I love to get lost in Anne Tyler’s stories, which are an intimate peak into the characters lives. I liked Barnaby, troubled but overall a good guy. The supporting cast of characters supplied some great content as well.

A Patchwork Planet tells the story of Barnaby Gaitlin from a successful family in Baltimore.

Barnaby’s life is in tatters: he had gotten in trouble with the law when he was in high school, but his family’s connections, and money, had kept him out of jail; after spending time in a reform school for the rich his father got him a job in a hardware store, although the store owner fired him at the earliest opportunity; Barnaby then found a menial labor job for Rent-A-Back, a business that provides services for the elderly or infirmed, such as grocery shopping, landscape maintenance, cleaning out cluttered rooms, and setting up and taking down holiday decorations; had gotten married, had a child, and then got divorced.

At the point where the story actually starts Barnaby is in the train station waiting to go to Philadelphia to visit his daughter where he witnesses a woman approached by a stranger and asked to take a package containing a passport to his daughter in Philadelphia. Barnaby then tails the woman to find out what the package really contains.

While the package turns out to be legit, a relationship develops between Barnaby and the woman (Sophia).

As the relationship between Barnaby and Sophia develops, Barnaby finally decides to start improving his life: he sells his 1963 Corvette and repays his mother for paying his restitution expenses as a youth and considers looking for a better job. His plans get shattered, however, when one of his clients at Rent-A-Back accuses him of stealing a large amount of money from her secret hiding place.

While Barnaby is eventually cleared of this accusation, his relationship with Sophia is shaken; however, a new relationship is developing with Martine, a woman he works with at Rent-A-Back.

The story ends with no real closure to Barnaby’s problems: Does his relationship with Sophia heal? Does he develop his relationship with Martine? Does he get a better job? Does his relationship with his family improve?

At one point in the story one of Barnaby and Martine’s clients dies. She had been working on a special quilt for some time and had just completed it before she passed away. It features a globe in the center made of bits and pieces of cloth fitted together with ragged edges and no special pattern and seemed to show that the world, and life, are not smooth and linear; the world, and life, are made of ragged edges that don’t always fit evenly together. It’s possible that was the message the author was trying to convey by not really finishing the story.

Wonderful look at the mind of a not-so-young man who is trying to figure out who he is and what to make of the world he inhabits. Only caveat is if you are of a certain age and above Tyler’s spot on descriptions of the elderly are a wee bit depressing. Exactly how the young see the elderly.

I do not have a lot to add to some of the other reviews on the details of the subject matter and general written quality of the book. I really enjoy Anne Tyler, that is why I chose this book and I wasn't dissatisfied with my selection. However, could someone please hire an editor?! The number of mistakes that were ugly was astounding. Often I had to reflect on what a phrase was supposed to be because an article, pronoun or other small word was incorrect (in one case the number 7 instead of an I). This shouldn't be permitted for such an author. If books are going to come through this poorly on the kindle, then please put them in the 99 cent bin where I won't mind so much. Anything else and you had better pay an editor to look at it.

I was prompted to write a review by Amazon about this purchase (like any other purchaser). Honestly, I knew little about the author or the story and bought it for the pleasure of owning a signed, 1st printing, book club edition. In that regard, I was very pleased with it's condition. However I did read it and enjoyed it very much. I'm not sure why the author felt it necessary to admit she was nervous about writing about the primary male character in the story as a woman author, but then I haven't yet read her other books. Not to offend her loyal readers, of which I know they are legion, I wish she hadn't said that. It made me conscious of her words when I shouldn't have been. It was an interesting 'short' story IMO that was made into a book. Like I said, I haven't read her other works, so this may be her style and it was a pleasant read. I would recommend buying her in paperback unless you are like me and enjoy collecting books like this that are affordable.

