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heatherday916's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, really. Not at all what I expected. The chronology of the story was a bit confusing at first and I’m not sure the book jacket description really jives with what I felt the book was actually about. But I liked it. The characters were interesting, the writing was engaging, and the storylines wove together in an interesting way.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
"She threatened to expose your dirty deed, and you adored her for it. You didn't feel so lonely now that you had Pauline at the center of your fantasies. She wasn't even out of her twenties. She was like a wild animal you were gently trying to domesticate. You gave her everything she asked for, plus some, in hopes that she would soften toward you."
When Maggie lands herself a secretarial job, her boss gives her an assignment: be a friend to Pauline. When Maggie obliges, she learns just what being a friend means. When Pauline goes missing and leaves behind a disabled daughter in the 1950s, Maggie takes it upon herself to look after the young girl and figure out just what happened to her friend and colleague. As the Twin Towers rise in both construction and fame, everything else seems to crumble around Pauline and the narrative she's constructed. She goes away to gamble on horses in the summer--but none of the hotels have record of her. The detectives think that she's abandoned her daughter in hopes for a better life as a single mother--but this is blatantly lazy detective work. And so Maggie begs the question: What happened to Pauline?
Told through short vignettes, we follow Maggie, Sonia, Pauline, and the Whitaker family through the rise and fall of the Twin Towers, of a young woman's life, of an aluminum factory and a town polluted by it. This industrial world where regulation is scant takes no prisoners. While there is absolutely a finger to point, and someone to point it at, Careers for Women constructs a societal reflection in which an amalgamation of factors contribute to Pauline's disappearance. Is it the aluminum which has polluted a town and its minds? Is it the boss who propositions Pauline for a job that can afford her much more money than a secretarial position? Could it be the stress of a home life, a crumbling relationship, the need to get back at a class of women who are suddenly understanding that they can indeed reject the place given to them?
The delight of reading this is the way in which Scott, through Maggie, narrates this book. The usage of "you", both accusatory and descriptive, posits us as the reader as someone who played a hand in Pauline's destruction. The way in which the mystery and resolution slowly unfolds, the vignettes used to piece together the story as Maggie figures out all the pieces.
This is an unexpected mystery, and one that's written in a non-normative style. It's a slow burn, but one that will ignite you and won't let go once it does.
When Maggie lands herself a secretarial job, her boss gives her an assignment: be a friend to Pauline. When Maggie obliges, she learns just what being a friend means. When Pauline goes missing and leaves behind a disabled daughter in the 1950s, Maggie takes it upon herself to look after the young girl and figure out just what happened to her friend and colleague. As the Twin Towers rise in both construction and fame, everything else seems to crumble around Pauline and the narrative she's constructed. She goes away to gamble on horses in the summer--but none of the hotels have record of her. The detectives think that she's abandoned her daughter in hopes for a better life as a single mother--but this is blatantly lazy detective work. And so Maggie begs the question: What happened to Pauline?
Told through short vignettes, we follow Maggie, Sonia, Pauline, and the Whitaker family through the rise and fall of the Twin Towers, of a young woman's life, of an aluminum factory and a town polluted by it. This industrial world where regulation is scant takes no prisoners. While there is absolutely a finger to point, and someone to point it at, Careers for Women constructs a societal reflection in which an amalgamation of factors contribute to Pauline's disappearance. Is it the aluminum which has polluted a town and its minds? Is it the boss who propositions Pauline for a job that can afford her much more money than a secretarial position? Could it be the stress of a home life, a crumbling relationship, the need to get back at a class of women who are suddenly understanding that they can indeed reject the place given to them?
The delight of reading this is the way in which Scott, through Maggie, narrates this book. The usage of "you", both accusatory and descriptive, posits us as the reader as someone who played a hand in Pauline's destruction. The way in which the mystery and resolution slowly unfolds, the vignettes used to piece together the story as Maggie figures out all the pieces.
This is an unexpected mystery, and one that's written in a non-normative style. It's a slow burn, but one that will ignite you and won't let go once it does.
servemethesky's review against another edition
5.0
What a strange but wonderful book. I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this. I had caught a brief excerpt of someone else's Goodreads review that made me suspect the title was ironic, but I had no idea what I was in store for when I opened this book. Having had Joanna Scott as a professor, I shouldn't have been surprised by the non-chronological nature of the narrative, but I was still taken aback at first. Once I acclimated to it, I found it a new and challenging way to read. The point of view is always shifting, as is the year, but it's always Maggie Gleason at heart who's narrating. This isn't a book about Maggie Gleason and it's not a book about careers for women. It's much more than that.
