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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I liked this overall, but the pacing was slow and I got tired of the novel focusing so much on the challenges the characters faced. I think Weiner was taking Tolstoy’s “happy families are all alike” a little too far, because there is so little joy throughout the story.
This book is everything. Everything. It is a masterpiece. Weiner said in her intro that she wanted to write a big book, in the sense that it was time to write something seriously important, and she did. Booklist called it intimate and epic, and that is exactly what it was. She follows older sister Jo and younger sister Bethie from 1950 into the 2010s. Her characterization and plotting are brilliant. Both girls/women feel so real, and it was impossible not to relate to or at least sympathize with both. And while some of the plot elements could seem over the top when thinking about them from outside the story, they were written so believably that I never felt the need to suspend belief.
I went back and forth between the urge to sit down and read this all in one sitting and the urge to put it away for awhile so it would last longer. It is current, emotionally affecting, full of heart and hope and strength. This is not some light chick lit, but it's also not some big literary tome either. It made me think and it definitely made me feel. It was basically perfect. As anyone who knows me knows, I rarely give a 5 star rating, but this one was easy to give.
This is a must-read for every woman, and I think men who aren't afraid to be seen reading "women's fiction" would enjoy it too. This is one of my new favorite books, and I can't wait to push it on everyone.
The fine print: received ARC from Edelweiss.
I went back and forth between the urge to sit down and read this all in one sitting and the urge to put it away for awhile so it would last longer. It is current, emotionally affecting, full of heart and hope and strength. This is not some light chick lit, but it's also not some big literary tome either. It made me think and it definitely made me feel. It was basically perfect. As anyone who knows me knows, I rarely give a 5 star rating, but this one was easy to give.
This is a must-read for every woman, and I think men who aren't afraid to be seen reading "women's fiction" would enjoy it too. This is one of my new favorite books, and I can't wait to push it on everyone.
The fine print: received ARC from Edelweiss.
Wow, this is quite a book. It is hard to know where to begin! This is the story of 2 sisters, Jo and Bethie, spanning from their childhood until their old age. I enjoyed reading about these sisters and getting to know them. I didn't always like them or their choices, but that was OK -- I could definitely feel their ups and downs, successes and failures, joys and sorrows and was invested the whole time.
This book was really well written and spanned a huge, tumultuous time in history, exploring women's roles and civil rights. This book deals with so many issues that women can relate to, hence the title, Mrs. Everything. There's class and race, lesbianism, interracial marriage, women's choices, abuse, motherhood, sisterhood, daughterhood, expectations, women's roles in the paid working world, women's roles at home, happiness and contentment, ...
Weiner shows herself to be a wonderful storyteller as I was engaged the whole time. Parts of the book were necessarily heavy, but still very readable. This is a book that certainly got me thinking and questioning and is timely with the #metoo movement. Going back through the history of these women really shows us the underlying tensions of what women are fighting for, how far we've come, and how much there is to lose.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
This book was really well written and spanned a huge, tumultuous time in history, exploring women's roles and civil rights. This book deals with so many issues that women can relate to, hence the title, Mrs. Everything. There's class and race, lesbianism, interracial marriage, women's choices, abuse, motherhood, sisterhood, daughterhood, expectations, women's roles in the paid working world, women's roles at home, happiness and contentment, ...
Weiner shows herself to be a wonderful storyteller as I was engaged the whole time. Parts of the book were necessarily heavy, but still very readable. This is a book that certainly got me thinking and questioning and is timely with the #metoo movement. Going back through the history of these women really shows us the underlying tensions of what women are fighting for, how far we've come, and how much there is to lose.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
Loved this book!!!!!! I was crying at the end!! I liked the perspective changes between Jo and Bethie. I loved reading about characters who were Jewish. I was rooting and sympathizing with them the entire time.
Holy crap, I am mopping tears from my neck. That was fantastic.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"We lose ourselves," she repeated, forming each word with care, "but we find our way back" Wasn't that the story of her life? Wasn't that the story of Bethie's? You make the wrong choices, you make mistakes, you disappear for a decade, you marry the wrong man. You get hurt. You lose sight of who you are, or of who you want to be, and then you remember, and if you're lucky you have sisters or friends who remind you when you forget your best intentions. You come back to yourself, again and again. you try, and fail, and try again, and fail again.
I was not expecting the emotional punch that I would get while reading this book. I always enjoy family sagas and the relationship between two sisters/siblings, and this book was no exception. I loved the glimpse of modern American history that we got while journeying with the Kaufman sisters from the 1950s to 2022. This was a beautiful story about coming-of-age, getting lost and discovering and accepting yourself, finding and losing love, building a life, motherhood, and a poignant look at the role of women in society throughout the decades.
