nerdyrev's review against another edition
4.0
If it were not for the back half of this book "The Furies," I would have either not finished this book or rated it about a 1 or 2 star read. It is the back half that makes this book incredible.
The narrative is told in two halves- Lotto's a failed actor former womanizer turned successful playwright and Mathilde his exercising, loving wife.
Lotto has his own perspective, his own story, and as well written as it was, there were just parts that I blanked through. I kept asking myself, how did this get on so many top of 2015 lists- including Amazon's number 1 pick? None of my close friends had read it, so I didn't have a good source. I kept reading in reviews- a stronger 2nd half. I plowed through the last 1/4 of Lotto's narrative and had one "oh crap" moment.
The reviewers were right, not only is the 2nd half stronger, but it made me want to re-read the first half all over again. That is a sign of a great writer. The second half is Mathilde's story and I will not spoil it, but even the first two chapters made my jaw drop a little. I tore through her story because it was so interesting. It made the whole book!
Ultimately, this book is about narrative, perspective, and secrets that husbands and wives tell and do for each other. Ways story is told, details withheld, and other things that happen in relationships. For example, in a non spoiler way, Lotto keeps telling a story about a leech on his leg at parties. The problem is it isn't his story, but Mathilde never corrects him or shames him. Why is more fun than the story.
I wound up loving this book, as much as one can. I more than likely will not read it again, but I am glad I read it through. Throughout it is well written, with some flow problems, but the story is what grabs.
The narrative is told in two halves- Lotto's a failed actor former womanizer turned successful playwright and Mathilde his exercising, loving wife.
Lotto has his own perspective, his own story, and as well written as it was, there were just parts that I blanked through. I kept asking myself, how did this get on so many top of 2015 lists- including Amazon's number 1 pick? None of my close friends had read it, so I didn't have a good source. I kept reading in reviews- a stronger 2nd half. I plowed through the last 1/4 of Lotto's narrative and had one "oh crap" moment.
The reviewers were right, not only is the 2nd half stronger, but it made me want to re-read the first half all over again. That is a sign of a great writer. The second half is Mathilde's story and I will not spoil it, but even the first two chapters made my jaw drop a little. I tore through her story because it was so interesting. It made the whole book!
Ultimately, this book is about narrative, perspective, and secrets that husbands and wives tell and do for each other. Ways story is told, details withheld, and other things that happen in relationships. For example, in a non spoiler way, Lotto keeps telling a story about a leech on his leg at parties. The problem is it isn't his story, but Mathilde never corrects him or shames him. Why is more fun than the story.
I wound up loving this book, as much as one can. I more than likely will not read it again, but I am glad I read it through. Throughout it is well written, with some flow problems, but the story is what grabs.
jmm3rs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ncteixeira's review against another edition
4.0
I confess that I can’t remember when I purchased a copy, but I’m quite sure that it was over 10 years ago.
This book was released in 2015 and it was a finalist for the National Book Award (for fiction).
Perhaps I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did now, had I tried to read it then.
As soon as I started reading I became completely immersed.
I loved the writing and the sense of humour that was served with a perfect dose. A few times it made me laugh out loud in public, when I was completely oblivious.
There were also some heartbreaking moments, but nothing overly dramatic.
I also loved its structure, divided into two parts, the first being the husband’s perspective, and the second the wife’s.
I was completely fooled by the first part.
It shows that you can see only what you want, if you choose to.
The second part is all about what you cannot see.
And the secrets were way more than expected. How surprising.
Yes, I thought that this work was brilliant and quite memorable.
I’m sure that this work will not please everyone.
The characters are not that likeable, but that did not bother my enjoyment. The storytelling and its development were good enough for me.
e-book (Kobo): 445 pages (default), 121k words
This book was released in 2015 and it was a finalist for the National Book Award (for fiction).
Perhaps I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did now, had I tried to read it then.
As soon as I started reading I became completely immersed.
I loved the writing and the sense of humour that was served with a perfect dose. A few times it made me laugh out loud in public, when I was completely oblivious.
There were also some heartbreaking moments, but nothing overly dramatic.
I also loved its structure, divided into two parts, the first being the husband’s perspective, and the second the wife’s.
I was completely fooled by the first part.
It shows that you can see only what you want, if you choose to.
The second part is all about what you cannot see.
And the secrets were way more than expected. How surprising.
Yes, I thought that this work was brilliant and quite memorable.
I’m sure that this work will not please everyone.
The characters are not that likeable, but that did not bother my enjoyment. The storytelling and its development were good enough for me.
e-book (Kobo): 445 pages (default), 121k words
afox98's review against another edition
2.0
2 1/2 stars really, and the extra half star is for the beautiful style of writing. This author can really turn a phrase in amazing ways.
But the plot and characters themselves leave much to be desired. The book is about the marriage of Lotto and Mathilde, and the secrets, sacrifices, and thoughts that make up their marriage. I didn't particularly find any of the characters likable or relatable, and thought both of the main characters were selfish to the point of disgust.
Not sure I would read anymore by her.
But the plot and characters themselves leave much to be desired. The book is about the marriage of Lotto and Mathilde, and the secrets, sacrifices, and thoughts that make up their marriage. I didn't particularly find any of the characters likable or relatable, and thought both of the main characters were selfish to the point of disgust.
