Reviews

Winner of the National Book Award: A Novel of Fame, Honor, and Really Bad Weather by Jincy Willett

mirage811's review

3.0

I enjoyed a lot of it, especially because the main character is a librarian. Parts of it hit a bit too close too home though. It's really painful to see someone you are close to put themselves through hell for no good reason.

sbunyan's review

3.0

I liked this book a lot in the beginning. The story of two very different twins was enthralling. And though the author continued the excellent style of writing and wove a compelling tale, by the end I just wasn't crazy about any of the characters.

liseplease's review

2.0

I dunno. I really enjoyed the narrator, and the prose was pleasant. But much like that stupid cliche, I just wasn't that into it. Am I missing something?

scorpstar77's review

5.0

Wow. I picked this book up on sort of a whim, on recommendation from a book-a-day calendar given to me by a friend a few years ago. I was totally addicted once I started on it - I found it nearly impossible to put down. Our narrator is Dorcas Mather, fraternal twin of the story's other heroine, Abigail Mather. Abigail is currently in prison pending her trial for murdering her husband (he quite deserved it, we learn), and has in the meantime worked with an old acquaintance to write an expose of her life leading up to and including the abusive relationship and murder. We learn the whole story through Dorcas as she sits in the library where she's the head librarian and read the book cover-to-cover under the pretense of cataloging it (it's a new addition to the library), while she slowly gets drunk and rides out a hurricane. The story is darkly funny, and also a little tragic (though not necessarily for the reasons you'd think). It also strikes pretty true, because Willett spends time on developing her characters, flaws and assets and quirks and all. And so they seem real (she even has a moment in the story when Dorcas goes on a rant about how impossible it is for a novelist to create characters out of thin air who are just as real and crazy and unknowable as people in the real world, and yet the novelists who can do it are the only ones worth reading - hear hear!). I enjoyed the undertones of book-wormedness, and the crazy sister dynamic, and the just the pure fun of it.

rachelleahdorn's review

2.0

Four quotes on the front cover say this was funny. It was not.

kebojo's review

4.0

I was attracted to this book because it's set in Rhode Island (where my family owns a home) and narrated by a librarian (I'm training to be one). Although the book starts out as a bit of a [b:slow burn|2956|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|Mark Twain|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161831948s/2956.jpg|1835605], it quickly turns into a page-turner. One of those books that draws you in with its weirdo characters, chilling turns of events, and unusual style and pace.

randipace's review

3.0

funny, cynical and very smart.
dorkus is a great character.

jwmcoaching's review

5.0

I absolutely loved this. A fresh, completely original satire that not only entertains the whole way through but also amazes in terms of incredible writing. It's laugh out loud funny, but is also compelling in terms of its plot that involves two sisters who have a hard time living with or without each other. I discovered this through an Entertainment Weekly article about great books that you've never heard of but should know about. It's hard to believe that I hadn't heard of it previously, but I'm really glad that I discovered it!

silverbook's review

3.0

If you pick this up to read it--read it with a sense of wry humor!
It's hyperbolic, sarcastic, and is meant to make fun of some of the very books that win the book awards.
Why didn't I give it more stars? Well, although I think I understand the 'poking-fun-at-a-genre humor', I didn't think it did the best job at it. Too many people read it who didn't get the sarcasm (me included at first) and so I don't think Willett did the novel she must have meant to.

drreese's review

funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Quirky, interesting characters with surprising attitudes. The portrait of the famous poet is unforgettable (and kind of unsettling). Some beautiful description, some embarrassing saturnalia, a very keen sense of Rhode Island itself.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual assault