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A review by kassie_rankin
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I picked up this book for a book club; it is not something I would typically pick up. But I was very much looking forward to it, mainly because Meryl Streep is the audiobook's narrator.
If I’m honest, I did not enjoy this book. I almost DNFed the book… But I pushed through and finished it. Actually, I had to completely restart it because I zoned out a little bit during about a quarter of the book.
This book is about a family who is back together again due to the pandemic. While back on their Cherry farm in Michigan, Lara, the mother, shares stories from her younger years that intertwine with a famous movie star. You follow as Lara shares these stories, some old and some new, with her husband and their three daughters.
Here are a few complaints I had with this book:
- The chapters in the audiobook are long. Like most are 30 minutes or more. There were easy places to break up the chapters, but they just kept going.
- One of the daughters is named Emily. That is also the name of the character Lara portrays twice in a play. The same names can get confusing, and it did a lot for me.
- Nothing happens throughout the whole book. Nothing happens!! I know that for a literary book, only a little happens sometimes. But nothing felt important to me throughout. It was all just a low note.
- The whole book felt like a period piece but was somehow based in 2020… It just didn’t fit.
What I liked:
- Meryl Streep as the narrator. Her voice is luxurious, and it fits the character well.
If I’m honest, I did not enjoy this book. I almost DNFed the book… But I pushed through and finished it. Actually, I had to completely restart it because I zoned out a little bit during about a quarter of the book.
This book is about a family who is back together again due to the pandemic. While back on their Cherry farm in Michigan, Lara, the mother, shares stories from her younger years that intertwine with a famous movie star. You follow as Lara shares these stories, some old and some new, with her husband and their three daughters.
Here are a few complaints I had with this book:
- The chapters in the audiobook are long. Like most are 30 minutes or more. There were easy places to break up the chapters, but they just kept going.
- One of the daughters is named Emily. That is also the name of the character Lara portrays twice in a play. The same names can get confusing, and it did a lot for me.
- Nothing happens throughout the whole book. Nothing happens!! I know that for a literary book, only a little happens sometimes. But nothing felt important to me throughout. It was all just a low note.
- The whole book felt like a period piece but was somehow based in 2020… It just didn’t fit.
What I liked:
- Meryl Streep as the narrator. Her voice is luxurious, and it fits the character well.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion and Alcoholism