Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am the prime audience for this book and I was ready to be outraged over his audacity. Instead I… don’t know, felt embarrassed? Deflated? Annoyed?
Manguso has said some of the ambiguity around what’s happening with “Jane” is deliberate. There’s a different book where this is better done and that is in fact the point, but it’s not this one. Manguso doesn’t think it is unclear that Jane is a victim here.
The thing is that Jane hates “John” the whole time. From the beginning, he’s not really likeable and she doesn’t like him. He’s unreliable and insecure and she thinks he’s stupid, just like he suspects she does. From the beginning of their relationship: “I noticed that he used the word phenomena as a singular noun, couldn’t spell the word necessary, couldn’t write a coherent paragraph. Next to him, I was brilliant. Next to me, he was beautiful, charming, and initially capable of hiding all the things that, in my wrinkly little heart, made me consider him inferior.”
When she laments the end of their relationship and what he stole from her, it’s the chance to be an old couple with… someone. She doesn’t even pretend she wants to be old with him because she accepts that she’s always hated him.
Right. Well, fine, the marriage itself then. A lot of the book is made up of these lists, things Jane has gotten done, things John has gotten done. Jane does a lot in life and around the house and John doesn’t do shit. This is very true to gendered dynamics and I believe that Manguso was probably the main earner and doing the most chores and, when they had kids, doing the most childcare, all at the same time. I do believe that.
But the lists are absurd. Jane gets up, showers, gets dressed, cooks breakfast, eats breakfasts and clears her plate. So many elements to getting up and boiling yourself an egg! At some point, in a rare moment of inspiration, John does something. He obtains some wood and carves them new furniture from scratch. For this, he gets maybe one or two line items for his list. I mean, come on.
Manguso has said some of the ambiguity around what’s happening with “Jane” is deliberate. There’s a different book where this is better done and that is in fact the point, but it’s not this one. Manguso doesn’t think it is unclear that Jane is a victim here.
The thing is that Jane hates “John” the whole time. From the beginning, he’s not really likeable and she doesn’t like him. He’s unreliable and insecure and she thinks he’s stupid, just like he suspects she does. From the beginning of their relationship: “I noticed that he used the word phenomena as a singular noun, couldn’t spell the word necessary, couldn’t write a coherent paragraph. Next to him, I was brilliant. Next to me, he was beautiful, charming, and initially capable of hiding all the things that, in my wrinkly little heart, made me consider him inferior.”
When she laments the end of their relationship and what he stole from her, it’s the chance to be an old couple with… someone. She doesn’t even pretend she wants to be old with him because she accepts that she’s always hated him.
Right. Well, fine, the marriage itself then. A lot of the book is made up of these lists, things Jane has gotten done, things John has gotten done. Jane does a lot in life and around the house and John doesn’t do shit. This is very true to gendered dynamics and I believe that Manguso was probably the main earner and doing the most chores and, when they had kids, doing the most childcare, all at the same time. I do believe that.
But the lists are absurd. Jane gets up, showers, gets dressed, cooks breakfast, eats breakfasts and clears her plate. So many elements to getting up and boiling yourself an egg! At some point, in a rare moment of inspiration, John does something. He obtains some wood and carves them new furniture from scratch. For this, he gets maybe one or two line items for his list. I mean, come on.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
This is not going to be for everyone, and certainly isn't a happy novel by any stretch of the imagination, but for where I am in my life right now, it made me feel some pretty big emotions
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
F&ck John honestly.
This book is triggering, it is essentially the daily thoughts / inside of the head of a woman in a marriage with an emotionally and financially abusive man.
John is the archetype of man who says ‘the divorce came out of nowhere’, John is the archetype of man you hope your close friends and relatives never fall in love with. John is the archetype of man that makes you want to choose to be single to avoid.
There are also no chapters in this book - so I would avoid if that’s a rage inducing thing for you 😂
This book is triggering, it is essentially the daily thoughts / inside of the head of a woman in a marriage with an emotionally and financially abusive man.
John is the archetype of man who says ‘the divorce came out of nowhere’, John is the archetype of man you hope your close friends and relatives never fall in love with. John is the archetype of man that makes you want to choose to be single to avoid.
There are also no chapters in this book - so I would avoid if that’s a rage inducing thing for you 😂
The writing style wasn’t to my taste and I couldn’t connect with the characters.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Badly written, poorly edited. Just not good at all. But I will say that John’s character is pretty well done. I feel like I know people like him