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jenniemcd's review against another edition
3.0
I love Lorrie Moore's writing: it's beautiful, poignant, and lingers long after I've finished one of her books. This book is all of the above, but I found it incredibly sad as well. While the main character, Tassie, grows into herself in changing times and becomes a stronger person, I wanted to be left with more hope at the end.
hawkia75's review against another edition
3.0
I read so much hype about Lorrie Moore and specifically this book, and I'm not sure it was all deserved. I liked the writing, which was laced with wry humor, but it didn't whip up the undying passion it seemed to engender in so many reviewers. Moore is a miniaturist in that serious issues like race and 9/11 come into the narrative, but never dominate the book. Instead, Moore examines how big things impact an ordinary person's life, and lets us draw our own conclusions. In the end, I guess I want something less understated, a little more...more. I do like how Moore shows how our senses betray us into paying attention to the immediate - how propinquity can stand in for importance - so that the hollyhocks in bloom can claim our attention in the stead of, say, a message from a loved one on the brink of a potentially disastrous decision.
Could it really be that Jonathan Lethem only knows *one* reader who doesn't like Moore, as he said in his NYTimes review?
Could it really be that Jonathan Lethem only knows *one* reader who doesn't like Moore, as he said in his NYTimes review?
dbluminberg's review against another edition
2.0
I had read so many positive reviews about this book, I was excited about finally getting around to it. I am very disappointed. I haven't read any of Lorrie Moore's works, and I love her writing. (. . . I would come to know that look as the beginning of the end of love--the death of a man's trying.). But, this story is just plain odd. I didn't like any of the characters, and thought the various plots were implausible. Based on her writing, I will try some of her other works..
kat20199's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the first half of this novel much better than the second. I thought the relationships between Tassie and the members of the Brinks family were the most compelling, so the novel lost a lot of interest for me when she stopped taking care of Mary Emma.
I thought the overheard Wednesday discussions about race went on far too long and didn't seem to do much (or develop the plot at all) beyond a certain point. I can see what the author was trying to do, but I thought one page of such excerpts would have sufficed.
The horrific story Sarah tells Tassie, Tassie's family tragedy, her relationship with a (potential?) terrorist, and the unsatisfying ending all left me feeling the second half of the story really didn't measure up, unfortunately.
I thought the overheard Wednesday discussions about race went on far too long and didn't seem to do much (or develop the plot at all) beyond a certain point. I can see what the author was trying to do, but I thought one page of such excerpts would have sufficed.
The horrific story Sarah tells Tassie, Tassie's family tragedy, her relationship with a (potential?) terrorist, and the unsatisfying ending all left me feeling the second half of the story really didn't measure up, unfortunately.
kelli_stephenson's review against another edition
3.0
Just okay, but I absolutely loved the last line of the book---classic ending. Not worth reading the entire book just for that though, and you would not get it unless you read it.
jdgcreates's review against another edition
I hope to want to come back to this, especially since I bought a used copy of it with much excitement and the blurb on the cover promised a "profound" read, but I just couldn't get into the character; maybe it was her collegiate views but she bored me.
thingtwo's review against another edition
3.0
I want to say I loved this book, but I think I just fell in love with the author. This is my first experience reading Lorrie Moore and I know I'll be back for more. Her biting wit reminds me of Jonathan Franzen's. Unfortunately, the entire story didn't work for me.
The story opens with Tassie, the daughter of a small town potato farmer, who is interviewing for a job as a nanny. She is evidently a college student, although she spends very little time in the book actually in class. Tassie narrates a year of her life, covering such topics as racism, love and heartbreak, post 9/11 fear, and tragedy, with clarity and cynicism which seem too developed for her limited life experiences. The tale also leaves a lot of big pieces just dangling. There are a number of characters in this book, many of whom seem to have significant roles, who vanish with no apparent reason.
Even with this criticism, I look forward to reading more from this author. She has a gift I'd like to enjoy further.
The story opens with Tassie, the daughter of a small town potato farmer, who is interviewing for a job as a nanny. She is evidently a college student, although she spends very little time in the book actually in class. Tassie narrates a year of her life, covering such topics as racism, love and heartbreak, post 9/11 fear, and tragedy, with clarity and cynicism which seem too developed for her limited life experiences. The tale also leaves a lot of big pieces just dangling. There are a number of characters in this book, many of whom seem to have significant roles, who vanish with no apparent reason.
Even with this criticism, I look forward to reading more from this author. She has a gift I'd like to enjoy further.
danielleisbell's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written book that takes a simple moment and allows it to carry the reader through time. It wasn’t very emotional until the end.
molly_collins's review against another edition
3.0
Like Kate, I will (hopefully remember to) go back and add a review when the book club is finished with this so as not to spoil it for you all.