Reviews

We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas

novelette's review against another edition

1.0

UHG! I really disliked this book. So slow and plodding. I never quite understood how the beginning had anything to do with the rest of the book. It was almost like these were two separate stories thrust into one . Once you get to the crux of the story, the reader is easily bored. I disliked the characters and really thought that Eileen was a vicious and spoiled woman, with no compassion for anything that doesn't revolve around her.

utahmomreads's review

5.0

Read my review : http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2014/09/we-are-not-ourselves-book-review.html

boltonmi's review

emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This was a moving family story—while it moved slowly, the depth of the characters did not make it feel overdone. The emotional narrative felt authentic.  It is a story about the beauty of a ordinary life and the depth of ordinary love. 

mavisbird's review

4.0

This book was a marathon but it was worth it. The book is really great when you start reading it, but it really slows down toward the middle of it. You start to wonder if you should keep going, but I promise you that finishing it will be worth it. You are tricked into living the characters lives and going through their hardships with them. The ending is sweet yet sad and gives a great prospective on life and how easy it is to take things for granted of get caught up in your own selfish desires. This book will make you cry and really think about your life. Good read.

heybrownberry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious slow-paced

5.0

angelamichelle's review

5.0

For a long time I was enjoying this book but not loving it. By the end, I had that sort of worshipful feeling toward something true, important, and honest, something that shows proper respect for the toil and majesty of each ordinary life.

I think perhaps an aggressive edit of a middle couple hundred pages was in order. But also, maybe that time the reader spends just sort of living normal life alongside the characters helped give the proper gravitas to the end.

I love this title. It refers to a specific condition of one character, but also to the mortal condition of all of us. We are all impaired by circumstance, foibles, weaknesses. We are all living the best we can our life's greatest work, invisible though it may be. I love the idea of having enough compassion to always see others as "not ourselves."

candacesiegle_greedyreader's review

2.0

Sad, sad, sad. No one gets a break in this novel, no one gets more than a brief glimmer of happiness. It’s a total downer from start to finish, but finish it you will. The pages fly by, perhaps because that as humans we are ever hopeful and Matthew Thomas is a good writer. But We Are Not Ourselves is hard going and left me feeling crappy. Is the novel worth the hype? Maybe if you are in the right place, but I can’t imagine where that would be.

mer3bear's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really wasn't sure if I was going to like this book at first. The first 200 pages are SO SLOW. But then once the "deeper psychological shift" of Eileen's husband and the "inescapable darkness" come into play, it becomes such a powerful story of grief, family, the immigrant experience, and the American dream. Eileen and her son Connell are genuinely such annoying characters at first but since this book is of such huge scope, it feels like you've lived their entire lives with them and learn to care about them so deeply. The last third of the book really broke me down and made me cry so many times... chapter 98>>>. I wish I could give it 5 stars because of how much it moved me but because I wasn't as into the first chunk of the novel I'll have to bump it down to 4. I don't recommend this for people who aren't into slow reads but if it sounds like it's for you I'd go for it.

lisawhelpley's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. The characters, their challenges, and the writing all made me care and want to keep reading. 

gabmc's review

4.0

How can a book be both beautiful and depressing at the same time? This was such a beautifully written story - I think I have over 100 highlights in the 600 pages of the book. However it dealt with some of the darker aspects of family life, such as the impact of an alcoholic mother on a young girl, and the consequences of early onset dementia on a family. Eileen Tumulty was born in New York to Irish immigrant parents - her mother pined for Ireland and her father had his sights set on a better life for Eileen in America. As a young girl, Eileen dreamed of marrying someone with not such an Irish last name as hers. However, when she met Ed Leary one New Year's Eve she knew pretty quickly that she was going to marry him. Eileen and Ed eventually had a son, Connell. Ed and Connell developed an amazing relationship but Eileen referred to him as 'the boy' and seemed to hold him at arm's length. Eileen was very ambitious for Ed and wanted him to apply for 'better' jobs so they could move into a house in a 'better' area. The characters are so vivid and the writing is touching. I will be thinking about this book for some time to come.