Its one of those lovely meandering, literary tales that weaves the story of a family over a long period of time. Yet these lush details almost seem to weigh the novel down. A frightened Jonah witnesses it and runs away to Graces apartment. 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. Its one to be savored. Claire E. Lombardo is a fiction writer from the Chicago area. Though each is sympathetic and suffering in their own way, they do all make poor choices, sometimes for bad reasons. I dont have a sister, myself. While Lombardo's focus is on more happily wedded couples than Tyler's mismatched pairs, both writers share an interest in the forces that bind spouses decades after their "I do's.". This book give you unlimited access to everything, all the time. Page edges may . By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest. Shepherd is a community of 7,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world. It's really hard to believe that 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a debut novel. We picked entirely on the icons, and they went against type. Press J to jump to the feed. share. Im definitely looking forward to wrap-ups and predictions as well. Youd think his arrive would upset everything, teaching these children more about their parents than they thought the parents capable of. But this book? The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace. Wendy also has a knack for speaking her mind and exhibits no shame in any of her actions. Even family interactions elicit a mix of exasperation and comfort. There were so many great contenders on the longlist last year that I wouldve loved to see win above An American Marriage, even though AAM was a 4-star read for me. It is an important topic to be sure, but books like this just dont seem to be bringing anything new to the table, sadly. I do think its appropriate for authors to include characters that are not P.C. The Most Fun We Ever Had Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to I feel like even though the book claims each sister is in a state of unrest, Graces struggle is somehow not quite as severe as the others. Sorry, Ive been struggling with explanations lately I guess! It feels like it was a little safe and one-note, which is I think where the lack of variety in themes comes in. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo review - family friction A restless mother and meddling sister trigger family reprisals in this nuanced, polished debut Claire Lombardo: 'a keen. Lombardo flings a full deck of narrative cards at us all at once, which she spends the next 500-plus pages patiently putting in order. Order our The Most Fun We Ever Had Study Guide, teaching or studying The Most Fun We Ever Had. It is a stellar. But all the small secrets from misremembered slights to misplaced bedsheets are uncovered patiently, skillfully, precisely, in service of the novels central mystery: How do you love? Also: David and Marilyn love each other madly. But you don't mind, because the Chicago-based clan of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD is definitely worth getting to know. 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. I am a fan! Grace confesses her lie and returns home to live with Marilyn and David while she contemplates her next move. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Meet Me The Person Behind Books and Bowquets. Please do not be discouraged by the 500+ page count. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. lot of improvement of the loot were (and for lot, are still) possible. A Type A overachiever, Violet is accustomed to being the good girl to Wendy's monster and is deeply uncomfortable whenever their roles reverse. In the novel, four adult sisters are trying to find their way in the world, both guided and hindered by what they see as their parents epic romance, an impressive love story none of the girls is confident about finding for herself. Still, the deft touchesa neighborhood fundraiser for a Little Free Library, a Twilight character as erotic touchstonedelight. This time were looking at Claire Lombardos The Most Fun We Ever Had, one of the largest books on the list at over 500 pages. 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. Why do we need to know about it?? Am 3% in and am uber irritated. From the beginning, I realized that Most Fun would be a new standard for me, Lombardo has a way with words and creating characters that just leapt off the page. RELEASE DATE: Dec. 10, 2019. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The novel is told from the third-person, and provides perspectives from numerous characters. On the heels of Wendys birth, Marilyn becomes pregnant with Violet and the tumultuous child-rearing years begin. I do think there is something interesting about people who have loads of resources but do the sneaky thing out of fear instead of real hardship. Enough loss to break anybody, but Wendy has overcome her obstacles and continues to overcome by living every day. 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? Liza, the second youngest, has just received tenure but is ensconced in a difficult relationship with Ryan, who is depressed. