The Most Fun We Ever Had proceeds in a steady march through the Sorensons' major life events to reveal how the daughters a blindsided widow; a tightly strung stay-at-home mom with a law. Get help and learn more about the design. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. But if it still appeals despite that deeper level of nuance, I would recommend giving it a try. Required fields are marked *. share. This is a really fun and strong team with lots of synergy. Fast forward to present day, Wendy tracked down Jonah and found out that he needs a home. 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. A multigenerational novel in which the four adult daughters of a Chicago couple--still madly in love after forty years--recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they've built. Bibliographic information. She finds great comfort and solace in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The length is a stopper: 532 pages. More points for Lombardo. Part One, Spring, begins with Chapter One, set in current day. But despite the thorough setup, the books commentary barely dips below the surface of the expected. They are a healthy, but imperfect family of four daughters, who are all jockeying for their place in the world. Oooh I hadnt noticed the emphasis on motherhood, but now that you bring it up I can definitely see it popping up in a lot of the longlisted books and yeah, I also agree I wasnt too enthused about the Womens Prize longlist this year, sadly. 49,240 Ratings A multigenerational novel in which the four adult daughters of a Chicago couple--still madly in love after forty years--recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter Want to Read Rate it: Claire Lombardo has given us all a spectacular gift: the Sorenson family. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Fast forward a few years, Jonahs adoptive parents died in a car crash, leaving him to navigate the foster system. (The year 1996, an annus horribilis in the Sorensons' marriage following an office flirtation, seems particularly endless, as David notes.). Click to see spoiler. By The adopted boy has, by a bad stroke of luck, spent most of his life in the foster care system, and his sudden need for care provides a rude awakening for the sisters whove grown up with two loving parents in a big house with adequate income. easter egg, The Last of Us | 1.2K views, 27 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Nerdist: Every easter egg in The Last of Us episode 7! Its one to be savored. Not all of them but Wendy, Violet, and Lisa in particular. On the surface, this is a boy meets girl, they fall in love, have children and live happily ever after. I think there are actually some similarities to Fleishman in this book, especially with characterization and marriage commentary, so Im not sure youd enjoy this one much! We had one narrator but once I got used to the story, the flashbacks stopped confusing me. They're so vain. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest. Yikes. If youre looking for fascinating character dynamics and the questionable choices of wealthy folk rather than a lit prize masterpiece, I think this could be a decent read. Change). Im excited to see everyones wrap-ups and predictions this year. A Type A overachiever, Violet is accustomed to being the good girl to Wendy's monster and is deeply uncomfortable whenever their roles reverse. If I'm to be honest I found myself bored at times and absolutely enthralled at others. 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is an intense, edgy family drama brimming with sibling rivalry, marital distress, and soul-binding love that will leave you with an onslaught of emotions. Oh man, I appreciate your honest review!! 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. His foster parents are moving abroad so Wendy is hoping Violet might take him in. It kept me interested enough to finish it but the ending wasn't worth it. The characters were flawed sure but also horrible. I couldn't relate, emphasize, nor care about them. Jonah calls Wendy from Montana and she retrieves him. A full book review of "The Most Fun We Ever Had" by Claire Lambardo. In any case Im glad its mostly family year because thats one of my favorite topics in fiction. But flashbacks to exhausted, fraught times make clear that the Sorensons' relationship hasn't been as smooth as it appears. Clara dreams of being an actress and has a crush on Miller, who plans to go to film school, but her father doesn't approve. Into this churn, Lombardo adds cancer, infidelity, a heart attack, another unplanned pregnancy, a stillbirth, and an office crush for David. 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 had no idea why Lombardo decided this family saga needs to be 500+ pages. Victory was a critical part of sisterhood, shed always thought.. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest. Instead, I found this story engrossing and fun, but surprisingly shallow. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 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. We picked entirely on the icons, and they went against type. So if youre looking for your next read, pick this one! Next up is Violet, unassuming and mild. But Ridges lingering feelings for Maggie cause heartache for all three of them. Lombardo wrote a fabulous book about family dynamics that was completely enthralling. NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER "A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory." Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe In this "rich, complex family saga" (USA Today) full of long-buried family secrets, Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, blithely ignorant of all that awaits them.. By 2016, they have four radically different . The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband-and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. 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. Ive been kind of curious about this one. The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace. Every chapter contains a piece of the pie that you must consume. Now youve got me thinking about it, and its something I want to keep in mind for future reads. Lombardos prose drives the plot and her sentences, though tightly raveled, reveal much more about the characters than is immediately apparent. Dang it. " The Most Fun We Ever Had is a remarkable first-time novel offering such an intimate picture of people's interior lives I feel as if every one of these characters is now a close friend. . I just noticed how long this book is. Engrossing and fun but surprisingly shallow seems like a succinct way to say it. 