Reviews

Ordinary People by Judith Guest

delgremmyaward's review

3.0

Despite having been published more than forty years ago, Ordinary People is still relevant and current. This isn't surprising; mental illness and depression, particularly in youths, is a growing problem even today. In the 1970's, treatment may have looked different, both from a medical and from a societal standpoint, but Guest's depiction of the interior lives of Conrad and Cal remains sensitive and accurate. Conrad's thoughts are especially believable; his need for perfection, his anxiety around his peers, his sarcastic hostility toward those trying to help him, and his tortured remorse for every perceived error he has made all paint him as a teenager who could just easily live in the affluent suburbia of the 2020s as he does in the 1970s.

Three stars because the narrative does drag at times and because I think some of the dialogue could have been cut or shifted to make the characters' conversations more believable, as they are in the movie adaptation (which is excellent). Good book overall.

whimsicalmeerkat's review

5.0

Beautiful and haunting. It is a perfect picture of a family filled with pain and tension, and all the ways in which someone's life may not be as it seems from outside. A profound experience, both to read and watch. (This is one of the few things I have read where the film does justice to the book.) Judith Guest masterfully writes her characters within a heartrending story.

jvdvp's review

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

3.0

twatkins's review

emotional sad 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

3.75

chickiereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

elizabethwillett's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.75

shwankusick's review

challenging dark medium-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

2.5

karenglez's review

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

sammiebellofatto's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

nickiethebookwyrm's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0