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smalltownbookmom's review
3.0
5/5 for narration (the author narrates this book herself which definitely lends something extra to the narrative voice). The story itself was just a 3/5 for me however. I really wanted to like it more but the stream of consciousness style of narration was honestly a little boring. I guess i was expecting more excitement or drama from a story about a 1950s actress. Hearing the mother’s story from the daughter kind of left you removed from the action and less invested. Great story idea but overall execution left me wanting.
hatrireads's review
3.0
Wonderful mother-daughter story set against the backdrop of fame and Ireland. I highly recommend.
guylou's review
2.0
This is a novel about a daughter’s search to understand her mother’s hidden truths. I wish I would have loved this book because it is about a challenging daughter and mother relationship and I can relate to that. The book description was very promising. I appreciated how superb the writing was, but the story dragged and was sometimes confusing. In the end, I was not sure what I really got out of the story.
colorfulleo92's review
5.0
This books seems to be a very love it or hate it sort of book and I have to say I loved it. The story is about Norah who reflect her life with her mother, famous actress Katherine O'Dell and her fall into mental illness and later her death. It's true that not much happens but the look into a disfunctional mother daughter relationship where the daughter have to be the adult one, the one who protects and help her mother and later her mothers death, really resonated with me in a deep level. It made me think about a few personal things and maybe that's why I loved the story so much. Its not an happy story but it's an emotional and intresting book nevertheless
bianca89279's review
4.0
My first Anne Enright novel didn't disappoint.
Actress is about a mother-daughter relationship, told by the daughter. Now older than when her mother died, Norah is reminiscing about her peculiar childhood, as the only child of the famous Irish actress, Katherine O’Dell. Isn't it interesting how the older we get the more sympathetic, understanding we are towards our parents? Having our own kids, relationships allow us to see our parents in a different light. Enright balanced the narrative between Norah's childhood memories and the young adult's very well, there's melancholy, admirations, vexation while also attempting to put together the puzzle her mother was. We never really know someone completely, even more so when your mother is an actress who always adapts and changes to suit her company, usually men.
While it's easy to read and digest, this is also complex and layered. I enjoyed it a great deal, so I'm going to make sure I read more Enright.
Actress is about a mother-daughter relationship, told by the daughter. Now older than when her mother died, Norah is reminiscing about her peculiar childhood, as the only child of the famous Irish actress, Katherine O’Dell. Isn't it interesting how the older we get the more sympathetic, understanding we are towards our parents? Having our own kids, relationships allow us to see our parents in a different light. Enright balanced the narrative between Norah's childhood memories and the young adult's very well, there's melancholy, admirations, vexation while also attempting to put together the puzzle her mother was. We never really know someone completely, even more so when your mother is an actress who always adapts and changes to suit her company, usually men.
While it's easy to read and digest, this is also complex and layered. I enjoyed it a great deal, so I'm going to make sure I read more Enright.
nina_reads_books's review against another edition
2.0
I had not read any Anne Enright before but the premise of the book sounded interesting. A look back over the life of famed Irish actress Katherine O’Dell through the eyes of her daughter Norah who contemplates writing a book about her life.
I could tell that Enright is a great writer and the themes of mother-daughter relationships and the way Hollywood treats ageing actresses held much potential. Unfortunately, though, this book was just not for me. I was not gripped by the story and the characters didn’t hold my interest.
I could tell that Enright is a great writer and the themes of mother-daughter relationships and the way Hollywood treats ageing actresses held much potential. Unfortunately, though, this book was just not for me. I was not gripped by the story and the characters didn’t hold my interest.
natalie_rosemary's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
suziereadsalot's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book. It felt real and that's the best thing you can ask for in fiction.
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
This title appeared on my radar due to my youngest sister, I think (perhaps not one she'd read but had been encouraged to read?). While the source of the recommendation is a bit hazy, it's been lingering in the wings for months and/or years, and I decided it was time.
I encountered it as an audiobook, and it's expertly narrated. I have a fondness for novels that explore the nuances of mother/daughter relationships, particularly the ones that are more fraught and less traditional. It wasn't what I expected, but the framing of this being akin to a retrospective memoir had some appeal as information gradually was revealed.
I encountered it as an audiobook, and it's expertly narrated. I have a fondness for novels that explore the nuances of mother/daughter relationships, particularly the ones that are more fraught and less traditional. It wasn't what I expected, but the framing of this being akin to a retrospective memoir had some appeal as information gradually was revealed.