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“Fortune favors the flirtatious.”
I have seen so many people say that this was one of their favorite YA reads of 2017. I hadn’t really thought of reading it to start with. I mean, it looked pretty good, but it just didn’t jump out at me right away (and there are so many books that do, and my TBR is so ridiculous already, that I usually follow that first lukewarm reaction and move on). Maybe it was the cover that did it – I’m not a huge fan of covers with people on them, and it’s even worse when they are real looking people, as opposed to sketches/animations. That’s not the point though. The point is, it just kept showing up, many times recommended by people who have similar reading tastes as I do. So when it was on the library shelf the day I was there and in the mood for some YA, I decided why not?! And truly, it’s hard to see such an awesome title that many times and not go for it. I mean an author that titles a book something like this, and a book that deserves a title like this, it’s gotta be worth trying.
The Gentleman in question is Henry Montague, Monty for short. He’s a pretty typical rogue-ish English lord-to-be: good with the ladies (and the men, if we’re honest), perhaps a little too into drinking and gambling, kicked out of school, and ready to set out on his Grand Tour of the Continent before taking on running the estate with his father. Accompanying him on the first leg is his sister, Felicity, who will be dropped off at a finishing school on the way (though she is not excited about this, as she would much rather be at medical school). And more importantly, his best friend Percy will be going as well, before he sets off for law school in the Netherlands the following year. It’s all shaping up to be an amazing last year of freedom for Monty…if he can escape his father’s disappointment, his annoying/know-it-all sister, and figure out how to deal with the fact that his best friend is not only leaving him next year, buy might also be the love of his life. Along the way, their Tour is thrown completely off course by highwaymen, pirates, secrets, a scheming French Duke, and the family of a breakthrough Spanish alchemist.
As I started reading, I have to say that I did not really like Monty. I mean, he is a super bratty, spoiled and selfish English rich kid. And I have to say, that bratty type character is probably my least favorite in all of literature. However, I stuck with it because the voice he tells the story with is superb. Monty is a lighthearted, snarky, sarcastic narrator. I sort of got a My Lady Jane Gilmore Girls Life and Death Brigade vibe from the very start, a kind of YA version of the voice in The Gentleman, which was a combination/style that I fell in love with. So while I wasn’t a fan of Monty to start, but I sure did love his way with words. Honestly, that’s probably still my favorite part of the book. The craftsmanship in the writing is spot on from page one is stays consistent throughout – managing to even stay snarky throughout some of the more serious or dramatic scenes/moments. Incredibly well done.
In the spirit of full disclosure, Monty definitely grew on me as we went. In fact, second to the writing, his development was the next best part. I was so impressed by the pacing and handling of it: he progressed at a reasonable, believable rate and managed to maintain his core characteristics (attributes and drawbacks) even while learning and growing. There was no sudden moment where he was all of a sudden no longer a rake, and even in his best moments, he still retained that part of himself that was a little rakish. Credit to the author for keeping his voice consistent and not giving in to rushing his “transformation,” making it sooner or greater than it would have been, considering his life/experiences as we go. But he started to think of others and accept himself in a way he hadn’t been anywhere near when we first meet him. It’s exactly the right way for his character to be and I have to say, after finishing, I think he’s gotten on my good side. Character wise, I also really enjoyed Percy and Felicity. Though they are much more static as characters, this is really a one person coming of age tale, I loved Felicity’s take charge attitude and Percy’s quieter but supportive presence. And they were both really able to showcase their feelings and talents in their own moments…and through Monty’s eye-opening, we do also get a chance to see them both more fully by the end than we did at the beginning.
The last thing I’d like to mention is the mostly obscure historical details that we get during the novel. I mean we all know about the complicated politics of the European monarchies, the extravagance of the old aristocracy, etc. but we get more than that here. Lee tackles such complex and little-known topics as homosexuality, race relations and “mental” illness during this time period – parts of everyday life that really never get consideration or exploration in school or, to be honest, in most literature. I really respected and was fascinated by that. And I extra love that she took time after the end of the book to give notes to the reader on the actual situation at the time regarding these topics, or at the very least, what info we have (to the best of our knowledge).
This is a wonderfully old-fashioned unrolling romance for a new generation. Monty and Percy’s affection for each other is real and unsure and troubled and adorable, just like every young love. Plus, it’s in the backdrop of a wild adventure, a historical fiction caper of fun and danger and a little alchemical mystery. This is a (mostly) lighthearted, swooning sort of tale that was pure entertainment from start to finish. What’s not to love there?! I can totally see what the fuss was about.
Some quotes I enjoyed:
“It’s a strange feeling, realizing that other people you don’t know have their own full lives that don’t touch yours.”
“It is impossible to explain how you can love someone so much that it’s difficult to be around him.”
“It makes me brave, the sudden chance of it tying stones to the fear and loneliness of one-sided wanting until they sink out of sight.”
I have seen so many people say that this was one of their favorite YA reads of 2017. I hadn’t really thought of reading it to start with. I mean, it looked pretty good, but it just didn’t jump out at me right away (and there are so many books that do, and my TBR is so ridiculous already, that I usually follow that first lukewarm reaction and move on). Maybe it was the cover that did it – I’m not a huge fan of covers with people on them, and it’s even worse when they are real looking people, as opposed to sketches/animations. That’s not the point though. The point is, it just kept showing up, many times recommended by people who have similar reading tastes as I do. So when it was on the library shelf the day I was there and in the mood for some YA, I decided why not?! And truly, it’s hard to see such an awesome title that many times and not go for it. I mean an author that titles a book something like this, and a book that deserves a title like this, it’s gotta be worth trying.
The Gentleman in question is Henry Montague, Monty for short. He’s a pretty typical rogue-ish English lord-to-be: good with the ladies (and the men, if we’re honest), perhaps a little too into drinking and gambling, kicked out of school, and ready to set out on his Grand Tour of the Continent before taking on running the estate with his father. Accompanying him on the first leg is his sister, Felicity, who will be dropped off at a finishing school on the way (though she is not excited about this, as she would much rather be at medical school). And more importantly, his best friend Percy will be going as well, before he sets off for law school in the Netherlands the following year. It’s all shaping up to be an amazing last year of freedom for Monty…if he can escape his father’s disappointment, his annoying/know-it-all sister, and figure out how to deal with the fact that his best friend is not only leaving him next year, buy might also be the love of his life. Along the way, their Tour is thrown completely off course by highwaymen, pirates, secrets, a scheming French Duke, and the family of a breakthrough Spanish alchemist.
As I started reading, I have to say that I did not really like Monty. I mean, he is a super bratty, spoiled and selfish English rich kid. And I have to say, that bratty type character is probably my least favorite in all of literature. However, I stuck with it because the voice he tells the story with is superb. Monty is a lighthearted, snarky, sarcastic narrator. I sort of got a My Lady Jane Gilmore Girls Life and Death Brigade vibe from the very start, a kind of YA version of the voice in The Gentleman, which was a combination/style that I fell in love with. So while I wasn’t a fan of Monty to start, but I sure did love his way with words. Honestly, that’s probably still my favorite part of the book. The craftsmanship in the writing is spot on from page one is stays consistent throughout – managing to even stay snarky throughout some of the more serious or dramatic scenes/moments. Incredibly well done.
In the spirit of full disclosure, Monty definitely grew on me as we went. In fact, second to the writing, his development was the next best part. I was so impressed by the pacing and handling of it: he progressed at a reasonable, believable rate and managed to maintain his core characteristics (attributes and drawbacks) even while learning and growing. There was no sudden moment where he was all of a sudden no longer a rake, and even in his best moments, he still retained that part of himself that was a little rakish. Credit to the author for keeping his voice consistent and not giving in to rushing his “transformation,” making it sooner or greater than it would have been, considering his life/experiences as we go. But he started to think of others and accept himself in a way he hadn’t been anywhere near when we first meet him. It’s exactly the right way for his character to be and I have to say, after finishing, I think he’s gotten on my good side. Character wise, I also really enjoyed Percy and Felicity. Though they are much more static as characters, this is really a one person coming of age tale, I loved Felicity’s take charge attitude and Percy’s quieter but supportive presence. And they were both really able to showcase their feelings and talents in their own moments…and through Monty’s eye-opening, we do also get a chance to see them both more fully by the end than we did at the beginning.
The last thing I’d like to mention is the mostly obscure historical details that we get during the novel. I mean we all know about the complicated politics of the European monarchies, the extravagance of the old aristocracy, etc. but we get more than that here. Lee tackles such complex and little-known topics as homosexuality, race relations and “mental” illness during this time period – parts of everyday life that really never get consideration or exploration in school or, to be honest, in most literature. I really respected and was fascinated by that. And I extra love that she took time after the end of the book to give notes to the reader on the actual situation at the time regarding these topics, or at the very least, what info we have (to the best of our knowledge).
