A room without books is like a body without a soul., [This review contains spoilers heads up!]. However, compared to her sisters struggles, Grace is not quite on the same level. Residents Demand Answers at Council Meeting on Police Killing of Sayed Faisal, Bob Odenkirk Named Hasty Pudding Man of the Year, Harvard Kennedy School Dean Reverses Course, Will Name Ken Roth Fellow, Ex-Provost, Harvard Corporation Member Will Investigate Stanford Presidents Scientific Misconduct Allegations, Harvard Medical School Drops Out of U.S. News Rankings. I hope youll have a good time with it if/when you pick it up! The flashbacks and cast of characters large enough to people a sitcom give the reader someone to root for, and one could read all 500 pages in a week like one might binge a soap opera. I mean, having caring parents and a stable household doesnt necessarily guarantee a happy childhood and eventually happy adulthood, but it seemed there should be a better way to go about making that point than blaming the people whove had good luck and put hard work into their relationships. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. But I expect more from the Womens Prize than a simple good time, and I didnt find any standout depth or technical skill here. Lombardo levels this vision by interspersing chapters of the Sorenson parents early lean times with chapters about their daughters wobbly forays into adulthood. hide. And yes, the book is annoyingly long! The prevalence of plot points only made possible thanks to a steady flow of cash is not so much a criticism of the novel as it is something to be aware of before reading: If problems of the rich arent your cup of tea, this book isnt for you. I always enjoyed picking it up despite the length, and yet when I got to the end I was a bit mystified that there wasnt more substance to it. THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD by Claire Lombardo RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019 Four Chicago sisters anchor a sharp, sly family story of feminine guile and guilt. J. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Though each is sympathetic and suffering in their own way, they do all make poor choices, sometimes for bad reasons. ISBN-13: 9780385544252. Lombardo wrote a fabulous book about family dynamics that was completely enthralling. She wonders how her daughters could have all turned out so markedly different, not only from one another but also from her. Im definitely looking forward to wrap-ups and predictions as well. Definitely a bit longer than it needs to be, though it wasnt a slog for me. Instead, I found this story engrossing and fun, but surprisingly shallow. And honestly, even though I think the author went about those non P.C. Theres four of you? he asked. Lombardo describes falling for someone as feeling accompanied in a way she had never before, by a person who was choosing to feel beholden to her instead of simply scooting up the rope of familial obligation. The novel shines brightest in the moments in which Lombardo is able to probe into the psyche of her female characters to express something that feels universal, yet somehow fresh. On the surface, this is a boy meets girl, they fall in love, have children and live happily ever after. Press J to jump to the feed. Doubleday, 2019. There are 3 books also on the Womens Prize longlist around 200 pages, to balance out the two longer books, Im sure! The Most Fun We Ever Had proceeds in a steady march through the Sorensons' major life events to reveal how the daughters a blindsided widow; a tightly strung stay-at-home mom with a law. The oldest daughter is an erratic alcoholic racked with grief; the second is a control freak who doesn't want to meet the son she put up for adoption 15 years ago; the next is pregnant and falling. Liza becomes unexpectedly pregnant and begins an affair to avoid dealing with her relationship issues. I might be interested in picking up more of Lombardos work someday, but I wont mind if this one doesnt make the shortlist. It's really hard to believe that 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a debut novel. Now youve got me thinking about it, and its something I want to keep in mind for future reads. Great review! Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men . By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest. Only a few pages into the novel, and the reader already knows about Wendys vulnerability, characterized as vestiges of her teenage habits appeared only fleetingly for her now she still, on occasion, flirted with the idea of purging, and once in a while shed try a diet that she read about in US Weekly. My Lord, did I love this novel. A famous painter. The book opens on one of the daughters weddings, from their mothers perspective. She finds great comfort and solace in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded. characters the right way, I did think she failed to dig into the criticisms enough to make them strong themes in the book, which definitely explains to me how readers arent tolerating those moments well, whether they see the purpose behind them or not. At the age of 20, Wendy marries Miles, a man 15 years her senior who comes from old money, to escape her family and her eating disorder. From the beginning, I realized that Most Fun would be a new standard for me, Lombardo has a way with words and creating characters that just leapt off the page. i definitely agree with you in that it wasnt anything groundbreaking; when i was reading it i felt like it was the same as pretty much every other story out there about fairly privileged dysfunctional suburban families. Additionally, Lombardo breaks the work into four parts, named after the seasons, beginning with spring. I am calling it this book will win all of the awards. The main action of this notably apolitical, all-white, all-straight novel takes place over four seasons, beginning in the spring of 2016 which finds just about every member of the Sorenson family in turmoil. RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019. Instead, there are plenty of life events. There is certainly some redemptive growth, but its a long journey getting there. It will make you feel sad for some characters, be rooting for others and want to reach through the book and slap another. In truth, I dont think theres anything at all to learn here. It does seem like a rather safe and repetitive set, as a whole. I was wrong about who the father of that child was though. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Jonah is the character that I was backing and rooting for. ROMANCE | At 544 pages, you get to know them, along with their struggles and joys, pretty well. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo review - family friction A restless mother and meddling sister trigger family reprisals in this nuanced, polished debut Claire Lombardo: 'a keen. Back to reviews with another Womens Prize longlist title! Each character was individualized and any one of them could have leaped off the pages. Characters flip between bottomless self-regard and pitiless self-loathing while, as late as the second-to-last chapter, yet by Synopsis (from cover): When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all thats to come. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a well-structured story that shares the characters' backstory adroitly, never all at once, but in reveals that feel well-timed, well-placed. Not only did I get to read about whats going on presently, but I got to dive into the history and background, to see how each sisters childhood and her birth order shaped her. My party is about to do so in our next scenario for example. I was frustrated that Violet acted like a complete child throughout the whole book and that the 16 year old kid was acting like more of an adult than her. A dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secrets A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A small masterpiece. I dont have a sister, myself. Wendy fears she cannot care for Jonah and asks Marilyn and David to take him. KimD66 | Nov 29, 2022 |. Lombardo, a Chicago native and recently minted University of Iowa MFA graduate, has crafted an intricate multigenerational saga about the vicissitudes of a passionate but not perfect marriage over a 40-year span. I don't have to like the characters to appreciate family dramas but I need to like something about this book. Marilyn wonders, "Didn't her daughters know that what she and David had took work, had always taken work? Im with you on this one having a lot of interesting thematic potential that sadly goes largely untapped. Every chapter contains a piece of the pie that you must consume. Colleen Hoover Staff writer Cassandra Luca can be reached at cassandra.luca@thecrimson.com. It was charming and frustrating at the same time. I just don't like spoiled characters. Title: The Most Fun We Ever Had: Author: Claire Lombardo: Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2021: ISBN: 0525564233, 9780525564232: Length: 640 pages: Subjects: The blind character choice is great. In the novel, four adult sisters are trying to find their way in the world, both guided and hindered by what they see as their parents epic romance, an impressive love story none of the girls is confident about finding for herself. David is trying to adjust to retirement, while Marilyn has become the owner of a hardware shop. Want to keep up with breaking news? Sixteen years earlier. Morgan felt obligated to marry her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter, Clara. Ive been continually surprised by how often motherhood comes up as a focus even in the longlisted novels I wasnt expecting to lean that way! Wendy offers to take in Jonah, but the two hid the pregnancy from their parents so they must tell David and Marilyn about Jonah. 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