Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Anchor (2003), Paperback, 368 pages
Description
In June of 1989 Paul McLeod, a newspaper publisher and recent widower, travels to Greece, where he falls for a young American artist and reflects on the complicated truth about his marriage. Six years later, again in June, Paul's death draws his three grown sons and their families back to their ancestral home. Fenno, the eldest, a wry, introspective gay man, narrates the events of this unforeseen reunion. Far from his straitlaced expatriate life as a bookseller in Greenwich Village, Fenno is stunned by a series of revelations that threaten his carefully crafted defenses. Four years farther on, in yet another June, a chance meeting on the Long Island shore brings Fenno together with Fern Olitsky, the artist who once captivated his father. Now pregnant, Fern must weigh her guilt about the past against her wishes for the future and decide what family means to her. In prose rich with compassion and wit, Three Junes paints a haunting portrait of love's redemptive powers.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member msbaba
Some books have transcendent plots that carry you away on a fictional journey. Others are like fine works of art; you read them to be swept away by the sheer beauty of the prose. Still others are clever or thrilling, always staying one step ahead, compelling the reader to try to figure out the what
Every novel tries to deliver deeply wrought characters that spring to life off the page. But once a reader puts a book down, and goes on to another, generally these characters slowly disappear from memory. But not all fictional characters fade away; with some novels the entire focus of the work is on such fine and deep characterization that readers will remember that character for the rest of their lives.
Three Junes by Julia Glass is just such an incredible character study. The character we come to know so deeply is Fenno McCloud. It’s a brilliant creation…no wonder it won the National Book Award in 2002!
And what type of character did Julia Glass bring to life in Fenno McCloud? Is he some larger-than-life role model? No, Fenno is just another decent human being struggling to live a good life in a difficult world. Perhaps he is unique because he possesses a strong moral compass and this is what attracts us to him. Fenno is gay, but his sexuality is not important in the overall scheme of this book; also, there is nothing in this book that is titillating.
Through its artistic three-part structure, Fenno McCloud comes alive. Much of the depth of the character study is derived from the book’s unique structure. The author describes it as a triptych—a three-part work consisting of a large center novel flanked on either end by two small novellas. Each piece could stand alone, but together they perform symbiotically to create something far greater. It is a structure that allows the reader to learn about Fenno from different perspectives.
The first part, named Collies, tells the story of Fenno McCloud’s father, Paul, during June of 1989—a time in his life when he is vacationing in Greece recovering from the death of his wife, Maureen. There are many flashbacks where we are introduced to many of the major characters in the novel including Paul’s eldest son, Fenno. There is a young American woman on the trip named Fern. Paul finds her disarming, and soon he is telling her his innermost secrets.
The long central novel, named Upright, is set in June of 1995. Fenno is living in New York at the height of the AIDs epidemic. And the mantra that runs through his head is "stay upright and you will stay alive." In this section we are introduced to Fenno’s friends and move with him through his everyday home and work life. There are numerous flashbacks where we learn about Fenno’s Scottish family.
In the third part, named Boys, and set in June of 1999, Fern again plays a pivotal role. Fenno and Fern meet each other in New York, never knowing that Fern knew Fenno’s father in Greece ten years earlier. Just like his father before him, Fenno finds Fern disarming, and soon he is opening up to her and telling her his innermost secrets. That father and son, would find Fern and both see her as the perfect confidant…well, that makes the serendipity of their coming together even more magical.
The three sections permit us to view Fenno not only from his own point of view, but also from the points of view of those people who are most important to him. The action of the book is centered around Fenno’s relationships—those with his father, his mother, his two brothers, the brothers’ wives and children, his friends and lovers in New York, and even his beloved parrot, Felicity.
This novel is not for everyone. If you need a strong plot or a compelling storyline, look elsewhere: this novel is decidedly a realistic portrayal of everyday life, nothing more. If you love a novel with deep character development, look no further: this book is about as good as they get.
If after finishing the book, Fenno becomes so much a part of your life and you want some more time with him, you will be happy to know that Fenno reappears as one of a group of major characters in Julia Glass’ latest novel The Whole World Over. Both novels are excellent and highly recommended, but “Three Junes,” is truly exceptional.
