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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Child death, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What an odd but wonderful little book! Devoured in a few short hours, I absolutely disappeared inside it.
I have to say that I considered stopping this book several times. I thought the weird outweighed anything else. I have to say, I am glad I finished it. The payoff was sweet and tender and changed my mind about the entire story up to that point.
Especially appreciated the two-page list of derivatives of Margaret, which I will save for Maggie when she's older. Perhaps she'll choose different names for herself as she grows. I know I wish I had that luxury, since I never thought of Carrie as a grown-up's name.
Not as strong as her other books. I like the magical feel but it also confuses me.
The idea of leaving behind a trail of women you once were while you progress to age is fascinating and paints a great mental picture. This helped me a lot to become more okay with how distanced I feel to my past.
The idea of leaving behind a trail of women you once were while you progress to age is fascinating and paints a great mental picture. This helped me a lot to become more okay with how distanced I feel to my past.
"The name Margaret derives from the Greek word margaron, which means pearl. ... Margaret has more nicknames than any other female name in the English language. " (p. 60). Margarettown by Garbrielle Zevin takes this fact literarily, in the form of Maggie and her many selves.
Narrated mostly by N. to his daughter Jane, Margarettown is the story of his romance and marriage to a remarkable woman named Margaret Towne. He knew her as Maggie but if her story is to be believed, she is also Old Margaret, Marge, Mia, May and the unfortunate Greta.
Maggie is either from Albany or Margarettown, depending on who you ask. Margarettown is one of those forgotten towns that exists on the periphery of human geography. Like so many places on the back roads, it can only be found by getting lost. In that regard it is on the same map as the Bone Man's town and Spectre (from Big Fish).
Margarettown had my attention from the first paragraph. At first I liked it for Zevin's attention to detail: the stolen university furniture, the two pushed together mattresses and the old pen. Then as Maggie's curse comes into play, I was drawn completely into Margarettown. Somewhere in all the different versions of events presented is the truth. It is a novel to be enjoyed and pondered over and discussed.
Narrated mostly by N. to his daughter Jane, Margarettown is the story of his romance and marriage to a remarkable woman named Margaret Towne. He knew her as Maggie but if her story is to be believed, she is also Old Margaret, Marge, Mia, May and the unfortunate Greta.
Maggie is either from Albany or Margarettown, depending on who you ask. Margarettown is one of those forgotten towns that exists on the periphery of human geography. Like so many places on the back roads, it can only be found by getting lost. In that regard it is on the same map as the Bone Man's town and Spectre (from Big Fish).
Margarettown had my attention from the first paragraph. At first I liked it for Zevin's attention to detail: the stolen university furniture, the two pushed together mattresses and the old pen. Then as Maggie's curse comes into play, I was drawn completely into Margarettown. Somewhere in all the different versions of events presented is the truth. It is a novel to be enjoyed and pondered over and discussed.
I read this on a flight, so maybe I just didn't get it. I was annoyed and bored by Margarettown. I think it may require a bit slower of a read and more careful attention. It has a unique concept and a different kind of storytelling technique, but in this case, originality alone was not enough for me.
Not as good as Elsewhere. But written with an interesting concept in mind.