stonecoldjaneausten's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘Veritas’
The novel opens with extracts from the ‘Harvard Class of 2003 – Fifteenth Anniversary Report’: the self-penned entries of five close friends introduce the characters we will meet at the fifteen-year anniversary reunion: Jomo, Juliet (Jules), Eloise, Mariam, and Rowan. The chapters that follow provide us with a third person perspective from four of them. Only four? Jules, a famous actress, is very private and her own perspective is not shared. Jomo is a successful gemologist, carrying an engagement ring, but unable to propose to his girlfriend Giselle. Eloise has built a profession on the science of happiness. She is now Professor of Hedonics but struggles with some issues. Her wife, Binx is younger, and has different priorities. Mariam and Rowan married early. Rowan is the principal of a public school in Brooklyn while Mariam is occupied with the ‘daily slog of parenting’. Money is tight for Mariam and Rowan. Rowan wonders if they should have chosen meaning over wealth? And then there is the elephant in the room: the despised Frederick Reese, the disliked son of a disliked American president.
While we learn about each character from their own third person perspectives and their interactions with each other, our perspectives of Jules and Frederick are limited to the observations of others.
Everyone is hiding something, each presents an aspect of themselves to the others, but what is truth? Why doesn’t Mariam tell Rowan about her newly found religious beliefs? Why doesn’t Eloise share her ambivalence around surrogacy with Binx? And why is Jomo unable to propose to Giselle?
All these questions are overshadowed by the death of Frederick Reese, whose body is found on the last day of the reunion weekend. Truth in death?
I finished this novel hoping that some of the tensions between characters would be resolved, but recognising that life is complicated, that the friction between ambition and achievement is real and that communication is never complete. I am left disquieted about my feeling that the death of Frederick Reese is justified, and I am delighted that I have no wish to make the acquaintance of a fembot named Elly+.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The novel opens with extracts from the ‘Harvard Class of 2003 – Fifteenth Anniversary Report’: the self-penned entries of five close friends introduce the characters we will meet at the fifteen-year anniversary reunion: Jomo, Juliet (Jules), Eloise, Mariam, and Rowan. The chapters that follow provide us with a third person perspective from four of them. Only four? Jules, a famous actress, is very private and her own perspective is not shared. Jomo is a successful gemologist, carrying an engagement ring, but unable to propose to his girlfriend Giselle. Eloise has built a profession on the science of happiness. She is now Professor of Hedonics but struggles with some issues. Her wife, Binx is younger, and has different priorities. Mariam and Rowan married early. Rowan is the principal of a public school in Brooklyn while Mariam is occupied with the ‘daily slog of parenting’. Money is tight for Mariam and Rowan. Rowan wonders if they should have chosen meaning over wealth? And then there is the elephant in the room: the despised Frederick Reese, the disliked son of a disliked American president.
While we learn about each character from their own third person perspectives and their interactions with each other, our perspectives of Jules and Frederick are limited to the observations of others.
Everyone is hiding something, each presents an aspect of themselves to the others, but what is truth? Why doesn’t Mariam tell Rowan about her newly found religious beliefs? Why doesn’t Eloise share her ambivalence around surrogacy with Binx? And why is Jomo unable to propose to Giselle?
All these questions are overshadowed by the death of Frederick Reese, whose body is found on the last day of the reunion weekend. Truth in death?
I finished this novel hoping that some of the tensions between characters would be resolved, but recognising that life is complicated, that the friction between ambition and achievement is real and that communication is never complete. I am left disquieted about my feeling that the death of Frederick Reese is justified, and I am delighted that I have no wish to make the acquaintance of a fembot named Elly+.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
ashtrimmmer's review
emotional
funny
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
3.0
becsbookshelf's review
3.0
I read the synopsis for this one and was instantly drawn too it. From students to Harvard graduates. These friends have been through it all. In the lead up to their 15year reunion some are more excited than others.
The book flips between POV of all the friends, now middle aged life’s taken them all in different directions. For the reunion they are all heading back to their campus at Harvard to spend the weekend together. But when a member of the class idols found dead they begin to have doubts about each other and start asking questions.
This one subtly sneaks up on you the bam. Love, lives, loss, unhappiness and murder. Everyone’s got secrets, the good the bad and the ugly!
The book flips between POV of all the friends, now middle aged life’s taken them all in different directions. For the reunion they are all heading back to their campus at Harvard to spend the weekend together. But when a member of the class idols found dead they begin to have doubts about each other and start asking questions.
