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alisonvh's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I almost DNFed this book. As I was considering quitting, it seemed to take a more interesting turn, but it was false hope. By the time I realized that was all the book had to offer, I was so close to the end I figured I might as well finish it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty
ertrunnell's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Rape
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
On paper this should be a brilliant book, and I can see that it is objectively very well written. Unfortunately it just didn't hit the spot for me. There are some really stark similarities to Beartown (a tragic event that has far-reaching consequences), but that didn't do The Mulvaneys any good since Beartown is such a masterpiece. They are both quite contemplative in style, but where I fell in love with Beartown and its incredible characters, the more I learned about the Mulvaneys the less I could empathise with any of them.
At times the story is unbearably anticlimactic; a character will have a huge dramatic journey which sort of fizzles, and then they'll all but disappear from the story for several chapters. There is also so much rampant misogyny and injustice in the way Marianne is treated by her family (and much as it pained me to admit, in the way she begins to treat herself), that I found so little to redeem or forgive in this family. Then by the time these people would come back into the story I had no sympathy or patience left, so I'd be skimming pages because I was bored of all the unnecessary exposition.
Where I really struggled was in how little redemption or justice there was. It may have ended positively in relation to the event that pulls the family apart, but there's no confronting the horrible victim-blaming or the complete refusal to acknowledge the problem or support Marianne when she needed it. And no matter how the characters felt towards each other at the end, I just couldn't forgive any of them and didn't particularly want to.
At times the story is unbearably anticlimactic; a character will have a huge dramatic journey which sort of fizzles, and then they'll all but disappear from the story for several chapters. There is also so much rampant misogyny and injustice in the way Marianne is treated by her family (and much as it pained me to admit, in the way she begins to treat herself), that I found so little to redeem or forgive in this family. Then by the time these people would come back into the story I had no sympathy or patience left, so I'd be skimming pages because I was bored of all the unnecessary exposition.
Where I really struggled was in how little redemption or justice there was. It may have ended positively in relation to the event that pulls the family apart, but there's no confronting the horrible victim-blaming or the complete refusal to acknowledge the problem or support Marianne when she needed it. And no matter how the characters felt towards each other at the end, I just couldn't forgive any of them and didn't particularly want to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Violence, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism
Minor: Racial slurs
dunningsk's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I can’t quite give this a 4/5 but it’s definitely not a 3 either. This is the first JCO novel I’ve read and wow. I seriously was drawn in by the world-building, the details about the characters, everything. I can understand why other people would call the book bogged down or 150 pages too long but I enjoyed almost every word.
The actual plot was fine and sometimes the characters’ actions were so frustrating it made me lose sympathy for them. Marianne is probably a character in 1,000 other things JCO has written and she’s not any more interesting in this book.
I love a family saga and that’s exactly what I got with this. By the time I was toward the end of the book, I was pining for those golden early days when the Mulvaneys were happy together on their farm. I certainly teared up at the end and the epilogue gave a great sense of closure.
If you like this type of book (slower paced family drama) then I would recommend. If you like JCO’s short stories I would also probably recommend, the tone is pretty similar to a lot of her other stuff. If you are looking for something very plot-driven with perfectly agreeable characters, then no. This book was challenging in that sense but the ending made it worthwhile.
The actual plot was fine and sometimes the characters’ actions were so frustrating it made me lose sympathy for them. Marianne is probably a character in 1,000 other things JCO has written and she’s not any more interesting in this book.
I love a family saga and that’s exactly what I got with this. By the time I was toward the end of the book, I was pining for those golden early days when the Mulvaneys were happy together on their farm. I certainly teared up at the end and the epilogue gave a great sense of closure.
If you like this type of book (slower paced family drama) then I would recommend. If you like JCO’s short stories I would also probably recommend, the tone is pretty similar to a lot of her other stuff. If you are looking for something very plot-driven with perfectly agreeable characters, then no. This book was challenging in that sense but the ending made it worthwhile.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, and Abandonment
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