I'm not sure why this book received so much hype. The author is a skilled writer, but the book never realized its potential. It had an interesting premise, a variety of characters, a solid sense of place – but it just didn't go anywhere. In addition, there were some lengthy sections steeped in physics that seemed more like they were there to showcase how much the author had learned about the topic rather than serving the plot/point in any significant way. Or maybe it all just went over my head.
The more I read the more I find that, yes, I do have a lane, and, yes, I need to stay in it. This book is not for me. I found it about as irritating as I find Harvard grads who mention where they went to school every single chance they get (most of them). Unsurprisingly, Nell Freudenberger went to Harvard. Unsurprisingly, so do the characters in this book. Unsurprisingly, they dwell on it... often. Eye rolls abound.
That isn't really why I wasn't meant for this book, however. My real critique (not the catty one) is that the question Freudenberger sets out to explore, the project of this novel, is neither rigorous nor profound. She wanted to take a fleeting moment of grief and stretch it out to really get a careful look at one particular moment - the moment of acceptance - …
"You guys are really something else."
The more I read the more I find that, yes, I do have a lane, and, yes, I need to stay in it. This book is not for me. I found it about as irritating as I find Harvard grads who mention where they went to school every single chance they get (most of them). Unsurprisingly, Nell Freudenberger went to Harvard. Unsurprisingly, so do the characters in this book. Unsurprisingly, they dwell on it... often. Eye rolls abound.
That isn't really why I wasn't meant for this book, however. My real critique (not the catty one) is that the question Freudenberger sets out to explore, the project of this novel, is neither rigorous nor profound. She wanted to take a fleeting moment of grief and stretch it out to really get a careful look at one particular moment - the moment of acceptance - but the conclusions are about as insightful and dynamic as a Hallmark card.
The story reads easily. Freudenberger's craft is certainly up to snuff, but it is being employed to create smooth jazz. Without edges, without anything interesting to say about human relationships (partly because the characters here are unremarkable), you have nothing that will last.
Anyway I'm sure lots of readers who look for different things in their stories will disagree with this review. I can understand that. It just isn't a book for a reader like me.
