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A review by chris_reads
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4.5 Stars
Apparently I need to read more satire because I liked this way more than I thought I would. It took a little to get into the epistolary format, but I learned to love it. It definitely served the story best and couldn't have been told any other way.
This was wild. I got so sucked into these characters lives. Who knew how lively the underbelly of tech company office politics and the somehow even more dramatic school pickup line discourse could be. The view through the back-and-forth gossipy e-mails of "Seattle's Elite" was too priceless. The characters were entertaining, annoying, dramatic to the point of obnoxiousness, but believable. They all had flaws that were specific and personal and developed in ways so much more than I expected.
The crowning jewel was Bernadette herself, whose situation wavered from plausible to ridiculously absurd and back again. I loved seeing her larger-than-life personality navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction, uncovering her various neuroses and the reasons behind them. Her spirited, meandering tirades were some of my favorite parts.
This book was far from perfect. There isn't some big message, and there are things I would change, but I had fun reading it, and if that's not the point, what is? I'm here to have a good time, and so is this book.
Apparently I need to read more satire because I liked this way more than I thought I would. It took a little to get into the epistolary format, but I learned to love it. It definitely served the story best and couldn't have been told any other way.
This was wild. I got so sucked into these characters lives. Who knew how lively the underbelly of tech company office politics and the somehow even more dramatic school pickup line discourse could be. The view through the back-and-forth gossipy e-mails of "Seattle's Elite" was too priceless. The characters were entertaining, annoying, dramatic to the point of obnoxiousness, but believable. They all had flaws that were specific and personal and developed in ways so much more than I expected.
The crowning jewel was Bernadette herself, whose situation wavered from plausible to ridiculously absurd and back again. I loved seeing her larger-than-life personality navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction, uncovering her various neuroses and the reasons behind them. Her spirited, meandering tirades were some of my favorite parts.
This book was far from perfect. There isn't some big message, and there are things I would change, but I had fun reading it, and if that's not the point, what is? I'm here to have a good time, and so is this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity