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kingabrit's review
1.0
OMG. No. More. Anne. Tyler.
There are so many issues with this book.
Let's start with the good news. First, it was written nicely, very flawlessly and smoothly. Good dialogs, great pace. Second, Anne Tyler does have good humor, although her writing is the funniest when she steps out of Kate's point of view and deals with her environment, her family, etc - not through her eyes but Tyler's own. When she tries to be funny 'inside' Kate, it sounds forced and as a(n awkward) tool of Kate's characterization.
And that's it. That was all that were good about this book.
As I mentioned, too many issues to list. Sexist. I was honestly quite shocked that a fairly successful author can afford to write a so openly sexist novel in the 21st century US. I could quote several sentences, mention lots of plot situations, but I don't want to spoil the book. (Just one though, the most outrageous one: when, in the end, Kate has that little spiel about how hard it is for men because they have to pretend and prove all the time how masculine and strong they are, as opposed to women so everyone should leave Pyotr alone, the end... yes, you've read it right, that's what Kate says. And now please do not bring up the end of the original Shakespeare play; the task was to interpret Sh. and make it contemporary and more attractive to younger people. Ms. Tyler wants to achieve this goal with this? Really? REALLY?)
Enforcing the 'stupid foreigner' image (and prejudice). Pyotr, who is an outstanding scientist (let's say, with PhD and probably several post-doctorate) does not understand how voicemail works on cell phones. Yep. When he calls a number and the call goes right to voicemail, he is outraged that "he promised I can call day and night, and now he is not picking up! Why?", is just staring at the phone, so Kate has to grab it from his hand to leave the message.
Making fun of individual life style choices and people's chosen values just for the sake of being funny and having a material to laugh at (see: vegetarianism, animal right activism).
To be honest, in the middle of the novel I was hoping that Ms. Tyler is going to take a path that might have saved this book and not going in the direction she actually has ended up in the end. The way she was pulling out the threads gave me a very slight hope that she would change the Shakespearean flow of events and - because we are living in an entirely different time - would interpret The Taming of the Shrew differently (think of Kate getting together with the dream catcher guy or even better: not getting together with anyone at all, instead trying to define herself based on herself and her achievements). Alas, my hopes were ruined in no time.
I listened to the audiobook version (thank goodness), and I have to say, that apart from the very obnoxious try to pronounce Pyotr authentically the narration was very good and pretty enjoyable.
My library cds had slight defections now and then, and for minutes the audio turned into this complete surreal, repetitive rap-like parts. Sadly, those were the parts I loved the most, sometimes I laughed out loudly as the innumerous rhythmic repetition of 'the quilt that he, the quilt that he' and 'ba-ba-bar, ba-ba-bar' were the only original and fresh addition to the good old Shakespeare play.
I am not giving up on the Hogarth Shakespeare series; I hope I have finished the two worst ones and it can only go upward from here with Margaret Atwood and Jeanette Winterson...
There are so many issues with this book.
Let's start with the good news. First, it was written nicely, very flawlessly and smoothly. Good dialogs, great pace. Second, Anne Tyler does have good humor, although her writing is the funniest when she steps out of Kate's point of view and deals with her environment, her family, etc - not through her eyes but Tyler's own. When she tries to be funny 'inside' Kate, it sounds forced and as a(n awkward) tool of Kate's characterization.
And that's it. That was all that were good about this book.
As I mentioned, too many issues to list. Sexist. I was honestly quite shocked that a fairly successful author can afford to write a so openly sexist novel in the 21st century US. I could quote several sentences, mention lots of plot situations, but I don't want to spoil the book. (Just one though, the most outrageous one: when, in the end, Kate has that little spiel about how hard it is for men because they have to pretend and prove all the time how masculine and strong they are, as opposed to women so everyone should leave Pyotr alone, the end... yes, you've read it right, that's what Kate says. And now please do not bring up the end of the original Shakespeare play; the task was to interpret Sh. and make it contemporary and more attractive to younger people. Ms. Tyler wants to achieve this goal with this? Really? REALLY?)
Enforcing the 'stupid foreigner' image (and prejudice). Pyotr, who is an outstanding scientist (let's say, with PhD and probably several post-doctorate) does not understand how voicemail works on cell phones. Yep. When he calls a number and the call goes right to voicemail, he is outraged that "he promised I can call day and night, and now he is not picking up! Why?", is just staring at the phone, so Kate has to grab it from his hand to leave the message.
