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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
"If we’ve learned one thing digging up all these old bones, dusting them off, and holding them to the light, we’ve learned this: While the days unfold, one after the other, and the numbers all move in one direction, our lives are not linear, Harriet. We are the sum of moments and reflections, actions and decisions, triumphs, failures, and yearnings, all of it held together, inexplicably, miraculously, really, by memory and association."
I'm glad I picked up this book despite some of the reviews.
I'm glad I picked up this book despite some of the reviews.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the most depressing books I have ever read. Not a single redeeming character in the book.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I sped through this book in a matter of hours. I absolutely loved way Harriet's complicated, traumatic life revealed itself. She took a hard look at herself and didn't sugarcoat all she had done and what she was. It was unflinching and admirable, and I'd like to read more prose with characters like that.
The cheesy writing style with the game show feel and the second-person point-of-view wasn't a huge distraction. The back-and-forth timeline isn't my favorite, but it worked out. I didn't even mind the strange storyline of Bernard's. But that ending. No. Hated it.
99% of the book gets a 4. The ending gets a 2. Boo.
The cheesy writing style with the game show feel and the second-person point-of-view wasn't a huge distraction. The back-and-forth timeline isn't my favorite, but it worked out. I didn't even mind the strange storyline of Bernard's. But that ending. No. Hated it.
99% of the book gets a 4. The ending gets a 2. Boo.
I tried to like this but just couldn’t ever really figure out the purpose and there was absolutely no closure whatsoever☹️
Glad I checked this out of the library and didn't pay for it. I kept seeing it at bookstores, and the cover reminded me of "Where'd You Go Bernadette" so finally I got my hands on it, hoping for a fun light read. Well, I can see how people might light it. Weird is my general assessment. And not weird in an interesting creative way (e.g., The First Bad Man by Miranda July). Weird in an attempt to be cute and play with literary techniques (second person and third person narrative) and tell a surprising and complex story that turned out to not be cute, not surprising, and then, well, it just ended.
It was overall kind of depressing, actually at the end of it all, which maybe was the point? Who knows.
I don't recommend.
It was overall kind of depressing, actually at the end of it all, which maybe was the point? Who knows.
I don't recommend.
I picked this up because a review mentioned that if you liked "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" you should read this. I disagree. EOICF was excellent (5 star).
This story started out ok (3.5 stars), but went downhill as the story proceeded (2 stars), then down to a 1 star for the last couple of chapters. I felt some of the story lines were not fully developed, then just ended.
This story started out ok (3.5 stars), but went downhill as the story proceeded (2 stars), then down to a 1 star for the last couple of chapters. I felt some of the story lines were not fully developed, then just ended.
You can see the writing craft in this book, and I would be tempted to read other works by the author to see his writing elsewhere. In this, we see a complete overview of the character Harriet Chance from toddlerhood to old age in a This is Your Life-esque look at flashbacks. I liked that format, but there is little cohesion in the order of the flashbacks, and it has a very “spin the wheel” flavor to it. We land on whatever flashback has been chosen at random. Those are narrated in second person by an unknown narrator (Death? The soul?) who isn’t exactly kind to Harriet in their choices or retellings. I usually hate anything second person, but this works well with the format. The downside is that we seem to visit only moments of strife or sadness in her life and spend little to no time investigating anything happy or right in Harriet’s life. It is a real downer. This is added to by the fact that there are no likable characters in the entire book. At the end, I was hoping for at least someone uplifting about Harriet’s life—a moment for redemption that would let me feel that reading this book had been worth it—but it all seemed one note and depressing.
I really liked Harriet's story but this book jumped around too much. Often I like books that move among time periods but this was too disjointed. Intended to be a take on the old show This Is Your Life, the parody instead takes away from Harriet and her current struggles. I would give this 2.5 stars if I could.
This has spoilers – plenty of them – so please don’t read if you haven’t finished or you are going to read This is Your Life Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison.
Here’s the bottom line regarding Harriet: I finished it two weeks ago and I cannot seem to let go of the ending. I don’t like it. I have to accept it because that’s what was handed to me in the book, but by no means am I happy with it. The ending was many things, but satisfying was not one of them.
My favorite thing about fiction is that stories can end any way you – the author – choose them to. It’s made up. It’s fiction! You can make up the ending. You can choose how much closure there will be or how little or none at all. It is in your hands as the writer.