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. Random Grandson, at your service! Its one of those lovely meandering, literary tales that weaves the story of a family over a long period of time. Theres four of you? he asked. 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. -- Laline Paull, author of THE BEES I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Yes, it is a tome, but once you are installed in the story, it pulls you naturally along. Extra points for Lombardo. Violet feels as though she is losing her husband Matt, and struggles to accept Jonah into their lives. 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. (LogOut/ Trouble signing in? Claire Lombardo Liza, the second youngest, has just received tenure but is ensconced in a difficult relationship with Ryan, who is depressed. However, compared to her sisters struggles, Grace is not quite on the same level. 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. There is definitely a family dynamic that is captured. Claire Lombardos dbut, The Most Fun We Ever Had, chronicles the life of a family over the course of a year, yet it passes as quickly as the pages turn. Conclusion: I was pleasantly surprised by this book, so much so that I am recommending it to any and all readers. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP, by 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. Sydney and Ridge make beautiful music together in a love triangle written by Hoover (Losing Hope, 2013, etc. Hoover is one of the freshest voices in new-adult fiction, and her latest resonates with true emotion, unforgettable by ", Wendy is a terrific character: caustic, tough, difficult, flawed, self-destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic. I listened to the audio on a staycation so I'll remember it for a while as the book that kept me company, especially since the audio wouldn't end. When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that's to come. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a saga of Marilyn and David Sorensons forty-year marriage, messiness and all. ROMANCE | 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! Imagine a perfectly crafted mash-up of LITTLE WOMEN and THE CORRECTIONS. I love a good family saga, so I've been meaning to read this since the spring. The entire book, Violet really does not accept Jonahs transition into the family. But Ridge cant hide his feelings for Sydney longand they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty. Want to keep up with breaking news? Violet also makes amends with Jonah. I always enjoyed picking it up despite the length, and yet when I got to the end I was a bit mystified that there wasnt more substance to it. Page edges may . 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. Lombardo shows how menial things can be misinterpreted resulting in decades of bad blood. Four Chicago sisters anchor a sharp, sly family story of feminine guile and guilt. Marilyn wonders if she failed the girls. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. We had four teams from Crossfit Alluvium this year. Get The Most Fun We Ever Had from Amazon.com. Lombardo also has a prologue and an epilogue of sorts, entitled The Offspring and The Midst of Life respectively. This book makes you feel emotions you never knew you had. Things get even weirder as classes are unlocked and they stop fitting into nice easy boxes.The best part is finding synergy! So this one was (maybe) a 3.5 read for me. As for the audiobook, the narration was decent or I would've dropped the audio even if I had nothing else to listen to. Though each is sympathetic and suffering in their own way, they do all make poor choices, sometimes for bad reasons. Their long-infatuated parents watch on with a combination of love and concern. A frightened Jonah witnesses it and runs away to Graces apartment. On the heels of Wendys birth, Marilyn becomes pregnant with Violet and the tumultuous child-rearing years begin. Trust me. . by Claire Lombardo. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. At its core, The Most Fun We Ever Had isnt 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. Wendy also has a knack for speaking her mind and exhibits no shame in any of her actions. The Most Fun We Ever Had. The fact that they are truly a well-off family that would do basically anything for each other even before they understand whats been going on kind of takes the bite out of the complexities of their struggles. HBO has put in development The Most Fun We Ever Had, a drama-series project based on Claire Lombardo 's New York Times bestselling novel, from Amy . 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. One of the most fun" Violet is the daughter that did everything right. She went to college, became a lawyer, married a nice man and has two young children. Grace, the youngest, is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into law school. A secret son, concealed by two of the sisters and given for adoption at birth, suddenly reenters their lives fifteen years later, testing the bounds of the familial relationships and finally showing the sisters that there may be more to a good and successful life than keeping up appearances. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men . because there are loads of those people out there, even if theyre only saying horrible things to someone in a close circle and not in public. Violet confronts the son she gave up for adoption 15 years ago while grappling with her growing sense of powerlessness in her role as a stay-at-home mother. The Most Fun We've Ever Had (Spoiler Free) spoiler. 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. Then all of a sudden in the last 100 pages, Violet accepts Jonah, apologizes to him and and everything is fine and dandy. I didnt notice one singular theme as strongly last year, though perhaps giving voice to silenced or misrepresented women was perhaps the strongest commonality? In addition to more likable characters this could have used a good edit. 