The environmental aspects of this book were weird and unexpected, as was the depressed housewife storyline, the affair, and even the (no spoilers????) murder. It was so interesting to trace the narrative, and so strangely beautiful. I also loved the tie-in with the development of New York City and the World Trade Center, and the haunting conclusion of the novel with 9/11. It left me feeling a lot of thinks, including confused, moved, and thoughtful. I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from the novel, but I thought a lot and I greatly enjoyed it.
The environmental aspects of this book were weird and unexpected, as was the depressed housewife storyline, the affair, and even the (no spoilers????) murder. It was so interesting to trace the narrative, and so strangely beautiful. I also loved the tie-in with the development of New York City and the World Trade Center, and the haunting conclusion of the novel with 9/11. It left me feeling a lot of thinks, including confused, moved, and thoughtful. I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from the novel, but I thought a lot and I greatly enjoyed it.
lola425's review against another edition
3.0
Great read. Told in a on-linear way that kept you thinking.
busymorning's review against another edition
4.0
Think 9 to 5 (1980) and Hustlers (2019), but in literary form.
Some dislike it, but I enjoyed the fragmented way it was written with bite sized details and time parallels. The various characters were all well rounded and compelling in equal manner.
I decided to read it first because of the NYC setting in the 1950s. The inclusion of historical reference of the construction of the Twin Towers was also nice.
Some dislike it, but I enjoyed the fragmented way it was written with bite sized details and time parallels. The various characters were all well rounded and compelling in equal manner.
I decided to read it first because of the NYC setting in the 1950s. The inclusion of historical reference of the construction of the Twin Towers was also nice.
kathydubs's review against another edition
3.0
This was certainly an interesting book that was not what I expected it to be. Reading the synopsis on the book jacket I expected it to be about working women in New York in the 60's, but honestly it was so much more than that! Initially I found it difficult to follow the different timelines and narratives, so perhaps that could have had a better introduction, however once in the thick of it, the narrative switches back and forth and between characters seamlessly. I enjoyed following the characters and seeing their development throughout the novel. It was also interesting to watch the mystery get solved across time and to see puzzle pieces fit in here and there, including why the story is told the way it is. It all makes sense in the end. I will say I found the last few pages a little strange. Perhaps it was symbolism I didn't catch, but it just seemed quickly connected to 9/11 and wrapping up loose ends for the characters. All in all, this is a solid read and an interesting narrative.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2017/08/2017-book-140.html
This novel starts off really promisingly, focusing on a young woman in New York in the 1950s working at the Port Authority under an interesting woman mentor, the head of PR. But then it just starts jumping around all over the place--New York in the 60s-70s; planning and building the World Trade Center; a young single mother who is befriended by the protagonist, and her little girl; the head of some sort of aluminum company (the father of the aforementioned little girl) and the environmental problems it causes in upstate New York across a couple of decades, and his wife and son and his son's fiancee and the son's fiancee's dead father, etc etc. It is just a lot and it takes too long to come together. I wanted to read the book that was described, about a young career woman in New York, and this was just doing too much. I mean it is interesting from a literary standpoint, but was a bit of a slow read. B.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now.
This novel starts off really promisingly, focusing on a young woman in New York in the 1950s working at the Port Authority under an interesting woman mentor, the head of PR. But then it just starts jumping around all over the place--New York in the 60s-70s; planning and building the World Trade Center; a young single mother who is befriended by the protagonist, and her little girl; the head of some sort of aluminum company (the father of the aforementioned little girl) and the environmental problems it causes in upstate New York across a couple of decades, and his wife and son and his son's fiancee and the son's fiancee's dead father, etc etc. It is just a lot and it takes too long to come together. I wanted to read the book that was described, about a young career woman in New York, and this was just doing too much. I mean it is interesting from a literary standpoint, but was a bit of a slow read. B.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now.
libellus's review against another edition
4.0
Careers for Women by Joanna Scott
4,25/5
Full review on my blog: http://libellus.weebly.com/blog/review-careers-for-women !
Perfect for Mother's Day coming soon.
4,25/5
Full review on my blog: http://libellus.weebly.com/blog/review-careers-for-women !
Perfect for Mother's Day coming soon.
laurabythebook's review against another edition
4.0
I admit that I was drawn to this book by the title, but I now think it was a little misleading. While the story is primarily about female characters, it isn't really about females in the workplace. This is a fictional story that takes place in New York (city and state) from the 1950's until the early 2000's. It involves environmental issues, the building of the World Trade Center, and a mystery regarding a woman's disappearance. While slow at certain parts, by the end I couldn't put it down and had to know how the mystery resolved.