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ivy_story 's review for:
Sorrow and Bliss
by Meg Mason
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book!!! (Spoilers ahead). My favorite thing about this book was the plot structure; Mason weaves a cohesive narrative through an interesting, incredible, and creative sprawling timeline. I’ve read books with multiple timelines, but nothing that has covered so much ground and lacked a direct linear plot line while doing so in a way that remains engaging and tied together even as it is continuing/ sprawling. {If I was ever going to write a memoir, I’d write it in this format.}
I love love loved Martha’s relationship with her father. A quiet, humble, inspiring, compassionate, bookish poet is such a cute and comforting character for a father.
I also was surpisried by how much I loved Martha’s mother at the end; I think their resolution was the best in the book, greater than that of Martha and Patrick although the book supposedly centers around the couple. The resolution between mother and daughter floating up from beneath the surface to take the lead as the best and most full-circle resolution, I believe, has to do with the fact that one of the [secret] main points of this book is relationships between women/ mothers and daughters. Martha’s relationship to her unborn child is a passing down of and impacted by Martha’s complex relationship to her mother. It’s similar to Gilmore Girls in the sense that the main relationship is between Rory and Lorelei, but Lorelei’s relationship with Emily is also a prominent ‘Gilmore girl’ relationship, and the two relationships between mother and daughter in this case also reflect and refract each other in meaning and being. {I loved the scenes when Martha was calling her mother everyday, it reminded me a bit of my life.}
I don’t necessarily have either a love or hatred of Patrick, just of his words and actions. I think this book was very real and down to earth in its portrayal of relationships; I did not swoon over Patrick loving Martha since she was 13 and I also did not declare it unreasonable or not sweet. I appreciated the good things Patrick did but also saw the reality of everything for what it was. Sometimes I was most likely looking through Martha’s character when I didn’t like something Patrick did or said.
While the end of the book started to feel a bit too ‘feel-good resolution-y’ (although I actually really liked that; especially Winsome becoming human to the whole family), I think where Mason left us with Patrick and Martha made me feel like she ended the story in the middle of a chapter. Maybe the point is that there is neither no fully reconstructed marriage (happy fairytale ending) nor a firm choice of post-divorce independence, and while I think the lack of a conclusive ending leaves questions and can feel quite annoying (almost what’s the point of mapping out a book over the timeline of a failing marriage and its reasons if there is no full resolution), I also think it is an interesting was to conclude the story and can allow to ask ourselves what else was resolutions were just as/more important than any decisive ending between Martha and the meaning of/ just her relationship status. For example, her restored relationship with her mother, finally getting a diagnosis and continuing to become more hopeful, family resolutions with Winsome, her deep, unwavering relationship to her sister, etc.
Overall, I loved the structure of the book, many of the characters, the exploration of mental health (which I thought was relatable to me in some areas; it put thoughts I’ve had into words in such a healing way), and the resolutions between family members/ of a family. However, I give this book 4.5 stars because although I have considered reasons for the sudden ending, it did feel like an unsatisfying place to end, in terms of the plot progression (not in terms of the character arcs -in the case of character, it made sense to end here).
I also loved Peregrine, and forgot about/ was disgusted by Johnathan.
I love love loved Martha’s relationship with her father. A quiet, humble, inspiring, compassionate, bookish poet is such a cute and comforting character for a father.
I also was surpisried by how much I loved Martha’s mother at the end; I think their resolution was the best in the book, greater than that of Martha and Patrick although the book supposedly centers around the couple. The resolution between mother and daughter floating up from beneath the surface to take the lead as the best and most full-circle resolution, I believe, has to do with the fact that one of the [secret] main points of this book is relationships between women/ mothers and daughters. Martha’s relationship to her unborn child is a passing down of and impacted by Martha’s complex relationship to her mother. It’s similar to Gilmore Girls in the sense that the main relationship is between Rory and Lorelei, but Lorelei’s relationship with Emily is also a prominent ‘Gilmore girl’ relationship, and the two relationships between mother and daughter in this case also reflect and refract each other in meaning and being. {I loved the scenes when Martha was calling her mother everyday, it reminded me a bit of my life.}
I don’t necessarily have either a love or hatred of Patrick, just of his words and actions. I think this book was very real and down to earth in its portrayal of relationships; I did not swoon over Patrick loving Martha since she was 13 and I also did not declare it unreasonable or not sweet. I appreciated the good things Patrick did but also saw the reality of everything for what it was. Sometimes I was most likely looking through Martha’s character when I didn’t like something Patrick did or said.
While the end of the book started to feel a bit too ‘feel-good resolution-y’ (although I actually really liked that; especially Winsome becoming human to the whole family), I think where Mason left us with Patrick and Martha made me feel like she ended the story in the middle of a chapter. Maybe the point is that there is neither no fully reconstructed marriage (happy fairytale ending) nor a firm choice of post-divorce independence, and while I think the lack of a conclusive ending leaves questions and can feel quite annoying (almost what’s the point of mapping out a book over the timeline of a failing marriage and its reasons if there is no full resolution), I also think it is an interesting was to conclude the story and can allow to ask ourselves what else was resolutions were just as/more important than any decisive ending between Martha and the meaning of/ just her relationship status. For example, her restored relationship with her mother, finally getting a diagnosis and continuing to become more hopeful, family resolutions with Winsome, her deep, unwavering relationship to her sister, etc.
Overall, I loved the structure of the book, many of the characters, the exploration of mental health (which I thought was relatable to me in some areas; it put thoughts I’ve had into words in such a healing way), and the resolutions between family members/ of a family. However, I give this book 4.5 stars because although I have considered reasons for the sudden ending, it did feel like an unsatisfying place to end, in terms of the plot progression (not in terms of the character arcs -in the case of character, it made sense to end here).
I also loved Peregrine, and forgot about/ was disgusted by Johnathan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment