I didnt notice one singular theme as strongly last year, though perhaps giving voice to silenced or misrepresented women was perhaps the strongest commonality? At times, it feels as though there are too many details, too many implausible things that go wrong, tied up with all-too-convenient deus ex machinas. So this one was (maybe) a 3.5 read for me. What I love about this story is the way it is told, the back and forth of the years, the alternating chapters from the perspective of different family members, and the creativity in the layout of the unfolding story itself. Lastly, I sincerely hope you have a good day! Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Change). We all desperately want your life and we all know well never have it, the third-oldest, Liza, confesses in a moment of truth. That book, which. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband-and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. We get it. Courtesy of HBO. I appreciated your probing more into the themes of the novel and how they didnt seem to illuminate anything beyond the specific situation of this family. Each character was individualized and any one of them could have leaped off the pages. [ Claire Lombardo describes how she arrived at the Iowa Writers Workshop with a very messy, 813-page draft. ]. Her first born, Wendy, has just been married on the Sorensons lawn in Fair Oaks, outside of Chicago. This was a delightful debut and I cant wait to see what the author writes next. This thread is archived. Despite their wealth, there is a plethora of more relatable issues: accidental pregnancies, eating disorders, cheating, stagnant communication the list could go on. Jonahs not much younger than Grace, the baby of the family, who is hiding out in Portland, living a lie about her law-school status and worried that she is a giant disappointment to the parents she reveres. ), with a link to a digital soundtrack by American Idol contestant Griffin Peterson. Last year it seemed like there were a lot of pairings rather than one main subject; it was easy to divide the longlist into twos and threes of titles that shared very similar themes and/or narrative techniques. (LogOut/ I was wrong about who the father of that child was though. In a society where women are constantly being pit against each other, it was amazing to be surrounded by so many women competing, yet building each other up at the . This Study Guide consists of approximately 52pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - In the novel, four adult sisters are trying to find their way in the world, both guided and hindered by what they see as their parents epic romance, an impressive love story none of the girls is confident about finding for herself. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. What did last years picks look like? I kept waiting for drama or for something exciting to shake things up but by this point, for me, that was lacking. View more posts. I dont have a sister, myself. This Study Guide consists of approximately 52 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Most Fun We Ever Had. "The Most Fun We Ever Had" is a novel about a family and follows in the footsteps of other reknown novels the chronicle the intricate complexities of close relationships. I think of Grace as the color gray. So now your here, wondering what Violets secret is? Oooh, interesting. So if youre looking for your next read, pick this one! However, compared to her sisters struggles, Grace is not quite on the same level. Other than an event which I found hard to fathom, this is a realistic and intimate look at an affluent Chicago family as they love, laugh, annoy, clash, and support each other over the course of forty-odd years. When Wendy, the oldest, sets her sights on a mate, she made sure she left her mark throughout his housesoy milk in the fridge, box of tampons under the sink, surreptitious spritzes of her Bulgari musk on the sheets. Turbulent Wendy is the novels best character, exuding a delectable bratty-ness. When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Most Fun We Ever Had. The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo, 2019 Knopf Doubleday 544 pp. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Flashbacks interspersed with the present-day chapters scroll all the way back to 1975, which in Lombardo's telling feels more like the 1950s. Having sailed on Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, Disney Wish, which is still in its first year of operations, along with both Disney Dream and Disney Wonder, I was curious h Their problems and lives were full of needless drama and issues. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a novel about a family and follows in the footsteps of other reknown novels the chronicle the intricate complexities of close relationships. 8. Don't Threaten. Lombardo's novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between characters. RELEASE DATE: Dec. 10, 2019. NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER "A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory." Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe In this "rich, complex family saga" (USA Today) full of long-buried family secrets, Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, blithely ignorant of all that awaits them.. By 2016, they have four radically different . Categories: Morgan felt obligated to marry her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter, Clara. ", Wendy is a terrific character: caustic, tough, difficult, flawed, self-destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic. Random Grandson, at your service! Essentially what the book is exploring is that all four daughters have these huge life struggles theyre hiding from their parents and each other because they hold the parents marriage up as the golden standard and dont want to be seen as failing to live up to that model. When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. J. Things get even weirder as classes are unlocked and they stop fitting into nice easy boxes.The best part is finding synergy! Briefly, I didn't enjoy this book nor do I recommend it. Their personalities are shitty. This big, chewy, multi-generational tale rings so