jeanettesonya's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable read! So much about the relationship between mothers and daughters. The change in voice halfway through was a little odd, but it was very well written, filled with metaphor without being dense.
jengiuffre's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting story, not predictable.
Like how Pippa was hyper-aware of her relationships with other people, the ending was unexpected but I think perfectly fitting.
Definitely could tell it was written by a director/screen-writer. Seems perfect for a movie, very visual, but not so much that it detracts from the story.
Like how Pippa was hyper-aware of her relationships with other people, the ending was unexpected but I think perfectly fitting.
Definitely could tell it was written by a director/screen-writer. Seems perfect for a movie, very visual, but not so much that it detracts from the story.
godfrina's review against another edition
4.0
First off, to be perfectly honest, I only picked up this book in an HMV in London because it was only £ 3.00 and I've previously heard about the movie.
Even though I still haven't seen the film the literary source didn't disappoint me.
The shortish story is divided in four main parts. It creates an atmosphere and mood on its own which has to be matched. And which had gripped me by the time I reached part two.
Pippa Lee's story starts off in the present, when she is past 50, her husband Herb going on 80 and they are moving to a retirement community. There, Pippa is one of the youngest residents. This is one of the reasons she starts to reflect on her life: Her two children are independent and successful in their life and the thought that life still holds something else for her but waiting for her aging husband's (and also her own) death, absorbs her mind.
Part two unravels Pippa Sarkassian's past; how and why she came to be who and where she is, what people influenced her. Pippa's childhood was unusual but loving, yet her life took turns nobody could have foreseen. Her teenage years were far from ordinary, still she spent years roaming the streets, searching for something, searching for a purpose, searching for peace of mind she thought she had finally found in her love for her husband Herb.
To not spoil the twists and developments of part three and the shortest fourth part, I best end my review quoting my favourite passage of the book:
"Still wakeful on the night of the whips and chains, I mulled over my life so far. I was a botch. I could see no future. I had no plans. I saw no example I wished to follow. I didn't want to be a nurse, or a stewardess, or a secretary; I didn't want to work in the meatpacking district or be a housewife. I just wanted to prowl around. I walked the streets endlessly. Watching people. I had a ravening mind; I wanted I wanted I wanted. I wanted into people's lives. I followed couples as they scurried down the street, carrying groceries and bunches of flowers, children tugging on their arms. I followed businessmen on their way from work. I followed elegantely dressed women who marched resolutely down the street and raised their hands for taxis. They were all bustling, all running, all rushing. Everyone in New York City seemed to have a purpose, except for me. I was driven by a need with no end, no goal. I was looking for love, I think, though that's not what it felt like at the time. At the time I felt hard and cold as a knife in the snow." (page 109, part two)
If you are looking for an intelligent, insightful, thought-provoking piece of women's literature, you have found it.
Even though I still haven't seen the film the literary source didn't disappoint me.
The shortish story is divided in four main parts. It creates an atmosphere and mood on its own which has to be matched. And which had gripped me by the time I reached part two.
Pippa Lee's story starts off in the present, when she is past 50, her husband Herb going on 80 and they are moving to a retirement community. There, Pippa is one of the youngest residents. This is one of the reasons she starts to reflect on her life: Her two children are independent and successful in their life and the thought that life still holds something else for her but waiting for her aging husband's (and also her own) death, absorbs her mind.
Part two unravels Pippa Sarkassian's past; how and why she came to be who and where she is, what people influenced her. Pippa's childhood was unusual but loving, yet her life took turns nobody could have foreseen. Her teenage years were far from ordinary, still she spent years roaming the streets, searching for something, searching for a purpose, searching for peace of mind she thought she had finally found in her love for her husband Herb.
To not spoil the twists and developments of part three and the shortest fourth part, I best end my review quoting my favourite passage of the book:
"Still wakeful on the night of the whips and chains, I mulled over my life so far. I was a botch. I could see no future. I had no plans. I saw no example I wished to follow. I didn't want to be a nurse, or a stewardess, or a secretary; I didn't want to work in the meatpacking district or be a housewife. I just wanted to prowl around. I walked the streets endlessly. Watching people. I had a ravening mind; I wanted I wanted I wanted. I wanted into people's lives. I followed couples as they scurried down the street, carrying groceries and bunches of flowers, children tugging on their arms. I followed businessmen on their way from work. I followed elegantely dressed women who marched resolutely down the street and raised their hands for taxis. They were all bustling, all running, all rushing. Everyone in New York City seemed to have a purpose, except for me. I was driven by a need with no end, no goal. I was looking for love, I think, though that's not what it felt like at the time. At the time I felt hard and cold as a knife in the snow." (page 109, part two)
If you are looking for an intelligent, insightful, thought-provoking piece of women's literature, you have found it.
