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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
So many books I read lately start out with a bang, lag in the middle, then go out with a bang and a warm, fuzzy feeling. This was no exception. I haven't been reading a lot lately so it took me a long time to finish it. That's also probably why I couldn't keep all the characters straight and whose kids belonged to who.
"She wished she’d spent more time teaching her girls that women should forgive themselves, showing them how to take care of themselves with kindness. The world was hard enough, would beat them up enough without them adding to the pain."
So much about Mrs. Everything resonated with me. The book's timeline almost parallels my own lifespan, so I found the feminist issues completely relatable. And, I commiserated with the main character when—at the end of the book—her musings included "She hoped that things had changed, but she knew they hadn't changed enough." Sadly, I'm not very hopeful that things will change enough in my lifetime. Which is probably why this book left me with a sense of melancholy and wistfulness that I'm finding hard to shake.
So much about Mrs. Everything resonated with me. The book's timeline almost parallels my own lifespan, so I found the feminist issues completely relatable. And, I commiserated with the main character when—at the end of the book—her musings included "She hoped that things had changed, but she knew they hadn't changed enough." Sadly, I'm not very hopeful that things will change enough in my lifetime. Which is probably why this book left me with a sense of melancholy and wistfulness that I'm finding hard to shake.
This lengthy novel tells the story of two sisters, Jo and Bethie Kaufman, from the 1950s to 2016. Growing up in Detroit, Jo is the tomboy who dreams of being a writer while Bethie is pretty and popular and believes her destiny is to be a star. Of course, their lives take unexpected turns. The book is actually a journey through American social history, focusing on the role/status of women in society during this period, so the names of the protagonists are surely an allusion to Little Women.
The book references many historical events including the civil rights movement, Woodstock, the Vietnam War, the women’s rights movement, and even the #MeToo movement. The assassination of JFK, the moon landing, and the 2016 Democratic National Convention are mentioned. Cultural allusions to music and film abound.
The emphasis is on the experience of women in a male-dominated society, and the major characters or their female family members experience virtually everything: rape, sexual harassment in the workplace, sexual assault, abortion, romantic heartbreak, eating disorders, body image issues, traditional marriage, commune living, same-sex relationship, bi-racial relationship, motherhood, unwanted pregnancy, single parenthood, unfaithful spouse, promiscuity, divorce, widowhood, stay-at-home parenting, balancing of career and family obligations, conflicts with parents and siblings, economic hardship, career success and failure, drug use, cancer.
My problem with the book is that the writer tried too hard to touch on all possible experiences a woman might have. At one point, Jo wonders “whether [women] would ever not try to have it all and do it all” and this is the feeling I had about the author: while bemoaning women being Mrs. Everything, the author becomes Mrs. Everything Writer. It’s as if she had a list of female trials, traumas and tragedies which she had to check off one by one.
The theme is that things for women have changed but they haven’t changed enough. In the mid-20th-century, women were told that the most important role for a woman was to be married and to be a mother so a woman who did not marry or a married woman who did not have children was regarded with suspicion. On the other hand, a woman living in the 21st century is expected to have a career so any woman who wants only to be a mother is considered unambitious: “’You can say you want to be a mom and something else. Or you can be a mom after you’ve done something else. But that, just by itself, that’s not enough.’” Appropriately, the book ends with Hillary Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate but we know how that election turned out. Perhaps, the author suggests, stories “about brave little girls and happy endings [can only begin with] ‘Once upon a time’.”
The message for women is that “women should forgive themselves . . . [and] take care of themselves with kindness. The world was hard enough, would beat them up enough without them adding to the pain.” In other words, they should not try to be everything to everyone and should focus on finding happiness by being true to themselves.
The pace is slow at times so that the book felt overly long. I also had issues with virtually all the men being portrayed as either weak or bad. At the beginning, the author addresses her readers and acknowledges that this book is her longest and “the most ambitious work I’ve ever attempted.” I applaud her efforts but think that perhaps a less-ambitious novel might have been more compelling.
Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
The book references many historical events including the civil rights movement, Woodstock, the Vietnam War, the women’s rights movement, and even the #MeToo movement. The assassination of JFK, the moon landing, and the 2016 Democratic National Convention are mentioned. Cultural allusions to music and film abound.
The emphasis is on the experience of women in a male-dominated society, and the major characters or their female family members experience virtually everything: rape, sexual harassment in the workplace, sexual assault, abortion, romantic heartbreak, eating disorders, body image issues, traditional marriage, commune living, same-sex relationship, bi-racial relationship, motherhood, unwanted pregnancy, single parenthood, unfaithful spouse, promiscuity, divorce, widowhood, stay-at-home parenting, balancing of career and family obligations, conflicts with parents and siblings, economic hardship, career success and failure, drug use, cancer.
