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1.49k reviews for:
Early Morning Riser: The bittersweet, hilarious and feel-good new novel from the author of Standard Deviation
Katherine Heiny, Katherine Heiny
3.57 AVERAGE
1.49k reviews for:
Early Morning Riser: The bittersweet, hilarious and feel-good new novel from the author of Standard Deviation
Katherine Heiny, Katherine Heiny
3.57 AVERAGE
slow-paced
I found this novel boring in terms of its writing, characters, pace, everything. On top of that, the narrator was extremely difficult to listen to.
challenging
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
the MC deserved more than a man who commits to her out of desperation. Her husband gave absolutely nothing, Im surprised they didn’t divorce by the end of the book. None of the characters stood out to me and i was bored reading it most of the time. I feel like the MC got stuck in the stereotypical trope of finding a man and sticking to him despite not even trusting him after being married and having children. She acted like she was stuck in this cycle she put herself in and had the opportunity to do more with her life. Also, seeing jimmy as a burden more than half the book kind of was a bummer when realistically she probably could’ve adapted a bit more to taking care of him and liking him being apart of her family. the last pages of the book where she actually decided to fully accept jimmy was so discouraging just bc i feel like he was done dirty the entire book and never got a good ending.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
lighthearted
relaxing
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
In a departure from how I felt by page 50, I oddly ended up enjoying this one.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
This is the second book I've read by Katherine Heiny. In this book the main character is a young, female schoolteacher, who lives in a small town. The story is about her relationship with a slightly older man who has commitment issues and has managed to sleep with most of the female population in that town. He also maintains a strong friendship with his ex wife. The book is about her relationship to him and how she navigates their relationship, her relationship with her difficult mother, as well as how her life becomes intertwined with the various residents of the small town.
I found the book to read like juvenile fiction. This is perhaps due to its innocence and simplicity. The characters are portrayed as inherently good and lacking in moral complexity. Heiny really doesn't get into what drives the characters or draw them with rich pasts. The reader is left to accept them at face value. Heiny's artistic choice to not dig deep into the motivation for everyone's behavior left me feeling the book was a bit thin. However, the writing is impeccable and her story is well crafted. It is the perfect book to read if you don't feel like being mired in a morally complex story. It reminded me a little of Where'd You Go, Bernadette without the laugh out loud humor.
My rating of a 4 out of 5 is based on 5 being a literary classic, perfect within its genre, or a remarkable book I think everyone should read. This book is difficult to judge based on that criteria because the story has the qualities of a fairy tale or fable, while the themes she explores are loss, trust, and familial responsibility. The writing is exemplary, but the story itself did not affect me in a way that made it remarkable. Regardless, I love her writing and look forward to whatever she writes next!
Edit: I purposely did not read the reviews by anyone prior to writing mine. I still feel mine is fair to the book. However, I agree with everyone that wrote about its tenderness, her keen observations, and the comparison to Anne Tyler, an author I love! It does have a big heart and when I mentioned juvenile fiction I meant in its tone and lightness. It is a sophisticated novel, much like the work of EB White, Polly Horvath, and Jennifer Holm. The book did not disappoint in any way. I only wish she had portrayed Duncan and Aggie with more depth.
I found the book to read like juvenile fiction. This is perhaps due to its innocence and simplicity. The characters are portrayed as inherently good and lacking in moral complexity. Heiny really doesn't get into what drives the characters or draw them with rich pasts. The reader is left to accept them at face value. Heiny's artistic choice to not dig deep into the motivation for everyone's behavior left me feeling the book was a bit thin. However, the writing is impeccable and her story is well crafted. It is the perfect book to read if you don't feel like being mired in a morally complex story. It reminded me a little of Where'd You Go, Bernadette without the laugh out loud humor.
My rating of a 4 out of 5 is based on 5 being a literary classic, perfect within its genre, or a remarkable book I think everyone should read. This book is difficult to judge based on that criteria because the story has the qualities of a fairy tale or fable, while the themes she explores are loss, trust, and familial responsibility. The writing is exemplary, but the story itself did not affect me in a way that made it remarkable. Regardless, I love her writing and look forward to whatever she writes next!
Edit: I purposely did not read the reviews by anyone prior to writing mine. I still feel mine is fair to the book. However, I agree with everyone that wrote about its tenderness, her keen observations, and the comparison to Anne Tyler, an author I love! It does have a big heart and when I mentioned juvenile fiction I meant in its tone and lightness. It is a sophisticated novel, much like the work of EB White, Polly Horvath, and Jennifer Holm. The book did not disappoint in any way. I only wish she had portrayed Duncan and Aggie with more depth.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated