Landline is a 2014 American sci-fi novel by Rainbow Rowell. It tells the story of 37-year-old Georgie McCool who discovers that she is able to call her husband's 22-year-old self through his landline. Rowell stated that aspects from the novel are loosely based on her own life such as the fact that Georgie is incredibly career-driven while her husband is a stay-at-home dad. The character of Georgie McCool was named after the song Georgy Girl and the village of McCool Junction.While the novel has sci-fi themes akin to time travel, these are used mostly as a plot device to describe the hardships of adult life and the crumbling marriage of main character Georgie McCool.
Had I read this at Christmas, I am quite sure I would have rated it 5 stars as it's set during the week before Christmas. And I'm also quite sure that I will give it to my mom as a present this year as it seems to be as enjoyable for mothers as it is for daughters. Younger women can identify with the younger version of Georgie and middle aged women can identify with older Georgie and her marriage (problems). Like all Rainbow Rowell books this story is really authentic (minus the magic phone) and you just can't help but love her characters and you don't really want to let them go at the ending. Still, it is missing that typical fluffy feeling you usually get while reading her books. But those parts that actually make you feel all happy are consequently even more impactful.
The plots are too simple in this book and very unnatural. One girl says I need you to take care of me all the time and the other guy wants to do that but he is always grumpy. Except these ideas I got from the book, I got nothing about this girl and especially this guy. They are not funny and they are not interesting.
And, please, no more teasing the battery of iPhone, let me off.
Commute audiobook. Adequately engaging to keep me awake (maybe TOO engaging... I'd end up focusing all my attention on the book, not on driving), simple enough to divide attention with driving. Narrator was fine. Not my favorite but, at least, innocuous.
The book Random thoughts.
1. Neal is a jerk. He's a great dad, and he loves Georgie, but he's a jerk to people and goes out of his way to be difficult. Fair enough, I guess jerks find love too. I can still buy their relationship.
2. Why didn't Georgie just talk to her best friend already? She doesn't even have to say anything about the magic time-traveling phone. All she has to say is "My marriage is in trouble and I'm falling apart, I'm not ready to talk about it." For that matter, why didn't she ever say anything even remotely useful or thoughtful to her mom or …
Commute audiobook. Adequately engaging to keep me awake (maybe TOO engaging... I'd end up focusing all my attention on the book, not on driving), simple enough to divide attention with driving. Narrator was fine. Not my favorite but, at least, innocuous.
The book Random thoughts.
1. Neal is a jerk. He's a great dad, and he loves Georgie, but he's a jerk to people and goes out of his way to be difficult. Fair enough, I guess jerks find love too. I can still buy their relationship.
2. Why didn't Georgie just talk to her best friend already? She doesn't even have to say anything about the magic time-traveling phone. All she has to say is "My marriage is in trouble and I'm falling apart, I'm not ready to talk about it." For that matter, why didn't she ever say anything even remotely useful or thoughtful to her mom or sister? Why didn't she just go get a phone charger and some clothes from her house? She LET HER LIFE FALL APART while people were basically throwing themselves at her trying to help. I know that's the nature of depression, but it's incredibly frustrating and sad to watch from the outside.
3. I have mixed feelings about Neal getting so angry about Georgie wanting to stay in LA for work. On the one hand, he has given up a LOT for her over the years and it's reasonable for him to want to visit his family, and relationships are about compromise and Georgie doesn't do a lot of that; but on the other hand, he knew going in exactly what her career meant to her and what her career required of her, and he accepted that. Not to mention, THIS sacrifice is the one that means in the future she won't have to make sacrifices. It's a really shitty time to get all huffy and angsty and try to make a point. But then, he's a jerk, so.
4. "Georgie can't send a text message because Neal doesn't text" is lazy. He has a smartphone. Texts show up on the screensaver. He'd see the message even if he didn't open the texting app. Why didn't she send him an email? Why didn't she ever communicate to the family in Nebraska that IT IS ESSENTIAL I SPEAK TO NEAL AND YES THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO WAKE HIM UP/CALL HIM INSIDE/GET HIM BACK FROM NEXT DOOR/ETC. Frankly, there are a LOT of contrivances to ensure Georgie keeps using the magic phone instead of actually trying to fix her marriage in the present.
5. Given the references to current pop culture, this book is VERY rooted in exactly this present. It's a time capsule. I can't imagine it will age well, which is too bad because the issues at the heart of the book have been relevant for a long time and will continue to be relevant as long as long-term relationships and employment exist.
6. I loved Georgie's mom and sister. They're a little absurd and one-dimensional but very likeable.
7. I want to watch Georgie's show -- My So-Called Life meets Arrested Development? This would obviously be my favorite show ever.
8. I loved the structure: the book jumps between the past -- the development and history of Georgie and Neal's relationship --and the present (which is essentially Neal-free, because as already mentioned Georgie refuses to take any reasonable measures that might actually help her contact him). I like the feeling it creates, that Georgie's single-minded focus on saving her marriage (and, uh, her wallowing) distract her -- and us -- from the Very Important Career Stuff happening in the present.
