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2.98 AVERAGE
2.98 AVERAGE
"Blue Skies can be misleading," written on the very first page, is an example of what a good writer the author can be. Regretably, much of the book tries too hard to be clever, and the gems like that are overshadowed. The book is another variation of the wealthy, privildeged, name-dropping, people-magazine observations of Claire, the recently widowed wife of Charlie, a noted sexologist. Her reflections about writing are well considered, as are those of widowhood and her 'rules' carry a kernel of experienced truth. But overall - I began to feel like the author was trying too hard to impress the reader. It was distracting and became annoying.
I REALLY wanted to love this, but I didn't. This started out great - really funny, charming (even when discussing the husband's sudden death) and had a very unique tone. It quickly went downhill. It got extremely choppy, none of the characters (main or side) seemed to show any real, true growth, and there was no ending really at all. It all felt like an afterthought, or like the deadline had come and gone, and something had to be thrown together quickly to go to print. I was unimpressed overall. However, I liked seeing little RHONY easter eggs, like the waist/hip ratio and the seer. I could see little Carole peeks BTS in those moments, which is why I'm giving it a 3 instead of a 2. A shame really since I loved her memoir.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Having watched a lot of the RHONY, I have come to love Carole's wit and intelligence. That really shines through in this book. I am looking forward to reading her other books
Enjoyable and witty. Just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Radziwill is a talented writer. That said, I really couldn't stand the main character in this book, so it made it difficult to enjoy the story. It was also pretty predictable.
I liked this book a lot. I preferred What Remains by Radziwill, because I felt it was more authentic and emotional. Still worth reading!
I gotta say I enjoyed this book. When we go through a major life change - marriage, becoming a mother, death of a close loved one, divorce, we all go through a shaky period to find out who we are in light of these changes. And not all of us are as fast and successful at reinventing ourselves as Madonna. Claire has identified with being merely Charlie's wife and although she was not ecstatically happy with that label, she was content. When she was forced to come to terms with who she was and what she wanted, there were some bumps in the road. And naturally she had an affair with the man her husband had all but picked out for her. But in the end, she does make her own choices, write her own book and live in her own way (even if she does end up with another man). Not sure if her choice of Ben was a final breaking away from her dead husband or a lasting thing - but I felt there was some closure.
The writing was witty and elegant. Sort of reminded me of Sex and the City (book not tv show) only slower paced, less choppy and more refined.
The writing was witty and elegant. Sort of reminded me of Sex and the City (book not tv show) only slower paced, less choppy and more refined.
First, this might be a biased review as I love Carole as a person so maybe I’m over rating. However, I know I’m not. The book is a chick-lit but also not really. It shows the societal pressures of life as a widow, as a woman. The trials and tribulations anyone faces in the dating scene. It’s funny you see different types of people all through the book, I enjoyed it. It’s like the adult version to Babe Walker books.
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.