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afox98's review against another edition
4.0
A fun, quick read. Clover Hobart wakes up one day and realizes she's becoming invisible, metaphorically and physically. I love how the book described her feelings about it, and examined her relationships with her best friend and her husband. The humor throughout the book took a light approach to a painful thought.
sheritolley's review against another edition
3.0
Not a book I would have read on my own. It was a book club suggestion. It was a little kooky, but a great metaphor of how other people see us.
Clover is 54 yrs old and one day she goes invisible, literally. Her family doesn't notice. As she finds other women with the same issue, the come together to confront the problem.
It is fantasy, but don't we feel invisible at times?
If you were invisible, what would you do?
hlogan's review against another edition
4.0
What a surprisingly great read! I thought it would be a bit silly - and it is a little silly, but in the most wonderful way, and it also manages to be touching, endearing and thought-provoking too. Completely unpredictable, laugh out loud funny in parts, and a really fun read. Jeanne Ray has got herself a new fan!
turrean's review against another edition
4.0
In our youth-obsessed culture, there's many a middle-aged woman who has felt invisible when the waiter's eyes drift past her to a younger, more attractive woman, or when her family takes for granted the hours of work it takes to maintain a home. But Clover wakes up one day and is literally invisible. Her husband and children don't notice at all; they carry on regardless. She finds she is not alone. She and her fellow invisible women must band together to save the day. Ray gently and cheerfully leads her characters--and her readers--on a journey to discover the remedies for post-menopausal obsolescence.
I'm extremely amused at the phrase "fellow women." Seems oxymoronic.
I'm extremely amused at the phrase "fellow women." Seems oxymoronic.
sde's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. No, it is not literary fiction. Yes, most of the characters other than the narrator, Clover, are one-dimensional and sometimes annoying. But the premise of the book - that middle aged women are becoming literally invisible due to the a combination of prescription drugs they are taking - is so much fun.
Perhaps the book only spoke to me because I am entering that "invisible" period of life that many women experience. Sometimes it can be frustrating to not really be noticed, but there is also a freedom in being able to do pretty much whatever you want (within reason) and nobody stops or hassles you. I have moved past barricades, handled all sorts of expensive stuff at stores, strolled on the side of the street near "No Trespassing" signs, and no one has batted an eye. Any teenager doing similar things would be followed or stopped.
Clover experiences both this pain and excitement at being invisible. Although she would love to be seen, as time goes on she starts to take advantage of being invisible to affect people's lives and to promote the invisible women's call for action on the part of the drug company, who, it seems, has known about this problem for a long time but has been hushing it up.
Clover gains strength from other women, especially the other invisible women she meets, and her malaise, which has been around long before she became invisible, begins to lift. And this uplifted me as a reader as well.
Oh, and my public library has this classified as fantasy, but I wouldn't call it fantasy at all, no matter how many times I've fantasized about being invisible! I haven't read the fantasy genre much, but this story, despite the premise, seems too realistic to me to be called fantasy.
Perhaps the book only spoke to me because I am entering that "invisible" period of life that many women experience. Sometimes it can be frustrating to not really be noticed, but there is also a freedom in being able to do pretty much whatever you want (within reason) and nobody stops or hassles you. I have moved past barricades, handled all sorts of expensive stuff at stores, strolled on the side of the street near "No Trespassing" signs, and no one has batted an eye. Any teenager doing similar things would be followed or stopped.
Clover experiences both this pain and excitement at being invisible. Although she would love to be seen, as time goes on she starts to take advantage of being invisible to affect people's lives and to promote the invisible women's call for action on the part of the drug company, who, it seems, has known about this problem for a long time but has been hushing it up.
Clover gains strength from other women, especially the other invisible women she meets, and her malaise, which has been around long before she became invisible, begins to lift. And this uplifted me as a reader as well.
Oh, and my public library has this classified as fantasy, but I wouldn't call it fantasy at all, no matter how many times I've fantasized about being invisible! I haven't read the fantasy genre much, but this story, despite the premise, seems too realistic to me to be called fantasy.
devoftheshire's review against another edition
4.0
Who hasn't felt invisible at some point in their life. This book was a fun read and true to Jeanne Ray's form it was entertaining and witty. She always has fun books that keep me coming back for more. I love her daughter too, Ann Patchett.
karawhipple's review against another edition
4.0
Prob closer to 3.5. Like, I wanted more. Or refinement or something. But the idea was there and I dig it.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended by Jane and Connie
Check our catalog:
http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Scalling%20invisible%20women+ray__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Check our catalog:
http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Scalling%20invisible%20women+ray__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
aspenreads_22's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0