This is a wonderfully old-fashioned unrolling romance for a new generation. Monty and Percy’s affection for each other is real and unsure and troubled and adorable, just like every young love. Plus, it’s in the backdrop of a wild adventure, a historical fiction caper of fun and danger and a little alchemical mystery. This is a (mostly) lighthearted, swooning sort of tale that was pure entertainment from start to finish. What’s not to love there?! I can totally see what the fuss was about.
Some quotes I enjoyed:
“It’s a strange feeling, realizing that other people you don’t know have their own full lives that don’t touch yours.”
“It is impossible to explain how you can love someone so much that it’s difficult to be around him.”
“It makes me brave, the sudden chance of it tying stones to the fear and loneliness of one-sided wanting until they sink out of sight.”
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
“‘It’s like something out of a dream.’
‘No,’ I said, smiling into his eyes. ‘It’s like something out of a book.’”
I am pretty much always down for a retelling, and particularly a retelling of classic lit by one of my fav women: Jane Austen. She and the Brontës are pretty much my “lady writers of history” goals. I realize that’s a very specific category. I have lots of lady goals. Regardless, this book is right up my alley and I jumped at the chance to receive a ARC. Also, this is the time of year that I am always looking for a little bit of a feel-good read, something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and isn’t overly intense. So for many reasons, this was the right book at the right time.
To be perfectly honest, Persuasion, is one of Austen’s books that I know the least about. Just…I haven’t read it as much as some of the others and I haven’t seen the most recent movie adaptation, so the story isn’t fresh in my mind from something like that either. However, I know the gist of the story, and that was definitely enough. By the Book has all the same basic traits as the original, a second chance love story and secondary (current day) suitors who threaten to keep our main couple apart (despite the reader knowing that they should still be together!). This retelling also had some really fun additional characters and story lines, like the unlucky in love gay best friend and a fun pop culture vampire Jane Eyre retelling/movie (but seriously, can that be real, please??). Also, the whole thing took place at a university and our main character, Anne, is an English professor writing a novel about love interests for famous classic women writers. Honestly, she’s living my best life: books and libraries every day!
There was definitely lots to love about this novel. It does a great job taking pieces of the original and spinning them into something similar, but unique. And the modern-day updates to the story are handled nicely. The “string the reader along” pacing of the story was on point. So many times you’d think it would be about happen for our “meant to be” lovers, but then something would come up and we’d be disappointed once again! But it was all written smoothly enough that you couldn’t entirely lose hope. And it just really built up the tension and expectation, so that what we finally get our denouement it’s perfectly fulfilling. Some of the little details, like the mirroring of the proposals, are super sweet and just made me smile so much. I do wish we had seen a little more of Adam (the second chance guy), but that’s not in the cards for this story line. I get that. And of course, we do get more of his perspective than we ever usually get in the originals, so I shouldn’t complain. I’m just greedy for more adorable love story sappy right now.
The one criticism that I have is that, and I find that this is often an issue with retellings, there is a little too much reliance on the reader knowing the original story. I can’t put my finger on what any of it is exactly, but for some reason, there are a few moments where explanations seem rushed or details fall through, but it’s kind of just assumed that since the storyline is, in essence, already known, that takes care of these little breakdowns. Maybe that’s not a retelling issue and instead it’s just a “not quite polished and any book can have those problems” issue, but I think it’s particularly common in retellings. Also, and this is a small thing, I think Anne’s intermediary love interest was, perhaps, a little too much…in all senses of the word. He was just written to an extreme from all angles, both the good and the bad, that made it slightly too much. All in all, this is definitely the light-hearted, happy ending, classic lit nostalgia that I was looking forward. An uplifting and cozy end of the year winter read. Very satisfying.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books, for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“‘It’s like something out of a dream.’
‘No,’ I said, smiling into his eyes. ‘It’s like something out of a book.’”
I am pretty much always down for a retelling, and particularly a retelling of classic lit by one of my fav women: Jane Austen. She and the Brontës are pretty much my “lady writers of history” goals. I realize that’s a very specific category. I have lots of lady goals. Regardless, this book is right up my alley and I jumped at the chance to receive a ARC. Also, this is the time of year that I am always looking for a little bit of a feel-good read, something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and isn’t overly intense. So for many reasons, this was the right book at the right time.
To be perfectly honest, Persuasion, is one of Austen’s books that I know the least about. Just…I haven’t read it as much as some of the others and I haven’t seen the most recent movie adaptation, so the story isn’t fresh in my mind from something like that either. However, I know the gist of the story, and that was definitely enough. By the Book has all the same basic traits as the original, a second chance love story and secondary (current day) suitors who threaten to keep our main couple apart (despite the reader knowing that they should still be together!). This retelling also had some really fun additional characters and story lines, like the unlucky in love gay best friend and a fun pop culture vampire Jane Eyre retelling/movie (but seriously, can that be real, please??). Also, the whole thing took place at a university and our main character, Anne, is an English professor writing a novel about love interests for famous classic women writers. Honestly, she’s living my best life: books and libraries every day!
There was definitely lots to love about this novel. It does a great job taking pieces of the original and spinning them into something similar, but unique. And the modern-day updates to the story are handled nicely. The “string the reader along” pacing of the story was on point. So many times you’d think it would be about happen for our “meant to be” lovers, but then something would come up and we’d be disappointed once again! But it was all written smoothly enough that you couldn’t entirely lose hope. And it just really built up the tension and expectation, so that what we finally get our denouement it’s perfectly fulfilling. Some of the little details, like the mirroring of the proposals, are super sweet and just made me smile so much. I do wish we had seen a little more of Adam (the second chance guy), but that’s not in the cards for this story line. I get that. And of course, we do get more of his perspective than we ever usually get in the originals, so I shouldn’t complain. I’m just greedy for more adorable love story sappy right now.
The one criticism that I have is that, and I find that this is often an issue with retellings, there is a little too much reliance on the reader knowing the original story. I can’t put my finger on what any of it is exactly, but for some reason, there are a few moments where explanations seem rushed or details fall through, but it’s kind of just assumed that since the storyline is, in essence, already known, that takes care of these little breakdowns. Maybe that’s not a retelling issue and instead it’s just a “not quite polished and any book can have those problems” issue, but I think it’s particularly common in retellings. Also, and this is a small thing, I think Anne’s intermediary love interest was, perhaps, a little too much…in all senses of the word. He was just written to an extreme from all angles, both the good and the bad, that made it slightly too much. All in all, this is definitely the light-hearted, happy ending, classic lit nostalgia that I was looking forward. An uplifting and cozy end of the year winter read. Very satisfying.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books, for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
“To see beauty in the world and say it is ugly; to get up in the morning and do what you cannot do; and to give free reign to your dreams, because those who dream too much become victims of their dreams.” (from Yennenga: The Warrior Who Just Wanted to Have Kids; early 12th century, Burkina Faso/Ghana)
If anyone follows me closely (either on the blog or on Goodreads), you’ll notice that this book has been listed under my “currently reading” since the summer. Well the reason why is a super cute story, so buckle up. I saw a few photos of pages from this book and absolutely fell in love with the illustrations. Plus, who can scroll past a subtitle like this, “Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics,” without a double take. So, naturally, I bought it. When it arrived, I flipped through it and saw some names I recognized and so many that I didn’t. Each of the stories was only about 2-3 pages (granted, this is a larger than normal size book – think coffee-table-book sized – which is phenomenal for enjoying the illustrations) and I knew they would be stories to savor and remember. This is not the type of book that I wanted to breeze through, reading multiple stories a day. And I had an idea, that I proposed to my husband, and that he accepted. Let me tell you, it turned into one of the cutest things we’ve ever done. Every night after we got in bed, we’d read a story out loud together before we fell asleep. Let me repeat that: we read a story out loud together every night before bed. Like seriously, that is fairy tale cute right there. If your heart is melting a little right now, you’re welcome and sorry, not sorry.
This book tells the story of women throughout history that survived and stood up for themselves and their cause with a strength and power to be proud of. But as history is written by the “winners” (and no matter what side of that you fall on, the writers are always the men), these resilient women and their stories have, in many cases, been lost to time. Porath crowdsourced widely, including open requests on Tumblr, to create and finalize the list of women who would be included in this collection. And I may not be an expert in the field, but I think he did an admirable job including a diverse cast of women, from a vast array of time periods, locations, backgrounds, race/ethnicities, specialties, motivations, and maturity levels. There are warriors, scientists, activists, governmental leaders, pilots, samurais, writers, spies, travelers, pirates, myths/legends and so many more. They fought within and outside of the law, following and breaking rules as needed to fight for themselves and/or what the felt was right (whether it be traditionally “feminine” or not – and both are definitely represented). Their stories are beyond the normal “princess” bedtime tales, telling of the complexities of their life and times and the challenges they faced and fought to overcome. Some were perhaps a little crazy, but all stood/fought for something, and in that respect, this is a book of brave female role models.
