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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I saw the movie first, and liked it a lot. The movie was very faithful to the book, and the book is very good. I can't help but wish I had read the book first though, as I can tell it would've been even more engrossing.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked up this book after seeing the movie starring George Clooney.
It was funny when I realized that I wasn't picturing Clooney as Matthew King while reading the book.
Matthew King is trying to care for his two daughters, coping with his wife being in a coma and managing the sale of his family's land in Hawaii. That's a lot for one character to handle in the first chapter of a book.
Through it all, his wry comments and observations and direct style really add a lot of realism to this book. The way he handles these situations, makes Matthew very likable. Along the way he learns how to be a parent to his daughters, Alex and Scottie. I loved that he turned to blogs and parenting forums in addition to the nanny to educate himself on what he should be doing. You get the feeling that while many people wouldn't agree with his approach, he and the girls are finding the best way to cope together.
He also learns how to say goodbye to a wife who he loved but may not have loved enough.
The subplot of the land sale was a good parallel. The land in his family is taken for granted and treated like it will always be there. Until the trust needs to be dissolved and he starts to value the land more as a legacy to be appreciated and handed down. He has to make a decision that may not be popular but needs to be made. Just like his wife must be removed from life support in accordance with her living will.
I really enjoyed the book. There were a few things that were changed along the way in the movie but I think both were excellent. I'd definitely want to read more from Kaui Hart Hemmings.
It was funny when I realized that I wasn't picturing Clooney as Matthew King while reading the book.
Matthew King is trying to care for his two daughters, coping with his wife being in a coma and managing the sale of his family's land in Hawaii. That's a lot for one character to handle in the first chapter of a book.
Through it all, his wry comments and observations and direct style really add a lot of realism to this book. The way he handles these situations, makes Matthew very likable. Along the way he learns how to be a parent to his daughters, Alex and Scottie. I loved that he turned to blogs and parenting forums in addition to the nanny to educate himself on what he should be doing. You get the feeling that while many people wouldn't agree with his approach, he and the girls are finding the best way to cope together.
He also learns how to say goodbye to a wife who he loved but may not have loved enough.
The subplot of the land sale was a good parallel. The land in his family is taken for granted and treated like it will always be there. Until the trust needs to be dissolved and he starts to value the land more as a legacy to be appreciated and handed down. He has to make a decision that may not be popular but needs to be made. Just like his wife must be removed from life support in accordance with her living will.
I really enjoyed the book. There were a few things that were changed along the way in the movie but I think both were excellent. I'd definitely want to read more from Kaui Hart Hemmings.
If this book had not been made into movie with a big name star I probably would have given up after the first few chapters. I figured, if they made it into a George Clooney movie it's gotta be decent, right? It took me about 100 pages in to really get into this book. Once the lead character, Matt King, picks up his daughter from boarding school and Sid starts hanging around it picked up for me. But I think this is a rare case where the movie (which I've yet to see) is better than the book. I think the book lacks some backstory on the characters. I wasn't really rooting for anyone because I really didn't care about any of them. Like my rating says, "it was ok."
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Matt kings wife has been injured in a boating accident, and now he faces the prospect of informing her lover that she won't wake up.
The narrative was fabulous: interspersed with Matt reminiscing about his wife and te things they did and shared together made this feel like a very natural reaction to the circumstances Matt finds himself in. I truly felt for him at the end, and was glad he finally managed to understand his two young daughters.
I had already seen the movie before reading the book, and I do think it was a very close adaptation. Not too much was cut out of it (though it was difficult not to picture mr Clooney as Matt).
I'd definitely recommend it to someone who enjoyed what I call "real life" kind of books :-) 4/5 :-)
The narrative was fabulous: interspersed with Matt reminiscing about his wife and te things they did and shared together made this feel like a very natural reaction to the circumstances Matt finds himself in. I truly felt for him at the end, and was glad he finally managed to understand his two young daughters.
I had already seen the movie before reading the book, and I do think it was a very close adaptation. Not too much was cut out of it (though it was difficult not to picture mr Clooney as Matt).
I'd definitely recommend it to someone who enjoyed what I call "real life" kind of books :-) 4/5 :-)
I saw the movie years ago and loved it. I was looking for some Hawaiian literature to compliment a vacation when my husband suggested this book. So glad he did. I laughed and cried throughout. What a compelling story. I think this book would be perfect for a book club as it would evoke so many emotions and spark discussions.
Loved it! Parts of the story are pretty fucked up but it's still a witty and refreshing read.
I'm a fan of the movie, but I actually like the book even better because of the way it gets under the surface of Matt's relationship with his daughters, and because of the poetry of some of the writing. It’s true that the book lacks the amazing soundtrack of the movie, but I listened to that soundtrack while I was reading, and it was perfect.
After watching the movie countless times I decided to finally read the book so I can get my fix on this cast of messed up and deeply troubled
characters.
characters.