Told in alternating chapters between Jo and Bethie, Weiner's prose and style was simple and easy to read but immersive. I often found myself transported to the different periods of history, standing beside Jo or Bethie, while they were picketing or getting high at a party or standing on the porch of a commune. I enjoyed how Weiner incorporated key events in America's history into the story. You're thrown into the center of the narrative from the start.
Jo was the tomboy and rebel who didn't conform to her mother's or society's idea of how a lady should look/act. She was more comfortable in a shirt and trousers, playing sports and being active. Bethie was the opposite of Jo; she was the sweet darling, the natural beauty with a charming voice. She was the good girl and it seemed almost certain that their lives would follow the paths they'd been on as children, with Jo traveling the world and living as a free spirit, and Bethie settling down and becoming a mum. But then tragic things start happening to both sisters, and we see how one loses herself, only to learn how to embrace her past and "come out new", while the other struggled to hide her sexual orientation, but found and then lost love, and decided to settle for normal. I honestly loved both sisters and my heart would break at all the tragedies that would befall them, and it would soar whenever either one of them triumphed. I don't think I necessarily related to either one of them more, but I realize I'm probably a bit more like Jo than Bethie.
Within the first 30% of the novel, Jo and Bethie already go through so much hardship that was so heartbreaking, but everything that happened to them throughout their lifetime was also completely believable. It was nothing spectacular in the sense that it's a story that women have experienced and can relate to, which made this an even more powerful read. Although it explores important issues about the role of women in society, it doesn't feel preachy or like Weiner is trying to push a message down your throat. It's very well-woven into the storyline and comes to play an important role in the latter part of the sisters' lives. Even for an Asian woman such as myself, I found I could relate to some of their experiences, and a lot of what is discussed in this book. This story is so relevant to the social climate of today with the #metoo movement and rising feminism (not only in America but slowly worldwide too) and I think it'll resonate with a lot of women who read it.
I'm giving this 4 stars because although I didn't feel that any part of the story was unnecessary, I thought the middle lagged just a little, and the end chapters felt a bit rushed. I thought we missed a key part of one of the main characters' growth, even in her later years of life, as it related to her sexuality and her family. I was a little surprised that Weiner didn't go into this, as I think it was a pretty big deal for her character, and was a little disappointed because it glossed over it and made everything feel too neatly wrapped up. Still, this had a very touching ending and although I'm a crier in general, I didn't think I would be with this book, but I was definitely proven wrong because I was crying hard at the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed Mrs. Everything and I'm so glad that one of the ladies in my group read chats mentioned that this was available to "Read Now" on NetGalley because otherwise I probably would've missed it. This was my first book by Jennifer Weiner and I really enjoyed her writing, so I'm looking forward to reading more of what she has written. Fabulous book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
I assume this book got its title because Weiner threw everything at it. This book is a journey! Mostly enjoyable but not entirely satisfying.
I just think that there is no reason you need to put almost every traumatizing thing that can happen to a woman into a plotline and call it a novel. Bethie blaming her sister for a sexual assault when Jo was literally working at a summer camp? It was no one’s fault other than Uncle Mel’s. Jo’s cancer miraculously causing Lila to love her? Okay…. Rape scene unnecessary, traumatizing abortion, weird dieting plotline, bulimia, their father dying and them finding him when they were little…….. idk it’s just not for me and I think it was extremely weird.
Jennifer Weiner has the amazing ability to capture the essence of modern womanhood, and that’s precisely what she does, once again, in her latest novel, Mrs.Everything.
Mrs.Everything is a story of two sisters Bethie and Jo who are coming of age during a particular time of women’s liberation. Although they were born in privilege things take a turn for the worst as they are put through trials and tragedies. Both women take on different paths one decides to follow a more traditional path for women while the other sister rejects the traditional expectations. From molestation, harassment, breast cancer, betrayal, rape and eating disorders the sisters are plagued with incident after incident. While reading I felt both sympathetic, upset and often infuriated by their circumstances. Mrs.Everything I think represents every woman and the constant journey we are on as women to learn, discover and grow and push through in the face of hardships.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for giving me an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.
Mrs.Everything is a story of two sisters Bethie and Jo who are coming of age during a particular time of women’s liberation. Although they were born in privilege things take a turn for the worst as they are put through trials and tragedies. Both women take on different paths one decides to follow a more traditional path for women while the other sister rejects the traditional expectations. From molestation, harassment, breast cancer, betrayal, rape and eating disorders the sisters are plagued with incident after incident. While reading I felt both sympathetic, upset and often infuriated by their circumstances. Mrs.Everything I think represents every woman and the constant journey we are on as women to learn, discover and grow and push through in the face of hardships.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for giving me an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.