Porath’s language is fantastically snarky (he throws a ton of feminist shade that we seriously loved). Although this seems like it is written for kids…that’s definitely not entirely true. I mean don’t get me wrong, many/most of the stories are totally fine for young ears and I’d highly recommend sharing them (I wish I’d heard of more of these women earlier in life). The exposure to other cultures and realties these stories would provide is something I truly think should be shared with our youth/children. But, as in many kids movies (think Disney/Pixar), the writer speaks to an adult audience as well. And he also does a great job marking stories with warnings for when different types of violence/triggers might be present, as well as with a 1-5 scale a maturity, so you can filter a little. Plus, if you are reading out loud (as we were), it’d be fairly easy to censor certain parts as you go. The illustrations themselves are perfect for any age – so good!
My husband and I learned a lot while reading this and loved the experience of having these stories as a shared moment before bed. And seriously we’ve noticed references (in pop culture, the news and otherwise) to many of these women that we would have totally missed before. These women and their legacies are present in our lives with no recognition or credit. I’m glad that we, at least between ourselves, can give it to them now.
Here are some of our favorite entries, though to be honest, it’s nigh on impossible to pick:
The Night Witches (husband): The Civilian Pilots Who Became the Nazis’ Worst Nightmare (c 1940, Russia)
Boudica (husband): The Headhunter Queen of Britain (c 20-60 CE, England)
Mary Bowser (husband): The Spy Who Set Fire to the Confederate White House (19th century, US)
Tin Hinan (me): The Queen Who Put Men in Veils (c 4th-5th century, Algeria)
Agontime and the Dahomey Amazons (me): The Fiercest Woman in the World (19th century, Benin)
Nana Asma’u (me): The Princess Who Loved Learning (7193-1864, Nigeria)
Osh-Tisch (me): Princess of Two Spirits (late 19th/early 20th century, Crow Nation/US)
Marjana (both): The Slave Girl Who Killed Ali Baba’s 40 Thieves (Arabian Myth)
Malinche (both): The Maligned Mother of Mexico (1496/1501 – 1529, Mexico)
“To see beauty in the world and say it is ugly; to get up in the morning and do what you cannot do; and to give free reign to your dreams, because those who dream too much become victims of their dreams.” (from Yennenga: The Warrior Who Just Wanted to Have Kids; early 12th century, Burkina Faso/Ghana)
If anyone follows me closely (either on the blog or on Goodreads), you’ll notice that this book has been listed under my “currently reading” since the summer. Well the reason why is a super cute story, so buckle up. I saw a few photos of pages from this book and absolutely fell in love with the illustrations. Plus, who can scroll past a subtitle like this, “Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics,” without a double take. So, naturally, I bought it. When it arrived, I flipped through it and saw some names I recognized and so many that I didn’t. Each of the stories was only about 2-3 pages (granted, this is a larger than normal size book – think coffee-table-book sized – which is phenomenal for enjoying the illustrations) and I knew they would be stories to savor and remember. This is not the type of book that I wanted to breeze through, reading multiple stories a day. And I had an idea, that I proposed to my husband, and that he accepted. Let me tell you, it turned into one of the cutest things we’ve ever done. Every night after we got in bed, we’d read a story out loud together before we fell asleep. Let me repeat that: we read a story out loud together every night before bed. Like seriously, that is fairy tale cute right there. If your heart is melting a little right now, you’re welcome and sorry, not sorry.
This book tells the story of women throughout history that survived and stood up for themselves and their cause with a strength and power to be proud of. But as history is written by the “winners” (and no matter what side of that you fall on, the writers are always the men), these resilient women and their stories have, in many cases, been lost to time. Porath crowdsourced widely, including open requests on Tumblr, to create and finalize the list of women who would be included in this collection. And I may not be an expert in the field, but I think he did an admirable job including a diverse cast of women, from a vast array of time periods, locations, backgrounds, race/ethnicities, specialties, motivations, and maturity levels. There are warriors, scientists, activists, governmental leaders, pilots, samurais, writers, spies, travelers, pirates, myths/legends and so many more. They fought within and outside of the law, following and breaking rules as needed to fight for themselves and/or what the felt was right (whether it be traditionally “feminine” or not – and both are definitely represented). Their stories are beyond the normal “princess” bedtime tales, telling of the complexities of their life and times and the challenges they faced and fought to overcome. Some were perhaps a little crazy, but all stood/fought for something, and in that respect, this is a book of brave female role models.
Porath’s language is fantastically snarky (he throws a ton of feminist shade that we seriously loved). Although this seems like it is written for kids…that’s definitely not entirely true. I mean don’t get me wrong, many/most of the stories are totally fine for young ears and I’d highly recommend sharing them (I wish I’d heard of more of these women earlier in life). The exposure to other cultures and realties these stories would provide is something I truly think should be shared with our youth/children. But, as in many kids movies (think Disney/Pixar), the writer speaks to an adult audience as well. And he also does a great job marking stories with warnings for when different types of violence/triggers might be present, as well as with a 1-5 scale a maturity, so you can filter a little. Plus, if you are reading out loud (as we were), it’d be fairly easy to censor certain parts as you go. The illustrations themselves are perfect for any age – so good!
My husband and I learned a lot while reading this and loved the experience of having these stories as a shared moment before bed. And seriously we’ve noticed references (in pop culture, the news and otherwise) to many of these women that we would have totally missed before. These women and their legacies are present in our lives with no recognition or credit. I’m glad that we, at least between ourselves, can give it to them now.
Here are some of our favorite entries, though to be honest, it’s nigh on impossible to pick:
The Night Witches (husband): The Civilian Pilots Who Became the Nazis’ Worst Nightmare (c 1940, Russia)
Boudica (husband): The Headhunter Queen of Britain (c 20-60 CE, England)
Mary Bowser (husband): The Spy Who Set Fire to the Confederate White House (19th century, US)
Tin Hinan (me): The Queen Who Put Men in Veils (c 4th-5th century, Algeria)
Agontime and the Dahomey Amazons (me): The Fiercest Woman in the World (19th century, Benin)
Nana Asma’u (me): The Princess Who Loved Learning (7193-1864, Nigeria)
Osh-Tisch (me): Princess of Two Spirits (late 19th/early 20th century, Crow Nation/US)
Marjana (both): The Slave Girl Who Killed Ali Baba’s 40 Thieves (Arabian Myth)
Malinche (both): The Maligned Mother of Mexico (1496/1501 – 1529, Mexico)
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
This was one of those books that, as soon as it came out, everyone seemed to be reading and raving about. I saw it positively compared to a number of sweeping, epic and a little bit heartbreaking books (like A Little Life). Seeing that, and having read a few other books by Boyne already (I really enjoyed both The Absolutist and The House of Special Purpose), I knew this one was going to jump to the top of my TBR.
For some quick background, this is the story of Cyril Avery. Born to an unmarried woman in post-WW2 Ireland and adopted at birth by a slightly eccentric, upper class couple, this novel follows him throughout his life. From his youth in Dublin to his following international life and travels and back to Dublin for his later life, we see him create, sabotage and redeem both himself and many of his relationships throughout the years. All of this is set against cultural, political and religious backdrops that do nothing to make things easier for him as a gay man.
I started this about a month ago and really don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get through it. There were a few books in there that I had to read faster (for book club purposes) that got in the way, and it is a fairly long novel, but for me neither of those things would usually make this much of a different. I guess I’ll just blame it on the time of year (all the Holidays) and a very busy few weeks in my personal life. Regardless, I can say for sure that it’s not a reflection on the quality of the book.
This is a comprehensive life saga, told in smaller sections with 10 or so year jumps between them (a method of jumping things forward that is used flawlessly here). We meet most of the main players, his adoptive parents, his best friend Julien, Julien’s sister Alice, and Ms. Goggin, fairly early in the story. A few other important characters, primarily his chosen family Bastiaan and Ignac, come a little farther in, but by about halfway through we are familiar with everyone who will be important in Cyril’s life. The introduction of characters and the long, slow (in a realistic and complete sense, not as a commentary on pacing) development of their characters, both on their own and in relation to Cyril, is textured and full. They are all precisely flawed and human.