Anne Tyler is one of my favorite authors to read especially in the summer. Her story lines and characters are very creative and they keep your interest so you want to keep reading to see how it all comes together in the end. I can usually relate to at least one of the characters in the story and that makes it seem a more likely scenario. Her books are just so fun to read and that's the whole point of reading anyways because it's fun and enjoyable. This is one of my favorite books by this author and one you should not miss.

I have read many of Anne Tyler's books. There was only one I didn't care for, and I plan to reread it. I truly believe it just the right book at that time.

This book was the right book at the right time...I just finished "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" which was dense and verbose and also gave me nightmares.

I picked up this book for a "palate cleanse". As I read it, I saw that the light, nonformal prose held deep messages that I couldn't stop thinking about and stayed with me....

Some questions that relate to this book...how long must we try to atone for past misdeeds? What is meaningful work? Who should we look to for inspiration? Are possessions more important than relationships?

Barnaby, a privileged wild -child, tries to atone for past misdeeds, seeking his "angel" who will inspire and direct him.

I just finished this book and have order another written by Ms Tyler. She deals with everyday issues and takes you on a journey of redemption and individual growth while dealing with the complexity of who others are. The story could be anyone's story and the solutions unfold in a manner that any reader could relate to. This is my second novel read and am excited to receive the third and I believe I will go down the list until I have read all of her books. I am a fan!

Really enjoyed reading this; the characters, especially Barnaby, the central one are so well-drawn. It's so good to read about characters that although in the eyes of a judgemental world, may well be not worth much, but who you realise have greater qualities, that lie beyond the purely superficial, physical and materialistic.

In her usual way Anne Tyler draws us into real life situations. Her talented writing gave me a "true-to-Life perspective of Senior living in North America.

She also emphasizes the strong impact grandparents have on the life of their grandchildren.

I loved this book - I did not want to put it down - I stayed up all night to finish reading this novel.

ものすごく大きな事件が起こるわけでもない凡人達の日常。でも心の描写も自然描写も心温まります。

Es fällt mir schwer, meine Begeisterung für diese Geschichte in Worte zu fassen ohne mich dabei einfach nur in Superlativen zu verlieren.

Barnaby, die Hauptperson und gleichzeitig derjenige, der die Geschichte aus seiner Sicht erzählt, ist ein liebenswerter (fast) geläuterter Tunichtgut auf dem Weg zu einem besseren Leben.

In gewohnter Tyler-Manier ist alltägliches Treiben in seiner fast akribisch präzisen Beschreibung keinem Krimi spannungsmässig unterlegen. Ich weiss nicht, wie es diese Autorin schafft scheinbar Unbedeutendes so zu erzählen, dass der Leser gefesselt Seite um Seite verschlingt. Vielleicht liegt das Geheimnis ein bisschen auch darin, dass es eben genau die Details sind, die unser Leben ausmachen, dass es nichts Unbedeutendes gibt, sondern es an uns liegt, ob etwas wert ist betrachtet und berichtet zu werden. Andererseits versteht die Autorin auch perfekt die Kunst, den Leser eine Wendung in der Geschichte erahnen zu lassen, ohne dass dies explizit formuliert wird. Dies alles geschieht mit feinstem Humor, mit Sensibilität und einer Lebensklugheit, die niemals moralisierend daherkommt.

Man möchte noch viel Länger bei den Menschen dieser Geschichte bleiben dürfen, bei Barnaby und Sophia, seiner Tochter Opal, seinen Eltern und Grosseltern, bei den alten Leuten, die er bei Rent-a-back betreut, bei Martine und wie sie alle heissen. Und doch ist das Wann, Wo und Wie des Endes der Erzählung so brillant, dass das Weglegen des Buches ein wenig leichter fällt.

Thank you Amazon for such a prompt and great delivery even at a time like this one. And that too i get mostly all the titles which ever i require. Secondly the amazing variety you offer as far as books are concerned is awsome! And that too at such low and reasonable prices! All i complain about is that a couple of times i received a very different cover for the books than i had ordered. Plz plz display the actual cover on your site! Thats all! And Thank you truly!!