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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
Good story about a dysfunctional family set in Maine. Told from various female perspectives from different generations within it. The ending is pretty ambiguous.
I love the way J. Courtney Sullivan writes family dramas. She highlights both small, petty and deep, lasting offenses with the same honesty and masterful skill. She clearly understands all of the many ways your family can drive you crazy, but I love that her family dramas are never bleak. Sullivan helps you laugh about the absurdities of sisters and mothers and in-laws while also showing how important those family relationships really are.
A lot of readers have said they disliked all of the characters in this book, and while I definitely can see why that would be, I couldn’t bring myself to hate any of them. In fact, I couldn’t get enough of grandmother Alice and her embarrassing crush on the young Catholic priest or Annmarie’s eventual melt down during the “paprika” salad lunch. In their own ways, all of the Kellehers gripped my heart, and I think that was probably Sullivan’s intention all along.
A lot of readers have said they disliked all of the characters in this book, and while I definitely can see why that would be, I couldn’t bring myself to hate any of them. In fact, I couldn’t get enough of grandmother Alice and her embarrassing crush on the young Catholic priest or Annmarie’s eventual melt down during the “paprika” salad lunch. In their own ways, all of the Kellehers gripped my heart, and I think that was probably Sullivan’s intention all along.
I had looked forward to this book which had been recommended to me but was in fact underwhelmed by it.
Calling it now: bestseller. Not because it is a-mazing, like The Help or Room, but because it is the kind of books ladies like to read on their vacations and pass along to their friends.
With four female main characters from three generations, women will see themselves, their mothers, sisters, grandmothers, or children in at least one of the interwoven stories. And even though it didn't wrap up sufficiently for my tastes, this slice of family life, with its vivid characters that you alternate between hating, pitying, and understanding, screams I AM THE KIND OF IMPORTANT NOVEL THAT YOU CAN READ ON THE BEACH OR WITH YOUR BOOK CLUB.
(Y'know, moreso than the books with rippling men's abs on their covers)
With four female main characters from three generations, women will see themselves, their mothers, sisters, grandmothers, or children in at least one of the interwoven stories. And even though it didn't wrap up sufficiently for my tastes, this slice of family life, with its vivid characters that you alternate between hating, pitying, and understanding, screams I AM THE KIND OF IMPORTANT NOVEL THAT YOU CAN READ ON THE BEACH OR WITH YOUR BOOK CLUB.
(Y'know, moreso than the books with rippling men's abs on their covers)
I was interested in the characters and the setting, but the story never really came to a climax. The ending was revealed in the beginning of the book. The book was titled Maine but it barely took place in Maine.
Absolutely loved this book. I thoroughly enjoyed "Commencement", and Sullivan did not disappoint with her latest novel, "Maine." I truly loved the characters in this book and felt invested in them, and enjoyed the story-telling aspects that took us into the earlier part of the 20th century. I read it on my Kindle, where I have the opportunity to highlight passages or phrases that move me, and found myself doing it frequently with this book- mostly in relation to personal experiences. I found myself nodding along with the characters at several points, which usually leads me to label something a good read. I was also able to find myself in each character, at least in some small way, which is a credit to Sullivan's immense writing talent.
I read this book in a day, during the busiest time of year in my job, because it was that good and I couldn't put it down. Now I will just have to wait until Sullivan writes another.....
I read this book in a day, during the busiest time of year in my job, because it was that good and I couldn't put it down. Now I will just have to wait until Sullivan writes another.....
What a dysfunctional family!! But I loved reading it. I especially enjoyed how the author told the story from 4 different points of view, which covered 3 generations of women in the family. Although expected, I'm not sure that I truly like the way the story ended. It left you wanting a little more.
I would never have chosen this book except for the fact that the prompt on the 2020 Reading Challenge for our local library was a "beach themed book." I looked at that and thought what the heck is that? Luckily our library also has a list of curated titles for each of their prompts, and all of the other dozen or so had a waiting list so Maine it was. As it turned out, it was a very good read.
This is a story of four women, Alice the matriarch of the clan, her daughter Kathleen, Kathleen's daughter Maggie and Alice's daughter-in-law, Anne Marie (who I think of as a stepford wife). There is conflict, lies, fears, secrets (some very dark) and, above all, love. There is also more information about worms than you ever thought you could possibly learn in a novel.
If you are looking for a very good summer read, then put this book on your list.
This is a story of four women, Alice the matriarch of the clan, her daughter Kathleen, Kathleen's daughter Maggie and Alice's daughter-in-law, Anne Marie (who I think of as a stepford wife). There is conflict, lies, fears, secrets (some very dark) and, above all, love. There is also more information about worms than you ever thought you could possibly learn in a novel.
If you are looking for a very good summer read, then put this book on your list.