Cyril himself is a wonderfully complex and nuanced character, jointly inviting feelings of sympathy and frustration in reaction to his actions and decisions. To this point, the presence/atmosphere of the historical context and the political and cultural setting(s) of his story is interwoven so smoothly, affecting Cyril’s choices so much, that it truly almost becomes its’ own character. You cannot judge him separately from the reality of his circumstances, for better or worse (and credit to the author for describing these circumstances neutrally, as an observation of how things were, without injecting too much personal opinion or judgement into the narrative – I can only imagine that was a challenge, considering the many judgmental reactions/emotional responses I had as I read). Having to make your own decisions about whether he deserves the benefit of the doubt and balancing his personal blame/failures with sympathy for the situation(s) is what really draws you into and keeps you invested in the story. And the ability to do so, to be able to make those calls for yourself and not be told how to react by the author, is a testament to the reality created by Boyne in this novel. In addition, the psychological exploration of his feelings and decisions is a fascinating read. Since we can hear from Cyril himself his thoughts on and reactions to everything he does, both at the time and looking back, our relationship with him as a reader is developing and changing in the same way that the rest of the characters’ are. And going on that journey of growth, self-discovery and self-acceptance with him is the crowning jewel of this novel. Full of lovely and witty dialogue and the perfect mix of history and fiction, this novel is masterfully written. With a poignant ending (I got misty-eyed), coincidence and luck that toe the line of believably (only slightly crossing over) and a bildungsroman denouement that encapsulates the adage “better late than never” perfectly, I definitely recommend this touching, personal narrative.
I received this book, in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Blogging for Books and Hogarth Press.
This was one of those books that, as soon as it came out, everyone seemed to be reading and raving about. I saw it positively compared to a number of sweeping, epic and a little bit heartbreaking books (like A Little Life). Seeing that, and having read a few other books by Boyne already (I really enjoyed both The Absolutist and The House of Special Purpose), I knew this one was going to jump to the top of my TBR.
For some quick background, this is the story of Cyril Avery. Born to an unmarried woman in post-WW2 Ireland and adopted at birth by a slightly eccentric, upper class couple, this novel follows him throughout his life. From his youth in Dublin to his following international life and travels and back to Dublin for his later life, we see him create, sabotage and redeem both himself and many of his relationships throughout the years. All of this is set against cultural, political and religious backdrops that do nothing to make things easier for him as a gay man.
I started this about a month ago and really don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get through it. There were a few books in there that I had to read faster (for book club purposes) that got in the way, and it is a fairly long novel, but for me neither of those things would usually make this much of a different. I guess I’ll just blame it on the time of year (all the Holidays) and a very busy few weeks in my personal life. Regardless, I can say for sure that it’s not a reflection on the quality of the book.
This is a comprehensive life saga, told in smaller sections with 10 or so year jumps between them (a method of jumping things forward that is used flawlessly here). We meet most of the main players, his adoptive parents, his best friend Julien, Julien’s sister Alice, and Ms. Goggin, fairly early in the story. A few other important characters, primarily his chosen family Bastiaan and Ignac, come a little farther in, but by about halfway through we are familiar with everyone who will be important in Cyril’s life. The introduction of characters and the long, slow (in a realistic and complete sense, not as a commentary on pacing) development of their characters, both on their own and in relation to Cyril, is textured and full. They are all precisely flawed and human.
Cyril himself is a wonderfully complex and nuanced character, jointly inviting feelings of sympathy and frustration in reaction to his actions and decisions. To this point, the presence/atmosphere of the historical context and the political and cultural setting(s) of his story is interwoven so smoothly, affecting Cyril’s choices so much, that it truly almost becomes its’ own character. You cannot judge him separately from the reality of his circumstances, for better or worse (and credit to the author for describing these circumstances neutrally, as an observation of how things were, without injecting too much personal opinion or judgement into the narrative – I can only imagine that was a challenge, considering the many judgmental reactions/emotional responses I had as I read). Having to make your own decisions about whether he deserves the benefit of the doubt and balancing his personal blame/failures with sympathy for the situation(s) is what really draws you into and keeps you invested in the story. And the ability to do so, to be able to make those calls for yourself and not be told how to react by the author, is a testament to the reality created by Boyne in this novel. In addition, the psychological exploration of his feelings and decisions is a fascinating read. Since we can hear from Cyril himself his thoughts on and reactions to everything he does, both at the time and looking back, our relationship with him as a reader is developing and changing in the same way that the rest of the characters’ are. And going on that journey of growth, self-discovery and self-acceptance with him is the crowning jewel of this novel. Full of lovely and witty dialogue and the perfect mix of history and fiction, this novel is masterfully written. With a poignant ending (I got misty-eyed), coincidence and luck that toe the line of believably (only slightly crossing over) and a bildungsroman denouement that encapsulates the adage “better late than never” perfectly, I definitely recommend this touching, personal narrative.
I received this book, in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Blogging for Books and Hogarth Press.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
In a very convenient circumstance, this book, which has been on my TBR list for a few months, was also chosen as the January book for one of my book clubs. I love when things like that work out. Also, since it wasn’t towards the top of my list, I was unlikely to get to it this soon otherwise. Perfect. Before we get into the review, I’d also like to preface by saying that I read this over the Holidays, between travel and to and from visiting both sides of the family, which means my time spent reading was fairly disjointed. I don’t think that affected/changed my opinions too much, but I figure that it’s only fair to let you know that ahead of time.
I was first drawn to this novel by the cover – the sepia toned book theme is pretty much the stuff of my dreams. And the little blurb on the inside, about a man (Simon) who receives a peculiar book in the mail one day, finds the name of his grandmother in it, and is swept of into an adventure of unraveling his family’s history and past misfortune, while trying to prevent it from happening again in the present day, sounds super entertaining. And while that is, technically, what the story is about, there is a lot more to it that was completely unexpected. There are traveling circuses, “freak show” acts (historical and modern) that border on and sometimes just straight cross into the unbelievable, and a family curse that was unknowingly cast years ago and now must be broken or Simon’s sister will die. Oh, and there are tarot cards. I love books with tarot cards. Like, they are one of my biggest soft spots in stories and when they play a large role in a book, as they do here, I just...it’s awesome. Needless to say, the reader gets a lot out of this reading experience.
Plotwise, I think this story was really well crafted and executed. There were a lot of little details and loose ends, both present day and in the past, and any number of them could have been unsatisfactorily wrapped up. The intergenerational connectedness, the parallels between family members (both regarding personalities, skills and life trajectories), were clearly developed but not too obvious, which I appreciated. I particularly enjoyed the way the characters of the present day were all drawn together because of their ancestors/pasts. Again, they were all smoothly interwoven, but not overly or crudely. There was a finesse that I really respected. The pacing was, I felt, a little slow to start. This is partially why I gave you my earlier caveat about how/when I was reading this, because maybe was part of the problem. In any case, I thought things took a little too long to pick up or mean something, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged. Things did start to pick up, and at least the last third was definitely moving me along at a much more captivating pace.
For some reason, I had a difficult time connecting to the characters themselves. I loved their story, for sure, and as I mentioned, the pacing did pick up. But I do not think I ever fully connected to the characters. In fact, at multiple points along the way, I found I was forgetting names. And even now as I write this review, I have to think hard to remember even Simon’s name, and he was our protagonist. I just felt, all along, a sort of strange feeling of disconnect, or disjointedness, in my reading, that didn’t allow to me to get into the characters and their experiences the way I normally do. It was like there was a fog over the whole story, and I couldn’t quite see through it. Perhaps it was the writing style, which was a sort of distant mysterious, that did it. Or maybe it was Simon himself, as the narrator, since he was a sort of withdrawn, waiflike person himself. And perhaps it was just that the story itself had a very sinister, eerie, otherworldly sort of vibe (which don’t get me wrong, was very cool), and that made it hard to connect with the people in the story on a personal level. But whatever it was, that’s probably the biggest reason I felt less than blown away by this story.
To end on a positive note though, this was a fascinatingly atmospheric read that truly delivered with its story and excellent mood-setting. I absolutely loved the sepia toned sketches throughout the novel (done by the author herself). They added to the air of mystery and ominousness and gave lovely dimension to the overall impression left by the book. This was a setting and environment-based success for me and, as a reader, though I will not remember the characters for long, the unsettling aura that story left me with is definitely sticking around.
Some quotes/passages a enjoyed:
“…if something terrible was made out of a beautiful thing there was an obligation to restore beauty, to reinstate meaning.”
