Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.98 AVERAGE
2.98 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
On the plus side, I think Carole Radziwill writes beautifully. The way she deploys language, in and of itself, is quite lovely.
However, here that skill is used to absolutely no end. The plot, engaging and amusing at the start of the novel, quickly turns flimsy, then flimsier, then ultimately gets buried under a pile of lovely words.
Few things actually happen in this book -- and those that do are telegraphed so far in advance that you spend several chapters aware of and waiting (with increasing impatience) for the inevitable.
What that leaves us with is mostly the heroine's interior monologue, which is perfectly fine if you have a well crafted character with interesting things to say. But Claire Byrne is paper doll. A flimsy device on which to hang flimsy thoughts, and no matter how nicely Radziwill expresses those thoughts, their absolute lack of substance cannot be escaped. (the other characters are similarly insubstantial -- I actually put down the book and thought "those characters did not exist," not because they are fictional, but because there was absolutely nothing to them).
What remains, (tsk) then, is a few hundred pages of lovely noise, the sense that nothing has happened, and profound relief that you no longer have to waste the psychic energy necessary to make yourself try and care about the gossamer excuses for human beings that Radziwill maneuvers about a tissue paper New York.
However, here that skill is used to absolutely no end. The plot, engaging and amusing at the start of the novel, quickly turns flimsy, then flimsier, then ultimately gets buried under a pile of lovely words.
Few things actually happen in this book -- and those that do are telegraphed so far in advance that you spend several chapters aware of and waiting (with increasing impatience) for the inevitable.
What that leaves us with is mostly the heroine's interior monologue, which is perfectly fine if you have a well crafted character with interesting things to say. But Claire Byrne is paper doll. A flimsy device on which to hang flimsy thoughts, and no matter how nicely Radziwill expresses those thoughts, their absolute lack of substance cannot be escaped. (the other characters are similarly insubstantial -- I actually put down the book and thought "those characters did not exist," not because they are fictional, but because there was absolutely nothing to them).
What remains, (tsk) then, is a few hundred pages of lovely noise, the sense that nothing has happened, and profound relief that you no longer have to waste the psychic energy necessary to make yourself try and care about the gossamer excuses for human beings that Radziwill maneuvers about a tissue paper New York.
I loved her memoir, but this story was just kind of boring. I finished the book because I was on a plane and needed something to read. Not my favorite.
(3.5 stars) funny, Sex in the City (lots of sex!) book for grown-up Carrie Bradshaws.
While I loved What Remains and knew that Carole Radziwill was immensely talented, I was shocked by how much I loved this book. It is a fun read, but tackles a subject matter not often addressed - and that's what makes it interesting.
I liked this book a lot. I preferred What Remains by Radziwill, because I felt it was more authentic and emotional. Still worth reading!
A bit of smut could have helped the beach readability of this book.
I had a hard time getting into this book because I kept picturing the author writing it (I love her on Real Housewives). However, when I got past that, it was an entertaining, fun story. It wasn't really all that believable, but then again, I think the author dated George Clooney at some point.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
A pleasurable book to read, but the timing was all wrong. It sped so quickly through a whole year in the main character's life, without really giving us much detail about the passage of time itself. There were also a lot of typos, especially in the second half of the book. Enough to be distracting.