true, handles multiple characters so deftly, and moves back and. Overarching it all is the unusually ardent connection between Marilyn and David Sorenson. Ahhhh, I see. He stumbles on his grandparents flirting in the kitchen and pauses to examine these people who consciously chose to talk about weeds with their crotches touching. A very accurate description of enviable long-term commitment. Many, many character povs and lots of timeline jumps. It's the most fun way to kick your vacation into high gear. Sydney and Ridge make beautiful music together in a love triangle written by Hoover (Losing Hope, 2013, etc. At 544 pages, you get to know them, along with their struggles and joys, pretty well. This definitely read like a telenovela in book form for me. Wendy also has a knack for speaking her mind and exhibits no shame in any of her actions. Set in the Chicago suburbs, Lombardo's book has been compared to The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen's seminal ode to a dysfunctional Midwestern family. The other 531 and a half pages are variations on Ginkgo tree worship, parents constantly reminiscing on their sex life, affluent yet thirsty sisters being snarky (and worse) to each other and their mom (because they would never talk to dad that way), and some kid reminding his recently discovered biological mother its. Grace, the youngest, is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into law school. Bibliographic information. More points for Lombardo. But despite the thorough setup, the books commentary barely dips below the surface of the expected. I love listening to family dramas but this one had too much needless drama to my taste. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with . The Most Fun We Ever Had is a family saga that spans decades and closely follows multiple POV characters. Wendy and Violet mend old wounds stemming from Wendys losses, both of her husband and her stillborn daughter. The parentsMarilyn, all pluck and busy optimism, and David, a genial family doctorstrike their offspring as impossibly happy. Grace confesses her lie and returns home to live with Marilyn and David while she contemplates her next move. I cared and cringed and chuckled and cried with each of the four sisters and their parents (and then theres the third gen of kids). I love domestic fiction, especially ones that examine marriages, sibling rivalries, and socioeconomically differences. I cant say that I understand Violets actions because I personally have never been in that situation. The present storyline contains most of what we . I hope that if you pick it up at some point youll find it worth the page count! This sounds exactly like the kind of book Ill enjoy, even if it was fine but not perfect for you. But let's not lose sight of Lombardo's considerable achievement. (LogOut/ Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. More Circe By Madeline Miller She makes you want to yell at the book and throw across the room. Alicia Berenson's life is seemingly perfect. RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019. Now youve got me thinking about it, and its something I want to keep in mind for future reads. Part Three, Fall, tells how Marilyn nearly died giving birth to Grace, and Gillian Levin saved her. Here it is in writing, in January of 2019, and I can't wait to look back on this and know how right I was. Thanks, Emily! Diving into a 550-page novel as opposed to, say, a 300-page novel is the difference between a dalliance and a full-blown commitment. Grace, the baby, tries to see how long she can live a lie. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace. This is a emotionally engaging read, if overlong, well written, with great character development, and which resonates in its detailed and often realistic depiction of family life and dynamics. Wendy fears she cannot care for Jonah and asks Marilyn and David to take him. Though this year is presented chronologically, the book also delivers numerous flashbacks that showcase virtually every significant moment in each characters life, from the parents origin story, through their four daughters childhoods, and into choices each make as adults, all leading up to this one eventful year. Want to keep up with breaking news? The Most Fun We Ever Had is a well-structured story that shares the characters' backstory adroitly, never all at once, but in reveals that feel well-timed, well-placed. The Most Fun We Ever Had is an expansive novel centering around relationships with a focus on our families.Written by Claire Lombardo, a Chicago native and Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate, her debut novel based in her home state captivates with precise prose and well-developed, realistically flawed characters. I feel like even though the book claims each sister is in a state of unrest, Graces struggle is somehow not quite as severe as the others. ROMANCE | On that note, if youre looking for likable characters, this probably isnt the book for you. Magazine Subscribers (How to Find Your Reader Number), Mantel, Woodson on Womens Prize Longlist. https://literaryelephant.wordpress.com/2019/04/28/womens-prize-2019-longlist-wrap-up-shortlist-prediction/, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2859759789?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1, Book Review: The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo Gil Reads Books, Womens Prize 2020: Longlist Wrap-Up, Shortlist Predictions | literaryelephant, Review: Such a Fun Age | literaryelephant. I hope youll have a good time with it if/when you pick it up! because there are loads of those people out there, even if theyre only saying horrible things to someone in a close circle and not in public. Hoover is one of the freshest voices in new-adult fiction, and her latest resonates with true emotion, unforgettable by A famous painter. She finds great comfort and solace in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded. We were quite in agreement on this one! A multigenerational novel in which the four adult daughters of a Chicago couple--still madly in love after forty years--recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they've built.
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