Now that NaNoWriMo is over, I have a chance to catch up on some reading. This is the second novel by Oates that I have read, the other was Them. As usual, the characters are more important than the plot to Oates. Many plot points were left unresolved though, and that tends to drive me nuts - I like to have everything resolved and wrapped up at the end. One thing that was never satisfactorily resolved for me was the original "Widow Bride" sequence. I was hoping that the eldest son, at least, would visit that topic again, but it never happened. None of the children knew about that part of their mother and father's lives. The other problem I have is with the passive voice and tense confusion that is apparent repeatedly throughout the book. I don't remember that from the other book of Oates that I read. I could never get away with it, but I'm not a published novelist. On the other hand, I liked the dark, gothic nature of the book. I would prefer that she go a little further in that direction, but it would be difficult to do without becoming melodramatic.
Another thing that bothered me was the introduction of new characters late in the novel. Is that wise? It seemed to be at the expense of earlier characters, like the mother.