may_kasahara's review against another edition
4.0
Me ha encantado, no he podido parar de leer, el libro está muy bien narrado, quizá los primeros capítulos hasta que Pippa empieza a hablar de su pasado se hacen algo lentos, pero a partir de ahí se historia da un giro importante y se vuelve muy interesante.
En resumen, el libro me ha gustado bastante, no esperaba tanto de él y me ha sorprendido gratamente.
En resumen, el libro me ha gustado bastante, no esperaba tanto de él y me ha sorprendido gratamente.
csprfamily's review against another edition
4.0
The book begins when middle aged Pippa moves into a retirement village with her older husband. We see into her uncomfortable position in this society and wonder how she got there.
And then the book begins to tell us...you realize that everyone comes from somewhere.
And then the book begins to tell us...you realize that everyone comes from somewhere.
hikereadbeer's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I wouldn't say it was the best thing ever written, but it was good. Some parts may make some uncomfortable, but for the most part it's just a quick, nice read about how sometimes you just get lost playing a role in life. Can't wait to see how the movie turns out.
srta_petruski's review against another edition
4.0
La novela escarba en los sentimientos y experiencias de Pippa y retrata la complejidad de las muchas vidas que puede haber vivido una sola persona. La historia se desarrolla en tres partes, primero conocemos la situación actual de la pareja, como se siente Pippa con su nueva vida, y su relación con los nuevos vecinos. En la segunda parte, nos sitúa en la infancia y adolescencia de la protagonista, y es en esta parte del libro cuando realmente conoceremos a Pippa y como llega a convertirse en la mujer que es ahora. Y en la tercera parte, el desenlace final que supone un nuevo cambio para Pippa que sucede de una forma que al menos yo, no me esperaba.
escapeebee's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book had a lot of potential, but it wasn't quite laid out in the best way. I would have preferred it to be set out more chronogically rather than having what felt like a very out of place section in the middle. I enjoyed Pippa's early years a lot more, and thought that part of the book was really well done. However, once it got back to the present day it lost something, and the twists at the end just felt really last minute and rushed. The switching of point of view got a bit confusing too. A nice quick read, though.
crazygoangirl's review against another edition
4.0
Finally - the first great book of the year! And a corker it is too, not the subject but the handling of it and the excellent, original prose! This is how dysfunctional should be written. Haddon - are you listening? ;)
In her debut novel, Miller explores the life and times of Pippa Lee. The book is divided into 3 parts. When we first meet Pippa she's a 50-yr-old woman, living in a Retirement Community with her 80-yr-old publisher husband Herb. Her children, twins, a girl Grace and boy Ben are successful adults living their own lives and all seems smooth sailing. Only, Life's never stays that way for long does it? As Pippa goes through her days cooking, cleaning and trying to find things to do, the idyll of sorts is disrupted by sinister events in her home. Her kitchen and car have been despoiled and the discovery of the culprit complicates life further.
In part 2, narrated in the first person, we are introduced to how Pippa began and the events that brought her to the present. Her family and in particular her relationship with her mother are described in detail and with such insightful sensitivity by Miller that for the first time in a long time, I felt myself choking up. It's been a while since I read a mother-daughter bond that seems so real, so authentic. And in this book there are two! I love that Miller captures the volatility, fragility and passion of the mother-daughter microcosm while avoiding melodrama. It is reminiscent of my own relationship with my Mom - although we share an entirely different set of problems. How similar we are to one another in our own unique ways!
Miller brings us expertly back full circle in Part 3, when Pippa faces events that are an echo of her past and that she had convinced herself,were effectively buried under the minutiae of everyday existence. But Life has a way of teaching you her lessons and she is a patient teacher! Without giving much away, I must say the end was just what I had hoped for - uplifting! It felt right in my gut :) This is an author I would love to read more of in the future. She infuses her characters with an authenticity that is quietly heart-warming. These are not over-the-top caricatures of people, but real human beings, struggling with their ordinary lives, dealing with morality, seeking love and validation, battling personal tragedies and craving healthy relationships just like you and me. Their actions and reactions are utterly believable whether one agrees or disagrees, which makes for great reading!
