Scan barcode
A review by bhnmt61
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
2.0
Since I've enjoyed other books by Rainbow Rowell, I assumed I would love this one--her most famous book-- as well. But I didn't. I had a bunch of ridiculous crushes when I was a teenager, but I never really fell in love, so I just didn't have a way in to this story. I found myself continually rolling my eyes (and skimming pages) at all the emotion.
Rowell references Romeo and Juliet more than once, and with good reason--there are some obvious parallels. When I read R&J as a ninth grader, all I could see were the star-crossed lovers doomed to tragedy because their parents didn't understand. But when I re-read it as an adult, it seemed more about how adults fail their children by getting caught up in their own agendas. R&J didn't have to end the way it did, if their parents had been paying attention and hadn't been wrapped up in their own dramas and prejudices.
There is at least some of that in E&P. Thankfully, whether Rowell intended to re-write R&J or not, the ending is indeed different. Minor spoiler ahead
So, not my cup of tea, but beautifully written as all Ms. Rowell's books are.
Rowell references Romeo and Juliet more than once, and with good reason--there are some obvious parallels. When I read R&J as a ninth grader, all I could see were the star-crossed lovers doomed to tragedy because their parents didn't understand. But when I re-read it as an adult, it seemed more about how adults fail their children by getting caught up in their own agendas. R&J didn't have to end the way it did, if their parents had been paying attention and hadn't been wrapped up in their own dramas and prejudices.
There is at least some of that in E&P. Thankfully, whether Rowell intended to re-write R&J or not, the ending is indeed different. Minor spoiler ahead
Spoiler
Whether or not E&P will stay together forever is left unsaid (and I have to say I thought the ambiguous ending was just about the best part of the book), but at least some of the adults in this story step up and start acting like adults. Also, I was OK with the lack of a "happily ever after" for E&P, but I really, really would have liked to know what happened to Eleanor's siblings.So, not my cup of tea, but beautifully written as all Ms. Rowell's books are.