully constructed and a stunning character study, Wally Lamb, you have outdone yourself. I didn’t think you could outdo She’s Come Undone but you did! I love both novels so much. Thank you for an unforgettable read.

Thank you Wally Lamb for finally writing a new book. I started this book but had to put it down for a bit because the story was so hard to process. I picked it up again and then couldn’t put it down. Wally Lamb is such a masterful writer. One of the best books I have read in awhile and yes I cried my eyes out!

I was captivated from Page 1. What a beautiful, sincere, and honest novel. I wanted a different ending, but what a tribute!