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What Members Thought
This is a thoughtful story about love, family, love lost, and the protagonist's very obnoxious, snobbish mother who you should be happy to never know. Other reviewers commented on the hilarity of the book, but I didn't see that until the final scenes, at the wedding of the main character's daughter. Up until then I did enjoy the book, just not when his parents were present. Unfortunately, the parents played a major role in the storyline and character development. 3.5 stars for Russo's skillful w
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This is a detailed account of a man's life in middle age almost entirely from his own perspective.
There is a whole host of angst and soul searching, condemning of parents and generally regretting and raging and shirking of the main character's own responsiblity for his happiness.
It is well-written but the subject matter and the method of moving through it becomes tedious at times. Having said that the characters are very clear and their voices come through with precision. None of them I found to ...more
There is a whole host of angst and soul searching, condemning of parents and generally regretting and raging and shirking of the main character's own responsiblity for his happiness.
It is well-written but the subject matter and the method of moving through it becomes tedious at times. Having said that the characters are very clear and their voices come through with precision. None of them I found to ...more
This is the story of a late middle-life crisis. Maybe it was a bit of nostalgia prompted by a return to the Maine Cape where he spent every summer family vacation as a child, maybe it was the recent death of his father and the realization that his mother’s death would not be far off, maybe it was some self-assessment inspired by his daughter’s engagement and the realization that she was moving into an exciting and dangerous period of her life, maybe it was… that started the dominoes falling. Wha
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3 to 3.5 stars. This was my first Richard Russo book and while I wanted to finish it to find out how everything resolved I was almost always annoyed by something or someone. I did think it was an interesting take on how children see an event in their lives and remember it just like that as an adult, but the parents or other adults of their youth remember it very differently. I believe everyone has experienced the disbelief when parents relate the event in conversation completely different than y
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Well written but predictable story of a not very likable man going through his incredibly predictable mid life crisis. Other Russo book are so much better.
I just couldn't get into the story. Too much whining for me. There were parts that were funny but most of it was just ho hum.
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a nice gentle story....set in the best area of the country....a throwaway though in the end
This was a huge disappointment for me. It wasn't the lighthearted beachy read I was hoping for. Rather, it was depressing, negative, rambling, ridiculous, and madcap at times. I hated whiny Griffin. Nobody in this book is happy, except for Marguerite, and Griffin manages to spoil that too. In fact the more I write the more I realize how much I didn't like the book. I guess I am on a quest for a true "beach read" before summer is over.
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Oct 21, 2009
Angie crosby
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
o-magazine,
fiction
It was okay, a bit dry, the character development could have been better.
Story was mostly unhappy but I wanted to know as much as I could about the characters. I liked seeing where they ended up and I enjoyed the way the timeline moved along. I love his writing and style. Angst at its best.
Oct 27, 2009
Suzanne
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2010,
goodreads-choice-award-2009
Aug 01, 2013
Elena
marked it as to-read
