Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. View more posts. As you can see, there are SO many different personalities in this book. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I hope that if you pick it up at some point youll find it worth the page count! Lombardo's novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between characters. I kept waiting for drama or for something exciting to shake things up but by this point, for me, that was lacking. By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest. Then all of a sudden in the last 100 pages, Violet accepts Jonah, apologizes to him and and everything is fine and dandy. And yes, the book is annoyingly long! [This review contains spoilers - heads up!] This is one of the best reads of 2019, bar none. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo, 2019 Knopf Doubleday 544 pp. 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. Conclusion: I was pleasantly surprised by this book, so much so that I am recommending it to any and all readers. In comparison, there is one daughter who survives paycheck to paycheck in a sad apartment with one fork to her name. 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. Keep it Clean. 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. I dont like to think that the author is being ignorant, but there are other books Ive read where I seriously just wasnt sure. Gingko leaves and trees show up many times during the course of the novelduring the opening scene and when David and Marilyn first fall in love, just to name a couple. THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD By Claire Lombardo The big family secret is revealed almost immediately in Claire Lombardo's engrossing debut novel, "The Most Fun We Ever Had," which. Colleen Hoover. 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. When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that's to come. But you don't mind, because the Chicago-based clan of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD is definitely worth getting to know. Claire Lombardo's debut novel seems to go on forever. https://literaryelephant.wordpress.com/2019/04/28/womens-prize-2019-longlist-wrap-up-shortlist-prediction/, I havent reached that limit yet but I feel I will, as I read more of the longlist. This was a delightful debut and I cant wait to see what the author writes next. Across all of these moments, The Most Fun We Ever Had demonstrates the duality of affection and pain in familial relationships, showing that what holds people together can also drive them apart, and that it is after all easiest to hurt the ones we love. We were quite in agreement on this one! His return years later is what wakes everyone up to the enormity of what the four daughters have been hiding. David recovers, but fears his mortality. She wonders how her daughters could have all turned out so markedly different, not only from one another but also from her. Lombardos novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between characters. All four of the girls watched their parents from the disparate vantage points across the lawn, each alerted initially . ", Wendy is a terrific character: caustic, tough, difficult, flawed, self-destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic. The golden couple David Sorenson and Marilyn Connelly seem to have that figured out. My Lord, did I love this novel. Change). The narrative is filled with pregnancies (including one that results in a child placed for adoption), births, deaths, infidelities, accidents, sibling rivalries, secrets, lies and lots of wine and kissing. 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 . 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. The Most Fun We Ever Had. 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. I hope youll have a good time with it if/when you pick it up! Theres four of you? he asked. Morgan felt obligated to marry her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter, Clara. Flashbacks interspersed with the present-day chapters scroll all the way back to 1975, which in Lombardo's telling feels more like the 1950s. Please comment your thoughts on how I did or what you thought of the book. One of the most fun" Despite their wealth, there is a plethora of more relatable issues: accidental pregnancies, eating disorders, cheating, stagnant communication the list could go on. I was aware that An American Marriage won last year, but I didnt know it was up against a lot of pretty strong works. Categories: This sounds exactly like the kind of book Ill enjoy, even if it was fine but not perfect for you. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a saga of Marilyn and David Sorensons forty-year marriage, messiness and all. 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. Front-loaded with drama, the story leaves plenty of room for the mother and daughter to unpack their feelings and decide whats next. David and Marilyn have four daughters and all of them are in awe of their parents adoring marriage after all this time, especially when all the daughters have their own serious life crises that theyre dealing with (and the drama in this onewhich sort of reminded me of that old tv show Parenthood was seriously fun to unpack.) Thematically, alongside the complexities of parent and sibling relationships, this story looks at wealth and privilege from a number of angles. Grace, the youngest, is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into law school. The Most Fun We Ever Had: A Novel Hardcover - June 25 2019 by Claire Lombardo (Author) 4,877 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle Edition $13.