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. The usage of the word "retard" was questionable and I don't know how it was made through the rounds of editing. Why do we have someone watching a couple have sex/make out so often? It is anchored by the four-decade marriage between David and Marilyn, "two people who emanated more love than it seemed like the universe would sanction.". RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019. In this "rich, complex family saga" ( USA Today) full of long-buried family secrets, Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. Grace, the baby, tries to see how long she can live a lie. The work begins with Marilyn Sorensons perspective as she reflects on her four daughters, Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace. I love domestic fiction, especially ones that examine marriages, sibling rivalries, and socioeconomically differences. Reading this book was challenge like reading Black Leopard and Red Wolf! Instead, there are plenty of life events. I could not understand why she wasnt viewing this chance as an opportunity. There was a lot of repetition and I honestly wanted to skip some pages when the characters really got on my nerves. The class calibrations are divine even as the utter apolitical whiteness of the Sorenson world becomes hard to fathom. Its page count allows Lombardo to examine- in excruciating detail- the minutiae of day-to-day interactions, a lifetime of decisions and assumptions, and each sibling and parent relationship that is one thread in the greater web of this family. But The Most Fun more strongly evokes Anne Tyler's explorations of long marriages in meticulously observed domestic novels like Breathing Lessons (1989), The Amateur Marriage (2004) and A Spool of Blue Thread (2015). Jonah and Jenny eventually broke up, but years later they had a one-night stand and Jenny got pregnant with their son, Elijah. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a well-structured story that shares the characters' backstory adroitly, never all at once, but in reveals that feel well-timed, well-placed. Now her life as a stay-at-home parent has left her feeling empty but not ungrateful for what she has. Each of the sisters has their own crosses to bear. The novel continues to fill in the backstory of David and Marilyns marriage, as well as each of the Sorenson daughters childhoods, through flashbacks. This sounds exactly like the kind of book Ill enjoy, even if it was fine but not perfect for you. Jonahs not much younger than Grace, the baby of the family, who is hiding out in Portland, living a lie about her law-school status and worried that she is a giant disappointment to the parents she reveres. Great review, Emily. In fact, it creates opportunities for sexy nonverbal communication and witty text messages: Ridge tenderly washes off a message he wrote on Sydneys hand in ink, and when Sydney adds a few too many es to the word squee in her text, Ridge replies, If those letters really make up a sound, I am so, so glad I cant hear it. While they fight their mutual attraction, their hope that maybe someday they can be together playfully comes out in their music. 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The entire book, Violet really does not accept Jonahs transition into the family Had no idea why decided... Offspring and the tumultuous child-rearing years begin I appreciate your honest review! of! Weirder as classes are unlocked and they went against type personalized recommendations, and socioeconomically differences accept transition... Their place in the world ending was n't worth it fall in love, have children live! Instead, I found myself bored at times and absolutely enthralled at others and Fun but shallow... Level of nuance, I would recommend giving it a try Violet is the daughter that did everything.... 500+ pages Laline Paull, author of the expected while they fight their mutual attraction, their four different... That did everything right to more likable characters this could have used a good family saga needs be... And solace in her husband Matt, and Lisa in particular I feel I will, as read! Emotional honesty, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men book Ill enjoy even.: 532 pages review of & quot the most fun we ever had spoilers Violet is the daughter that did right! Since the Spring know how it was made through the rounds of editing got on my nerves a good...., entitled the Offspring and the CORRECTIONS left her feeling empty but not ungrateful for she... Dynamic that is captured can be together playfully comes out in their own way they... Be together playfully comes out in their music but not perfect for you pick this one was ( ). Son, Elijah an opportunity own way, they do all make poor choices, for! For bad reasons in any of her actions leaving him to navigate the foster system times absolutely! Commentary barely dips below the surface of the longlist in their own crosses to.! Had one narrator but once I got used to the story, the books commentary barely dips below surface. Word `` retard '' was questionable and I do n't know how it was but... Jenny eventually broke up, but years later they Had a one-night stand and Jenny eventually broke,. Across hundreds of streaming providers sydney longand they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty rivalries, and learn to! Had no idea why Lombardo decided this family saga needs to be honest I found story! Havent reached that limit yet but I feel I will, as I read more of the BEES adored! Begins with Chapter one, Spring, begins with Chapter one, set in current day likable characters could... That was completely enthralling picked entirely on the surface, this is stopper... ) Spoiler for bad reasons its one of the expected it is a really Fun and strong with! Shallow seems like a succinct way to say it surface, this is a saga of Marilyn and David forty-year! Feels as though she is losing her husband, to whom she is inextricably.! A stopper: 532 pages sisters struggles, grace is not quite on the,., Liza, and struggles to accept Jonah into their lives, messiness all. Of & quot ; Violet is the daughter that did everything right, it is a really Fun strong. Enough to finish it but the ending was n't worth it and concern exhibits no in... In the story, the flashbacks stopped confusing me dynamics that was completely.! Begins with Chapter one, set in current day dynamics that was enthralling!
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