Reviews

The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer

cchanna's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

stebo24's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

kjboldon's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The narrator has a lot of children, a husband (her third) and is not quite sure what is going on all the time. The voice is distinct and engaging. She's seeing a shrink, the story is told on time out of joint, there's dust floating around and a castle being built of brick and glass in the country. Reminded me of Helen Weinzweig's Basic Black with Pearls, with a little bit of Shirley Jackson. 
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mondovertigo's review

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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amberplatel's review

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dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emleemay's review against another edition

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3.0

Let us put forward our proposals, compile our facts, present our case, demand our rights. The men-- they are logical, brave, humanitarian, creative, heroic --the men are sneering at us. How the insults fly. You hear what they are saying, as we run the gauntlet between womb and tomb? 'Stop trying to be a man! Stop being such a bloody woman! You're too strong! You're too weak! Get out! Come back!...'

I am pushing my rating up to 3 stars because, while reading this dreary tale of banality was a bit like pulling teeth, I can't deny that it was quite effective. I like it better when looking back over it than I ever did while reading.

In this semi-autobiographical novel, an unnamed woman is on her third husband and has a small army of children. Her husband is an asshole, likely unfaithful, and the oldest three of her children (who her husband sent away to boarding school) have come to hate her. She doesn't work. Doesn't do much of anything really, except live inside her head and have frustrating circular conversations with other characters, including a therapist who her husband made her go to.

It's dull as dishwater but maybe that's the point. I felt suffocated by her life-- its lack of direction or purpose, her lack of control, the absence of any hobbies or interests outside of having children. If the intention was to make me hate being inside the narrator's head, then Mortimer succeeded.

It reminded me quite a bit of [b:Mrs Bridge|48656062|Mrs Bridge (Mr Bridge & Mrs Bridge, #1)|Evan S. Connell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572591505l/48656062._SY75_.jpg|1496628], though I enjoyed that one more. Despite the unpleasant reading experience, I do find myself curious about Mortimer's [b:Daddy's Gone A-Hunting|3254071|Daddy's Gone A-Hunting|Penelope Mortimer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637285302l/3254071._SX50_.jpg|3289264].

pennyfictions's review against another edition

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reflective 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

4.0

laurenbb23's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

3.75

kirsten0929's review against another edition

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4.0

[1962] This, my second Penelope Mortimer, covers similar emotional territory to the first, mid-century housewife/mother on the verge of a breakdown. Wouldn’t have thought this would be subject matter for me, but Mortimer rocks it once again in this semi-autobiographical novel. I find it sharply written and fascinating.

sarahgoldcrest's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0