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kbranfield's review
3.0
Jean Harley Was Here by Heather Taylor-Johnson is a unique novel about grief and moving forward after losing a loved one.
Jean Harley is happily married to Stan and they have a four year old son, Orion. Jean is coming home from work one day on her bike when she is tragically struck by a car. Although she is in a coma, doctors are hopeful she will recover. Unfortunately, as the days pass, Jean never regains consciousness and Stan allows her to slip peacefully away. Stan and Orion attempt to find new footing as a family of two while Jean's friends Neddy and Viv drift apart. The driver of the vehicle who struck Jean, Charley Cromwell, struggles to overcome his guilt after her death.
The chapters alternate between the various characters’ points of view. Orion and Stan’s chapters are heartwrenching as they grieve their loss while attempting to find a new “normal”. Neddy is not heard from much as she continues parenting her two young children. Viv is unmarried and dedicated to her job but when she unexpectedly falls in love, her life changes in many delightful ways. Charley tugs on the heartstrings as he struggles to find the words to express his sorrow over Jean’s death.
Jean Harley Was Here has an interesting premise but the pacing is very slow. The characters have unique voices with each chapter clearly stating who is narrating. The cast of characters is large and it is difficult to connect with them due to the many narration shifts. Heather Taylor-Johnson does a wonderful job bringing Jean Harley to life although readers only meet her after the accident. A quick read with a lot of heart and a clever storyline.
Jean Harley is happily married to Stan and they have a four year old son, Orion. Jean is coming home from work one day on her bike when she is tragically struck by a car. Although she is in a coma, doctors are hopeful she will recover. Unfortunately, as the days pass, Jean never regains consciousness and Stan allows her to slip peacefully away. Stan and Orion attempt to find new footing as a family of two while Jean's friends Neddy and Viv drift apart. The driver of the vehicle who struck Jean, Charley Cromwell, struggles to overcome his guilt after her death.
The chapters alternate between the various characters’ points of view. Orion and Stan’s chapters are heartwrenching as they grieve their loss while attempting to find a new “normal”. Neddy is not heard from much as she continues parenting her two young children. Viv is unmarried and dedicated to her job but when she unexpectedly falls in love, her life changes in many delightful ways. Charley tugs on the heartstrings as he struggles to find the words to express his sorrow over Jean’s death.
Jean Harley Was Here has an interesting premise but the pacing is very slow. The characters have unique voices with each chapter clearly stating who is narrating. The cast of characters is large and it is difficult to connect with them due to the many narration shifts. Heather Taylor-Johnson does a wonderful job bringing Jean Harley to life although readers only meet her after the accident. A quick read with a lot of heart and a clever storyline.
amyjanereads's review
5.0
Heartbreaking and stunning, the writing is lyrical. It washes over you like a river and refreshes your outlook on life. A must read for anyone but especially those who have experienced any sort of loss. Pure magic.
kaydee's review
5.0
A beautifully rendered and incredibly moving novel of loss and grief. The story is told from multiple perspectives and the writing is remarkably nuanced and affective. I just wish that it was longer.
lucytulloh's review
2.0
A story about the diverging lives of the family and friends of a woman killed in a tragic bike accident: it started out okay, but by the last hundred pages I was pretty over it.
The writing is okay; there are glimpses of nice poetic prose but more often than not the imagery didn't really work and/or felt stilted. I got annoyed at the number of times I had to re-read passages to get the timeline right, as it often jumped from a scene into a memory and back again without much to direct the reader. The book is divided into sections which I thought corresponded to how much time had passed relative to the accident, but by the end several years were passing by in a single sentence. The last few chapters feel rushed, and I lost connection with the characters (especially Jean's son and husband, whose stories I really wanted to hear).
That being said, it was actually quite hard to make connections with the characters because there were so many of them! Perspective switches from the husband to the son to best friend 1 to best friend 2 to mother-in-law to mother to murderer to DOG (seriously, do we need the dog's take on his owner's death???) and it just meant I got a shallow understanding of a large group's view of this woman's life. I really liked the chapters that focused on the young son and the husband, which were quite poignant and looked at grief in an original way, but unfortunately so much time was spent looking closely at other characters that those good chapters didn't get an opportunity to stand out.
