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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
The audio version of Harriet Chance has an excellent reader who is great at creating distinguishing voices. I'm not sure the author loved up to the reader.
A series of dates and stories in the 78 year old Harriet's life while on a cruise to Alaska.
Melancholia prevails, along with regrets, sorrow and painful mysteries revealed especially when her dead philandering husband returns as a ghost.
A upper middle class Caucasian family story with alcohol, cheating and secrets.
A series of dates and stories in the 78 year old Harriet's life while on a cruise to Alaska.
Melancholia prevails, along with regrets, sorrow and painful mysteries revealed especially when her dead philandering husband returns as a ghost.
A upper middle class Caucasian family story with alcohol, cheating and secrets.
Sad (Harriet and her family) and a little annoying (the narrative style). ... If you really want full melancholy, go listen to John Prine's "Hello in There". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfwGkplB_sY
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
This is the book I can't stop thinking about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia
Minor: Abortion
A quirky story about a quirky woman and the pieces of her life, presented by a voiceover narrator, as if telling her her own story. Harriet has had some adventures — her family is al all-around disaster, with a son who make stupid investments and expects to be bailed out, an addicted daughter, who does stupid things and blames her mother, even into mid-life, and a husband who, well, he's dull as dirt with her, but ... Watch Harriet learn all the unfortunate truths surrounding her and be amazed. Poignant, sometimes painful, often funny, this book is one worth discussing.Interesting way to tell a story in print, too.
Priceless. You should absolutely believe the hype around This is Your Life, Harriet as its an eye opener to troubled mother/daughter relationships, feminism and how you choose to live your life.
I didn't love this book. I just didn't care for the narrative style or omniscient "game show host" narrator. I thought it was facile in its treatment of Harriet, who experienced some deeply damaging things in her life, and perpetuated some stereotypes about older adults. Some of it is funny, and some was supposed to be funny but to me, wasn't. What I liked about it was the after-life connection between Harriet and Bernard, her husband who has died at the beginning of the book. It feels like there was a missed opportunity to explore that further, but of course this isn't that book! This got a lot of great reviews so if you're reading this one, don't get me wrong, you might love it. It just wasn't for me.
Hmmm...I'm conflicted on this one. It was definitely a really engaging book, but I don't know how I felt about it, in the end, and I think that's kind of the point. I mean:
1) The narration was really great and the narrator captured the voice of all the characters so well and really made them feel distinct
2) This had some funny moments, but it definitely had more heft than I was expecting, with characters that are complicated and imperfect
3) the second person narration I think was actually done really well, and the narrator was flawed as well in some ways-led to some purposefully uncomfortable moments
4) this is such a look at at aging and dreams vs reality and family and the complicated decisions we make and who we become in spite of ourselves and the lies we tell ourselves
I don't know. I finished it, and its definitely something that made me think, and it made me want to really evaluate my own life in a way. This is my life! You know, so in that sense, good job book.
1) The narration was really great and the narrator captured the voice of all the characters so well and really made them feel distinct
2) This had some funny moments, but it definitely had more heft than I was expecting, with characters that are complicated and imperfect
3) the second person narration I think was actually done really well, and the narrator was flawed as well in some ways-led to some purposefully uncomfortable moments
4) this is such a look at at aging and dreams vs reality and family and the complicated decisions we make and who we become in spite of ourselves and the lies we tell ourselves
I don't know. I finished it, and its definitely something that made me think, and it made me want to really evaluate my own life in a way. This is my life! You know, so in that sense, good job book.
I loved this book. Couldn't put it down. I didn't think I would like the style of it in the first chapter but it was a nice change somehow, from the usual style. Loved how he pulled it together in the end. I was trying to think of what to say and I was reading all the comments by other authors on the cover. They are all correct and I can't do any better than that. Great book.
This book was great. An easy read following the life of one woman from birth until death revealing what comprises a persons life - the good and the bad. The chapters were concise, going to different times and places of Harriet's life. Well done.
I almost put this down after the first three chapters but then I went back and read the whole thing. Can't make up my mind, was it good or just weird? Very short chapters jumped back and forth through various periods of Harriet Changes life from age 1 to age 78, mostly age 78. Age 78 may or may not be the last year of her life. Her deceased husband Bernard keeps appearing. I would have given it 3 stars but since I am still thinking about it as I write this it gets 4 for making me ponder.