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May 2024
10:41pm, 23 May 2024
86,168 posts
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Diogenes
Saccharine. Glib. Readable. Predictable. Not awful, a bit cynical, writing by numbers, ticking boxes. I’m not sure why anyone writes books like this? They clearly love books but then they write shite like this?
Sorry.
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May 2024
9:03pm, 27 May 2024
22,514 posts
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Columba
On the whole, a No. Plot ok, characters I couldn't get to feel involved with.
A short distance in, I recognised a theme from Silas Marner. As The Storied Life is to some extent a book about books, I thought Silas Marner would be sure to get an explicit mention at some point. Both Silas and AJ lose (or have stolen from them) an item of great monetary value; and (coincidentally or shortly afterwards) a very little girl toddles into their life (lives) and remains; each of them adopts his respective little girl, and brings her up. Right at the end of each book, the original treasure turns up again.
But did Silas Marner get a mention? No indeed. Or rather, worse still, yes it did, on page 244 (in the edition I was reading), in a list of books which Ismay teaches to her English Literature students. The author names it but has presumably never read it.
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May 2024
9:08pm, 27 May 2024
22,515 posts
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Columba
Having read back - Laughed at Owlie's comments, as I can echo every one of them.
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May 2024
6:38am, 28 May 2024
6,595 posts
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quimby
You can't always pick a winner. 🤷♀️
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May 2024
8:08am, 30 May 2024
54,121 posts
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McGoohan
Oops, I didn't review this, did I?
So... looking back at all the comments here, I think I'm an outlier because I really enjoyed it. I think it got me at the exact right time. A bit fed up with reading grim dystopian things and this popped up, super easy to read, quite sweet.
Years ago, a movie came out called Grand Canyon which I really enjoyed but which got really sniffy reviews, one of which said, 'Who wants to watch people being nice to each other fior two hours?' and I thought, 'I do, sometimes.'
On another day, I might have reacted quite negatively to the neatly tied up loose ends and saccharine message, but at the time... I loved it. In terms of writing, I think GZ writes rather well.
Sorry all, letting the side down here 
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May 2024
8:14am, 30 May 2024
68,181 posts
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LindsD
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May 2024
10:42am, 30 May 2024
86,255 posts
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Diogenes
I understand that reaction. That's why I used to enjoy watching Doc Martin, it was comfort viewing (even though not everyone was nice to each other all the time).
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Jun 2024
10:09pm, 28 Jun 2024
54,208 posts
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McGoohan
As mentioned on the main BG thread, I saw Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin in the library. I’d enjoyed A J Fikry quite a bit so took this one out. It is IMHO a much better book. It concerns a young woman, Aviva Grossman who is an intern to a married congressman. They have an affair he’s 20, he’s in his 40s. When this hits the news, he’s able to stand with his wife and apologise – like David Walliams in those Little Britain sketches – whereas Aviva is ‘slut-shamed’. Unable to get another job or even a work reference, she changes her identity – to Jane Young - moves to another state and has to start life again.
The power dynamic portrayed is clearly based on Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. It’s told in five parts, each by a different woman: her mother, ‘Jane’, Jane’s daughter, the congressman’s wife and eventually Aviva herself. Yes, the loose ends get tied up in a bow by the end and some of the messiness gets swept under the carpet, but it is a really clever book. As well as the question of why does the 40-year old guy get to keep his job and have the guilt washed away while the young woman is the one that suffers? On top of this: why do some women take that side blaming her instead of standing together against misogyny?
The narrative doesn’t jump around in time but we do through reminiscence and recollection see some scenes played back from different points of view. Most notably, the choice of dress 20-year old Aviva wore. Her mother tries to suggest something more flattering, Aviva sees that as a criticism of her weight. Others see it as tight and revealing. The wife sees it as tempting her man. The press see it as slutty. Aviva thinks of it as the least ill-fitting thing from her wardrobe that day.
The final section showing Aviva recollecting her relationship with this older man is done as one of those Choose Your Own Adventure things. You know, usually: ‘to pick up the sword and fight, got to page 2, to run away, go to page 4’. In this case, all the ‘right’ choices (turn down the congressman’s offer and go home) are crossed out and only the ‘wrong’ ones remain.
I loved it. I gave it 11 out of 8 on the imaginary poll.
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Jun 2024
10:17pm, 28 Jun 2024
86,661 posts
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Diogenes
Sounds a much more interesting book than the Storied Life.
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Jun 2024
10:24pm, 28 Jun 2024
68,716 posts
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LindsD
Sounds brilliant
*sits on hands*
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