I might be being unfair - I'm sure some readers will really enjoy the mosaic of stories which come together in love for one woman, but unfortunately not my thing. A solid 2.5 stars.
The writing is okay; there are glimpses of nice poetic prose but more often than not the imagery didn't really work and/or felt stilted. I got annoyed at the number of times I had to re-read passages to get the timeline right, as it often jumped from a scene into a memory and back again without much to direct the reader. The book is divided into sections which I thought corresponded to how much time had passed relative to the accident, but by the end several years were passing by in a single sentence. The last few chapters feel rushed, and I lost connection with the characters (especially Jean's son and husband, whose stories I really wanted to hear).
That being said, it was actually quite hard to make connections with the characters because there were so many of them! Perspective switches from the husband to the son to best friend 1 to best friend 2 to mother-in-law to mother to murderer to DOG (seriously, do we need the dog's take on his owner's death???) and it just meant I got a shallow understanding of a large group's view of this woman's life. I really liked the chapters that focused on the young son and the husband, which were quite poignant and looked at grief in an original way, but unfortunately so much time was spent looking closely at other characters that those good chapters didn't get an opportunity to stand out.
I might be being unfair - I'm sure some readers will really enjoy the mosaic of stories which come together in love for one woman, but unfortunately not my thing. A solid 2.5 stars.
samstillreading's review
5.0
Jean Harley Was Here is a book that should be sad, but isn’t. It’s a strong and uplifting story that leaves the reader with hope. It’s also the kind of novel that gets under your skin that you don’t want to end.
When I mention the plot, you will probably wonder why I’m making the above statements. The book is a reflection of grief after Jean Harley dies after falling off her bicycle and being hit by a car. There isn’t much of Jean herself in this book, but her memory and loss is felt very strongly by those close and not-so-close to her. Her husband, Stan. Son, Orion. Mother in law, Marion. Best friends, Neddy and Viv. The family dog, Digger. And the man who was driving the car, Charley. While the common focus is Jean and carrying on after her death, these characters are all interesting in their own right. Marion is a later life playwright. Charley was taught to read in prison. Neddy’s life revolves around her children and Viv lives for work and flings.
The story of life after the event is told in chapters from different points of view. I never knew who we were going to hear from next, nor how much time had passed. That was a good thing. It kept me eager to find out more about what was happening with Charley or Neddy and it revealed the healing process. Jean is never forgotten even as time moves on. Each character is finely crafted, flawed and realistic. They are just interesting people, who would generally fit in the category of ‘ordinary’ but when you follow their lives, are extraordinary. Charley led a hard life which ended up in prison. He only wanted to learn to read so he could read his mum’s letters and eventually write back to her. Lisa was the patient teacher and they struck up a friendship through letters. Charley is sorry for what happened with Jean, but explains his previous life as being what he deserved.
Neddy and Viv are like chalk and cheese. Neddy was a promising writer, now she’s a full time mum. Does she love her new life? No. Would she swap it? Absolutely not. Even though Neddy is mum, cook, cleaner, driver and tethered to her house and/or a child, she celebrates what she has and knows to take small steps to manage her life (even if it is just cleaning Weet-Bix off the table and her). Viv is a mysterious high flyer of the design world, always ready for a challenge and another house to make over. She’s glamourous and tells herself she’s not one for children. Now it might be too late to change her mind – but is motherhood what she wants?
Jean Harley Was Here is a beautiful, strong story exploring grief with memorable characters. It’s a book you will remember long after you’ve finished it. Heather Taylor Johnson’s writing is just right – not too sad, not too trite but sensitively handled.
