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kelly_e's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Title: The Museum of Ordinary People
Author: Mike Gayle
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 30, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Layered • Heartfelt • Thoughtful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she's ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold. As she sorts through a lifetime of memories, everything comes to a halt when she comes across something she just can’t part with: an old set of encyclopedias. To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled. To Jess, they represent love and the future that her mother always wanted her to have.
In the process of finding the books a new home, Jess discovers an unusual archive of letters, photographs, and curious housed in a warehouse and known as the Museum of Ordinary People. Irresistibly drawn, she becomes the museum's unofficial custodian, along with the warehouse’s mysterious owner. As they delve into the history of objects in their care, they not only unravel heart-stirring stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long-buried secrets that lie closer to home.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I had been eagerly anticipating Mike Gayle's latest release after All the Lonely People became an all-time favourite. There's just something about his writing style and ability to create endearing characters that sucks me in. The Museum of Ordinary People with its museum setting and themes of grief and connection appealed to me for so many different reasons, and it was an easy choice for my next 5-star prediction.
As someone with an appreciation for antiques, as a former museum worker/curator, and as an avid museum goer, the Museum of Ordinary People felt like just the type of place I'd love to spend an afternoon. The concept of a place that finds meaning in the ordinary - a place where seemingly insignificant things become meaningful - was absolutely beautiful. This museum was filled with unique items and stories. The plot unfolds at a slow and steady pace, exploring how different items mean different things to different people. And how we can find sentimentality in ordinary items that can evoke such vivid emotions and memories.
This one really made me stop to reflect. I felt a deep personal bond with Jess and what she was going through. While cleaning out my paternal grandfather's house after his death there were the items many family members gravitated towards. There were also the things that became invaluable due to holding a specific memory. Still yet there were those ordinary things, you'd think would be easily discarded. As I read, it made me reflect on his possessions. Oddly enough, there was a small outdoor garbage pail that I claimed. It didn't have any particular significance, yet I knew it would be useful for my gardening work. Now, nearing three years since his death, it is the most used item I have from him stuff. Every time I use it in the garden (a passion we shared), I feel a real sense of connection to him. This simple pail would mean so little to most, yet it has become invaluable to me in my grief journey.
Beyond all of the heart and humanness of the concept, there were a few mysteries and surprises along the way, even a touch of romance. Each of the characters had there place within the story, yet a few of the side plots did feel unnecessary and detracted from the overall flow of the novel.
The Museum of Ordinary People was such a breath of fresh air. I was expecting really great things (re: All the Lonely People), and although I didn't love it as much, it was such a human story. I look forward to continuing to explore Mike Gayle's backlist, and will be keeping an eye on what he will write next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Mike Gayle fans
• lovers of ordinary things
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"I wanted to put as much love and care into the taking apart of my wonderful mum’s home as had been poured into bringing it all together in the first place?"
"We give value to the overlooked, to the ordinary, to that which the world thinks of as commonplace. And we do this in the hope that the lives and the stories of the people these seemingly unremarkable things once belonged to will be treasured and remembered long after they're gone."
"And although the objects themselves are no replacement for the people we ache for, they are a reminder of the fact that those people were here, and they mattered and will be missed."
Author: Mike Gayle
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 30, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Layered • Heartfelt • Thoughtful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she's ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold. As she sorts through a lifetime of memories, everything comes to a halt when she comes across something she just can’t part with: an old set of encyclopedias. To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled. To Jess, they represent love and the future that her mother always wanted her to have.
In the process of finding the books a new home, Jess discovers an unusual archive of letters, photographs, and curious housed in a warehouse and known as the Museum of Ordinary People. Irresistibly drawn, she becomes the museum's unofficial custodian, along with the warehouse’s mysterious owner. As they delve into the history of objects in their care, they not only unravel heart-stirring stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long-buried secrets that lie closer to home.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I had been eagerly anticipating Mike Gayle's latest release after All the Lonely People became an all-time favourite. There's just something about his writing style and ability to create endearing characters that sucks me in. The Museum of Ordinary People with its museum setting and themes of grief and connection appealed to me for so many different reasons, and it was an easy choice for my next 5-star prediction.
As someone with an appreciation for antiques, as a former museum worker/curator, and as an avid museum goer, the Museum of Ordinary People felt like just the type of place I'd love to spend an afternoon. The concept of a place that finds meaning in the ordinary - a place where seemingly insignificant things become meaningful - was absolutely beautiful. This museum was filled with unique items and stories. The plot unfolds at a slow and steady pace, exploring how different items mean different things to different people. And how we can find sentimentality in ordinary items that can evoke such vivid emotions and memories.
This one really made me stop to reflect. I felt a deep personal bond with Jess and what she was going through. While cleaning out my paternal grandfather's house after his death there were the items many family members gravitated towards. There were also the things that became invaluable due to holding a specific memory. Still yet there were those ordinary things, you'd think would be easily discarded. As I read, it made me reflect on his possessions. Oddly enough, there was a small outdoor garbage pail that I claimed. It didn't have any particular significance, yet I knew it would be useful for my gardening work. Now, nearing three years since his death, it is the most used item I have from him stuff. Every time I use it in the garden (a passion we shared), I feel a real sense of connection to him. This simple pail would mean so little to most, yet it has become invaluable to me in my grief journey.
Beyond all of the heart and humanness of the concept, there were a few mysteries and surprises along the way, even a touch of romance. Each of the characters had there place within the story, yet a few of the side plots did feel unnecessary and detracted from the overall flow of the novel.
The Museum of Ordinary People was such a breath of fresh air. I was expecting really great things (re: All the Lonely People), and although I didn't love it as much, it was such a human story. I look forward to continuing to explore Mike Gayle's backlist, and will be keeping an eye on what he will write next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Mike Gayle fans
• lovers of ordinary things
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"I wanted to put as much love and care into the taking apart of my wonderful mum’s home as had been poured into bringing it all together in the first place?"
"We give value to the overlooked, to the ordinary, to that which the world thinks of as commonplace. And we do this in the hope that the lives and the stories of the people these seemingly unremarkable things once belonged to will be treasured and remembered long after they're gone."
"And although the objects themselves are no replacement for the people we ache for, they are a reminder of the fact that those people were here, and they mattered and will be missed."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Xenophobia, Mental illness, Cancer, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Addiction
purplepenning's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This got just a little melodramatic for my tastes, but it's an engaging, well-written, community-oriented story that stands well with the author's previous book, All the Lonely People, and should work for fans of Anxious People, The Authenticity Project, and Maame. Despite, or maybe because of (grief is a funny thing) having lost my mom relatively recently, I didn't find this one quite as unexpectedly charming and touching as All the Lonely People.
The Museum of Ordinary People is sort of a late coming-of-age tale about grief, losing and finding oneself, the people we're meant to keep in our lives, the people we're meant to let go, and the extraordinary ordinary people and things we could all see a little more clearly and think about a little more deeply. Populated with realistic and relatable characters (main character Jess is, in particular, perfectly written and developed), the book is also given a suitably simple, warm tone by the audiobook narration.
The Museum of Ordinary People is sort of a late coming-of-age tale about grief, losing and finding oneself, the people we're meant to keep in our lives, the people we're meant to let go, and the extraordinary ordinary people and things we could all see a little more clearly and think about a little more deeply. Populated with realistic and relatable characters (main character Jess is, in particular, perfectly written and developed), the book is also given a suitably simple, warm tone by the audiobook narration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Antisemitism, Cancer, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcoholism
Minor: Antisemitism, Pregnancy, Violence, Abortion, and Hate crime
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