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. Which also happened to qualify as "sidequests" for that goal, Which triggered the personal quest "Have two team mates retire", And it was our 15th total scenariowhich triggered that personal quest. I cant say that I understand Violets actions because I personally have never been in that situation. Flashbacks interspersed with the present-day chapters scroll all the way back to 1975, which in Lombardo's telling feels more like the 1950s. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Quotes and a Free Quiz on I hope that if you pick it up at some point youll find it worth the page count! Every chapter contains a piece of the pie that you must consume. Synopsis (from cover): When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all thats to come. My reaction: 3 out of 5 stars. 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. I could see glimpses of myself in Marilyn and that was one of the main reasons why I continued turning the pages. Strange, perhaps, for a woman who'd added four beings to the universe of her own reluctant volition, but a fact nonetheless: Marilyn rued the inconvenient presence of bodies, bodies beyond her control, her . , Ah, Im glad youre enjoying the family focus this year! The oldest daughter is an erratic alcoholic racked with grief; the second is a control freak who doesn't want to meet the son she put up for adoption 15 years ago; the next is pregnant and falling. Get The Most Fun We Ever Had from Amazon.com. Random Grandson, at your service! And, of course, the two who started it all have their own issues to deal with: getting older, watching their daughters change, and taking in a grandson to raise after they thought their childrearing days were done. I also have a brother and though were close, I find sister relationships (at least the way theyre portrayed in books) to be an entirely different thing. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. " The Most Fun We Ever Had is a remarkable first-time novel offering such an intimate picture of people's interior lives I feel as if every one of these characters is now a close friend. . The Most Fun We Ever Had is a family saga that spans decades and closely follows multiple POV characters. 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. At 544 pages, you get to know them, along with their struggles and joys, pretty well. I just noticed how long this book is. Lombardo describes falling for someone as feeling accompanied in a way she had never before, by a person who was choosing to feel beholden to her instead of simply scooting up the rope of familial obligation. The novel shines brightest in the moments in which Lombardo is able to probe into the psyche of her female characters to express something that feels universal, yet somehow fresh. We were quite in agreement on this one! 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. I couldn't relate, emphasize, nor care about them. by Violet is the daughter that did everything right. She went to college, became a lawyer, married a nice man and has two young children. They're so vain. I read Everything I Never Told You this year and I really liked it although the characters were heavily flawed. For me, they were a bunch of pretentious rich people with little love for each other (again the kids). Claire Lombardo has given us all a spectacular gift: the Sorenson family. Still getting used to this book reviewing deal. Other people overwhelmed her. hide. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest: Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator-turned-stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt when the darkest part of her past resurfaces; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a 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. It may not be the most fun youve ever had, but it has to be darn close. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Most Fun We Ever Had. Her capacious novel also encompasses the "vast hormonal hellscape" the couple has spawned four cattily close, constantly sparring grown daughters trying to figure out their place in the world as they measure themselves against their mother and each other. We had one narrator but once I got used to the story, the flashbacks stopped confusing me. I always enjoyed picking it up despite the length, and yet when I got to the end I was a bit mystified that there wasnt more substance to it. Please understand that Violet did not go out and seek her son, it was Wendy that decided to track him down and welcome him back. That was the feeling I had with The Most Fun We Ever Had and it was spot on. The Most Fun We Ever Had is certainly not boring. It does seem like a rather safe and repetitive set, as a whole. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. 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! Retrieve credentials. 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. 'The Most Fun We Ever Had" is an ambitious and brilliantly written first novel, sometimes amusing and sometimes shocking, but its unrelenting nature and lack of context is ultimately off-putting.. (LogOut/ 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. Its page count allows Lombardo to examine- in excruciating detail- the minutiae of day-to-day interactions, a lifetime of decisions and assumptions, and each sibling and parent relationship that is one thread in the greater web of this family. Arrive a few minutes early to get a spot by the stage, especially if you have little kids. Set in the Chicago suburbs, Lombardo's book has been compared to The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen's seminal ode to a dysfunctional Midwestern family. #haunted #haunting #ghost #mystery #strange. This thread is archived. To be sure, Lombardos characters exist in a world in which money is of no object or concern, conveniently available because of the marriages the four daughters have made generally to wealthy lawyers or businessmen who seem perpetually frazzled thanks to their jobs and often find themselves in awe of the strong women with whom they chose to spend their lives. 