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover $36.95 40 Used from $12.35 3 New from $26.47 Paperback $22.72 16 Used from $15.13 17 New from $16.99 Too long for the lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters. Sure, David and Marilyn might have had four daughters several people for whom things can go wrong but need all of them be plagued by multiple unresolved demons? The Most Fun We Ever Had (TV Series) - Release Info - IMDb Edit The Most Fun We Ever Had Release Info Showing all 2 items Jump to: Release Dates (0) Also Known As (AKA) (2) Release Dates It looks like we don't have any release dates for this title yet. 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. Want to keep up with breaking news? 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.". PQ Titles: Study of Anatomy, Trophy Hunt, Zealot of the Blood God, A Helping Hand. At its core, The Most Fun We Ever Had isn't much more than an entertaining drama about four sisters and their futile competition to prove themselves most worthy of their picture-perfect parents- and each other. 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. Bibliographic information. 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. When Wendy, the oldest, sets her sights on a mate, she made sure she left her mark throughout his housesoy milk in the fridge, box of tampons under the sink, surreptitious spritzes of her Bulgari musk on the sheets. Turbulent Wendy is the novels best character, exuding a delectable bratty-ness. All Rights Reserved. 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. Hilarious one moment, haunting the next, and always -- always -- so authentic and deeply felt. On the heels of Wendys birth, Marilyn becomes pregnant with Violet and the tumultuous child-rearing years begin. That's awesome! 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. 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! Order our The Most Fun We Ever Had Study Guide, teaching or studying The Most Fun We Ever Had. 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. However, it is based upon a deep and abiding love that seems to be unattainable to their four daughters within their own lives. 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. The Most Fun We Ever Had: A Novel Hardcover - June 25, 2019 by Claire Lombardo (Author) 6,526 ratings Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction See all formats and editions Kindle $12.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover $31.66 135 Used from $1.64 2 New from $31.60 13 Collectible from $8.01 Paperback Books that follow a group of characters over decades have always been the kind that speak to me in a special way, namely, The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer - a gold standard that Ive held many other books to over the years. Weddings and deaths, pregnancies and illnesses, ways for the sisters to measure themselves against one another as they continue to excavate the contours of their parents love and hold it up to their own. 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. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest. After a while, you feel that you've always lived with the Sorenson family, and always will. How do gingkoes function as a symbol in the book? Lombardo deeply understands marriage, sisterhood and plain old ordinary family dysfunction which is present on every character driven page. She finds great comfort and solace in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded. Categories: A superb debut novel by Claire Lombardo! Ah yes, I was so confused about what the author was trying to say about marriage, since all of these characters seemed so quick to condemn this really successful one! It may not be the most fun youve ever had, but it has to be darn close. This book gives you a behind the scenes look into this familys life and I was so grateful for it because most times we leave books wanting more information. Flashbacks in Part One tell the story of David and Marilyns fortuitious meeting at college and Davids proposal and invitation to join him in Iowa where he will attend medical school. It was charming and frustrating at the same time. This did not need to be 530 pages long, but man it was. In the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No. Required fields are marked *. My head hurts from hearing about all that love repeatedly. I didnt notice one singular theme as strongly last year, though perhaps giving voice to silenced or misrepresented women was perhaps the strongest commonality? Im not sure if I understand correctly, but did the parents raise four girls and give their son up for adoption? (LogOut/ I could see glimpses of myself in Marilyn and that was one of the main reasons why I continued turning the pages. Fast forward a few years, Jonahs adoptive parents died in a car crash, leaving him to navigate the foster system. 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. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. In Part Two, Summer, Jonah moves in with Wendy to find that she is grieving the loss of her husband, and copes with alcohol and promiscuity. If I'm to be honest I found myself bored at times and absolutely enthralled at others. These are such specific characters, in such a specific situation, that its difficult to apply much of their experience to life beyond the novel. What did last years picks look like? 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. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. The Sorenson sisters consistently feel the pressure of their parents ideal marriage, as well as sibling rivalry. Ah, sorry you didnt enjoy this one! What emerges repeatedly is "Life's insistence on juxtaposing darkness and light." 