emilybohannan's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
courtthebookgirl's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly don't really know what I think about this book. I gave it three stars for the writing- I did really enjoy that- and once I got used to the "semi-omniscient" narrator that sounded like a movie voice-over in my head, I enjoyed it. The ending has left me feeling abandoned by the narrator, which makes me want to give the book two stars.
All in all, I am not sure about this one......
All in all, I am not sure about this one......
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
3.0
3.75 stars
Four generations of family under the same roof, this novel is full of unique and rich characters. As for plot, there is very little. As I've said before, I don't necessarily need plot in the novels I read, but I realize there are some that NEED plot.
The zany characters are more different than alike, each on a personal plight. It makes one think that if they only combined forces, they would be so more powerful, but alas they remain more or less fractured for the whole novel.
I suppose reading this novel is like watching Hoarders. You're fascinated about learning the "how" these people ended up so messed up, and on the other hand feel slightly better about yourself for not being quite as crazy as them.
There were two points that I take issue with:
1. The mother Jean was fairly with it, so I contend that, unlike in the novel, she would not confess to her affair (and the details) to her 9 year old son. I'm a flaky kind of mom, and I inadvertently say little things to my daughter that I probably shouldn't. But even as flaky as I am, I wouldn't talk about intimate details of my life with her.
2. The way the character Gordon is written is far less functional than he's portrayed. He can hold down a job with an assistant (details about his job are fuzzy though), but yet he's accused of being an obsessive stalker and is a walking (Asperger-y) Wikipedia. One wonders HOW he can keep a job and what precisely he does all day. I kind of liked the (possibly unintended?) homage to a character in Californication.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would love to read more by this author.
Four generations of family under the same roof, this novel is full of unique and rich characters. As for plot, there is very little. As I've said before, I don't necessarily need plot in the novels I read, but I realize there are some that NEED plot.
The zany characters are more different than alike, each on a personal plight. It makes one think that if they only combined forces, they would be so more powerful, but alas they remain more or less fractured for the whole novel.
I suppose reading this novel is like watching Hoarders. You're fascinated about learning the "how" these people ended up so messed up, and on the other hand feel slightly better about yourself for not being quite as crazy as them.
There were two points that I take issue with:
1. The mother Jean was fairly with it, so I contend that, unlike in the novel, she would not confess to her affair (and the details) to her 9 year old son. I'm a flaky kind of mom, and I inadvertently say little things to my daughter that I probably shouldn't. But even as flaky as I am, I wouldn't talk about intimate details of my life with her.
2. The way the character Gordon is written is far less functional than he's portrayed. He can hold down a job with an assistant (details about his job are fuzzy though), but yet he's accused of being an obsessive stalker and is a walking (Asperger-y) Wikipedia. One wonders HOW he can keep a job and what precisely he does all day. I kind of liked the (possibly unintended?) homage to a character in Californication.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would love to read more by this author.
mhall's review against another edition
3.0
Like a dollhouse or the Sims, this is about the members of a family, how they interact, their different foibles and character flaws, how they are all running on their individual obsessions and thought loops even when spending quality time together. It's a character study more than anything, with a wry, detached sense of humor and some sympathy for the emotional lives of ordinary people.
ericaprush's review against another edition
2.0
Readable and funny, interesting plot threads. I met this author at my university where she explained she wanted the family's inability to communicate to persist throughout, but the effect is that you're essentially reading 4-5 stories dancing around each other. That's not necessarily a flaw, and in fact I think it's a pretty accurate portrait of how families can be, but it left me feeling unaffected and vaguely dissatisfied.
nectarine_waffle's review against another edition
3.0
Like a dollhouse or the Sims, this is about the members of a family, how they interact, their different foibles and character flaws, how they are all running on their individual obsessions and thought loops even when spending quality time together. It's a character study more than anything, with a wry, detached sense of humor and some sympathy for the emotional lives of ordinary people.
dreesreads's review against another edition
4.0
I pulled this book off the "new fiction" shelf at the library, and ended up loving it.
Covering a month or 2 of time in the lives of the 6 members of the Copeland family, each person narrates chapters, so we get 6 different perspectives on their family, their lives, and their household. Otis (9), Priscilla (19), Jean (mom), Gordon (dad), Theodore (76, Gordon's dad), and Vivian (95, Theodore's mom).
I love the narration style and different voices. This is a regular odd family, everyone does truly care for each other, even though they don't all seem to show it.
Covering a month or 2 of time in the lives of the 6 members of the Copeland family, each person narrates chapters, so we get 6 different perspectives on their family, their lives, and their household. Otis (9), Priscilla (19), Jean (mom), Gordon (dad), Theodore (76, Gordon's dad), and Vivian (95, Theodore's mom).
