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jonwood's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A lovely character study that shows the complexities and neurosis of modern American extended family over a period of years. Really enjoy the almost stream of consciousness, yet clear 3rd person narrative that switches points of views, really makes you feel like you understand the anxieties and desires of each person just trying to do the best with the cards life delt them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Medical content, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
ostrowk's review
5.0
Loved the relationships that unfolded in CLOSE-UP. Jacob and Caroline cobbled together family as best they could, the best magic trick anyone could pull off. Teared up reading Jill reflect on teaching. Loved the scene where Caroline breaks big news to Jeanie and then their relationship begins to thaw. Really enjoyed the snippets of everyone's writing, even Jacob's magic show in the end, which really did have me on the edge of my seat, imagining the disappearance of an origami phoenix. Oh, and I'm not sure I'd ever seen a young child given so much dialogue before, and—sweet Harry!—it worked. CLOSE-UP reminds us that everything seems inevitable after the fact, like a bird that flew the coop (or didn't), like two old dogs that learned new tricks (or didn't), and I'm sad it's over. Also, half the book took place between parentheses or em dashes, and a fifth of the book was in italics, and—you know what?—I loved it.
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