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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I tried to stick it out but I quit listening to this audiobook at 78%. I liked the early parts of the book, but once Marjorie was a rich young matron the first-person voice began to irritate me. The older and wealthier she got and the more lavish her lifestyle became, the more I found the first-person voice to make for an annoying and shallow account. I hit the wall once she & husband #3 returned from Moscow to DC and she was feeling shut out of society. Boohoo.
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t love first person POV in historical fiction, and I found the namesake character entirely frustrating, continuously hyping her brains and independence and can-do attitude but continuing to be naive and dependent. There were also mentions of plot of her friends and family that were never followed up on. BUT I loved learning about this period of history and I love the descriptions of each and every setting, which are truly characters in this book.
I had no idea who she was going into this read. I really enjoyed her life story.
Majorie Merriweather Post was a fascinating person to learn about and i definitely learned a lot. She was fabulous and rich, so it was really a great read. However I found the writing somewhat lackluster and juvenile at times. Sometimes felt like summarization of a story
While Post seemed to do much good with her money and broke many glass ceilings, the telling of her story also made her seem very materialistic and self-important. 3.5 stars
medium-paced
2.5-
My first thought upon finishing this book was, “OMG, I am finally finished!” While Marjorie Merriweather Post was a very interesting woman and led a very exciting life this book was neither interesting nor exciting.
I love historical fiction, but I have a hard time with historical fiction that centers around a real person because I’m always trying to figure out what is real and what is fiction. About 25% into this book I realized I needed to read this as if it was a memoir, even though it is clearly not.
Marjorie Post was the daughter of C. W. Post who created Grape-Nuts and Postum (a hot coffee replacement). Under Marjorie’s eye from afar, since as a woman she wasn’t allowed to sit on the board of her own company, she took Post’s Grape-Nuts to an entirely different level by expanding it to more than just cereal and food. She led a most extraordinary life, from hobnobbing with Presidents to other philanthropists and everyone in between.
Despite her fascinating life, I found this book to be a gigantic bore. It is told nearly all narrative and the only plot is Post’s life. Because of this, I felt it would have been better if it was marketed as a nonfiction biography or a fictitious memoir, which is how it reads.
My rating is strictly on the writing of this book. Marjorie Post’s life was absolutely amazing and unfortunately Allison Pataki fell extremely short of giving Ms. Post the fascinating book she deserved.
My first thought upon finishing this book was, “OMG, I am finally finished!” While Marjorie Merriweather Post was a very interesting woman and led a very exciting life this book was neither interesting nor exciting.
I love historical fiction, but I have a hard time with historical fiction that centers around a real person because I’m always trying to figure out what is real and what is fiction. About 25% into this book I realized I needed to read this as if it was a memoir, even though it is clearly not.
Marjorie Post was the daughter of C. W. Post who created Grape-Nuts and Postum (a hot coffee replacement). Under Marjorie’s eye from afar, since as a woman she wasn’t allowed to sit on the board of her own company, she took Post’s Grape-Nuts to an entirely different level by expanding it to more than just cereal and food. She led a most extraordinary life, from hobnobbing with Presidents to other philanthropists and everyone in between.
Despite her fascinating life, I found this book to be a gigantic bore. It is told nearly all narrative and the only plot is Post’s life. Because of this, I felt it would have been better if it was marketed as a nonfiction biography or a fictitious memoir, which is how it reads.
My rating is strictly on the writing of this book. Marjorie Post’s life was absolutely amazing and unfortunately Allison Pataki fell extremely short of giving Ms. Post the fascinating book she deserved.