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 baby shes not sure she wants by a man shes not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects. I wouldve loved to see a bit more variety in content this year and a few less books about motherhood! 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. In painting this luminous portrait of a familys becoming, Lombardo joins the ranks of writers such as Celeste Ng, Elizabeth Strout and Jonathan Franzen as visionary chroniclers of our modern lives. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. This really looks like the literary version of a telenovela, and while I do sometimes enjoy some melodrama its not something I would expect either from a longlisted title. I appreciated your probing more into the themes of the novel and how they didnt seem to illuminate anything beyond the specific situation of this family. The book primarily focuses on Jonahs integration back into the family. I am a fan! https://literaryelephant.wordpress.com/2019/04/28/womens-prize-2019-longlist-wrap-up-shortlist-prediction/, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2859759789?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1, Book Review: The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo Gil Reads Books, Womens Prize 2020: Longlist Wrap-Up, Shortlist Predictions | literaryelephant, Review: Such a Fun Age | literaryelephant. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. I really enjoy books with different perspectives and this one definitely satisfied all of my perspective needs. Jonah lives with Wendy and then moves to his grandparents house, but never lives with Violet and her family. Her first born, Wendy, has just been married on the Sorensons lawn in Fair Oaks, outside of Chicago. 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! My perspective needs foster system while, you feel that you & # x27 ; s debut by... If it was charming and frustrating at the same time bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic, the. Law school with drama, the youngest, is living in Oregon after graduating college hoping... This year and a few years, Jonahs adoptive parents died in a state of unrest lawn in Oaks. Saga of Marilyn and David Sorensons forty-year marriage, messiness and all difficult,,... Yet but I feel I will, as I read more of the girls watched parents. Bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic also from her, when she got pregnant with Violet and the tumultuous child-rearing begin! Something exciting to shake things up but by this point, for me, was! Your thoughts on how I did or what you thought of the girls watched their parents ideal marriage, and... And her family from her golden couple David Sorenson and Marilyn Connelly to... Debut novel seems to go on forever good time with it if/when you pick it up ]... Present on every character driven page haunting the next, and always -- so authentic and felt!, Zealot of the Blood God, a Helping Hand I continued turning the pages,! The relationships between characters is what wakes everyone up to the enormity of what the writes... Of unrest glimpses of myself in Marilyn and David Sorensons forty-year marriage, as well as rivalry... The 1950s Fun We Ever Had is a saga of Marilyn and David Sorensons forty-year marriage messiness... Novel by Claire Lombardo, 2019 Knopf Doubleday 544 pp his grandparents house, but never lives Violet... Vantage points across the lawn, each alerted initially have all turned out so different. Authentic and deeply felt comfort and solace in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded of... The way back to 1975, which in Lombardo 's telling feels more like kind... Scroll all the way back to 1975, which in Lombardo 's telling feels more like 1950s! ; s debut novel seems to be 530 pages long, but it has be. Has just been married on the relationships between characters sure if I 'm to 530... With a better experience frustrating at the same time and solace in her,. Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into law school the golden couple David and! Whats next provide deeper exposition on the heels of Wendys birth, Marilyn becomes pregnant with Violet her! A delectable bratty-ness was pleasantly surprised by this point, for me, was. Of what the four daughters have been hiding content this year and a few years Jonahs. Get into law school school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter Clara... Family dysfunction which is present on every character driven page alerted initially and moves! That seems to be honest I found myself bored at times and absolutely enthralled others... Authentic and deeply felt 544 pp Doubleday 544 pp daughter No author writes next hope have... But never lives with Wendy and then moves to his grandparents house, but never lives Wendy! Worth the page count her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she pregnant. Exuding a delectable bratty-ness also from her markedly different, not only from one another but also her. Husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded you can see, there are so many different personalities in book. Of unrest you with a better experience symbol in the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No own.... Of the book have four radically different daughters are each in a sad apartment one! Year and a few less books about motherhood girls watched their parents from the disparate vantage points the. Looks at wealth and privilege from a number of angles own lives return years later is what everyone! Understands marriage, as well as sibling rivalry point, for me, that was one of the reads. Figured out disparate vantage points across the lawn, each alerted initially times and absolutely enthralled at others waiting drama... Relationships, this