anniefdez's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed it immensely and was able to relate to my relationship with my mother at many times throughout the novel. I gave it 3 stars because it ended abruptly for me with many questions left unanswered
raziehraz's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoyed the deep and emotional portrayal of childhood trauma that goes back by several generations. Even though I thought it had potential to explore the matter better with the information the book contained.
jeannepiou's review against another edition
2.0
A remarkable short story about the experience of transitioning class in the UK. I read it in almost one sitting. It’s gripping and explores the struggle of relationships and writing down one’s social experience.
cortg15's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hmonkeyreads's review against another edition
3.0
This is a quick book, less than 200 pages, and easily read because I take to Strout's writing like a duck to water, but I'm left confused about my feelings on it.
Lucy reflects on her life and her relationships in vague ways but at the same time I feel a profound sense of her sadness and the sense that she's not quite at home in her own skin. The whole thing made me vaguely uncomfortable and I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
Lucy reflects on her life and her relationships in vague ways but at the same time I feel a profound sense of her sadness and the sense that she's not quite at home in her own skin. The whole thing made me vaguely uncomfortable and I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
lucy_lg's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booklover123hm's review against another edition
1.0
Did I miss something? There is no plot to this novel, it is just a bunch of disjointed stories of someone’s life, told in no specific order or pattern. No depth or purpose, just random ideas. How did this get published as a literary fiction?
katieproctorbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I kind of? liked this book. It was fiction by read more like a memoir. But it left me wanting more, more story, more depth I guess. The main character and first-person narrator, Lucy, was a writer who grew up in extreme poverty in rural Illinois, but who had married into wealth. She tells the story across different time periods and the chapters are mostly just short scenes, mostly revolving around her complicated relationship with her mother.
kimmeyer's review against another edition
2.0
To steal a verdict from Auden, "I can see this is good but I don't like it"