Thank you to Readings for the copy of this novel, shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
When I mention the plot, you will probably wonder why I’m making the above statements. The book is a reflection of grief after Jean Harley dies after falling off her bicycle and being hit by a car. There isn’t much of Jean herself in this book, but her memory and loss is felt very strongly by those close and not-so-close to her. Her husband, Stan. Son, Orion. Mother in law, Marion. Best friends, Neddy and Viv. The family dog, Digger. And the man who was driving the car, Charley. While the common focus is Jean and carrying on after her death, these characters are all interesting in their own right. Marion is a later life playwright. Charley was taught to read in prison. Neddy’s life revolves around her children and Viv lives for work and flings.
The story of life after the event is told in chapters from different points of view. I never knew who we were going to hear from next, nor how much time had passed. That was a good thing. It kept me eager to find out more about what was happening with Charley or Neddy and it revealed the healing process. Jean is never forgotten even as time moves on. Each character is finely crafted, flawed and realistic. They are just interesting people, who would generally fit in the category of ‘ordinary’ but when you follow their lives, are extraordinary. Charley led a hard life which ended up in prison. He only wanted to learn to read so he could read his mum’s letters and eventually write back to her. Lisa was the patient teacher and they struck up a friendship through letters. Charley is sorry for what happened with Jean, but explains his previous life as being what he deserved.
Neddy and Viv are like chalk and cheese. Neddy was a promising writer, now she’s a full time mum. Does she love her new life? No. Would she swap it? Absolutely not. Even though Neddy is mum, cook, cleaner, driver and tethered to her house and/or a child, she celebrates what she has and knows to take small steps to manage her life (even if it is just cleaning Weet-Bix off the table and her). Viv is a mysterious high flyer of the design world, always ready for a challenge and another house to make over. She’s glamourous and tells herself she’s not one for children. Now it might be too late to change her mind – but is motherhood what she wants?
Jean Harley Was Here is a beautiful, strong story exploring grief with memorable characters. It’s a book you will remember long after you’ve finished it. Heather Taylor Johnson’s writing is just right – not too sad, not too trite but sensitively handled.
Thank you to Readings for the copy of this novel, shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
eri_123's review
4.0
This was an incredibly powerful novel on grief. BUT: there was a flaw in the central premise which has bothered me ever since.
We follow many, many characters (including the family dog??) in the wake of Jean's death (she has been 'doored' on her bicycle, AKA hit by a car door when the driver opened their door into traffic, and then run over accidentally by the character named Charley). Her death haunts Charley for the rest of the novel. However, we never hear from the driver who doored Jean, even though she caused the accident and therefore her death. (In Victoria, Australia, dooring is a traffic offence with fines and penalties). For an otherwise very detailed novel with a great many perspectives and narrators, this seems a fundamental oversight.
Otherwise: a deep, haunting read. Grief is the central theme, but in exploring a multitude of reactions to grief, the novel also examines family and parenthood, friendship, identity and living a meaningful life. It was a much deeper book than I was expecting and it was quite confronting and emotive to read - not quite a relaxed beach holiday read (as I was expecting!), but a really worthwhile book, and fantastic fiction with a regional feel (particular to regions of Australia and the USA, as per the author's background). Although the South Australian wine references were a bit contrived.
We follow many, many characters (including the family dog??) in the wake of Jean's death (she has been 'doored' on her bicycle, AKA hit by a car door when the driver opened their door into traffic, and then run over accidentally by the character named Charley). Her death haunts Charley for the rest of the novel. However, we never hear from the driver who doored Jean, even though she caused the accident and therefore her death. (In Victoria, Australia, dooring is a traffic offence with fines and penalties). For an otherwise very detailed novel with a great many perspectives and narrators, this seems a fundamental oversight.
Otherwise: a deep, haunting read. Grief is the central theme, but in exploring a multitude of reactions to grief, the novel also examines family and parenthood, friendship, identity and living a meaningful life. It was a much deeper book than I was expecting and it was quite confronting and emotive to read - not quite a relaxed beach holiday read (as I was expecting!), but a really worthwhile book, and fantastic fiction with a regional feel (particular to regions of Australia and the USA, as per the author's background). Although the South Australian wine references were a bit contrived.
wtb_michael's review
4.0
Sad and believable story of the death of one young woman and the ways it reverberates through a community.
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