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mthereader's review against another edition
reflective
sad
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
This book just did not hit the mark I was expecting from Stradal's third Minnesota-Midwest-foodie-novel, and in my opinion, it's the weakest of the three. (Lager Queen is best, Kitchens is second-best.)
As we follow four generations of women and their ties to this northern MN supper club, there is a LOT of generational trauma that's continually perpetuated from mother to daughter to granddaughter, and none of that ever really gets unpacked or properly addressed by any of them. The perpetrators (mothers) either die without resolving their issues, or the daughters just *poof* get over it.
Florence was a particularly sticky and somewhat problematic character. At first I was appalled at her actions and thought "this chick is a villain, like on the same level as Briony from Atonement" but after thinking about her life path and the "choices" foisted upon her, I think a lot of her questionable actions were her way of acting out against her perceived lack of control over her own life. The situation that made me see Florence as more of a victim than a villain was her marriage to Gustav Sr, who, instead of delivering her a life free from her mother & the restaurant she never wanted, basically coerced her into having a child when she adamantly did not want one. Florence was very clearly not cut out to be a mother, and she knew that about herself. Yet that man still made her "compromise" and have a kid, and Florence then proceeded to take out her own traumas on that child in wildly inappropriate ways. And what peeved me more, is that Stradal just lets Gus skate on by without addressing that misogyny? Gus just dies and we get like one sentence about that, and he's never forced to take any responsibility for how he messed up several women's lives.
There are a couple other instances where the men in the book do just as much traumatizing/emotional abuse as the women. There are also several instances of implied homophobia that didn't sit well. Other trigger warnings are warranted for miscarriage, infertility, and child death.
And finally, this has nothing to do with the plot or the writing, it's more of just an added insult: I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator kept mispronouncing the name of a minor side character. "Edina Sue," so called because she's from Edina, MN, should be pronounced ee-DYE-nuh Sue, not uh-DEE-nuh Sue. I'm not even a native Minnesotan and I know that.
As we follow four generations of women and their ties to this northern MN supper club, there is a LOT of generational trauma that's continually perpetuated from mother to daughter to granddaughter, and none of that ever really gets unpacked or properly addressed by any of them. The perpetrators (mothers) either die without resolving their issues, or the daughters just *poof* get over it.
Florence was a particularly sticky and somewhat problematic character. At first I was appalled at her actions and thought "this chick is a villain, like on the same level as Briony from Atonement" but after thinking about her life path and the "choices" foisted upon her, I think a lot of her questionable actions were her way of acting out against her perceived lack of control over her own life. The situation that made me see Florence as more of a victim than a villain was her marriage to Gustav Sr, who, instead of delivering her a life free from her mother & the restaurant she never wanted, basically coerced her into having a child when she adamantly did not want one. Florence was very clearly not cut out to be a mother, and she knew that about herself. Yet that man still made her "compromise" and have a kid, and Florence then proceeded to take out her own traumas on that child in wildly inappropriate ways. And what peeved me more, is that Stradal just lets Gus skate on by without addressing that misogyny? Gus just dies and we get like one sentence about that, and he's never forced to take any responsibility for how he messed up several women's lives.
There are a couple other instances where the men in the book do just as much traumatizing/emotional abuse as the women. There are also several instances of implied homophobia that didn't sit well. Other trigger warnings are warranted for miscarriage, infertility, and child death.
And finally, this has nothing to do with the plot or the writing, it's more of just an added insult: I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator kept mispronouncing the name of a minor side character. "Edina Sue," so called because she's from Edina, MN, should be pronounced ee-DYE-nuh Sue, not uh-DEE-nuh Sue. I'm not even a native Minnesotan and I know that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Infertility
booknerdsinmn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Grief, Death of parent, Child death, and Miscarriage
mraddd's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Car accident, and Miscarriage
Minor: Cancer and Infidelity
ohthebooksshewillread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Okay y'all, trust me when I say, YOU NEED THIS BOOK. The brilliant J.Ryan Stradal’s latest novel, SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB, is his best Midwestern family saga yet!
This is one of those special books that you will immediately hug after you finish reading the last page.
It is the type of family saga that we all love. Filled with well-developed characters who are good yet fallible people. They experience relatable joys and tragedies throughout their lives, and their words of wisdom will resonate with you.
This story had me experiencing a panoply of emotions. Grief that led me to sobbing tears. Clever and witty dialogue and hilarious behavior that had me laughing out loud. Selfish actions that infuriated me. Last, but not least, an overwhelming feeling of hope that left this optimist smiling and full of joy.
I loved my visit to Bear Jaw Lake, Minnesota and look forward to the next Midwestern journey the author takes us on. I give Saturday Night At The Lakeside Supper Club 5 stars!
CW/TW: miscarriage, infertility, IVF, and death of a child. Experiencing a few of these myself, I feel that the author writes about these important matters with empathy, grace, and realism. Handling incredibly personal experiences is naturally individualized. My Instagram DMs are open if you need additional information to decide if this book is for you.
This is one of those special books that you will immediately hug after you finish reading the last page.
It is the type of family saga that we all love. Filled with well-developed characters who are good yet fallible people. They experience relatable joys and tragedies throughout their lives, and their words of wisdom will resonate with you.
This story had me experiencing a panoply of emotions. Grief that led me to sobbing tears. Clever and witty dialogue and hilarious behavior that had me laughing out loud. Selfish actions that infuriated me. Last, but not least, an overwhelming feeling of hope that left this optimist smiling and full of joy.
I loved my visit to Bear Jaw Lake, Minnesota and look forward to the next Midwestern journey the author takes us on. I give Saturday Night At The Lakeside Supper Club 5 stars!
CW/TW: miscarriage, infertility, IVF, and death of a child. Experiencing a few of these myself, I feel that the author writes about these important matters with empathy, grace, and realism. Handling incredibly personal experiences is naturally individualized. My Instagram DMs are open if you need additional information to decide if this book is for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Child death, and Infertility
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
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