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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
Quick, light vacation read. Initially thought I was going to hate it, but turns out it grabbed my attention and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens. Some of the twists I never saw coming and some were obvious. Definitely a book for when you need something easy and distracting.
At times really good, at times just okay. Still a fast read with an interesting story structure.
An ARC from Book Expo, and thought the sarcasm and premise made it a beach read. It had the tone of [b:Where'd You Go, Bernadette|13526165|Where'd You Go, Bernadette|Maria Semple|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338822317s/13526165.jpg|17626728], but I found it more depressing. Harriet Chance is 78, widowed and trying to cope with living without Bernard, a for-better-but-unfortunately-usually-worse husband.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it was written, going back and forth between the present and past.
I will give Evison kudos for his writing in this book- he has come a long way from All About Lulu. This is an inventive and engaging way to write a book. I just wish a) the narrative tone wasn't quite so tritely patronizing, b) the role of Bernard's ghost wasn't so completely unclear and apparently pointless, and c) this book wasn't quite so damn depressing. And I'm not against weighty or serious books in any way- but this wasn't that. It was. Well. How do I describe it it- it left me feeling very empty and sad for her life, but not in a particularly illuminating way. It made me a little angry at the author for serving me this bitter dish- though perhaps that's a good thing. I'm still not sure, I'm chewing on it, which means for me this book does have some staying power.
I was just kind of bored by Harriet's story. Nothing of interest really happened, at least nothing that excited me. I did really enjoy the narrator in this audio version.
I would definitely describe this book as bittersweet. It wasn't as lighthearted as I had originally thought, but it was an easy read.
There is also mention of child molestation which may be an issue for some readers. The author doesn't go into a lot of detail - just enough for it to be uncomfortable.
There is also mention of child molestation which may be an issue for some readers. The author doesn't go into a lot of detail - just enough for it to be uncomfortable.
This book has a unique structure. The present day timeline, Harriet Chance at age 78 taking an unexpected Alaskan cruise, is punctuated by "this is your life" - style chapters remembering Harriet's life at other ages and stages, shared in no particular order, in the way that memories present themselves. This book was enjoyable, but not remarkable enough to be something I would pass on to others or give as gifts.
I found the narrator's tone breezy and off-putting, and an odd contrast to what could have been a moving story.