Making fun of individual life style choices and people's chosen values just for the sake of being funny and having a material to laugh at (see: vegetarianism, animal right activism).
To be honest, in the middle of the novel I was hoping that Ms. Tyler is going to take a path that might have saved this book and not going in the direction she actually has ended up in the end. The way she was pulling out the threads gave me a very slight hope that she would change the Shakespearean flow of events and - because we are living in an entirely different time - would interpret The Taming of the Shrew differently (think of Kate getting together with the dream catcher guy or even better: not getting together with anyone at all, instead trying to define herself based on herself and her achievements). Alas, my hopes were ruined in no time.
I listened to the audiobook version (thank goodness), and I have to say, that apart from the very obnoxious try to pronounce Pyotr authentically the narration was very good and pretty enjoyable.
My library cds had slight defections now and then, and for minutes the audio turned into this complete surreal, repetitive rap-like parts. Sadly, those were the parts I loved the most, sometimes I laughed out loudly as the innumerous rhythmic repetition of 'the quilt that he, the quilt that he' and 'ba-ba-bar, ba-ba-bar' were the only original and fresh addition to the good old Shakespeare play.
I am not giving up on the Hogarth Shakespeare series; I hope I have finished the two worst ones and it can only go upward from here with Margaret Atwood and Jeanette Winterson...
mollyziske's review
2.0
An odd story about a very odd family. Kate is 29 and still living with her father and sister (who is 14 years younger) in her childhood home. They have many weird rituals and habits, supposedly because the father is a scientist. The premise of the book is her father's scheme to keep his lab assistant in the country so he can finish his break-through research. You know immediately where this is going.
I feel like Tyler phoned this one in (ha ha ha for those of you who have read it). None of the characters are fleshed out so you feel sympathy or really much of anything for them. The epilogue confirms the hurriedness of the book and is a letdown.
Quick read, but really not satisfying at all.
I feel like Tyler phoned this one in (ha ha ha for those of you who have read it). None of the characters are fleshed out so you feel sympathy or really much of anything for them. The epilogue confirms the hurriedness of the book and is a letdown.
Quick read, but really not satisfying at all.
charmingrogue's review
4.0
I have to admit that I've never read The Taming of the Shrew. The extent of my experience with it is 10 Things I Hate About You and the music from Kiss Me, Kate. This was a quick read, but I found I didn't much like Kate. Maybe I wouldn't like her in the play either, but I found her annoying. I enjoyed the book anyway. I'm interested in the other Hogarth Shakespeare now.
kate_albers's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this story, but I felt like it took a lot of build up and then rocketed toward a finish. There were things that were hinted at, but never followed up on and the narrator's voice for Bunny the sister made me cringe every time I heard it. It was like she assumed a teenager and Valley Girl are one in the same.
nancyflanagan's review
4.0
So this was a delightful read--obviously, Anne Tyler having a romp with the classic story, letting her funnybone lead the way.
Tyler is so often wrapped up in family emotions, letting gentle humor emerge from realistic stories. Here, she gets to play it broadly, to let her characters be fully comedic, rather than subtle and ironic. You know where the story is going to end, but she puts lots of delicious detail into the telling.
It's a fun, quick read with lots of chuckles.
Tyler is so often wrapped up in family emotions, letting gentle humor emerge from realistic stories. Here, she gets to play it broadly, to let her characters be fully comedic, rather than subtle and ironic. You know where the story is going to end, but she puts lots of delicious detail into the telling.
It's a fun, quick read with lots of chuckles.
abenson59's review
4.0
An interesting concept. Very different from what she usually writes, but a fun read.
therealkateclysm's review
3.0
Not sure what I was hoping for... someone to improve on Shakespeare? Even though I sort-of like the play, the ending always bothered me... so I suppose I had hoped for something different from the original and a bit less-"flat".'
It was OK.
It was OK.
marenkae's review against another edition
3.0
This was so much fun to read and totally felt like a romcom (not surprising, considering its source material) but the ending was extremely abrupt and disappointing!
ogranny's review
4.0
Sweet twist on the plot of "Taming of the Shrew." Kate, the shrew in this book is well drawn. I love the little details of their lives, like the meat mash they eat for dinner every evening. Loved the contrast of her reluctant personality with the exuberant personality of Pyotr. I was charmed by the gentle humor of the book.