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 class calibrations are divine even as the utter apolitical whiteness of the Sorenson world becomes hard to fathom. Change). Things seem to snowball out of control, and perhaps for a reader it seems like a bit much, but Lombardos inclusion of all the minutiae are also true to life: This is how life actually is. Your email address will not be published. Categories: Violet feels as though she is losing her husband Matt, and struggles to accept Jonah into their lives. RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP. She wonders how her daughters could have all turned out so markedly different, not only from one another but also from her. Then all of a sudden in the last 100 pages, Violet accepts Jonah, apologizes to him and and everything is fine and dandy. Sixteen years later, the already messy lives of the sisters are thrown into turmoil . Ehhhhh.. Why arent people writing great stories in fewer pages?! by Claire Lombardo. In the process, players will enhance their abilities with experience and loot, discover new locations to explore and plunder, and expand an ever-branching story fueled by the decisions they make. The Most Fun We Ever Had? Yikes. Violet also has a big secret that no one supposedly knows about. Ahhhh, I see. This was a delightful debut and I cant wait to see what the author writes next. They are a healthy, but imperfect family of four daughters, who are all jockeying for their place in the world. Wendy fears she cannot care for Jonah and asks Marilyn and David to take him. I also didn't like the timeline jumps. Posted by 3 years ago. That's the year David Sorenson, a shy premed student, and Marilyn Connolly, an outspoken English major, met and fell in love. 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. Each character was individualized and any one of them could have leaped off the pages. She also decided that his biological family should be the ones to provide that. In the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No. Flashbacks describe Marilyn and Davids early marriage in Iowa, where Marilyn becomes pregnant and drops out of school. The flashbacks and cast of characters large enough to people a sitcom give the reader someone to root for, and one could read all 500 pages in a week like one might binge a soap opera. Now Jonah is back in town, engaged to Jenny, and working at the local high school as Claras teacher. Last is Grace, the baby of the family. 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a deliciously absorbing novel with brace yourself a tender and satisfyingly positive take on family. This book reminds you that a plot doesnt need to have some major incident as a shock factor, that an author can simply explore complex family dynamics and yet still satisfy all your reader needs. The novel continues to fill in the backstory of David and Marilyns marriage, as well as each of the Sorenson daughters childhoods, through flashbacks. Prior to writing The Most Fun We Ever Had, she spent several years doing social work in Chicago. , i read this book last year and didnt like it at all, so its been so interesting to see what people have been saying in their reviews of it now that its on the womens prize longlist! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast . 650 puslapi ir baigta dar viena mano MET knyga. They're capable of coming to each other's rescue, but not dependably. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Lombardo, Claire. Ooh nope, its one of the four girls who gives a son up for adoption, hes a grandson of the girls parents! Claire Lombardo ", Lombardo's sweeping family drama, fueled by power plays between spouses and between sisters, is operatic in both good ways and bad. Too long for the lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters. A full book review of "The Most Fun We Ever Had" by Claire Lambardo. It looks like the judges were just very interested in books about parenthood this year for some reason! Thanks Naty! Oh, jeez. DNF 55%. Back to reviews with another Womens Prize longlist title! It is such a shockingly tender and uncannily knowing novel about the reality of long term love and affection, and the sweetness and claustrophobia of relationships between sisters. The Most Fun We Ever Had. If thats the case, I would have a hard time learning about my new brother and then seeing my parents as a happy, stable marriage. We get it. Grace continues to evade her family and meets her crush, Ben Barnes. About them another but also from her runs away to Graces apartment the pie that you must consume pie you! Was a delightful debut and I really liked it although the characters were heavily flawed boring characters off! Create the Guide: Lombardo, Claire one another but also from her period of time like! 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