My problem with the book is that the writer tried too hard to touch on all possible experiences a woman might have. At one point, Jo wonders “whether [women] would ever not try to have it all and do it all” and this is the feeling I had about the author: while bemoaning women being Mrs. Everything, the author becomes Mrs. Everything Writer. It’s as if she had a list of female trials, traumas and tragedies which she had to check off one by one.
The theme is that things for women have changed but they haven’t changed enough. In the mid-20th-century, women were told that the most important role for a woman was to be married and to be a mother so a woman who did not marry or a married woman who did not have children was regarded with suspicion. On the other hand, a woman living in the 21st century is expected to have a career so any woman who wants only to be a mother is considered unambitious: “’You can say you want to be a mom and something else. Or you can be a mom after you’ve done something else. But that, just by itself, that’s not enough.’” Appropriately, the book ends with Hillary Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate but we know how that election turned out. Perhaps, the author suggests, stories “about brave little girls and happy endings [can only begin with] ‘Once upon a time’.”
The message for women is that “women should forgive themselves . . . [and] take care of themselves with kindness. The world was hard enough, would beat them up enough without them adding to the pain.” In other words, they should not try to be everything to everyone and should focus on finding happiness by being true to themselves.
The pace is slow at times so that the book felt overly long. I also had issues with virtually all the men being portrayed as either weak or bad. At the beginning, the author addresses her readers and acknowledges that this book is her longest and “the most ambitious work I’ve ever attempted.” I applaud her efforts but think that perhaps a less-ambitious novel might have been more compelling.
Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
I loved this book, the message behind it and following along the entire journey of these two women and their lives was just really inspiring to me.
3.5 rounded down.
There were so many aspects of this novel that I loved - the characters, the relationships, the struggles, the emotion.
The story follows the lives of sisters Jo and Bethie. The sisters are polar opposites - Bethie the pretty, feminine, “good girl;” Jo the tomboy, athletic, “unnatural” one.
From familial struggles, sexual experiments/taboos/traumas, drugs, marriage, kids, personal growth and acceptance, and everything in between, we watch the girls grow up, grow apart, and grow together. This was a beautiful and powerful story about relationships with one another and our relationship with ourselves.
Though there were many things to love about this book, it just didn’t fully hit the mark for me. After ‘Ask Again, Yes’ fell flat for me and I struggled through the middle of ‘Mrs. Everything,’ I have decided books that are lifelong narrations just aren’t for me.
There were so many aspects of this novel that I loved - the characters, the relationships, the struggles, the emotion.
The story follows the lives of sisters Jo and Bethie. The sisters are polar opposites - Bethie the pretty, feminine, “good girl;” Jo the tomboy, athletic, “unnatural” one.
From familial struggles, sexual experiments/taboos/traumas, drugs, marriage, kids, personal growth and acceptance, and everything in between, we watch the girls grow up, grow apart, and grow together. This was a beautiful and powerful story about relationships with one another and our relationship with ourselves.
Though there were many things to love about this book, it just didn’t fully hit the mark for me. After ‘Ask Again, Yes’ fell flat for me and I struggled through the middle of ‘Mrs. Everything,’ I have decided books that are lifelong narrations just aren’t for me.
I appreciate the premise of Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner. Yet, I end up not the reader for this book mostly because I find it over dramatized. To me, the need to include a little bit of everything that could face a woman in the book diminishes the challenges that the title of "Mrs. Everything" poses. There are challenges enough in daily life without reaching out for extremes. The extremes leave the lasting impression rather than the strength of the women navigating the challenges.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/11/mrs-everything.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/11/mrs-everything.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
Maybe I’m just extra grumpy due to quarantine, but these characters (especially Bethie) annoyed me quite a bit at times. I also felt like the book was a little too long. But I did enjoy the ending and even shed a tear or two.
I’ve been reading Jennifer Weiner’s books since my early 20s. Her conversational writing style has always kept my interest, while the subject matter of her novels always seemed to pertain to my life at that time. When I saw that she had a new novel upcoming, I couldn’t wait to read it.
Mrs. Everything did not disappoint. Told in the style of a fictional memoir, it tells the life stories of two sisters - Jo and Bethie - growing up in the latter half of the 20th century. As with most sibling relationships, these two women often alternate between bitter rivals and close friends. Growing up, Bethie was the “good one” and Mom’s favorite, but a traumatic event changed that, and switched the girls' roles as they blossomed into adulthood.