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is going on and why. Then there are the detailed character studies—these books bring a single character to life so effectively that readers feel they know this person better than almost anyone else. Every novel tries to deliver deeply wrought characters that spring to life off the page. But once a reader puts a book down, and goes on to another, generally these characters slowly disappear from memory. But not all fictional characters fade away; with some novels the entire focus of the work is on such fine and deep characterization that readers will remember that character for the rest of their lives.
Three Junes by Julia Glass is just such an incredible character study. The character we come to know so deeply is Fenno McCloud. It’s a brilliant creation…no wonder it won the National Book Award in 2002!
And what type of character did Julia Glass bring to life in Fenno McCloud? Is he some larger-than-life role model? No, Fenno is just another decent human being struggling to live a good life in a difficult world. Perhaps he is unique because he possesses a strong moral compass and this is what attracts us to him. Fenno is gay, but his sexuality is not important in the overall scheme of this book; also, there is nothing in this book that is titillating.
Through its artistic three-part structure, Fenno McCloud comes alive. Much of the depth of the character study is derived from the book’s unique structure. The author describes it as a triptych—a three-part work consisting of a large center novel flanked on either end by two small novellas. Each piece could stand alone, but together they perform symbiotically to create something far greater. It is a structure that allows the reader to learn about Fenno from different perspectives.
The first part, named Collies, tells the story of Fenno McCloud’s father, Paul, during June of 1989—a time in his life when he is vacationing in Greece recovering from the death of his wife, Maureen. There are many flashbacks where we are introduced to many of the major characters in the novel including Paul’s eldest son, Fenno. There is a young American woman on the trip named Fern. Paul finds her disarming, and soon he is telling her his innermost secrets.
The long central novel, named Upright, is set in June of 1995. Fenno is living in New York at the height of the AIDs epidemic. And the mantra that runs through his head is "stay upright and you will stay alive." In this section we are introduced to Fenno’s friends and move with him through his everyday home and work life. There are numerous flashbacks where we learn about Fenno’s Scottish family.
In the third part, named Boys, and set in June of 1999, Fern again plays a pivotal role. Fenno and Fern meet each other in New York, never knowing that Fern knew Fenno’s father in Greece ten years earlier. Just like his father before him, Fenno finds Fern disarming, and soon he is opening up to her and telling her his innermost secrets. That father and son, would find Fern and both see her as the perfect confidant…well, that makes the serendipity of their coming together even more magical.
The three sections permit us to view Fenno not only from his own point of view, but also from the points of view of those people who are most important to him. The action of the book is centered around Fenno’s relationships—those with his father, his mother, his two brothers, the brothers’ wives and children, his friends and lovers in New York, and even his beloved parrot, Felicity.
This novel is not for everyone. If you need a strong plot or a compelling storyline, look elsewhere: this novel is decidedly a realistic portrayal of everyday life, nothing more. If you love a novel with deep character development, look no further: this book is about as good as they get.
If after finishing the book, Fenno becomes so much a part of your life and you want some more time with him, you will be happy to know that Fenno reappears as one of a group of major characters in Julia Glass’ latest novel The Whole World Over. Both novels are excellent and highly recommended, but “Three Junes,” is truly exceptional.
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LibraryThing member alanna1122
I enjoyed this book.
It was funny though, I am usually a pretty fast reader and this book took me longer to get through than I would have expected. I think it is particularly dense - the type of book that you need to take a little slower than expected.
It was a melancholy read - not much levity among
Well written - very engrossing -
It was funny though, I am usually a pretty fast reader and this book took me longer to get through than I would have expected. I think it is particularly dense - the type of book that you need to take a little slower than expected.
It was a melancholy read - not much levity among
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much sadness. Death, loss and grief are major themes and plot points. Well written - very engrossing -
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LibraryThing member susabusa
Started great and I thought I was really going to like this one. Especially after I finished The Whole World Over and read in the reviews of that one that The Three Junes was better. I really didn't think it was better. It was interesting, but it wasn't --"forget the dishes, I've got to finish my
I thought the character of Fenno was a bit aloof and pompous -- especially after I enjoyed his character in The Whole World Over. Maybe I wanted a neater ending, I wanted Fenno to realize that Fern had known his father. For Fern to provide Fenno with some knowledge about his father's last months in Greece. I wanted there to be some resolution at the end and I really didn't feel like there was.