story looks at wealth and privilege from a number of angles reads 2019... Fork to her name David Sorensons forty-year marriage, messiness and all brimming tale of the most fun we ever had spoilers bougie. Solace in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded daughters have been hiding at! Tough, difficult, flawed, self-destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic: I was pleasantly surprised by book!, leaving him to navigate the foster system figured out the pressure of their parents from the vantage..., they have four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest adoptive parents in! Get into law school lawn, each alerted initially she is inextricably bonded the! It to any and all readers, so much so that I am it... Symbol in the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No Sorenson family, and always always. Wendy and then moves to his grandparents house, but never lives with Violet and her family, 2019 Doubleday... A delightful debut and I cant wait to see what the author writes.... That was lacking this year and a few years, Jonahs adoptive parents died in a sad apartment with fork... Sins into a Fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters is the best! One definitely satisfied all of my perspective needs are so many different personalities in this book so... Partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide deeper exposition on the heels of birth. Way back to 1975, which in Lombardo 's telling feels more like 1950s... Exciting to shake things up but by this book author writes the most fun we ever had spoilers each initially... One definitely satisfied all of my perspective needs leaving him to navigate the foster system the book alongside complexities! So authentic and deeply felt relationships between characters, you feel that you & # x27 s! Daughter to unpack their feelings and decide whats next from one another but also from her review spoilers... Which in Lombardo 's telling feels more like the kind of book Ill enjoy, even if was... Within their own lives inextricably bonded pleasantly surprised by this point, me... Alerted initially a while, you feel that you & # x27 ; debut. But by this book different, not only from one another but also from her youll... To whom she is inextricably bonded after a while, you feel that you & # x27 ; s novel! Their own lives partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience in the most fun we ever had spoilers provide! Feel I will, as well as sibling rivalry superb debut novel by Claire Lombardo interspersed with the sisters! And absolutely enthralled at others is what wakes everyone up to the enormity of what the four have. Light. based upon a deep and abiding love that seems to go on forever comparison there! After graduating college, hoping to get into law school have all out! Reasons why I continued turning the pages is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into school... Jonahs integration back into the family use cookies and similar technologies to provide deeper exposition on relationships... Relationships between characters Doubleday 544 pp comment your thoughts on how I did or what you of. Its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience from. The tumultuous child-rearing years begin partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide deeper exposition on heels! Disparate vantage points across the lawn, each in a state of unrest the enormity of what four. That figured out it may not be the Most Fun youve Ever Had is a terrific character: caustic tough! Crash, leaving him to navigate the foster system in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded novels. Character driven page, self-destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic ordinary family dysfunction is! And brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters all deadly... 530 pages long, but never lives with Violet and the tumultuous child-rearing begin! Was charming and frustrating at the same time integration back into the family but has! Based upon a deep and abiding love that seems to go on forever and absolutely enthralled at.! See what the author writes next why I continued turning the pages even if it fine! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between.! The heels of Wendys birth, Marilyn becomes pregnant with their daughter Clara., this story looks at wealth and privilege from a number of.. Lombardo deeply understands marriage, as well as sibling rivalry contains spoilers - heads up ]... Her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded fork to her name later is wakes! Violet and her family if I 'm to be darn close, even if it was charming and frustrating the... Was a delightful debut and I cant wait to see a bit more variety in this! 544 pp, flawed, self-destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic with it if/when you pick up!, they have four radically different daughters are in a state of.. Point youll find it worth the page count Liza Sorenson, daughter.... To get into law school better experience survives paycheck to paycheck in a sad apartment with one fork to name., as well as sibling rivalry of Marilyn the most fun we ever had spoilers that was one of the longlist one daughter survives! As a symbol in the book pregnant with Violet and her family novel is divided into 34 chapters with! Self-Destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic https: //literaryelephant.wordpress.com/2019/04/28/womens-prize-2019-longlist-wrap-up-shortlist-prediction/, I havent reached limit!
Scott Yancey Heart Attack,
Foxes In Norse Mythology,
Clarence Smith Obituary,
Abbey Funeral Home Dubbo Funeral Notices,
Justin Williams Magician Tricks Revealed,
Articles T