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cforss's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jsboswell22's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
llams's review against another edition
i was meant to be icked out because it's satire but i just couldn't get thru it, not for me
zmcma13's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
somanybookstoread's review against another edition
4.0
Given the mixed reviews, I liked this novel more than I thought I would. The writing was well-crafted and the plot's subtlety allowed the richness of the symbolism to resonate with the reader. Hint: whales! I also appreciated the writer's use of wit and irony. The protagonist is Willy Loman-esque, and real. Even if I as a reader didn't identify with his particular struggles, I do identify with struggle, and with feeling like it's sometimes hard to get on top of what I want to overcome. The writer portrays a world that is exclusive and the challenges associated with that exclusivity. She has created characters that are both interesting and unique as well as characters that are commonplace and cliche. The interactions of those characters and their quest to conquer one another and their society make this story what it is. I like it. Plus, there were passages that resonated with me to the extent that I noted them to return to later, which is a nice side effect of a good book.
laila4343's review against another edition
3.0
A hard book to categorize. I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure what the author is trying for. Comedy of manners? Biting social satire? I found the central character of the story, WASP patriarch Winn, to be incredibly unlikeable. Pathetic, really. But that didn't stop me from turning the pages eagerly.
There was one instance where I laughed out loud. Winn, loopy on painkillers, tells the dotty grandmother of the groom, who complains that the room is cold, that perhaps she's feeling the "chill of impending death." To which she drolly responds, "This family is slipping into the middle class."
There was one instance where I laughed out loud. Winn, loopy on painkillers, tells the dotty grandmother of the groom, who complains that the room is cold, that perhaps she's feeling the "chill of impending death." To which she drolly responds, "This family is slipping into the middle class."
babyruth510's review against another edition
3.0
This was a well written novel about the weekend wedding of a dysfunctional WASP family. While the characters were well-developed, the main character (a 59-year old father of the pregnant bride experiencing a mid-life identity crisis) was so unlikeable and unsympathetic that it diminished my overall enjoyment of the book.
beansbookclub's review against another edition
3.0
i preferred astonish me, but that is not to say that i did not enjoy this book! i love maggie's writing style.
darastar's review against another edition
3.0
So, it was interesting starting out, and I felt like things were speeding along towards something bigger, when all the plots just fizzled out at once. Is that really all we get about Win? I wanted more about Dominique! Possibly the best wrapped up storyline belongs to Livia, which is good, because she is the one I was most invested in.
Anyways. Good, not great.
Anyways. Good, not great.