“Ryzhkova was accustomed to tarot with its layers of meaning, interpretations, and reversals, and how a picture might look one way but contain a contrary truth. Used to her silent apprentice, she had forgotten that language itself was as subtle and slippery as her cards, and that words contained hidden seeds that blossomed with a speaker’s intent. A wish for safety meant nothing if the force behind it was a desire to kill. Though she spoke of love and protection, dread, grief, and anger bled through. Each word that fell from her tongue bound itself to paper with a small part of her soul, infusing the cards not with love as she thought, but with a hex burned strong and deep by fear.”
“Once, as a child, I fell from the monkey bars on the elementary school playground and had the wind knocked from me. I lay on the pavement, diaphragm fluttering, gasping, waiting for the empty to fill. Undrowning is that in reverse. What’s full is emptying again to take in life.”
In a very convenient circumstance, this book, which has been on my TBR list for a few months, was also chosen as the January book for one of my book clubs. I love when things like that work out. Also, since it wasn’t towards the top of my list, I was unlikely to get to it this soon otherwise. Perfect. Before we get into the review, I’d also like to preface by saying that I read this over the Holidays, between travel and to and from visiting both sides of the family, which means my time spent reading was fairly disjointed. I don’t think that affected/changed my opinions too much, but I figure that it’s only fair to let you know that ahead of time.
I was first drawn to this novel by the cover – the sepia toned book theme is pretty much the stuff of my dreams. And the little blurb on the inside, about a man (Simon) who receives a peculiar book in the mail one day, finds the name of his grandmother in it, and is swept of into an adventure of unraveling his family’s history and past misfortune, while trying to prevent it from happening again in the present day, sounds super entertaining. And while that is, technically, what the story is about, there is a lot more to it that was completely unexpected. There are traveling circuses, “freak show” acts (historical and modern) that border on and sometimes just straight cross into the unbelievable, and a family curse that was unknowingly cast years ago and now must be broken or Simon’s sister will die. Oh, and there are tarot cards. I love books with tarot cards. Like, they are one of my biggest soft spots in stories and when they play a large role in a book, as they do here, I just...it’s awesome. Needless to say, the reader gets a lot out of this reading experience.
Plotwise, I think this story was really well crafted and executed. There were a lot of little details and loose ends, both present day and in the past, and any number of them could have been unsatisfactorily wrapped up. The intergenerational connectedness, the parallels between family members (both regarding personalities, skills and life trajectories), were clearly developed but not too obvious, which I appreciated. I particularly enjoyed the way the characters of the present day were all drawn together because of their ancestors/pasts. Again, they were all smoothly interwoven, but not overly or crudely. There was a finesse that I really respected. The pacing was, I felt, a little slow to start. This is partially why I gave you my earlier caveat about how/when I was reading this, because maybe was part of the problem. In any case, I thought things took a little too long to pick up or mean something, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged. Things did start to pick up, and at least the last third was definitely moving me along at a much more captivating pace.
For some reason, I had a difficult time connecting to the characters themselves. I loved their story, for sure, and as I mentioned, the pacing did pick up. But I do not think I ever fully connected to the characters. In fact, at multiple points along the way, I found I was forgetting names. And even now as I write this review, I have to think hard to remember even Simon’s name, and he was our protagonist. I just felt, all along, a sort of strange feeling of disconnect, or disjointedness, in my reading, that didn’t allow to me to get into the characters and their experiences the way I normally do. It was like there was a fog over the whole story, and I couldn’t quite see through it. Perhaps it was the writing style, which was a sort of distant mysterious, that did it. Or maybe it was Simon himself, as the narrator, since he was a sort of withdrawn, waiflike person himself. And perhaps it was just that the story itself had a very sinister, eerie, otherworldly sort of vibe (which don’t get me wrong, was very cool), and that made it hard to connect with the people in the story on a personal level. But whatever it was, that’s probably the biggest reason I felt less than blown away by this story.
To end on a positive note though, this was a fascinatingly atmospheric read that truly delivered with its story and excellent mood-setting. I absolutely loved the sepia toned sketches throughout the novel (done by the author herself). They added to the air of mystery and ominousness and gave lovely dimension to the overall impression left by the book. This was a setting and environment-based success for me and, as a reader, though I will not remember the characters for long, the unsettling aura that story left me with is definitely sticking around.
Some quotes/passages a enjoyed:
“…if something terrible was made out of a beautiful thing there was an obligation to restore beauty, to reinstate meaning.”
“Ryzhkova was accustomed to tarot with its layers of meaning, interpretations, and reversals, and how a picture might look one way but contain a contrary truth. Used to her silent apprentice, she had forgotten that language itself was as subtle and slippery as her cards, and that words contained hidden seeds that blossomed with a speaker’s intent. A wish for safety meant nothing if the force behind it was a desire to kill. Though she spoke of love and protection, dread, grief, and anger bled through. Each word that fell from her tongue bound itself to paper with a small part of her soul, infusing the cards not with love as she thought, but with a hex burned strong and deep by fear.”
“Once, as a child, I fell from the monkey bars on the elementary school playground and had the wind knocked from me. I lay on the pavement, diaphragm fluttering, gasping, waiting for the empty to fill. Undrowning is that in reverse. What’s full is emptying again to take in life.”
I generally dislike the idea of “women’s fiction” as a literary genre. I do not understand why literature written by or about “everyday men” is fiction, but anything by or about “everyday women” needs to be sub-categorized. And like any good literature, it fictionalizes many of the challenges and relationships that we all recognize and can relate to, while providing insight for those who haven’t lived these types of experiences.
Miranda and Lucia are sisters. They moved from China to the United States, with their mother, as young children (or as a fetus, in Lucia’s case). As time goes by, the sisters get married (or don’t), have children (or don’t), separate from their partners (or don’t) and move around the world. Although they have been close since their youth, very close, something happens that changes everything. Lucia suffers a (non-specific diagnosis) mental break and must be hospitalized. Throughout the years that follow, this experience colors the relationships, jobs and decisions Lucia makes and, with the changes in guilt and responsibility that Miranda feels, irreparably changes the connection between the sisters.
This story was told in alternating viewpoints and we get to see the events through the eyes of Lucia herself, Miranda, and Lucia’s two serious partners, Yonah and Manny. The voice changes slightly as the narrators change, but the one that really felt the most alive was Yonah’s. His accent and personality came through so strongly, while the others, at least stylistically, blended together for me. The writing itself was short, almost staccato. Thoughts and moments jumped quickly paragraph to paragraph, without long exposition or flowery extra language. It’s a style I don’t mind, in general, though at times I felt that perhaps it was a little too disjointed here. And as the story went, the descriptive language got a little longer and more present, so the style lost a bit of consistency there. But the overall pacing and feel of the story was nicely handled and very emotionally present.
The way mental illness was considered here, which was the main plot point that moved the story forwards and which all the characters revolved around, was skillfully handled. Lucia’s narrative sections gave some superb insight into the inner perspective of a person dealing with a mental health disorder. And Miranda, Yonah and Manny’s sections brilliantly exemplified the struggles faced by family and friends of those suffering from mental illness and the treatment of it. The general impotence felt by everyone, the strain and guilt and confusion and frustration spread all around, is heartbreaking to read. And will provide anyone who has experienced anything similar with justification and relief that they are not the only ones who feel helpless and discouraged. The exploration of the feelings of loss, loss of sense of self and self-control and decision-making, to the illness both for Lucia and her family/friends is also very important. More than once Lucia mentions a lack of awareness of what is real anymore, while Miranda/Yonah/Manny speak about how they start to forget what parts of her are Lucia and what parts are her mental illness. The pressure that puts on both the person and the ones who love them is beyond difficult. In general, I felt that this was just a really respectable chronicle of the struggles of mental illness.
As an added bonus, the story is wonderfully multi-cultural. With a very diverse cast, both regarding characters and locations, from China to Israel to the US to Ecuador to Switzerland, the way everything came together to create unique and specific cultures was fascinating. And of course, as this is the main billing for this story, the sister-sister bond between Miranda and Lucia, with both its ups and downs, will be recognizable to anyone with siblings.
Some small extra notes. I loved the detail that Lucia assigns an animal/vegetable essence to everyone she meets (i.e. – elk, avocado, porcupine). It’s such a fun and evocative representation of a personality and I loved that touch. On the other hand, I was less impressed with the ending. I felt like the writing for the ending dropped off from the rest of the story and I wasn’t super satisfied with that. However, I did like where/how the story ended as far as the plot and relationships go, which is the important thing.
Keep an eye out for this one, official publication date on January 16, 2018!
This ARC was provided to me courtesy of First to Read and Pamela Dorman Books in exchange for an honest review.
Quotes I enjoyed (about relationships, culture, and, particularly, about the realities of mental illness):
“But the truth is, I’m still not sure how to tell what’s real – because when you’re inside it, it’s your
reality, and if your own perception of the world isn’t valid, then what is?”