But as a reader – at least this reader – you may not leave me feeling unsatisfied and expect me to read something else of yours.
I loved the character of Harriet Chance. I loathed her husband, son, daughter (until the end), her supposed best friend and her “uncle” of sorts. We were intended to. For all of that, I thank the author. You grabbed me. Your narrator was clever, fun and engaging and told the story well.
I felt such a kinship toward Harriet, I felt protective of her. I allowed myself to care for her.
Then, near as I can tell, the author stopped writing. Or so it felt.
Like I said, with fiction you can end it any way you want. But for Harriet to have died without confronting her little shite of a son or Mildred just once, to me, was unforgivable.
She didn’t have to tell them off. She didn’t have to say anything. She could have just faced them and thought as she pleased. As the reader, we will have known how she felt. Hell, the unthinkable and craziest of circumstances could have occurred...that’s right, she could have forgiven them.
Harriet’s death left me feeling flat. There were so many directions that could have been taken, but I feel the easy way out – death without disagreement, closure and/or peace – was chosen.
Yes, real life has heartbreaking finishes that are not fair. Not everything in life has the closure we want it to. Sometimes those we love die without getting to do what they want or say how they feel. But in fiction, all of that is in the control of the author.
This author chose not to give a satisfying ending.
Listen, Jonathan Evison writes beautifully. He does. He is a terrific storyteller who has successfully written a character that I (a) allowed myself to care about and (b) who has stayed with me for weeks after finishing the book.
All in all those are great things, wouldn’t you agree? But the difference between a book like This is Your Life Harriet Chance and, say, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or A Man Called Ove is this: a sense of satisfaction that someone you love finds peace in the way THEY believe peace is had....not how we may interpret it, but how they do.
Maybe Harriet did find peace, up in the air, in the chopper, as she took her last breaths. But if she did, then I contend that peace was not well defined to me.
Evison is a beautiful writer who created memorable characters; just not a satisfactory ending.
Here’s the bottom line regarding Harriet: I finished it two weeks ago and I cannot seem to let go of the ending. I don’t like it. I have to accept it because that’s what was handed to me in the book, but by no means am I happy with it. The ending was many things, but satisfying was not one of them.
My favorite thing about fiction is that stories can end any way you – the author – choose them to. It’s made up. It’s fiction! You can make up the ending. You can choose how much closure there will be or how little or none at all. It is in your hands as the writer.
But as a reader – at least this reader – you may not leave me feeling unsatisfied and expect me to read something else of yours.
I loved the character of Harriet Chance. I loathed her husband, son, daughter (until the end), her supposed best friend and her “uncle” of sorts. We were intended to. For all of that, I thank the author. You grabbed me. Your narrator was clever, fun and engaging and told the story well.
I felt such a kinship toward Harriet, I felt protective of her. I allowed myself to care for her.
Then, near as I can tell, the author stopped writing. Or so it felt.
Like I said, with fiction you can end it any way you want. But for Harriet to have died without confronting her little shite of a son or Mildred just once, to me, was unforgivable.
She didn’t have to tell them off. She didn’t have to say anything. She could have just faced them and thought as she pleased. As the reader, we will have known how she felt. Hell, the unthinkable and craziest of circumstances could have occurred...that’s right, she could have forgiven them.
Harriet’s death left me feeling flat. There were so many directions that could have been taken, but I feel the easy way out – death without disagreement, closure and/or peace – was chosen.
Yes, real life has heartbreaking finishes that are not fair. Not everything in life has the closure we want it to. Sometimes those we love die without getting to do what they want or say how they feel. But in fiction, all of that is in the control of the author.
This author chose not to give a satisfying ending.
Listen, Jonathan Evison writes beautifully. He does. He is a terrific storyteller who has successfully written a character that I (a) allowed myself to care about and (b) who has stayed with me for weeks after finishing the book.
All in all those are great things, wouldn’t you agree? But the difference between a book like This is Your Life Harriet Chance and, say, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or A Man Called Ove is this: a sense of satisfaction that someone you love finds peace in the way THEY believe peace is had....not how we may interpret it, but how they do.
Maybe Harriet did find peace, up in the air, in the chopper, as she took her last breaths. But if she did, then I contend that peace was not well defined to me.
Evison is a beautiful writer who created memorable characters; just not a satisfactory ending.