Comments (23)

Community comments are the opinions of contributing users. These comments do not represent the opinions of Strathcona County Library.
What did you think about this title?
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Mar 02, 2023PetraL rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
While the language is beautiful, the story itself is confusing. It jumps between narrators and timelines so that it is hard to keep track of who is narrating what when. I enjoyed her memoir, All Things Consoled, much more.
Oct 22, 2021DanglingConversations rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I found it difficult to follow the voice of the narrator. The book reads like a mish-mash of tragic stories of the lives of women and left me somewhat frustrated by its lack of completion as a novel.
Mar 26, 2017sgcf rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A good read, beautifully written, that examines ‘schooling’ vs ‘education’ through a 50+ year span in small town, Canada. Hay blends this focus with mystery, family dynamics, the urges of love, and the secrets of small towns where folks…
Jun 28, 2016
I would not recommend this book. It lacks conclusion. The story keeps jumping in time. At times it is hard to know who is a leading character. Life stories are twisted and larger than life. In my opinion Elizabeth Hay is a good writer; I…
Apr 07, 2016dlh1 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I have read other novels by Elizabeth Hay and found them very enjoyable, as they took me into another world that I was anxious to dissolve into. However, this book meandered all over the place and didn't really have a climax. Nothing was…
Jun 05, 2013uncommonreader rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
The setting in the Ottawa Valley and inclusion of events such as the Almonte train wreck made the book enjoyable for someone from this area. However, in the end, Hay really does not have anything interesting to say.
Nov 20, 2012Iluv2read rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Told by a niece of a Teacher on the Prairies and then moves to Ottawa. Lives encountered as students, friends and relatives. Murder of a young girl and the quest for who did it runs through the tale.
Jun 05, 2012BPLNextBestAdults rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
“Alone in the classroom” is an interesting twist of murder mystery and relationship novel. The novel deals with the life of Connie Flood, an eighteen-year-old-teacher who is working in a small town in Saskatchewan. While Connie is…
Mar 24, 2012
Good book
Mar 19, 2012Zzoe rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I agree with much of what has already been said, in terms of the main character. She was the weakest link in the book. I had no desire to read about her, and instead would have preferred the book to focus on her aunt and the main people…
Dec 21, 2011halgeon rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
The second book I've read of Hay's, after Late Nights on Air (which was superb). Like other readers, I found the narrator's story to be much less interesting than those of Connie, Parley and Michael, and didn't much like Anne anyway. Or…
Dec 07, 2011emilysteeves rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Not my favorite from EH. Too many story lines, and in the end I couldn't care less about the main plot. The sub-plots definitely shone brighter for me than the main character, who was boring and self-centered.
Dec 05, 2011Eil_1 rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
This book began with some promise. However, as I continued on, I began scanning pages and skipping over others. Disconnected stories of people combined with fillers of , etc., contributed to making this something of a boring read. The…
Dec 01, 2011MsLit rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Hay's latest book is her best so far, but I still found the characters confused and confusing.
Nov 04, 2011nipper rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
another great book by elizabeth hay...i love her writing, you can picture/smell/feel everything....almost poetic, succinct....great read
Cdnbookworm
Sep 06, 2011Cdnbookworm rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a novel that crosses several time periods, told by Anne. The earliest time is 1929, in a small town in Saskatchewan, where Connie Flood is a young teacher. The new principal, Parley Burns, unsettles many in the community. Connie…
Aug 15, 2011
"the facts don't matter; everything you learn blurs and merges and contributes to a way of seeing the world". "when you get old.....you give over". Childhood, memories......
flourgirl
Aug 02, 2011flourgirl rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I liked this so much better than Late Nights on Air. Hay's prose is so beautiful and this was a interesting read. At times confusing to figure out when and where things are taking place and who is telling them, but worth it for the most…
Jul 20, 2011ownedbydoxies rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I'm of the "life is too short" persuasion and if a character or an action doesn't grab me and make me want to go on reading I don't force myself to finish a book. After all, nobody's testing me on this stuff anymore! And in this book, I…
ksoles
Jul 19, 2011ksoles rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
As much as I enjoyed Elizabeth Hay's Giller-winning "Late Nights on Air," I didn't find it captivating or engrossing. Thus, I began "Alone in the Classroom" with some trepidation, not confident it would sustain my interest. Turns out I had…
Jul 03, 2011toby65 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
"Just getting a handle on who the narrator was was challenging. " I agree with another reviewer about this aspect of the novel. But overall I found it moving (in a very Canadian sort of way) 'Late nights on air' was an easier read,…
Jun 14, 2011
Two of my favourite books are Elizabeth Hay's "Late Nights on Air" and "Garbo Laughs", so I eagerly embarked on "Alone in the Classroom". Sadly, I was hugely disappointed, and very confused. Just getting a handle on who the narrator was…
May 01, 2011
New from Elizabeth Hay! Through the character of her schoolteacher aunt, the writer-narrator discovers the experiences that shaped her parents and herself.