“These days were forever, life pouring into me all think and spicy and I was bottomless.”
“But what would it be, I wonder, to conduct one’s life as a Chinese life instead of just a life? I speak Chinese, I cook Chinese food, practice tai-chi on occasion and drink oolong tea, but to flaunt one’s authenticity seem terribly gauche. I’m human first, aren’t I? Aren’t we all?”
“Saudade. A vague longing for something that cannot exist again, or perhaps never did.”
“Divinely blessed, my thoughts popped like firecrackers, my heart swelled with happiness, my body exuded a magnetic energy.”
“And then, her worst fear: that line between her sister and the illness was becoming irrevocably blurred.”
“I think love is just a romantic way of explaining selflessness.”
“But it was impossible to know the truth of another’s interior life. Wasn’t it?”
“In grief, the future seems impossible.”
Miranda and Lucia are sisters. They moved from China to the United States, with their mother, as young children (or as a fetus, in Lucia’s case). As time goes by, the sisters get married (or don’t), have children (or don’t), separate from their partners (or don’t) and move around the world. Although they have been close since their youth, very close, something happens that changes everything. Lucia suffers a (non-specific diagnosis) mental break and must be hospitalized. Throughout the years that follow, this experience colors the relationships, jobs and decisions Lucia makes and, with the changes in guilt and responsibility that Miranda feels, irreparably changes the connection between the sisters.
This story was told in alternating viewpoints and we get to see the events through the eyes of Lucia herself, Miranda, and Lucia’s two serious partners, Yonah and Manny. The voice changes slightly as the narrators change, but the one that really felt the most alive was Yonah’s. His accent and personality came through so strongly, while the others, at least stylistically, blended together for me. The writing itself was short, almost staccato. Thoughts and moments jumped quickly paragraph to paragraph, without long exposition or flowery extra language. It’s a style I don’t mind, in general, though at times I felt that perhaps it was a little too disjointed here. And as the story went, the descriptive language got a little longer and more present, so the style lost a bit of consistency there. But the overall pacing and feel of the story was nicely handled and very emotionally present.
The way mental illness was considered here, which was the main plot point that moved the story forwards and which all the characters revolved around, was skillfully handled. Lucia’s narrative sections gave some superb insight into the inner perspective of a person dealing with a mental health disorder. And Miranda, Yonah and Manny’s sections brilliantly exemplified the struggles faced by family and friends of those suffering from mental illness and the treatment of it. The general impotence felt by everyone, the strain and guilt and confusion and frustration spread all around, is heartbreaking to read. And will provide anyone who has experienced anything similar with justification and relief that they are not the only ones who feel helpless and discouraged. The exploration of the feelings of loss, loss of sense of self and self-control and decision-making, to the illness both for Lucia and her family/friends is also very important. More than once Lucia mentions a lack of awareness of what is real anymore, while Miranda/Yonah/Manny speak about how they start to forget what parts of her are Lucia and what parts are her mental illness. The pressure that puts on both the person and the ones who love them is beyond difficult. In general, I felt that this was just a really respectable chronicle of the struggles of mental illness.
As an added bonus, the story is wonderfully multi-cultural. With a very diverse cast, both regarding characters and locations, from China to Israel to the US to Ecuador to Switzerland, the way everything came together to create unique and specific cultures was fascinating. And of course, as this is the main billing for this story, the sister-sister bond between Miranda and Lucia, with both its ups and downs, will be recognizable to anyone with siblings.
Some small extra notes. I loved the detail that Lucia assigns an animal/vegetable essence to everyone she meets (i.e. – elk, avocado, porcupine). It’s such a fun and evocative representation of a personality and I loved that touch. On the other hand, I was less impressed with the ending. I felt like the writing for the ending dropped off from the rest of the story and I wasn’t super satisfied with that. However, I did like where/how the story ended as far as the plot and relationships go, which is the important thing.
Keep an eye out for this one, official publication date on January 16, 2018!
This ARC was provided to me courtesy of First to Read and Pamela Dorman Books in exchange for an honest review.
Quotes I enjoyed (about relationships, culture, and, particularly, about the realities of mental illness):
“But the truth is, I’m still not sure how to tell what’s real – because when you’re inside it, it’s your
reality, and if your own perception of the world isn’t valid, then what is?”
“These days were forever, life pouring into me all think and spicy and I was bottomless.”
“But what would it be, I wonder, to conduct one’s life as a Chinese life instead of just a life? I speak Chinese, I cook Chinese food, practice tai-chi on occasion and drink oolong tea, but to flaunt one’s authenticity seem terribly gauche. I’m human first, aren’t I? Aren’t we all?”
“Saudade. A vague longing for something that cannot exist again, or perhaps never did.”
“Divinely blessed, my thoughts popped like firecrackers, my heart swelled with happiness, my body exuded a magnetic energy.”
“And then, her worst fear: that line between her sister and the illness was becoming irrevocably blurred.”
“I think love is just a romantic way of explaining selflessness.”
“But it was impossible to know the truth of another’s interior life. Wasn’t it?”
“In grief, the future seems impossible.”
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
“Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.”
This is the second book that was chosen by my bookstagram based Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge Book Club (if you’ll recall, The Bell Jar, a reread for me, was the first). I am really loving our pacing – we are choosing a book every other month or so, with super low deadline pressure. That is the kind of reading support I need in my life. Plus, I can say for sure that I would never have picked up this book without the group, so that’s awesome. All good things coming from the group right now, for sure.
This short memoir is, essentially, Didion’s writing as she processes what I can only hope is the worst year of her life. And by “I can only hope,” I mean that I sincerely hope it never gets worse for her. Right before Christmas 2003, her only child, Quintana, is hospitalized suddenly and unexpectedly (ending up in septic shock and an induced coma). Days later, her husband literally drops dead in their living (from a massive coronary). Three months later Quintana, after only a short time out of the hospital, collapses and is rushed into surgery to attempt to stop a massive brain bleed (positive spoiler alert: she does pull through, but only after quite a bit of touch and go time in the hospital and rehab).
It’s like reading a person living their worst nightmare. And you can perhaps see why this wouldn’t be at the top of my list of “best books to start the year with” TBR. But I have to say thank you to my fellow book club members for pushing me to read it anyways. Didion’s efforts to “make sense” of her tragedy, along with her musings on grief and mourning, how we experience it, and the mental gymnastics of our mind during the process, is insightful and touching for all its heartbreak. This is a book that I would…will…definitely revisit if I lose someone close to me.
The writing itself is beyond reproach: smooth through its stream of conscious and reflection. This is clearly the work of a gifted wordsmith as she works to process her own feelings. And though that may seem obvious, given the subject and genre, it just comes across so naturally. The flow of the writing perfectly balances and interweaves the feelings in the moment with the experiences of looking back. The stylistic repetition of phrases and sentence structures, both back to back and thematically throughout the novel, is a literary device used to perfection. It creates the perfect tone and feel for a book about dwelling and remembering and trying to make sense of life in the middle of being set adrift from everything that once made you feel safe and assured. (Personal note - there were a lot of citations and medical information that I skimmed over...I don't know how much that affected my review of the book, but I definitely chose to read this for feel and not for specificity of detail.)
“Survivors looks back and see omens, messages they missed.”
This is a breathtaking and visceral depiction of grief. Superbly evocative of every emotion from numbness to disbelief to anger to the general heartbreak of loss and loneliness. Didion’s portrayal of the connection she had with her husband, and how the loss of that connection affects her, is powerful. Her pain is tangible and relatable throughout her exploration of denial and the subsequent disconnectedness from everything around her, coupled with the struggle to handle how everything she saw reminded her of the person she loved and lost (even if only tangentially related) and the efforts of her mind to not let them go or to find that one thing she could have done differently to keep them around.
Although there were some small things that sort of rubbed the wrong way (for example, what seemed like gratuitous name dropping and a total lack of awareness of the privileges in her life), this memoir was powerful in spite of that. Part grieving process and part homage to the memories of a life with a man she loved, is emotional to the point of being overwhelming at times. I had to read in small sections, taking lots of breaks, to be able to handle it. But it was stirring and beautiful in its tender remembrance and I am grateful for the experience.
“Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.”
This is the second book that was chosen by my bookstagram based Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge Book Club (if you’ll recall, The Bell Jar, a reread for me, was the first). I am really loving our pacing – we are choosing a book every other month or so, with super low deadline pressure. That is the kind of reading support I need in my life. Plus, I can say for sure that I would never have picked up this book without the group, so that’s awesome. All good things coming from the group right now, for sure.
