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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
It is always tricky to make the main character a mess and not even likeable most of the time. It worked well though. The love story was unexpected but very sweet and one of the more realistic protrayals I have read in a long time.
Well I definitely went into this thinking it was something completely different. But, I loved the audio narrator and I got caught up in Hildy's life very quickly. It is a slow burn and doesn't have any huge twists or turns. Just a story of one woman's life and her journey through alcoholism.
dark
funny
medium-paced
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wasn’t sure what to think about this book but it was a good mix of funny, sad, mysterious and entertaining. If this is ever made into a movie, Diane Keaton has got to play Hildy! I pictured her every time Hildy was telling about whatever crazy scenario was going on.
An intimate glimpse into the mind of an alcoholic. I developed compassion as well as resentment for the main character. I enjoyed the description of east coast wealth and culture. My biggest frustration is how the profession of psychiatry and mental health was portrayed based off of one character (the psychiatrist) and the main character’s experience at rehab. I could see people reading this and thinking they could overcome their issues without the help of mental health interventions and I don’t think that is helpful around topics encountered in this book.
Turns out, Denis is not the only entertaining and talented Leary in the house! "The Good House", by Ann Leary, reads like a great Ann Tyler book, with fantastic pacing, interesting characters, and highly readable prose. Initially, from other reviews I had read, I thought this book would be about an extroverted real estate agent, who prides herself on knowing everyone's business but refraining from being the town gossip. It is about her, I guess. The story, though, is about so much more: love, loneliness, and coming to terms with what is visible to everyone else but ourselves. It is not a book with a neatly tied up ending -- there are mysteries that are left unsolved -- but it is one of the better works of fiction I have read over the last few years. Bravo, Mrs. Leary!