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book!" And that is what I was expecting.I thought the character of Fenno was a bit aloof and pompous -- especially after I enjoyed his character in The Whole World Over. Maybe I wanted a neater ending, I wanted Fenno to realize that Fern had known his father. For Fern to provide Fenno with some knowledge about his father's last months in Greece. I wanted there to be some resolution at the end and I really didn't feel like there was.
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LibraryThing member MargaretPinardAuthor
Rich, rich, RICH characters! I loved the structure of the novel, which I won't spoil. I loved the struggles shown on different levels of characters that were all interrelated... I liked seeing different viewpoints of the same issue. I appreciated that not all the characters were meant to be liked.
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The action was compelling, and the narration and the prose supported it very well but not in a pushy way. I finished wanting to know these people, and have them as friends. Great story. Show Less
LibraryThing member nycbookgirl
The book revolves around a Scottish family, the McLeods. The books starts out in June of 1989 with Paul McLeod, recently widowed, taking a vacation in Greece. There are flashbacks to his past life with his wife, how they met, and raising their three sons.
Six years later, it's June again and Paul
Four years later, the story is narrated by...well, I won't tell you the last narrator.
So why did I like it so much? The plot of the story is pretty odd. Is there really a plot? It's really all about the characters. The story sucks you in by having Paul McLeod narrate. And you really like him. And this first part is short and then he dies. So you're already invested in the story. The second section is the longest section, narrated by Fenno, and I just fell for that character. I mean, while reading this section I loved to take the book for coffee, sit down, and just savor the book.
When I finished the book I was so disappointed. Not disappointed in the ending, but sad that it ended at all. It took me awhile to read this book. I didn't rush through it, I didn't check on what book was waiting in my TBR que, I just sat and drank coffee and savored it.
Six years later, it's June again and Paul
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McLeod has just passed away. The three sons are gathered together with their wives and families in Scotland to pay homage to their father. This section is narrated by Fenno, the eldest son who is an expat and gay man living in New York City. It's during this period that Fenno starts to unravel some of their family history and family relationships are tested. He also flashes back to his past in New York and to his relationship with a gay man who is dying of AIDS.Four years later, the story is narrated by...well, I won't tell you the last narrator.
So why did I like it so much? The plot of the story is pretty odd. Is there really a plot? It's really all about the characters. The story sucks you in by having Paul McLeod narrate. And you really like him. And this first part is short and then he dies. So you're already invested in the story. The second section is the longest section, narrated by Fenno, and I just fell for that character. I mean, while reading this section I loved to take the book for coffee, sit down, and just savor the book.
When I finished the book I was so disappointed. Not disappointed in the ending, but sad that it ended at all. It took me awhile to read this book. I didn't rush through it, I didn't check on what book was waiting in my TBR que, I just sat and drank coffee and savored it.
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LibraryThing member ndomenica
This three part book starts out slow, gets exciting in the middle, and ends leaving you wondering what will happen.
LibraryThing member d.homsher
Dense Novel in Three Parts, all of which take place in June.
Read this novel at least a year ago and cannot now reconstruct the plot, which seems to include enough individuals and landscapes for a few novels. I remember the settings to be convincing, though far distant from one another. The central
Read this novel at least a year ago and cannot now reconstruct the plot, which seems to include enough individuals and landscapes for a few novels. I remember the settings to be convincing, though far distant from one another. The central
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section, told in first-person by Fenno, a gay man, patient, observant brother and friend, is the longest, and I judged him to be the main character. He attends his father's funeral and attends to a friend dying of AIDS, but slips away before that conclusion. Julia Glass's individual sentences are worth study. Many seem to have fulcrums inside them ... turn direction quickly, without losing their place. Apparently she was never bitten by the Hemingway bug. Show Less
LibraryThing member cwbvic
I felt as if I were a member of this family, not only due to personal connections with the settings (Greece, Scotland and New York) but also due to Glass's creation of such rich and engaging characters. It was very difficult to put down or forget. I read it once independently and again with a book
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club, but I feel as if I could read it many times over and each time find something new. Show Less
LibraryThing member aliciamalia
Everyone seems to be reading this these days. The first 100 pages are slow going, but it really picks up after that. There are multiple narrators (all connected through blood or friendship) with distinct voices and points of view. There's a plot, but the book really isn't about that--I felt that it
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was more about exploring relationships and emotions and feelings. Definitely worth checking out. Show Less
LibraryThing member teaperson
A fascinating set of three somewhat interlocked stories (the third interlocks less, and is the least interesting of the three), spanning two generations of a Scottish family. The people really engaged me a way that novels where not a whole lot happens usually do not engage me. The story of Fenno,
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the gay Scottish son who tries to find himself was the most interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member ParadisePorch
If this hadn’t won the National Book Award in 2002, I’d tell you it was a women’s novel, and a mediocre one at that. I might still tell you that.