This short memoir is, essentially, Didion’s writing as she processes what I can only hope is the worst year of her life. And by “I can only hope,” I mean that I sincerely hope it never gets worse for her. Right before Christmas 2003, her only child, Quintana, is hospitalized suddenly and unexpectedly (ending up in septic shock and an induced coma). Days later, her husband literally drops dead in their living (from a massive coronary). Three months later Quintana, after only a short time out of the hospital, collapses and is rushed into surgery to attempt to stop a massive brain bleed (positive spoiler alert: she does pull through, but only after quite a bit of touch and go time in the hospital and rehab).
It’s like reading a person living their worst nightmare. And you can perhaps see why this wouldn’t be at the top of my list of “best books to start the year with” TBR. But I have to say thank you to my fellow book club members for pushing me to read it anyways. Didion’s efforts to “make sense” of her tragedy, along with her musings on grief and mourning, how we experience it, and the mental gymnastics of our mind during the process, is insightful and touching for all its heartbreak. This is a book that I would…will…definitely revisit if I lose someone close to me.
The writing itself is beyond reproach: smooth through its stream of conscious and reflection. This is clearly the work of a gifted wordsmith as she works to process her own feelings. And though that may seem obvious, given the subject and genre, it just comes across so naturally. The flow of the writing perfectly balances and interweaves the feelings in the moment with the experiences of looking back. The stylistic repetition of phrases and sentence structures, both back to back and thematically throughout the novel, is a literary device used to perfection. It creates the perfect tone and feel for a book about dwelling and remembering and trying to make sense of life in the middle of being set adrift from everything that once made you feel safe and assured. (Personal note - there were a lot of citations and medical information that I skimmed over...I don't know how much that affected my review of the book, but I definitely chose to read this for feel and not for specificity of detail.)
“Survivors looks back and see omens, messages they missed.”
This is a breathtaking and visceral depiction of grief. Superbly evocative of every emotion from numbness to disbelief to anger to the general heartbreak of loss and loneliness. Didion’s portrayal of the connection she had with her husband, and how the loss of that connection affects her, is powerful. Her pain is tangible and relatable throughout her exploration of denial and the subsequent disconnectedness from everything around her, coupled with the struggle to handle how everything she saw reminded her of the person she loved and lost (even if only tangentially related) and the efforts of her mind to not let them go or to find that one thing she could have done differently to keep them around.
Although there were some small things that sort of rubbed the wrong way (for example, what seemed like gratuitous name dropping and a total lack of awareness of the privileges in her life), this memoir was powerful in spite of that. Part grieving process and part homage to the memories of a life with a man she loved, is emotional to the point of being overwhelming at times. I had to read in small sections, taking lots of breaks, to be able to handle it. But it was stirring and beautiful in its tender remembrance and I am grateful for the experience.
Picture this: it’s New Year’s Day after a very fun, but super busy Holiday week. I, finally, have a chance to sit down and read (pretty much what I’ve wanted to do all break) and this book is due back at the library soon. So, I make some coffee, grab a small reading snack (of course), and settle down in my reading chair with a blanket and my heat beam pointed right at me. A few hours later, I have finished this book in one sitting. Yup, that’s right, cover to cover IN ONE SITTING. This was, quite literally, unputdownable.
Jason Dessen is a pretty normal guy: married with a kid, teaching physics at a local university. Generally, he’s happy with his life and things are pretty good, but there is, of course, always that “what if” voice – as in, what if he hadn’t decided to stay with Daniela when they got unexpectedly pregnant with Charlie 15 years ago and had instead continued his research in quantum mechanics? This book is all about that what if. Jason actually gets to find out, to live, his what if. But it’s not really what he was expecting and things get really out of hand.
This insane thriller/sci-fi genre mash-up is an absolutely exhilarating read. The Jason we meet at the beginning is kidnapped, drugged, and wakes up in an alternate reality where his wife is not his wife, his son was never born, and he’s a super famous scientist. Essentially, he wakes up in his what if world. But the thing is, he’s having a hard time telling which world is real…were his wife and son real and this world the dream, or were they just a hallucination and this world is true reality? In this incredibly fast paced and gripping adventure, Jason sets out to discover the truth, embarking on what becomes a harrowing journey through multiple realities and versions of his life to find his way back to his true wife and son.
This is a fascinating premise for a story, because that what if feeling is something we’ve all experienced, no matter how happy we are. It’s so hard not to imagine that the grass is greener on the other side. And the way it’s written makes it such an absorbing read – addressing the best and worst possibilities of those “what ifs” and doing so from a “realistic” (read: based in science, not magic) perspective, that is not too over-the-top or technical for those of us of a non-scientific background. (Bearing in mind, as a result of that, I cannot actually speak to how the theory in this book stands up to real scientific scrutiny, but it was convincing enough for me…and as sci-fi you know it’ll require a little suspension of disbelief anyways, so be prepared for that.) It raises some philosophical questions about what makes a person who they are, how well they truly know the people they love, and how far they are willing to go to get or protect what they have/want. I was definitely left with some serious thoughts to work through towards the end about how a person can decide/be ok with what they deserve and what version of them is the best. Also, it really warmed my heart that, when it comes down to it, this is really sort of a love story. The decision Jason has to make between work/science and family/love is the basis of his entire dilemma and the choice he makes, then the decisions that follow as he fights to re-find/defend that choice, are emotional and touching.
This is an intelligent thriller and a beautiful homage to love and what truly makes a place (or reality) “home.” I was riveted from the first page and I dare you to not be similarly caught up.
This is not necessarily an important quote or moment for the book, but it really struck something in me, so I didn’t want to forget it: “…she felt that sense of giddy love that effervesces in the pit of your stomach and spectacularly upends the world.”
Jason Dessen is a pretty normal guy: married with a kid, teaching physics at a local university. Generally, he’s happy with his life and things are pretty good, but there is, of course, always that “what if” voice – as in, what if he hadn’t decided to stay with Daniela when they got unexpectedly pregnant with Charlie 15 years ago and had instead continued his research in quantum mechanics? This book is all about that what if. Jason actually gets to find out, to live, his what if. But it’s not really what he was expecting and things get really out of hand.
This insane thriller/sci-fi genre mash-up is an absolutely exhilarating read. The Jason we meet at the beginning is kidnapped, drugged, and wakes up in an alternate reality where his wife is not his wife, his son was never born, and he’s a super famous scientist. Essentially, he wakes up in his what if world. But the thing is, he’s having a hard time telling which world is real…were his wife and son real and this world the dream, or were they just a hallucination and this world is true reality? In this incredibly fast paced and gripping adventure, Jason sets out to discover the truth, embarking on what becomes a harrowing journey through multiple realities and versions of his life to find his way back to his true wife and son.
This is a fascinating premise for a story, because that what if feeling is something we’ve all experienced, no matter how happy we are. It’s so hard not to imagine that the grass is greener on the other side. And the way it’s written makes it such an absorbing read – addressing the best and worst possibilities of those “what ifs” and doing so from a “realistic” (read: based in science, not magic) perspective, that is not too over-the-top or technical for those of us of a non-scientific background. (Bearing in mind, as a result of that, I cannot actually speak to how the theory in this book stands up to real scientific scrutiny, but it was convincing enough for me…and as sci-fi you know it’ll require a little suspension of disbelief anyways, so be prepared for that.) It raises some philosophical questions about what makes a person who they are, how well they truly know the people they love, and how far they are willing to go to get or protect what they have/want. I was definitely left with some serious thoughts to work through towards the end about how a person can decide/be ok with what they deserve and what version of them is the best. Also, it really warmed my heart that, when it comes down to it, this is really sort of a love story. The decision Jason has to make between work/science and family/love is the basis of his entire dilemma and the choice he makes, then the decisions that follow as he fights to re-find/defend that choice, are emotional and touching.
This is an intelligent thriller and a beautiful homage to love and what truly makes a place (or reality) “home.” I was riveted from the first page and I dare you to not be similarly caught up.
This is not necessarily an important quote or moment for the book, but it really struck something in me, so I didn’t want to forget it: “…she felt that sense of giddy love that effervesces in the pit of your stomach and spectacularly upends the world.”
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
“Two steps forward, one back. Five forward, twelve back. Left, right, diagonal, down, across, and right back around to the block. We’re all just trying to keep moving. Sometimes we know where we’re going and sometimes we get lost. But as long as we move, we grow.”
A few things drew me to this book. One, the adorable crossword puzzle cover. Two, the recommendation by Adam Silvera (I just recently read my first book by him and, though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite book ever, I respect the writing and story-crafting, look forward to reading another, and generally now respect his opinion). And lastly, it was one of the offers on First to Read – and I am definitely a sucker for a chance to read a book before everyone else. (Call me a nerd, it’s cool.) So yea, I entered to read it and was chosen to receive a copy. Alright!
