Claire Lombardo's debut novel seems to go on forever. Also: David and Marilyn love each other madly. It also leads to Lombardo's heartwarming takeaway: "If this family had taught him anything it was that people could get mad at each other and then make up again. . This sounds exactly like the kind of book Ill enjoy, even if it was fine but not perfect for you. I was aware that An American Marriage won last year, but I didnt know it was up against a lot of pretty strong works. Its not a bad book by any means, but its a straightforward story that neglects to go the extra mile. Dang it. Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. Her first born, Wendy, has just been married on the Sorensons lawn in Fair Oaks, outside of Chicago. Art & Auctions Print Edition Books & Arts Books Bookshelf 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' Review: An Assured Debut Claire Lombardo's first novel gives a sympathetic but unsentimental look at. That's the year David Sorenson, a shy premed student, and Marilyn Connolly, an outspoken English major, met and fell in love. Please do not be discouraged by the 500+ page count. Flashbacks interspersed with the present-day chapters scroll all the way back to 1975, which in Lombardo's telling feels more like the 1950s. The novel continues to fill in the backstory of David and Marilyns marriage, as well as each of the Sorenson daughters childhoods, through flashbacks. 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. It's the most fun way to kick your vacation into high gear. For Wendy it is a combination of fate and disposition. I love domestic fiction, especially ones that examine marriages, sibling rivalries, and socioeconomically differences. ISBN-13: 9780385544252 Summary When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. Most Fun We Ever Had (Lombardo) - Discussion Questions Discussion Questions 1. We had one narrator but once I got used to the story, the flashbacks stopped confusing me. It certainly made the book more bearable because I wouldn't have lasted till the 50% mark if I was reading the book. (LogOut/ Staff writer Cassandra Luca can be reached at cassandra.luca@thecrimson.com. It's really hard to believe that 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a debut novel. The central story unfurls over a single event-choked year, begun by Wendy, who unlatches a closed adoption and springs on her family the boy her stuffy married sister, Violet, gave away 15 years earlier. Jonah acclimates to living with David and Marilyn, but he witnesses Liza kissing another man and inadvertently discloses this information to Ryan. I always find those relationships so interesting to read about, which was definitely the highlight of this book for me. Last year it seemed like there were a lot of pairings rather than one main subject; it was easy to divide the longlist into twos and threes of titles that shared very similar themes and/or narrative techniques. "The Most Fun We Ever Had" is a novel about a family and follows in the footsteps of other reknown novels the chronicle the intricate complexities of close relationships. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Petersons eight original songs flesh out Sydneys lyrics with a good mix of moody musical styles: Living a Lie has the drama of a Coldplay piano ballad, while the chorus of Maybe Someday marches to the rhythm of the Lumineers. But while I thought a lot of those details were just characterization tactics and a critique of wealthy white suburbia, it is definitely understandable that they would be unpleasant to read anyway. There is definitely a family dynamic that is captured. 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. -- Laline Paull, author of THE BEES I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. I read Everything I Never Told You this year and I really liked it although the characters were heavily flawed. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Other than an event which I found hard to fathom, this is a realistic and intimate look at an affluent Chicago family as they love, laugh, annoy, clash, and support each other over the course of forty-odd years. It made me laugh, made me cry and made me angry. Engrossing and fun but surprisingly shallow seems like a succinct way to say it. Lombardos character-driven, eventful, tumultuous, witty, serious, gregarious, tragic, and infectious domestic dramady of a big Chicago family kept me fastened to the pages of this big, buoyant book. Please enjoy my thoughts and ideas below. 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. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. Into this churn, Lombardo adds cancer, infidelity, a heart attack, another unplanned pregnancy, a stillbirth, and an office crush for David. . By 2016, their four radically . Flashbacks describe Marilyn and Davids early marriage in Iowa, where Marilyn becomes pregnant and drops out of school. 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. 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? A famous painter. At the age of 20, Wendy marries Miles, a man 15 years her senior who comes from old money, to escape her family and her eating disorder. But at least I mostly enjoyed this one!). Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Im excited to see everyones wrap-ups and predictions this year. But despite the thorough setup, the books commentary barely dips below the surface of the expected. A Rich, Engrossing Family Saga, Spiked With Sisterly Malice, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/books/review/most-fun-we-ever-had-claire-lombardo.html, Claire Lombardo describes how she arrived at the Iowa Writers Workshop with a very messy, 813-page draft.. Wendy also has a knack for speaking her mind and exhibits no shame in any of her actions. Thats interesting! Every page contains vital information that contributes to the story. Required fields are marked *. 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. The characters were flawed sure but also horrible. '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.. Why do we need to know about it?? Liza becomes unexpectedly pregnant and begins an affair to avoid dealing with her relationship issues. Marilyn wonders, "Didn't her daughters know that what she and David had took work, had always taken work? characters the right way, I did think she failed to dig into the criticisms enough to make them strong themes in the book, which definitely explains to me how readers arent tolerating those moments well, whether they see the purpose behind them or not. Ooh nope, its one of the four girls who gives a son up for adoption, hes a grandson of the girls parents! Some of them bothered me as well, but a lot of the problematic things the characters say and do I took as criticisms of them; I dont think the author was using horrendous digs at less fortunate people out of a place of ignorance, but as a way of showing how privileged and ignorant her characters are. I love listening to family dramas but this one had too much needless drama to my taste. Lombardo also has a prologue and an epilogue of sorts, entitled The Offspring and The Midst of Life respectively. 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. Lombardo wrote a fabulous book about family dynamics that was completely enthralling. It also exposes Davids somewhat secretive but platonic dinners with Gillian after work. Oooh, interesting. Too long for the lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP. Instead, I found this story engrossing and fun, but surprisingly shallow. Hilarious one moment, haunting the next, and always -- always -- so authentic and deeply felt. Briefly, I didn't enjoy this book nor do I recommend it. Thanks Naty! 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? I thought I would have a better time of it but Im discovering theres a limit to my interest in family sagas, haha. (Perhaps!) 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. It doesnt help that Miller already has a jealous girlfriend who stalks him via text from college. Liza, the second youngest, has just received tenure but is ensconced in a difficult relationship with Ryan, who is depressed. Enough loss to break anybody, but Wendy has overcome her obstacles and continues to overcome by living every day. 876 Likes, 43 Comments - @lovelylonghaired on Instagram: "How was YOUR day? The book opens on one of the daughters weddings, from their mothers perspective. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Lombardo, Claire. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo, 2019 Knopf Doubleday 544 pp. 1 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Scooter: Haunted Explorations - Overnight Challenge - Exploring With Josh!! Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. A full book review of "The Most Fun We Ever Had" by Claire Lambardo.
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