I love the narration style and different voices. This is a regular odd family, everyone does truly care for each other, even though they don't all seem to show it.
icameheretoread's review against another edition
4.0
What suckered me in on this one was the blurb on the front comparing it to the Royal Tenenbaums, but yeah, this has that kind of feel to it. Mostly, I found that Crane writes like a girlfriend telling you a story over coffee at your kitchen table. I loved that. She also mastered making everyone's voice so different from each other which couldn't have been easy with this eclectic cast of characters. Even the title: she reminds us that she can only tell us so much, after all, We Only Know So Much. Here we have a family that spans four generations living under one roof and I dare anyone not to fall in love with Otis. Everyone is dealing with something and in complete isolation from everyone else. Can they pull together as a family? Should they bother?
To me, the book is about the side effects of NOT living in the moment. So much is missed and people grow apart because they do not take the time to know each other. It celebrates the different and the weird, and the beauty of everydayness.
Awesome read overall with a bit of a slow down (for me) in the middle with Gordon, but it picked up again. That is NOT to say this is a gripping page turner, it's not. It's more of a character study, but if I had to compare it to a song it would be Kodachrome by Paul Simon.
This would make an really twee independent movie. I'd pay to see it.
Side note: I have NEVER read a character like Priscilla before, and was refreshing and honest and raw.
To me, the book is about the side effects of NOT living in the moment. So much is missed and people grow apart because they do not take the time to know each other. It celebrates the different and the weird, and the beauty of everydayness.
Awesome read overall with a bit of a slow down (for me) in the middle with Gordon, but it picked up again. That is NOT to say this is a gripping page turner, it's not. It's more of a character study, but if I had to compare it to a song it would be Kodachrome by Paul Simon.
This would make an really twee independent movie. I'd pay to see it.
Side note: I have NEVER read a character like Priscilla before, and was refreshing and honest and raw.
simsarah79's review against another edition
4.0
What would we do without the ill functioning family as we know it today? We'd certainly have much less material to draw from to create fanstastically entertaining stories that might just make you feel better about your own, or at least not feel like you are the only one.
Meet the Copelands. We have four generations of characters here ranging from matriarch, Vivian and her son, Theodore to his son, Gordon, and his wife Jean, and then their kids, Priscilla and youngest Otis.
Elizabeth Crane takes us on an insight trip via short chapters through the minds of each character and their inner musings of their life and what is going on with it. It also seems that although they are the expert of their own life, they don't much know about the other family members. It is like they are all strangers living in the same house but oblivious to anything or anyone but themselves.
There is a complete breakdown of communication between all the members of the house. Immediately I understood, despite it being seemingly strange to have this happening. because don't I know the dynamics of a household where small talk is is king and separate kitchen times a necessity. I could go on, but this is not a review of my life, but the glowing review of a fantastic work of fiction (maybe based on some reality??)
So we have Gordon, who does make up the bulk of the story and he is a guy who isn't so much likable but not unlikable either. He talks a lot and likes to impress on the other person who may or may not be listening, on how much he knows; he's a regular wikipedia sort of fellow. So he thinks he may be losing his mind when at his work (he's a manager of a grocery story) a woman comes up to him who knows him and and asks how has he been? Gordon is confused because he doesn't know her name and then she says eludes to them having dated in college. He later does a search via "social network" that a pic reveals that they did date. He has no recollection and now thinks he's losing his mind!. It doesn't help that his father, Theodore also has issues with his mind (alzheimers). SO Gordon is quite distracted with Gordon and although he's a provider for his family he's really not paying much attention to them, least of all his wife.
Now his wife, Jean, due to said negligence begins and sustains an affair with a man named James who ends up (quite near the beginning of the story) killing himself. Jean has to endure the grieving process in secret. We don't feel bad for her but perhaps we can empathize.
Then there is Priscilla who, is named aptly in the first page of the book, a bitch. She's graduated high school and not doing much with her life (junior college, first year) and has been approached and passed on, for a reality show that is now her life's goal. Her friend gets a few call backs and as you can imagine this doesn't go down well for Priscilla.
Then there is Otis who at 9 years old is in love with a girl in his class (Caterina) who eats jelly beans each one in three separate bites. They do become boyfriend and girlfriend for a short period of time and we get to see the thoughts of an enamored boy and how he goes about handling a budding relationship.
Last but not least the matriarch, Vivian. Vivian is a woman who is all about Vivian. She directs conversations (there aren't many as the family hardly interacts) to herself and we get to see how a 98 year old woman who is mostly functioning on her own handles life and the younger people in it.
I love Elizabeth Cranes voice and enjoyed this book immensely. It was funny and had no lulls in it where I almost want to skip parts (as has happened in the last few books I've read). She has been noted to be more of a short story writer so I'm going to check out her three other books to see if they're as good as this one. I love a good family centered book and if you do too this is one to get! It almost reminded me of Freedom by Jonathan Franzan but less pretentious (thus, entirely more enjoyable.)