Not sure I would read anymore by her.
alipro131's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! This book was very surprising! I don't read many adult drama books (ones that entail infidelity, etc.). The book is divided into two sections: Fates (Lotto's story), and Furies (Mathilde's story). To me, Lotto's part made my eyes roll. It was too much of how good Lotto looks, and how many women he's been with. However, it is necessary to learn about Lotto's past - and his perspective during the relationship. The book really caught my attention during Furies. I was definitely pulled in at Mathilde's craziness. I found myself relating to several of Mathilde's demons. After reading, I found myself feeling quite emotional. Mathilde and Lotto found love in each other. Both had their issues. Mathilde learned that she CAN be loved - and this really spoke to me.
rebbemcc's review against another edition
4.0
Really dense writing -- some a little too showy for my tastes -- with some lovely, surprisingly agile, sentence construction that rang so true to me, I actually highlighted passages to read later. But, the biggest compliment I can give is that I wasn't tempted to read the end first, or skip ahead. I enjoyed the writing so much that I wanted the story to unfold just as the author intended.
laviskrg's review against another edition
5.0
I truly cannot understand why so many people here on Goodreads dislike this book. It is a beautifully written deconstruction of a marriage, containing splendid metaphors, two distinct povs (I will agree that the second one is much more triumphant than the first), and a lot of drama. True, it does not feature a lot of action or plot, and I am certain I've read this piece of criticism around. I confess I am quite confused to hear this, though, considering the main subject and the theme. Not everything needs to be plot driven, sometimes, marriages are just plain boring, overhyped drama buckets, significant and essential usually only to those directly involved. Not everything needs a story arc.
As for comparisons with Gone Girl...please stop. I am writing this on my phone while feeling sleepy as hell and shan't be bothered to explain why there is absolutely no reason to state that Gone Girl and Fates and Furies have anything in common other than the fact that they deconstruct marriages. But from a text value point of view, Fates and Furies is vastly superior. From a visual, easy to market into a movie point of view, Gone Girl takes the prize. But I will remember Fates and Furies without a movie that, of course, changed some super relevant details.
As for comparisons with Gone Girl...please stop. I am writing this on my phone while feeling sleepy as hell and shan't be bothered to explain why there is absolutely no reason to state that Gone Girl and Fates and Furies have anything in common other than the fact that they deconstruct marriages. But from a text value point of view, Fates and Furies is vastly superior. From a visual, easy to market into a movie point of view, Gone Girl takes the prize. But I will remember Fates and Furies without a movie that, of course, changed some super relevant details.
nglofile's review against another edition
3.0
I have no idea how to talk about this book. Nor really how to rate it. Foolishly I thought if I held off trying to make sense of my experience that it would become clear in retrospect. Um, no.
It's provocative, uncomfortable, insidious.
More than once I considered abandoning it. I didn't need this in my head. Something, though, pulled me back. Yes, partly because I wanted to be able to talk to others about it, but I don't believe that was all. Why, then, would I want to spend hours with these despicable, needy, narcissistic, vulgar hedonists who, believe it or not, see themselves as martyrs? I cannot say. Haven't we had enough of loathsome characters of late? Surely we've saturated the palate for insights-into-a-complex-marriage-relationship books?
The structure and motif of first "fates" then "furies" is fairly genius. Even more to Groff's credit, it's evident without being overplayed or gimmicky. The allusions, the archetypes of tragedy, the play of dialogue and context -- all are worthy of note.
It's a very human story. Not, however, a particularly hopeful one. I would even argue that it's a horrifically dire view of marriage, despite many of the conversations swirling around the book.
During so many parts did I feel almost grimy reading this, and not only because the coarse content was frequent and drawn out. However, one section in particular, Lotto's libretto for The Antigonad, was a thing of beauty. It took my breath away, and I might almost say that alone was worth the price of admission.
This does little more than scratch the surface, but it will have to suffice. For now.
audiobook note: Both narrators delivered powerful performances with vocal strength and an obvious understanding of what needed to be conveyed. I'm still not a fan of Julia Whelan's voicing of male characters, but it was less bothersome to me in this book, and her natural read is truly amazing. Will Damron, I'll be looking for more from you, too.
It's provocative, uncomfortable, insidious.
More than once I considered abandoning it. I didn't need this in my head. Something, though, pulled me back. Yes, partly because I wanted to be able to talk to others about it, but I don't believe that was all. Why, then, would I want to spend hours with these despicable, needy, narcissistic, vulgar hedonists who, believe it or not, see themselves as martyrs? I cannot say. Haven't we had enough of loathsome characters of late? Surely we've saturated the palate for insights-into-a-complex-marriage-relationship books?
The structure and motif of first "fates" then "furies" is fairly genius. Even more to Groff's credit, it's evident without being overplayed or gimmicky. The allusions, the archetypes of tragedy, the play of dialogue and context -- all are worthy of note.
It's a very human story. Not, however, a particularly hopeful one. I would even argue that it's a horrifically dire view of marriage, despite many of the conversations swirling around the book.
During so many parts did I feel almost grimy reading this, and not only because the coarse content was frequent and drawn out. However, one section in particular, Lotto's libretto for The Antigonad, was a thing of beauty. It took my breath away, and I might almost say that alone was worth the price of admission.
This does little more than scratch the surface, but it will have to suffice. For now.
audiobook note: Both narrators delivered powerful performances with vocal strength and an obvious understanding of what needed to be conveyed. I'm still not a fan of Julia Whelan's voicing of male characters, but it was less bothersome to me in this book, and her natural read is truly amazing. Will Damron, I'll be looking for more from you, too.
bookishgirl4321's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
reillyj8's review against another edition
The prose were too much and it was so slow.