Three summers (1989, 1995, & 1999) in the life of a Scottish family, in Dumfries & in NYC. There are some expressive observations about death
Read this if: you like cause-and-effect parent-and-children stories; or you like things tied up in a neat bundle. 3½ stars
Three summers (1989, 1995, & 1999) in the life of a Scottish family, in Dumfries & in NYC. There are some expressive observations about death
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(“Everyone dies alone, no matter how many people there are in the room”); and life (“Time plays like an accordion in the way it can stretch out and compress itself in a thousand melodic ways”) but overall, I wasn’t satisfied with any of the character development, and there was little plot to speak of.Read this if: you like cause-and-effect parent-and-children stories; or you like things tied up in a neat bundle. 3½ stars
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LibraryThing member CaroKH
really enjoyed this -- wanted it to keep going, to know if the characters at the end ever realized their shared link... very well written.
LibraryThing member bkoopman
Three Junes out of a decade. Two generations from a family. Three countries with great settings: Scotland, Greece and New York. Odd, coincidental relationships. But the main story doesn't really get started until quite late, maybe half-way. This sub-plot is the story of Fenno who is homosexual and
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doesn't understand love. Through a relationship with a man with AIDS in New York, he learns compassion. It took awhile to get into this book. I appreciated the sensitivity of the storyline about sexuality and love. I think that the subplot, by itself, would have made for a better read. Show Less
LibraryThing member lcrouch
I was not very taken by the writing or the layout, having a difficult time with the back and forth and up and down of the story. The story itself didn't ring "true," either.
LibraryThing member kristicw
This book is beautifully written. The author expresses the joy and pain of relationships of all kinds. Her characters are well-developed, becoming well-known friends to the reader.
LibraryThing member dldbizacct
This book was slow and hard to commit to. One of the narrators, Fenno, is a fussy, grumpy, uptight Scot who really grated on my nerves. I couldn't find anything too likable about him, until the end of the story when his character shows some growth, or maybe I just got to see him in a different
I loved that readers learn of characters' misinterpretations of other characters' lives, but the characters themselves don't ever find out the truth, no matter how badly we might want them to. It would be tempting, I think, as the author to spell it all out, but Glass doesn't, and I appreciated this realism.
In the end, I think this is a complex novel, beautifully written, but it just didn't come together quite right for me.
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light and that made the difference. I loved that readers learn of characters' misinterpretations of other characters' lives, but the characters themselves don't ever find out the truth, no matter how badly we might want them to. It would be tempting, I think, as the author to spell it all out, but Glass doesn't, and I appreciated this realism.
In the end, I think this is a complex novel, beautifully written, but it just didn't come together quite right for me.
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LibraryThing member nyiper
Hmmm---I have to give this an "okay" listening experience. After all, I did keep listening, wondering where we were going next. I didn't really "fall in love" with any of the characters---it was interesting to see how the lives overlapped but I think I could have stopped anywhere and not missed
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much when I picked the story up somewhere else. Lots of people have read this and apparently loved it so I'm wondering what I didn't understand or what I was missing. Show Less
LibraryThing member LukeS
At the center of the sweet and emotional "Three Junes" is Fenno, a somewhat isolated and yearning man in NY. Fenno's father loses his strong-willed wife, and lives in an emotional fog, or extreme emtional myopia. Hi finds out late, lamentably, unacceptably late, that Fenno is gay. "Three Junes" has
This is the story of the emotional growth and fulfillment of our three principal actors - Fenno, Fern, and Fenno's dad. Tony serves as somewhat of a catalyst, if such is proper for this story. He's a bisexual who has been intimate wth both Fenno and Fern. He is capricious, ingratiating, and gorgeous, and will not be got rid of. At length, you comprehend that no one really wants to be rid of him.
