Mostly, the director Batra lets the well-worked chemistry Redford and Fonda share do the heavy lifting. Their baggage, their apprehension about starting a new relationship and their knowledge that there isn't time to waste are enough, and them overcoming those issues is what propels the story. Rather, it's about companionship, having someone to talk to and 'getting through the night.' Louis thinks it over and agrees. That's why it strikes Louis, a widower, as odd when Addie, a widow, comes over one evening with a matter-of-fact request: 'Would you be interested in coming over to my house sometime and sleeping with me?' It's not about sex, Addie adds - 'I lost interest in that a long time ago,' she says. In a small town in Colorado, Addie Moore (Fonda) and Louis Waters (Redford) have been neighbors for decades but don't really know each other. Just a heartwarming story of two lonely people way, way into the last nine holes of their lives. It will not take you long to read, but it will live with you forever.I really liked this film. It is a beautiful, simple and direct story that should be on everyone’s summer reading list. I suspect that the book will live on as many readers will identify with the issues presented. OUR SOULS AT NIGHT is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable writing career. In almost every respect, Addie and Louis are like a young couple sharing the joy of beginning a life together and having a child.

Louis tentatively joins the relationship, and the young boy’s response expands Louis’ life and strengthens the bond between him and Addie. Their new life expands beyond their own relationship when Addie’s grandson comes to live with her. Addie and Louis are real people, nearing the end of their lives, but enjoying each day that they still share. As they share those memories, their relationship grows and new bonds are formed.

A great portion of the book takes place in their shared bed where they discuss their lives and the good and bad memories that transpired in their previous lives. But the relationship grows, for good and bad - and like many of the relationships and portrayals in Haruf’s novels, readers come to care greatly about the characters whose lives are depicted on these pages.Īddie and Louis know each other in Holt, but in most respects they are strangers. In the beginning, he comes to her house carrying his toothbrush and pajamas in a paper bag.

After some thought, he accepts the offer. And lying warm in bed, companionably.” The nights are the worst, Addie observes, and Louis agrees. As Addie observes, “I’m talking about getting through the night. She has an offer for Louis: “I wonder if you would consider coming to my house some times to sleep with me.” The proposal contemplates nothing more than occasional companionship and talking. Addie Moore, a 70-year-old widow, invites her neighbor, widower Louis Waters, to her house. It will not take you long to read, but it will live with you forever.' a beautiful, simple and direct story that should be on everyone’s summer reading list. 'OUR SOULS AT NIGHT is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable writing career. Knowing that Haruf has penned his final novel makes the story even more poignant. This is a novel that one reads all too quickly and, upon reaching the conclusion, fervently wishes there was more to read. He told his wife, Cathy, that for his final project “I’m going to write a book about us.” Few readers will actually know that the book is based on the Harufs’ relationship, but those who read it will enjoy a short, moving story about a man and woman who are blessed to find love late in their lives. Haruf was aware of the lung illness that would take his life. But he left readers a gift: his final novel, OUR SOULS AT NIGHT. Sadly, in November 2014, Haruf passed away at the age of 71. BENEDICTION, EVENTIDE and WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED continued the portrayal of life in the contemporary small-town west. That book became a bestseller and was a National Book Award finalist. Fifteen years passed until the publication of his second, PLAINSONG. His first novel, THE TIES THAT BIND, was published in 1984. His books are set in fictional Holt, Colorado, a town based in part on his experiences in Yuma, Colorado. During his literary career, Kent Haruf wrote extraordinary and engaging novels that readers could enjoy because the stories and their characters were comfortable and easily understood.

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