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The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

6 reviews

trainreader's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

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kelly_e's review

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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 To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled.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."

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yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

3.25

Finished reading: February 20th 2024

“Looking back, I don’t think there was ever a point where I officially gave up on my dreams; instead I think it happened gradually, as these things do, so that I barely noticed the shift in my thinking”

WARNING: yet another unpopular opinion review!!

I had such high hopes for this story as people kept raving about it, and I've been looking forward to finally try Mike Gayle's writing. Things started out well enough as I was really enjoying both the writing style and the idea behind the museum. I was already thinking that The Museum Of Ordinary People would end up on my list of February favorites, but somehow these feelings started to change over time. There were certain aspects of the story that started to irk me more and more, and this had a lot to do with the characters. I hated gaslighting bastard Guy SO much, but what was even worse was how Jess reacted to him and kept putting herself down. In fact, she NEVER stood up for herself with him, and this all made me so angry... To make things worse, there is just SO much drama and negativity especially in the second half, as if the author just wanted to bury the main character under it. I can get some challenges along the way, but this was just getting ridiculous... Especially with so many revelations that only seemed to be there for the shock factor. I also wasn't a fan of the ending and how the solution for the problems with the museum kind of came out of nowhere... And the love triangle vibe wasn't exactly helping either. I still really enjoyed the museum itself and what it stands for (I would definitely visit if I could!), but as a whole there was too much drama and negativity going on in especially the second half of the book to properly enjoy The Museum Of Ordinary People as expected. I still want to try more of his work though, because I did enjoy the writing style itself.

Content Warnings