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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disturbing. The movie is more disturbing, but more well-written. Perotta's a good storyteller, though.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While this was a well written book I found it generally depressing, and the ending inconclusive. Although the book never claims to be anything more than a snap shot in the life's of these neighbors.
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have to give this book a 5-star rating in honour of my 16-year-old self.
I first plucked this book off the local library shelf at 16; this marked my first foray into a lifelong love affair with suburban fiction. Only recently have I wanted to revisit the first ever domestic fiction books I'd read, which led me back to Little Children.
This book is a tapestry of everything real - family, unfulfilled dreams, lacklustre careers, uninspired marriages, human vices - replete with dollops of satire and wit that are guaranteed to make the reader laugh.
Perrotta instils humaneness into every character, even the ones that we dislike as readers at first. A perfect example is that of Mary Ann, a seemingly stuck-up soccer-mom who has lofty aspirations of sending her kids to Harvard even though they are still toddlers. By the end of the novel, we realise that the bitterness Mary Ann directs toward Sarah throughout the novel has, in fact, been borne of envy at Todd and Sarah's dalliance. Specifically, their union reminds Mary Ann of a past relationship she'd shared with the only man she's ever loved, a happy relationship which is a far cry from her current loveless marriage.
The subplot of Richard's involvement with the 'S.K.' fan club was comical, making me wonder at the prevalence of similar types of digital affairs occurring the world over (I'm only 28). This novel, written in 2003 (!), would suggest they are an accessible if not common transgression.
Perhaps surprisingly - it's protocol that I don't read others' reviews of novels before I write my own - I found Sarah and Todd to be the least likeable characters, with Sarah winning out on the unlikeability front. An overly self-indulgent, idle character with a dubious handle on parenting, I must admit to being thrilled that Sarah was stood up by her lover at the playground on that fateful night. (Incidentally, I thought that ending the story in this way did it justice. It really made the sense of realism that permeates the entire novel prevail.) Todd, perhaps by virtue of being both an attentive father and painfully aware of his professional shortcomings, was a slightly more appealing character (although only just). I felt sorry for the breadwinning Kathy throughout, assuming the role of her husband's discarded martyr yet being showcased to the reader as a winning personality.
I relished the dinner-party scene between Sarah, Richard, Todd and Kathy, finding myself wishing that there were more adult-only group events peppered throughout Little Children (although I'm a sucker for nothing if not grown-ups-only dinner-party scenes in books). The final scene - of Larry, Sarah, Mary Ann and Roger standing around the isolated playground after dark - was also great fun, an oddly heartwarming depiction of four strangers making casual conversation while, beneath the surface, they mutually mourn lost dreams, loved ones and alternative lives they could have led.
In the end, this book is not about the Little Children that its title advertises, but rather the life that awaits them when they enter the big bad world of adulthood, a world that is filled with buried dreams, heartache and damaged contemporaries, but also small wins, companionship, the unbreakable parent-child bond, and - last but not least - a whole lot of spice.
I first plucked this book off the local library shelf at 16; this marked my first foray into a lifelong love affair with suburban fiction. Only recently have I wanted to revisit the first ever domestic fiction books I'd read, which led me back to Little Children.
This book is a tapestry of everything real - family, unfulfilled dreams, lacklustre careers, uninspired marriages, human vices - replete with dollops of satire and wit that are guaranteed to make the reader laugh.
Perrotta instils humaneness into every character, even the ones that we dislike as readers at first. A perfect example is that of Mary Ann, a seemingly stuck-up soccer-mom who has lofty aspirations of sending her kids to Harvard even though they are still toddlers. By the end of the novel, we realise that the bitterness Mary Ann directs toward Sarah throughout the novel has, in fact, been borne of envy at Todd and Sarah's dalliance. Specifically, their union reminds Mary Ann of a past relationship she'd shared with the only man she's ever loved, a happy relationship which is a far cry from her current loveless marriage.
The subplot of Richard's involvement with the 'S.K.' fan club was comical, making me wonder at the prevalence of similar types of digital affairs occurring the world over (I'm only 28). This novel, written in 2003 (!), would suggest they are an accessible if not common transgression.
Perhaps surprisingly - it's protocol that I don't read others' reviews of novels before I write my own - I found Sarah and Todd to be the least likeable characters, with Sarah winning out on the unlikeability front. An overly self-indulgent, idle character with a dubious handle on parenting, I must admit to being thrilled that Sarah was stood up by her lover at the playground on that fateful night. (Incidentally, I thought that ending the story in this way did it justice. It really made the sense of realism that permeates the entire novel prevail.) Todd, perhaps by virtue of being both an attentive father and painfully aware of his professional shortcomings, was a slightly more appealing character (although only just). I felt sorry for the breadwinning Kathy throughout, assuming the role of her husband's discarded martyr yet being showcased to the reader as a winning personality.
I relished the dinner-party scene between Sarah, Richard, Todd and Kathy, finding myself wishing that there were more adult-only group events peppered throughout Little Children (although I'm a sucker for nothing if not grown-ups-only dinner-party scenes in books). The final scene - of Larry, Sarah, Mary Ann and Roger standing around the isolated playground after dark - was also great fun, an oddly heartwarming depiction of four strangers making casual conversation while, beneath the surface, they mutually mourn lost dreams, loved ones and alternative lives they could have led.
In the end, this book is not about the Little Children that its title advertises, but rather the life that awaits them when they enter the big bad world of adulthood, a world that is filled with buried dreams, heartache and damaged contemporaries, but also small wins, companionship, the unbreakable parent-child bond, and - last but not least - a whole lot of spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Pedophilia
This book surpassed my expectations. I didn’t anticipate an overly-interesting read when I started it, and yet I found it to be attention-grabbing and deeply satisfying. It’s a little bit of everything - funny, heartbreaking, suspenseful, dramatic - and it all seems to blend so well together. It’s a wonderful satire of suburban parenting with an interesting, complex and imperfect set of characters that you may find yourself relating to in one way or another. Yes, there are some very serious, thought-provoking sections to the story, but it’s also a lot of fun, even hilarious at times. Much more enjoyable than I expected, and definitely worth taking a closer look at.
this book was awesome. the way the story interweaves the main characters lives through the lives of their children works really well.
the main characters sarah and todd are quite likeable despite the fact that they are having an affair. the story focuses mostly on the boredom of sarah and her suburban life...todd's failure to ever make good in his wife's eyes...and their exciting escape from their own reality.
the relationship between all the characters lead back to the fact that none of them are actually happy in their lives....and that they all want to get out.
the book is written extremely well.
again. don't watch the movie...it's ok, but nowhere close to the original story. read the book instead.
the main characters sarah and todd are quite likeable despite the fact that they are having an affair. the story focuses mostly on the boredom of sarah and her suburban life...todd's failure to ever make good in his wife's eyes...and their exciting escape from their own reality.
the relationship between all the characters lead back to the fact that none of them are actually happy in their lives....and that they all want to get out.
the book is written extremely well.
again. don't watch the movie...it's ok, but nowhere close to the original story. read the book instead.