ohheyemilyk's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't sure about this book at first. It's definitely a little more highbrow than a lot of what I read, but it was such a nice tale of a young teacher. I loved the deft touch with details: Ms. Hempel's walks down memory lane were clearly written & very evocative.
elusivesue's review against another edition
3.0
this book started out as a collection of vignettes about the same teacher, Ms. Hempel - the stories were published in dif. magazines. The vignettes themselves are very good - some are really powerful. However, the cohesion between the vignettes could be stronger, and it doesn't read like a novel so much as a short story collection, and I was expecting a novel.
sawyerbell's review against another edition
4.0
Loved, loved, loved this book and how the author captures odd little moments in the life of a teacher.
harby's review against another edition
4.0
So far this is a really engaging book, the author has great style and constructs the story really well. We get to know the main character, Ms. Hempel, through a series of short stories related to different parts of her life-- as a teacher, daughter, friend, sister, and lover. It's definitely a quick read.
mhall's review against another edition
3.0
Episodic stories about a young seventh-grade English teacher, very similar in tone to Curtis Sittenfeld or Melissa Bank.
julshakespeare's review against another edition
4.0
4.4/5 stars, full review to come!
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
bookishcat23's review against another edition
4.0
I was drawn to this book because I hope to someday be an English teacher myself. In some ways, I think Ms. Hempel is the type of teacher I would like to be, though certainly not in all ways. I started the book feeling a bit annoyed with her character as she didn't seem truly committed to her job, but she grew on me and she really did care for her students. Too many teachers simply don't.
happy_hiker's review against another edition
1.0
I did not care for this book *at all*, despite the glowing reviews. Maybe it’s because, despite the touted beautiful prose, there was no real plot and it was not a good idea to listen to this on audio. In that format it dot not seem like the eight stories were "seamlessly interconnected", it seemed like a random back and forth. I also did not feel that any impressionable student’s lives were “fleshed out;” the book was not long enough (for which I am thankful) to flesh anything out. It was only five disks long, so I listened to the whole thing, getting more and more annoyed as I went along. If I enjoy a book, I look forward to listening; this one seemed like a chore.
sofaschreib's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
deejah_fig_and's review against another edition
This was a week where I had no idea what I was going to read. Then I happened upon this article http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-30/jonathan-franzen-recommends-4-overlooked-books/ where author Jonathan Franzen (THE CORRECTIONS) recommended four ovelooked books. I love when instances like this occur, since I was truly drawing a blank as to which book would be the winner this week.
What this "novel" winds up being is a series of short stories featuring Ms. Hempel. She is a 7th grade teacher that tries to impress on her students that the words that they use to define one another and themselves can stick. She also delves into stories of her past that have shaped her into the person and teacher that she is today. The book is at times cohesive and scattered...I find it interesting that we don't find out that the main character is Chinese until almost halfway in. It does nothing to propel or change the story, but it is interesting how we picture a character if we are given no descriptions from the author.
I believe that teachers (middle school in particular) would truly appreciate this book and those of us not in the profession can find some value in it as well. This is a well-written book that is a quick and interesting read.
What this "novel" winds up being is a series of short stories featuring Ms. Hempel. She is a 7th grade teacher that tries to impress on her students that the words that they use to define one another and themselves can stick. She also delves into stories of her past that have shaped her into the person and teacher that she is today. The book is at times cohesive and scattered...I find it interesting that we don't find out that the main character is Chinese until almost halfway in. It does nothing to propel or change the story, but it is interesting how we picture a character if we are given no descriptions from the author.
I believe that teachers (middle school in particular) would truly appreciate this book and those of us not in the profession can find some value in it as well. This is a well-written book that is a quick and interesting read.