Plot Summary

All the Little Live Things

Wallace Stegner
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All the Little Live Things

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1967

Book Brief

Wallace Stegner

All the Little Live Things

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1967
Book Details
Pages

352

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

California • 1960s

Publication Year

1967

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

All the Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner centers on Joe Allston and his wife, Ruth, who have retired to the California countryside to mourn their son’s death. They meet Jim Peck, a hippie squatter, and Marian Catlin, an earth-mother figure. Joe grapples with grief, guilt, and differing worldviews as he navigates complex relationships. Sensitive topics include terminal illness and death.

Contemplative

Bittersweet

Emotional

Melancholic

Reviews & Readership

4.2

4,421 ratings

80%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Wallace Stegner's All the Little Live Things has been praised for its rich character development and evocative descriptions of nature, which enhance the story’s emotional depth. However, some readers found the pacing slow and the philosophical reflections excessive. Overall, it's regarded as a thoughtful exploration of human resilience and nature's influence on life.

Who should read this

Who Should Read All the Little Live Things?

Readers who enjoy reflective, character-driven narratives with rich prose and deep philosophical insights, similar to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath or Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, will relish Wallace Stegner’s All the Little Live Things. This novel resonates with fans of contemplative, realist fiction that explores human relationships and nature.

4.2

4,421 ratings

80%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

352

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

California • 1960s

Publication Year

1967

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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