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mrs_bonaventure's review
3.0
I'm ambivalent about this book. The writing is immediate, beautiful, real and had me from the first page - but it's also darkly comic, so much so that it made me cringe a lot (maybe because it ran so very very true to mother/ daughter experience). It's a romp that races towards the conclusion the same way Austen did in Emma, but not as lightly, although with much compassion. I enjoyed it though.
kat2's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is philosophical and hilarious, with a main character who talks to squirrels and is feeling wobbly about her upcoming wedding. With memorable and ultimately lovable characters, the novel asks why we love who we love, and how to deal with families of origin—as in “Little Miss Sunshine,” no one gets left behind. Can’t wait to read another novel by Mckenzie!
amchica's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
meganraison's review
3.0
I loved the beginning and the end but the middle needs some work. I can't wait to read her next book.
hein's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I laughed at the beginning. I cried at the end. It’s wonderful to have Veblen in my heart, where I hope she’ll stay for a long, long time.
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Drug use, and Infidelity
rmarcin's review
3.0
This book was a bit strange. Veblen is named for economist Thorstein Veblen, who coined “conspicuous consumption”. So, it is a commentary on the haves and the have nots, but the real story is the love story between Veblen and Paul, a neuroscientist, and a squirrel! It also examines their relationship as well as the medical industry. Paul is studying traumatic brain injury, and is targeted by a wealthy family involved in healthcare.
Both Veblen and Paul have odd families and their relationship is strange. Sadly, I wasn't invested in any of the characters. A bit bizarre for me.
Both Veblen and Paul have odd families and their relationship is strange. Sadly, I wasn't invested in any of the characters. A bit bizarre for me.
fishyem's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the book but I was so angry at so many of the characters that I was thinking about that much more than I was thinking about the quality of the book. I have to go scream into a pillow to release this. AAAAAAAAA!!!!!
ridgewaygirl's review
5.0
Elizabeth McKenzie's novel was delightful. Witty, self-assured and charming; I enjoyed this book enormously. Set in Palo Alto, The Portable Veblen concerns Veblen, a free spirit living in an old cottage at the end of a cul de sac in Palo Alto. Working a pink collar job at the university, she meets Paul, an up-and-coming medical researcher. So up-and-coming that he is promptly poached by a large pharmaceutical firm that wants to market his invention - a kit that allows for brain injuries to be treated by Army medics at the scene of the injury. Paul and Veblen fall in love, but they have very different visions of their future. Paul is being wooed by a much more affluent lifestyle than he's ever experienced, and Veblen loves her tiny cottage and simple lifestyle.
The story of Veblen and Paul is not so simple as one wanting status that the other finds abhorrent. Both have families that they are still having trouble dealing with. Veblen's mother is a controlling hypochondriac, who nonetheless dearly loves Veblen, and her father is in a mental institution. Paul was raised by hippies who grew pot and made furniture out of found objects. They're both intent on shaping their lives partially in reaction to their upbringing. What's lovely about this book is that McKenzie never goes for the easy answer. All of her characters are understandable, and even likable in their own ways, even when their actions are harmful to others. Also, there is a squirrel.
After a stretch of reading serious books doing inventive things to the story-telling process, it was wonderful to read a more traditionally (mostly) constructed novel. McKenzie has written an excellent book about families, and how they affect us, even in how we choose to be different from them and she's done so in a manner that charmed me.
The story of Veblen and Paul is not so simple as one wanting status that the other finds abhorrent. Both have families that they are still having trouble dealing with. Veblen's mother is a controlling hypochondriac, who nonetheless dearly loves Veblen, and her father is in a mental institution. Paul was raised by hippies who grew pot and made furniture out of found objects. They're both intent on shaping their lives partially in reaction to their upbringing. What's lovely about this book is that McKenzie never goes for the easy answer. All of her characters are understandable, and even likable in their own ways, even when their actions are harmful to others. Also, there is a squirrel.
After a stretch of reading serious books doing inventive things to the story-telling process, it was wonderful to read a more traditionally (mostly) constructed novel. McKenzie has written an excellent book about families, and how they affect us, even in how we choose to be different from them and she's done so in a manner that charmed me.