Scott Ferdowsi is your typical high school kid with overbearing parents – they want him to have a plan for the rest of his life (one that involves becoming something important and respectable, like a doctor or an engineer) like, right now. And Scott…well he’s your normal high school kid that doesn’t know what he wants out of life just yet. And is stressed out about it, hardcore. Especially since he has a tendency to quit when the going gets…less interesting. But when his parents go out of town for three weeks over the summer before his senior year (visiting family in Iran) and leave him behind to get experience at a summer research internship, Scott makes a crazy decision. He “runs away” from home to visit Washington D.C. and track down Professor Mallard, a researcher and academic known for work in “grit,” or that special persistence that allows people to be successful even after failure. He’s hoping she’ll help him find his own grit. Along the way though, he meets some new friends, Fiora, a cruciverbalist (crossword-puzzle maker) who just a little bit crazy (but in a good way…mostly), Trent, a bartender and aspiring politician, and Jeanette, a hyper-religious girl looking to experience a little life before settling down in her traditional family life. They each help him, in their own way, as he spends 3 weeks growing up and finding his grit.
First, this book is adorable. Truly a heartwarming coming of age tale. Scott’s stressors are wonderfully poignant to young adult life – the struggle to find who you are, what you are good at, how to plan for the future and somehow translate that into a life is universal. And the fear that you won’t be able to (that comes from within) coupled with pressures from parents and society, is something that I, at least, identify with strongly. That lost feeling that Scott has, when you truly do not know what you want but wish that you did because it would make everyone, including yourself, happier…that’s written spot on here. Other than that, there is a fantastically representative range of young adult struggles and experiences, from each of the characters in their own turn, particularly regarding relationships with parents, that efficiently show how each person has their own issues that they must tackle and though they can be commiserated about, and the burdens shared, they should never be ordered or compared. It’s an important lesson for us all.
I thought perhaps some things happened a bit too conveniently for Scott, throughout the novel. Meeting Fiora and Trent, the deal with the hostel and generally some of the other random connections with other characters; they seem, at times, to happen too easily to be realistic. However, if you are able to look past that initial unbelievability, the relationships that develop from those first meetings are just beautiful. Within the span of Scott’s time in D.C., he meets and creates real relationships with people, that have depth and nuance consistent with the story timeline and plot, but do not advance too far into the realm of unnecessary romance or unrealistic closeness. And the way the “end,” if you will, as Scott’s time in D.C. ends are true to the personalities of the characters and do not give into nostalgia or a need for “perfect endings.” I truly appreciate that reality and thought it gave the book an extra gravitas, despite the general heartwarming bildungsroman feel of the story.
As a small note, I read this as an ebook ARC, so unfortunately, the illustrations related to the crossword puzzles came through in very strange formatting. I feel like I really lost out on one of the best parts of the book as result. I loved the way crossword puzzles were used to tie things together and “teach” lessons and it was too bad that the visuals were not completely there to support this facet of the book. I definitely plan to flip through it at the library/a bookstore once it’s published, in order to see what it’s supposed to look like! Also, random, has anyone seen the movie All About Steve, with Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper? Bullock’s character totally reminds me of Fiora (and not just because they are both cruciverbalists) – I kept picturing her every time I read her parts. If that gets stuck in your head now…I’m sorry.
In any case, moving on… The dialogue was quick and genuine, which I loved. Scott’s coming of age happened with events that were only partially farfetched (as they must needs be, in order to make this book entertaining enough to keep reading), yet still, in the grand scheme of things, are small (both in the trajectory of the world and their effect on people other than Scott himself). I appreciated this aspect, in particular. I’ll be honest, I felt like things dragged a bit in the middle. Nothing was unreasonable about the pace, but for some reason, about halfway in, I lost momentum. However, I felt that it did pick back up towards the last quarter. Regardless, this was an incredibly sweet story that made me smile and cheer for Scott’s successes.
This ARC was provided to me courtesy of First to Read and Viking Books in exchange for an honest review.
“Two steps forward, one back. Five forward, twelve back. Left, right, diagonal, down, across, and right back around to the block. We’re all just trying to keep moving. Sometimes we know where we’re going and sometimes we get lost. But as long as we move, we grow.”
A few things drew me to this book. One, the adorable crossword puzzle cover. Two, the recommendation by Adam Silvera (I just recently read my first book by him and, though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite book ever, I respect the writing and story-crafting, look forward to reading another, and generally now respect his opinion). And lastly, it was one of the offers on First to Read – and I am definitely a sucker for a chance to read a book before everyone else. (Call me a nerd, it’s cool.) So yea, I entered to read it and was chosen to receive a copy. Alright!
Scott Ferdowsi is your typical high school kid with overbearing parents – they want him to have a plan for the rest of his life (one that involves becoming something important and respectable, like a doctor or an engineer) like, right now. And Scott…well he’s your normal high school kid that doesn’t know what he wants out of life just yet. And is stressed out about it, hardcore. Especially since he has a tendency to quit when the going gets…less interesting. But when his parents go out of town for three weeks over the summer before his senior year (visiting family in Iran) and leave him behind to get experience at a summer research internship, Scott makes a crazy decision. He “runs away” from home to visit Washington D.C. and track down Professor Mallard, a researcher and academic known for work in “grit,” or that special persistence that allows people to be successful even after failure. He’s hoping she’ll help him find his own grit. Along the way though, he meets some new friends, Fiora, a cruciverbalist (crossword-puzzle maker) who just a little bit crazy (but in a good way…mostly), Trent, a bartender and aspiring politician, and Jeanette, a hyper-religious girl looking to experience a little life before settling down in her traditional family life. They each help him, in their own way, as he spends 3 weeks growing up and finding his grit.
First, this book is adorable. Truly a heartwarming coming of age tale. Scott’s stressors are wonderfully poignant to young adult life – the struggle to find who you are, what you are good at, how to plan for the future and somehow translate that into a life is universal. And the fear that you won’t be able to (that comes from within) coupled with pressures from parents and society, is something that I, at least, identify with strongly. That lost feeling that Scott has, when you truly do not know what you want but wish that you did because it would make everyone, including yourself, happier…that’s written spot on here. Other than that, there is a fantastically representative range of young adult struggles and experiences, from each of the characters in their own turn, particularly regarding relationships with parents, that efficiently show how each person has their own issues that they must tackle and though they can be commiserated about, and the burdens shared, they should never be ordered or compared. It’s an important lesson for us all.
I thought perhaps some things happened a bit too conveniently for Scott, throughout the novel. Meeting Fiora and Trent, the deal with the hostel and generally some of the other random connections with other characters; they seem, at times, to happen too easily to be realistic. However, if you are able to look past that initial unbelievability, the relationships that develop from those first meetings are just beautiful. Within the span of Scott’s time in D.C., he meets and creates real relationships with people, that have depth and nuance consistent with the story timeline and plot, but do not advance too far into the realm of unnecessary romance or unrealistic closeness. And the way the “end,” if you will, as Scott’s time in D.C. ends are true to the personalities of the characters and do not give into nostalgia or a need for “perfect endings.” I truly appreciate that reality and thought it gave the book an extra gravitas, despite the general heartwarming bildungsroman feel of the story.
As a small note, I read this as an ebook ARC, so unfortunately, the illustrations related to the crossword puzzles came through in very strange formatting. I feel like I really lost out on one of the best parts of the book as result. I loved the way crossword puzzles were used to tie things together and “teach” lessons and it was too bad that the visuals were not completely there to support this facet of the book. I definitely plan to flip through it at the library/a bookstore once it’s published, in order to see what it’s supposed to look like! Also, random, has anyone seen the movie All About Steve, with Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper? Bullock’s character totally reminds me of Fiora (and not just because they are both cruciverbalists) – I kept picturing her every time I read her parts. If that gets stuck in your head now…I’m sorry.
In any case, moving on… The dialogue was quick and genuine, which I loved. Scott’s coming of age happened with events that were only partially farfetched (as they must needs be, in order to make this book entertaining enough to keep reading), yet still, in the grand scheme of things, are small (both in the trajectory of the world and their effect on people other than Scott himself). I appreciated this aspect, in particular. I’ll be honest, I felt like things dragged a bit in the middle. Nothing was unreasonable about the pace, but for some reason, about halfway in, I lost momentum. However, I felt that it did pick back up towards the last quarter. Regardless, this was an incredibly sweet story that made me smile and cheer for Scott’s successes.
This ARC was provided to me courtesy of First to Read and Viking Books in exchange for an honest review.