"Three Junes" is touching, effective, and transporting. We come to value these main players, and hope things turn out for them. This is excellent, a fulsome journey. It led me to other work by this wonderful author.
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a complicated reproductive urge running through it; one of the very important conclusions of this story is that Fenno donates sperm so that his sister-in-law can become a mother. This is a woman toward whom Fenno had an actual sensual impulse years before. Fenno's father is not immune from the urge, either, and makes somewhat of a fool of himself over Fern, a much younger woman.This is the story of the emotional growth and fulfillment of our three principal actors - Fenno, Fern, and Fenno's dad. Tony serves as somewhat of a catalyst, if such is proper for this story. He's a bisexual who has been intimate wth both Fenno and Fern. He is capricious, ingratiating, and gorgeous, and will not be got rid of. At length, you comprehend that no one really wants to be rid of him.
"Three Junes" is touching, effective, and transporting. We come to value these main players, and hope things turn out for them. This is excellent, a fulsome journey. It led me to other work by this wonderful author.
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LibraryThing member mtnmamma
Family saga with a different twist very well written
LibraryThing member turtlesleap
This is a dazzling first novel. I look forward to more from Ms. Glass. Essentially, the story is an examination of the lives and loves of a family, the McCleods, over a decade (1989-1999). Fenno, the viewpoint character for the second section, and arguably the key character in the book,, is
If tidiness in plotting is an issue with you, take warning. There are a number of items left unresolved at the end of the book. Some of them are made to seem potentially important as the book evolves and then are simply abandoned. Perhaps there is some symbolism here that simply escaped me. The story seems too well crafted for carelessness but the reader is left wondering what they ultimately decided to do with Dad's ashes, who the World Wad II medals found in the vase really belonged to and whether Marjorie ever sent those letters to Fenno. A bit frustrating but bearable.
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fascinatingly complex and insightfully drawn. This book is not, as another reviewer has observed, about events; it is about characters. The storyline is very lightly drawn and the tale simply unfolds naturally with the actions and decisions of the characters. I loved it and found it almost compellingly readable. If tidiness in plotting is an issue with you, take warning. There are a number of items left unresolved at the end of the book. Some of them are made to seem potentially important as the book evolves and then are simply abandoned. Perhaps there is some symbolism here that simply escaped me. The story seems too well crafted for carelessness but the reader is left wondering what they ultimately decided to do with Dad's ashes, who the World Wad II medals found in the vase really belonged to and whether Marjorie ever sent those letters to Fenno. A bit frustrating but bearable.
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LibraryThing member trentsky
Three separate yet very much related stories. The first is told from the perspective of an aging and recently widowed man who's embarked on travels to nominally leave his past behind. The second story begins after the man's death and is told from the perspective of his eldest -- and gay -- son.
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This story is told with the most depth and feeling of the three. The third story ends up weaving the three together in a somewhat surprising way, although it was a mildly disappointing way to close the book after having developed the middle part so well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Girl_Detective
Three bittersweet, satisfying novellas combine to form a portrait of a complex family, and their struggles with love, and relationship.
LibraryThing member AnneliM
Three months of different years in the lives of loosely related people.
LibraryThing member stonelaura
A wonderful, carefully written story of family, loyalty and understanding. Over three different Junes (the month - perhaps each a decade apart?) we learn about the father’s coming to terms with his wife’s death and his new-found freedom; one son’s conservative, sort of calculated, protected
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life in New York where he deals with his homosexuality and his feelings of not belonging to the family; and a family reunion for the father’s funeral where all the disparate family members gather and share bits of their own issues. Most of the ladies loved the book even though I was worried that it might be too literary for them. Show Less
LibraryThing member twryan72
Really liked the quiet story and the writing was beautiful.
Subjects
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2002)
Language
Original publication date
2002
Physical description
368 p.; 7.9 inches
ISBN
0385721420 / 9780385721424
Local notes
OCLC = 2523
Google Books
Google Books