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tamara_danielle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
meghan111's review against another edition
2.0
A man was accused of killing his wife in the 1970s and ultimately freed on appeal after a trial, which made him into a minorly notorious celebrity. He receives a package in the mail from his adult daughter who has recently killed herself. He starts reading her journal and reflecting a bit on what an unlikable person he is.
margaret21's review against another edition
2.0
A well written but ultimately not terribly absorbing story told by a 50 something misanthrope now self-exiled in America. He spent time in prison for murdering his wife though he was later acquitted, he's estranged from one daughter while the other has committed suicide, and he has at least 2 girlfriends to fuel his sex life. He's unpleasant, all the characters are in their different ways unpleasant. Why should I want to spend a rainy weekend in their company?
harleyburch's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was unexpectedly wild. The cast of characters are all caricatures to some degree, offering extreme views on the world and how they believe others should exist. Despite the difficult subject matters of suicide and drug use, this book is somehow funny and dry in its humour. I'm not sure if this actually worked a lot of the time but it was entertaining to say the least. Not to mention the fact that I actually found myself moved for the last scene of this peculiar concoction which I definitely was not expecting.
Absurd at the best of times -- perhaps unintentionally though -- and irritating at it's worst. Still, it was worth it.
Absurd at the best of times -- perhaps unintentionally though -- and irritating at it's worst. Still, it was worth it.
siria's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book thinking it was a new one from Zoe Heller, but Everything You Know is in fact her first book, written before Notes on a Scandal. It's not as well-crafted an effort—the structure not quite strong enough to sustain it even over just 200 pages—and I'm not sure that her main character (Willy Muller, a philandering fiftysomething writer best known for the book he wrote in the aftermath of being acquitted of his wife's murder, who lives in self-imposed exile from the UK and has nonexistent relationships with his two daughters) is ever sympathetic enough to engage the audience fully in his character arc. However, Heller shows a gift for character voices and for dialogue, and her prose is descriptive and original without being florid.
michellebuch's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
robyn1998's review against another edition
5.0
Could not put this down, I loved reading the extremely judgmental and mean spirited musings of Willy. Made me feel better about my own life for sure. I love Zoe Heller's writing style
sarahmareacarr's review against another edition
4.0
Sigh, I love Zoe Heller's writing so much, love her dark, misanthrophic characters and their sardonic wit. I just wish she wrote more.
mhall's review against another edition
2.0
A man was accused of killing his wife in the 1970s and ultimately freed on appeal after a trial, which made him into a minorly notorious celebrity. He receives a package in the mail from his adult daughter who has recently killed herself. He starts reading her journal and reflecting a bit on what an unlikable person he is.
lawyergobblesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Heller's freshman effort, Everything You Know, shows what would happen if she'd never learned to dial back some of her baser instincts: unbelievable pairings, absurd situations and characters too wrapped up in their own drama. The choice of protagonist alone takes getting used to: Willy, a curmudgeonly writer, follows up a health crisis by reading through his daughter's journals, the only connection left months after her suicide. Willy and the type-ridden supporting cast has a lot of implausible and deeply personal emotional ground to travel. When I say "deeply personal" I use it in the "potentially boring," sense, and good chunks the novel are boring. The degree of implausibility lies behind these events leads me, reluctantly, to label this as a first novel of little value to readers now that Heller has found her voice. It's out of print in the US, but the link on the title will take you to the Powell's website, where you can pick up a UK copy. Often, as with Richard Yates (Revolutionary Road), the first novel will be a pinnacle; luckily for us, Ms. Heller seems to find more skill and voice with each story she tells.