At just 231 pages, this is one book that knows what it wants to say and says it well. From the very beginning, I was captivated by Pippa and her story. Who was this woman, who seemed so content with her life? Was she for real? Miller's prose and insights into human nature are what elevates this book from being just another 'dysfunctional family' book. She knows her characters inside out and it shows. Here is a passage that resonated with me, "Pippa suffered from an excess of empathy. Sometimes, she found the mystery of other people almost unbearable to contemplate: rooms within rooms inside each of them, an endless labyrinth of contradictory qualities, memories, desires, mirroring one another like an Escher drawing, baffling as a conundrum. Kinder to perceive people as they wished to be seen. After all, that's what Pippa wanted for herself: to be accepted as she seemed." In another powerful passage that to me defines the complexity of Pippa's childhood bond with her mother, Miller writes, "She looked at me with a mix of joy and apprehension, as though at any moment I might renege on my affections. I had such power over Suky; it frightened me and made me bold. Sometimes I let my face go cold and stony just to watch the fear flash in her eyes."
This book brought me much relief, coming as it did on the back of two rather tedious and difficult reads! I read it in a day! It's an easy, interesting read that will stay with me for a long time and with you too, should you choose to read it. I recommend you do!
In her debut novel, Miller explores the life and times of Pippa Lee. The book is divided into 3 parts. When we first meet Pippa she's a 50-yr-old woman, living in a Retirement Community with her 80-yr-old publisher husband Herb. Her children, twins, a girl Grace and boy Ben are successful adults living their own lives and all seems smooth sailing. Only, Life's never stays that way for long does it? As Pippa goes through her days cooking, cleaning and trying to find things to do, the idyll of sorts is disrupted by sinister events in her home. Her kitchen and car have been despoiled and the discovery of the culprit complicates life further.
In part 2, narrated in the first person, we are introduced to how Pippa began and the events that brought her to the present. Her family and in particular her relationship with her mother are described in detail and with such insightful sensitivity by Miller that for the first time in a long time, I felt myself choking up. It's been a while since I read a mother-daughter bond that seems so real, so authentic. And in this book there are two! I love that Miller captures the volatility, fragility and passion of the mother-daughter microcosm while avoiding melodrama. It is reminiscent of my own relationship with my Mom - although we share an entirely different set of problems. How similar we are to one another in our own unique ways!
Miller brings us expertly back full circle in Part 3, when Pippa faces events that are an echo of her past and that she had convinced herself,were effectively buried under the minutiae of everyday existence. But Life has a way of teaching you her lessons and she is a patient teacher! Without giving much away, I must say the end was just what I had hoped for - uplifting! It felt right in my gut :) This is an author I would love to read more of in the future. She infuses her characters with an authenticity that is quietly heart-warming. These are not over-the-top caricatures of people, but real human beings, struggling with their ordinary lives, dealing with morality, seeking love and validation, battling personal tragedies and craving healthy relationships just like you and me. Their actions and reactions are utterly believable whether one agrees or disagrees, which makes for great reading!
At just 231 pages, this is one book that knows what it wants to say and says it well. From the very beginning, I was captivated by Pippa and her story. Who was this woman, who seemed so content with her life? Was she for real? Miller's prose and insights into human nature are what elevates this book from being just another 'dysfunctional family' book. She knows her characters inside out and it shows. Here is a passage that resonated with me, "Pippa suffered from an excess of empathy. Sometimes, she found the mystery of other people almost unbearable to contemplate: rooms within rooms inside each of them, an endless labyrinth of contradictory qualities, memories, desires, mirroring one another like an Escher drawing, baffling as a conundrum. Kinder to perceive people as they wished to be seen. After all, that's what Pippa wanted for herself: to be accepted as she seemed." In another powerful passage that to me defines the complexity of Pippa's childhood bond with her mother, Miller writes, "She looked at me with a mix of joy and apprehension, as though at any moment I might renege on my affections. I had such power over Suky; it frightened me and made me bold. Sometimes I let my face go cold and stony just to watch the fear flash in her eyes."
This book brought me much relief, coming as it did on the back of two rather tedious and difficult reads! I read it in a day! It's an easy, interesting read that will stay with me for a long time and with you too, should you choose to read it. I recommend you do!