I loved the various themes in this book: family, friendship, self-image, but most of all feminism and its growing impact during the lifetimes of these women. Both struggled with the role they envisioned for their lives, and how that clashed with the one society enforced on them. That inner turmoil was the fuel that kept these characters going. Giving away more would spoil the reader’s journey. You’ll have to see for yourself.
Mrs. Everything did not disappoint. Told in the style of a fictional memoir, it tells the life stories of two sisters - Jo and Bethie - growing up in the latter half of the 20th century. As with most sibling relationships, these two women often alternate between bitter rivals and close friends. Growing up, Bethie was the “good one” and Mom’s favorite, but a traumatic event changed that, and switched the girls' roles as they blossomed into adulthood.
I loved the various themes in this book: family, friendship, self-image, but most of all feminism and its growing impact during the lifetimes of these women. Both struggled with the role they envisioned for their lives, and how that clashed with the one society enforced on them. That inner turmoil was the fuel that kept these characters going. Giving away more would spoil the reader’s journey. You’ll have to see for yourself.
Growing up in Detroit, Jo and Bethie could not be more different. While their relationship is typical for two sisters close in age, their personalities are as far apart on the spectrum as you get while still being related. We follow along with their lives as Jo goes from rebellious jock to family-oriented housewife and as Bethie progresses from straight-laced girl-next-door to free-floating hippie.
I absolutely loved the message of the book; its inquiries into the evolving "role" of women in society, female empowerment and female sexuality really resonated with me. I loved the characters in this novel, the strong female personalities and charged familial, generational relationships. Its themes were spot-on for a modern historical fiction piece. This book had all the makings to be one of my favorites but, somehow, it just fell flat. About 300 pages in, I realized I was still waiting for something to happen (or, really, for the book to start...).
It wasn't really until the last 50 pages of the book that I actually started to love it. Unfortunately, a large portion of the novel just felt mundane, simplistic and overdone. It wasn't painful or tedious to get through, it was just bland. In the end, it was an easy, comfortable read that ended up as a bit of a disappointment (based on what it could have been).
I absolutely loved the message of the book; its inquiries into the evolving "role" of women in society, female empowerment and female sexuality really resonated with me. I loved the characters in this novel, the strong female personalities and charged familial, generational relationships. Its themes were spot-on for a modern historical fiction piece. This book had all the makings to be one of my favorites but, somehow, it just fell flat. About 300 pages in, I realized I was still waiting for something to happen (or, really, for the book to start...).
It wasn't really until the last 50 pages of the book that I actually started to love it. Unfortunately, a large portion of the novel just felt mundane, simplistic and overdone. It wasn't painful or tedious to get through, it was just bland. In the end, it was an easy, comfortable read that ended up as a bit of a disappointment (based on what it could have been).
Growing up in Detroit, Jo and Bethie could not be more different. While their relationship is typical for two sisters close in age, their personalities are as far apart on the spectrum as you get while still being related. We follow along with their lives as Jo goes from rebellious jock to family-oriented housewife and as Bethie progresses from straight-laced girl-next-door to free-floating hippie.
I absolutely loved the message of the book; its inquiries into the evolving "role" of women in society, female empowerment and female sexuality really resonated with me. I loved the characters in this novel, the strong female personalities and charged familial, generational relationships. Its themes were spot-on for a modern historical fiction piece. This book had all the makings to be one of my favorites but, somehow, it just fell flat. About 300 pages in, I realized I was still waiting for something to happen (or, really, for the book to start...).
It wasn't really until the last 50 pages of the book that I actually started to love it. Unfortunately, a large portion of the novel just felt mundane, simplistic and overdone. It wasn't painful or tedious to get through, it was just bland. In the end, it was an easy, comfortable read that ended up as a bit of a disappointment (based on what it could have been).
I absolutely loved the message of the book; its inquiries into the evolving "role" of women in society, female empowerment and female sexuality really resonated with me. I loved the characters in this novel, the strong female personalities and charged familial, generational relationships. Its themes were spot-on for a modern historical fiction piece. This book had all the makings to be one of my favorites but, somehow, it just fell flat. About 300 pages in, I realized I was still waiting for something to happen (or, really, for the book to start...).
It wasn't really until the last 50 pages of the book that I actually started to love it. Unfortunately, a large portion of the novel just felt mundane, simplistic and overdone. It wasn't painful or tedious to get through, it was just bland. In the end, it was an easy, comfortable read that ended up as a bit of a disappointment (based on what it could have been).