This one subtly sneaks up on you the bam. Love, lives, loss, unhappiness and murder. Everyone’s got secrets, the good the bad and the ugly!
breannaminisini's review
5.0
I really really enjoyed it. I bought this book on sale, liked the look and honestly wasn’t sure if I ever would read it. I decided, because of my original theory on my feelings toward the book, that I would listen to it as an audiobook. I am so disappointed I did and not read it physically. I loved it. Some of the thoughts and feelings described were thought provoking and compelling. I really enjoyed it.
e11en's review
4.0
This is my ideal kind of novel. The meandering inner thoughts of lost middle-aged friends as they blunder their way through a college reunion event. Some biting social and political commentary interspersed with drama as the story unfolds.
kaz14's review against another edition
3.0
"... she knew in her bones that they would never miss another reunion again, not for as long as they lived. It was like being let into Narnia through the magic wardrobe once more, or taking the train on platform 9¾ to Hogwarts."
Five close friends, and ex dormmates, return to Harvard for their 15 year reunion. Set over the course of one long weekend, and told in the third person with each chapter focusing on different members of the group of five, the organised and spontaneous gatherings offer situations to rekindle relationships, prompt memory and elicit much soul searching. Having never attended a reunion event, for school or either of the two universities I have graduated from, the concept and appeal is alien to me. That said, the reunion provides a unique environment for Dovey, an ex Harvard graduate herself, to explore the soon to be middle aged characters as they revisit their failures and their triumphs, and generally evaluate the lives they have lived and the paths they have, or have not taken. Throw in a couple of other characters, including a much hated American president's son and some AI and there is actually a lot to unpack in this novel which is character driven, very well written, and easy to read. While I enjoyed Life After Truth it did not quite live up to the expectations set by my previous encounter with this author's work, in particular In the Garden of the Fugitives.
Five close friends, and ex dormmates, return to Harvard for their 15 year reunion. Set over the course of one long weekend, and told in the third person with each chapter focusing on different members of the group of five, the organised and spontaneous gatherings offer situations to rekindle relationships, prompt memory and elicit much soul searching. Having never attended a reunion event, for school or either of the two universities I have graduated from, the concept and appeal is alien to me. That said, the reunion provides a unique environment for Dovey, an ex Harvard graduate herself, to explore the soon to be middle aged characters as they revisit their failures and their triumphs, and generally evaluate the lives they have lived and the paths they have, or have not taken. Throw in a couple of other characters, including a much hated American president's son and some AI and there is actually a lot to unpack in this novel which is character driven, very well written, and easy to read. While I enjoyed Life After Truth it did not quite live up to the expectations set by my previous encounter with this author's work, in particular In the Garden of the Fugitives.
astridandlouise's review
3.0
My first Dovey, and I highly enjoyed it. The story of five dormmates, turned lifelong friends returning to Harvard for their fifteen year reunion. Set over the course of the weekend we travel through different points in time with each character, dissecting their life choices since graduating college and whether they're where they expected to be at this point of time in their lives. As someone who in 2020 celebrates fifteen years since their high school graduation and largely has the same friendship base, I really enjoyed reading this. It was a slow burn but I truly loved getting to know each of the characters - I found it to be a great insight into character development rather than a story held by a rich and varied narrative. A story of personal growth and how friendships expand and change to accommodate such growth.
The blurb briefly mentions the murder of an infamous member of their class (senior advisor and son of the recently elected and loathed US president - Dovey actually attended Harvard with Jared Kushner, so make of this what you will) but this is but a minor plotline. Do not read this hoping for a murder thriller, as you'll be quite disappointed.
3.5 stars.
The blurb briefly mentions the murder of an infamous member of their class (senior advisor and son of the recently elected and loathed US president - Dovey actually attended Harvard with Jared Kushner, so make of this what you will) but this is but a minor plotline. Do not read this hoping for a murder thriller, as you'll be quite disappointed.
3.5 stars.
mishaone's review against another edition
2.0
I expected a murder mystery based on the blurb, but this is definitely not one.
I don't need to like characters, but I do need to find them interesting/compelling to follow their inner dialogue with any interest. The only characters I was interested in were Eloise and Binx.
The round-robin POV chapters works well for a lot of books interested in exploring the same or roughly similar events through different perspectives. In this case, having a double dose of Mariam and Rowan, who I found dull and obnoxious respectively, detracted from my enjoyment of book.
In summary, this was a good idea but the characters chosen for POVs were not interesting, fairly privileged, and their recollections or epiphanies were usually either unsurprising or not as interesting as expected.
I don't need to like characters, but I do need to find them interesting/compelling to follow their inner dialogue with any interest. The only characters I was interested in were Eloise and Binx.
The round-robin POV chapters works well for a lot of books interested in exploring the same or roughly similar events through different perspectives. In this case, having a double dose of Mariam and Rowan, who I found dull and obnoxious respectively, detracted from my enjoyment of book.
In summary, this was a good idea but the characters chosen for POVs were not interesting, fairly privileged, and their recollections or epiphanies were usually either unsurprising or not as interesting as expected.