Every chapter contains a piece of the pie that you must consume. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. But you don't mind, because the Chicago-based clan of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD is definitely worth getting to know. At times, it feels as though there are too many details, too many implausible things that go wrong, tied up with all-too-convenient deus ex machinas. My reaction: 3 out of 5 stars. RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014. By Still getting used to this book reviewing deal. The item is very worn but continues to work perfectly. Everyone got a completely different character, which you wouldn't necessarily have had if you had just picked "whoever I retired for". Even family interactions elicit a mix of exasperation and comfort. Whats that like? / Its a vast hormonal hellscape. It reads, eventually, as a deliberate and fascinating commentary on how a particular kind of moneyed white family can choose the degree to which they engage with such unpleasantries. Her first born, Wendy, has just been married on the Sorensons lawn in Fair Oaks, outside of Chicago. The author hinted that the child's mother had sex with someone another sister would find upsetting. Violet, however, has two young boys with her husband and does not want to impact their lives. The ruthless competitiveness between these sisters is the driving force of the novel. I do think its appropriate for authors to include characters that are not P.C. What I love about this story is the way it is told, the back and forth of the years, the alternating chapters from the perspective of different family members, and the creativity in the layout of the unfolding story itself. Reading this book was challenge like reading Black Leopard and Red Wolf! PQ Titles: Study of Anatomy, Trophy Hunt, Zealot of the Blood God, A Helping Hand. Not that the narrator was bad, she was excellent, it was the fact that so much of the dialogue in the book is wrote in a staccato, abrupt, leave words off sentences, interrupting each other kind of way and by this point I couldn't listen anymore. This was quite a delightful debut. The narrative alternates between flashbacks and the present, such that the former gives much-needed context to an otherwise convoluted and detail-packed story. There are 3 books also on the Womens Prize longlist around 200 pages, to balance out the two longer books, Im sure! The story shifts backward and . The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace. Trouble signing in? 4 retirements within one scenario, how is that even possible? I could not understand why she wasnt viewing this chance as an opportunity. Your email address will not be published. Lombardo, a Chicago native and recently minted University of Iowa MFA graduate, has crafted an intricate multigenerational saga about the vicissitudes of a passionate but not perfect marriage over a 40-year span. But this was the thing: sometimes being a sister meant knowing the right thing to do and still not doing it because winning was more important. Only a few pages into the novel, and the reader already knows about Wendys vulnerability, characterized as vestiges of her teenage habits appeared only fleetingly for her now she still, on occasion, flirted with the idea of purging, and once in a while shed try a diet that she read about in US Weekly. Their personalities are shitty. The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo, 2019 Knopf Doubleday 544 pp. 2019 En lyckligare tid. Violet has sisterly assistance in bringing about additional anxiety and messiness in her life. Not only did I get to read about whats going on presently, but I got to dive into the history and background, to see how each sisters childhood and her birth order shaped her. Morgan felt obligated to marry her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter, Clara. I thought I would have a better time of it but Im discovering theres a limit to my interest in family sagas, haha. Its not a bad book by any means, but its a straightforward story that neglects to go the extra mile. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. But despite the thorough setup, the books commentary barely dips below the surface of the expected. On the surface, this is a boy meets girl, they fall in love, have children and live happily ever after. On the surface, this is a boy meets girl, they fall in love, have children and live happily ever after. DNF 55%. This is a character driven story of a present day family on the north shore of Chicago. The project is based on the. The other 531 and a half pages are variations on Ginkgo tree worship, parents constantly reminiscing on their sex life, affluent yet thirsty sisters being snarky (and worse) to each other and their mom (because they would never talk to dad that way), and some kid reminding his recently discovered biological mother its. report. Prior to writing The Most Fun We Ever Had, she spent several years doing social work in Chicago. When tragedy strikes, a mother and daughter forge a new life. From here, the narration jumps ahead sixteen years to follow a years worth of family drama, divided into seasonal sections. It's the most fun way to kick your vacation into high gear. Also: David and Marilyn love each other madly. By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest. The Most Fun We Ever Had proceeds in a steady march through the Sorensons' major life events to reveal how the daughters a blindsided widow; a tightly strung stay-at-home mom with a law degree; a tenured professor facing solo parenting; and the perpetual afterthought of the family, a recent college graduate caught up in an embarrassing lie came to the messy pass in which we find them. To make it extra easy for you . Ahhhh, I see. Liza asks her father to connect with his colleague Gillan Levin to deliver her baby. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page' Jenny Colgan, Spectator A joyful celebration of books - the perfect gift for bibliophiles, word lovers and anyone who's ever wondered, should you judge a book by its cover? Ah, sorry you didnt enjoy this one! And I have to agree on sister relationships seeming very different than brother-sister ones; I dont have the strongest of sibling bonds, but even in childhood when my brothers and I got along better it was NOTHING like sisterhood is generally portrayed. Their parents were good with them but I guess, too good. But Clara and Morgans home life changes radically when Chris and Jenny are killed in an accident, revealing long-buried secrets and forcing Morgan to reevaluate the life she chose when early motherhood forced her hand. You will never not be entertained. 'I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. Many ways. I read Everything I Never Told You this year and I really liked it although the characters were heavily flawed. If I'm to be honest I found myself bored at times and absolutely enthralled at others. Yes, Violet was not my favorite character, but I appreciated how Lombardo portrayed her because it made me feel. Engrossing and fun but surprisingly shallow seems like a succinct way to say it. Lombardo levels this vision by interspersing chapters of the Sorenson parents early lean times with chapters about their daughters wobbly forays into adulthood. Diving into a 550-page novel as opposed to, say, a 300-page novel is the difference between a dalliance and a full-blown commitment. The novel is absolutely a pleasant and enjoyable read, but is in no way gritty.. Characters flip between bottomless self-regard and pitiless self-loathing while, as late as the second-to-last chapter, yet by I love domestic fiction, especially ones that examine marriages, sibling rivalries, and socioeconomically differences. But this book? It certainly made the book more bearable because I wouldn't have lasted till the 50% mark if I was reading the book. They crept into my heart; it was like being a member of their family. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry Their problems and lives were full of needless drama and issues. Violet confronts the son she gave up for adoption 15 years ago while grappling with her growing sense of powerlessness in her role as a stay-at-home mother. She was just trying to do the right thing, but that wasnt so easy, because everyone in her life had a different conception of what the right thing was, and she herself was caught somewhere in the middle.. A family of six subsisting on one doctors salary didnt exactly equate to the lap of luxury for the four girls while growing up (which isnt to say they wanted for anything), but most of them were able to improve their circumstances even further as they reached adulthood- their own children are well-situated indeed. In truth, I dont think theres anything at all to learn here. October 15, 2019 11:00am. I made a little list in my longlist wrap-up last year of parallels that I found between the books- Ill link that here in case youre curious! This woman plays such scant role in the plot that she seems present primarily to balance the scales of the familys wealth. EX-FENCING COACH AND HARVARD PARENT ACQUITTED OF BRIBERY CHARGES. If this book were a meal it would be a 10-course dinner with quite a few savory morsels, but settle in because youll be cutting through a bit of fat and gristle and theres going to be a lot chewing. It will make you feel sad for some characters, be rooting for others and want to reach through the book and slap another. Claire Lombardo has given us all a spectacular gift: the Sorenson family. I know that's a long way to get in a book and then put it down but I had this on audio and I couldn't take the narration anymore. But flashbacks to exhausted, fraught times make clear that the Sorensons' relationship hasn't been as smooth as it appears. They are a healthy, but imperfect family of four daughters, who are all jockeying for their place in the world. Trust me. Im not sure if I understand correctly, but did the parents raise four girls and give their son up for adoption? Victory was a critical part of sisterhood, shed always thought.. I do think Lombardos a good writer- I loved seeing how well she fleshed out all of these characters, how the four very different sisters personalities tracked across decades of their lives and how they all interacted with each other. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband-and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. As you can see, there are SO many different personalities in this book. But its the uptight second child, Violet, who is the source of the big family scandal: Her son, born without her parents knowledge, was given up for adoption and rediscovered 15 years later thanks to the pointed meddling of the eldest sister, Wendy, a dissolute young widow who resents Violets inability to appreciate her own luck. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. just keep the good things of the last league, and improve some things, with a good league mechanic, would have been enough to be as good or better than the last league. Thats where I thought Lombardos writing shone in this book- the characters arent always sympathetic but they do feel like complex, well-thought-out people and it was so interesting to see how their lives and decisions would intersect. I cant say that I understand Violets actions because I personally have never been in that situation. Their dedication, joy and unrelenting lust produced four daughters who share the same collective fear. Too long for the lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters. Many thanks to Orion. The Most Fun We Ever Had Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to He stumbles on his grandparents flirting in the kitchen and pauses to examine these people who consciously chose to talk about weeds with their crotches touching. A very accurate description of enviable long-term commitment. I am calling it this book will win all of the awards. The ruthless competitiveness between these sisters is the driving force of the novel. Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like The Most Fun We Ever Had. ISBN-13: 9780385544252. I just finished this and am already missing the Sorenson family. Though it doesnt seem like much fun theyre considerate and selfish in equal measure, they do things for one another without mentioning it and then stab one another in the back its theirs. At one point Wendy wonders whether all Asians are prim and conservatively dressed a confusing question to ask when she must encounter Asians every day right outside her luxury apartment, on the streets of the third largest city in America. Its free and takes less than 10 seconds! Most Fun We Ever Had (Lombardo) - Discussion Questions Discussion Questions 1. Random Grandson, at your service! I particularly enjoyed their contrariness, but it wont be the right fit for everyone. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Most Fun We Ever Had. Shepherd is a community of 7,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world. Though this year is presented chronologically, the book also delivers numerous flashbacks that showcase virtually every significant moment in each characters life, from the parents origin story, through their four daughters childhoods, and into choices each make as adults, all leading up to this one eventful year. A marathon of instability and hair products. Thus begins a story bristling with a particular kind of female intel. She sets the plot in motion by springing a terrible surprise on Violet, whose perfect life is just too much for her to swallow after she suffers a series of unhappy blows. Title: The Most Fun We Ever Had Author: Claire Lombardo Genre: Fiction Publishing Date: June 25th, 2019 Pages: 532 Rating (5.0 Scale): 5.0 Synopsis (from cover): When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that's to come. That book, which. In a narrative that shifts between past and present, there are complicated, flawed and tangled relationships, resentments, jealousies, births, marriages, deaths, turbulence, messiness, infidelities, mental health issues, secrets, lies, love, loss, surprises and life's challenges that their wealth cannot insulate them from. Jonah lives with Wendy and then moves to his grandparents house, but never lives with Violet and her family. Violet finally speaks to Wendy and learns that Jonah is in foster care as his adoptive parents died in an accident when he was young. Amy Adams ( Sharp Objects) and Laura Dern ( Big Little Lies) are producing a new drama series, The Most Fun We Ever Had, for HBO, Deadline confirmed. So if youre looking for your next read, pick this one! Alicia Berenson's life is seemingly perfect. When she receives her final rejection letter, she lies about her acceptance. A marathon of instability and hair products. . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Meet Me The Person Behind Books and Bowquets. Into this family arrives Jonah, the son Violet had given birth to and then had adopted, whose presence is much needed by the family as can be seen in the impact he has. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. influencers in the know since 1933. Their social lives and societal awareness are essentially nonexistent; even the characters jobs exist only as places where they might meet a potential marital interloper. Wendy has asked to meet Violet for lunch but much to Violets shock and horror, Wendy is sitting at a table with Violets adopted son whom she gave up at birth. Oof, I just noticed this review on Goodreads, which may have shut the door for me: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2859759789?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1. I just noticed how long this book is. I could see glimpses of myself in Marilyn and that was one of the main reasons why I continued turning the pages. It's really hard to believe that 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a debut novel. The usage of the word "retard" was questionable and I don't know how it was made through the rounds of editing. Why do we have someone watching a couple have sex/make out so often? -- Laline Paull, author of THE BEES I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. I think there are actually some similarities to Fleishman in this book, especially with characterization and marriage commentary, so Im not sure youd enjoy this one much! Required fields are marked *. Claire Lombardo, 2019. by Claire Lombardo. She was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, and spent several years doing social work in Chicago. Every page contains vital information that contributes to the story. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men . (LogOut/ The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The length is a stopper: 532 pages. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It took me almost 2 weeks to finish this 500+ page family saga. Ohhhh! I don't have to like the characters to appreciate family dramas but I need to like something about this book. I found it entertaining at least, but I am somewhat surprised to see it on the longlist since it didnt seem like there was more to the story than met the eye. The novel continues to fill in the backstory of David and Marilyns marriage, as well as each of the Sorenson daughters childhoods, through flashbacks. I think it lacks some of the commentary and insight that you mentioned Such a Fun Age doing well, for example, which was why this one didnt quite work for me. By 2016, their four radically . What do they represent? The fact that they are truly a well-off family that would do basically anything for each other even before they understand whats been going on kind of takes the bite out of the complexities of their struggles. Into this churn, Lombardo adds cancer, infidelity, a heart attack, another unplanned pregnancy, a stillbirth, and an office crush for David. Definitely a bit longer than it needs to be, though it wasnt a slog for me. Sadly the shortlist seemed a bit uninspired compared to the longlist, so Im very curious to see which books will make the cut this year- hopefully not the disappointing ones! A dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secrets A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A small masterpiece. Oh man, I appreciate your honest review!! The book also provides perspectives from almost all main characters. Unless the takeaway is that we shouldnt present our children with the model of a solid marriage for fear of setting the bar too high, theres little substance to take back to the real world after closing the back cover. Jonah calls Wendy from Montana and she retrieves him. View more posts. Be the first to contribute! Jonah and Jenny eventually broke up, but years later they had a one-night stand and Jenny got pregnant with their son, Elijah. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. That was the feeling I had with The Most Fun We Ever Had and it was spot on. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. There are much better family sagas out there with better stories and fewer pages. That's the year David Sorenson, a shy premed student, and Marilyn Connolly, an outspoken English major, met and fell in love. I really enjoy books with different perspectives and this one definitely satisfied all of my perspective needs. Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had probably won't be the most fun you'll ever have (I hope not, for your sake), but it's a wonderfully immersive read that packs more heart and heft than most first novels. Essentially what the book is exploring is that all four daughters have these huge life struggles theyre hiding from their parents and each other because they hold the parents marriage up as the golden standard and dont want to be seen as failing to live up to that model. Thanks! Liza gets pregnant and appears to follow in Violets footsteps. But I do agree that theres tons of potential for deep exploration here, which sadly is never quite realized. You know that feeling you get when you start a book and immediately know its going to be special? ROMANCE | If cars are often considered classics after 25 years, how does that translate to a popular cruise ship that is sailing toward its 25th birthday? Arrive a few minutes early to get a spot by the stage, especially if you have little kids. We had four teams from Crossfit Alluvium this year. But Ridge cant hide his feelings for Sydney longand they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty. Its definitely an interesting story, but not a perfect one. Claire Lombardo's debut is a fascinating epic character driven, multi-generational Chicago family drama with all its complexities through the decades from the 1970s. There was a lot of repetition and I honestly wanted to skip some pages when the characters really got on my nerves. This definitely read like a telenovela in book form for me. Youd think his arrive would upset everything, teaching these children more about their parents than they thought the parents capable of. I cared and cringed and chuckled and cried with each of the four sisters and their parents (and then theres the third gen of kids). Another dysfunctional family book , 500 pages long, 4 daughters who are mostly annoying and unbearable, bring it on, this is one of the most challenging experience for me! . There are couples who seem as though theyve been in love forever, to the point of appearing physically inseparable. I did like the relationships between the characters and seeing how their choices panned out, effecting the whole family in the end. But I expect more from the Womens Prize than a simple good time, and I didnt find any standout depth or technical skill here. Instead, I found this story engrossing and fun, but surprisingly shallow. Ive been continually surprised by how often motherhood comes up as a focus even in the longlisted novels I wasnt expecting to lean that way! As the work closes, David and Marilyn find contentment and comfort in one another as they marvel at the brood they have created, out of their extraordinary and enduring love. The story centers around a couple (David and Marilyn) from when they met toward their golden years, and each of their four very different daughters. Lombardos novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between characters. Claire Lombardos dbut, The Most Fun We Ever Had, chronicles the life of a family over the course of a year, yet it passes as quickly as the pages turn. Ive been kind of curious about this one. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP. The Most Fun We Ever Had proceeds in a steady march through the Sorensons' major life events to reveal how the daughters a blindsided widow; a tightly strung stay-at-home mom with a law. Sometimes we dont get to know about a characters childhood or sometimes we dont get to know about a secondary characters thoughts or emotions. Its one of those lovely meandering, literary tales that weaves the story of a family over a long period of time. This isnt a fast read. because there are loads of those people out there, even if theyre only saying horrible things to someone in a close circle and not in public. A multigenerational novel in which the four adult daughters of a Chicago couple--still madly in love after forty years--recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they've built. The Most Fun We've Ever Had (Spoiler Free) spoiler. Im definitely looking forward to wrap-ups and predictions as well. I love books that make me feel. The parentsMarilyn, all pluck and busy optimism, and David, a genial family doctorstrike their offspring as impossibly happy. A famous painter. This surprise, about which I'll only say that it introduces another convincingly complex character, brings out the best and worst in various family members and leads to the most moving scenes. Spanning nearly half a century, and set against the quintessential American backdrop of Chicago and its prospering suburbs, Claire Lombardos debut explores the triumphs and burdens of love, the fraught tethers of parenthood and sisterhood, and the baffling mixture of affection, abhorrence, resistance and submission we feel for those closest to use. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo: 9780525564232 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER "A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory." Madeline Miller, bestselling. Communities and start taking part in conversations pregnant and appears to follow your favorite communities start... The lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters connect with his colleague Gillan Levin to deliver baby. 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