Be the first to contribute! 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. 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! 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. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Click to see spoiler. Some of them bothered me as well, but a lot of the problematic things the characters say and do I took as criticisms of them; I dont think the author was using horrendous digs at less fortunate people out of a place of ignorance, but as a way of showing how privileged and ignorant her characters are. Most Fun We Ever Had (Lombardo) - Discussion Questions Discussion Questions 1. The really tragic thing about this spoiler is that whoever has created it probably thinks that they have been really creative and innovative, whereas, in reality, they have just made their slightly shabby sports car look even trashier. Brilliant review, Emily! Lombardo, a Chicago native and recently minted University of Iowa MFA graduate, has crafted an intricate multigenerational saga about the vicissitudes of a passionate but not perfect marriage over a 40-year span. Lombardos prose drives the plot and her sentences, though tightly raveled, reveal much more about the characters than is immediately apparent. Its a love story, its a coming of age story, its a generational story, and yet despite everything the book encompasses, its primary purpose seems to be entertainment. Liza asks Gillian if she ever slept with David. I was aware that An American Marriage won last year, but I didnt know it was up against a lot of pretty strong works. There was nothing redeemable about them. Retrieve credentials. The author hinted that the child's mother had sex with someone another sister would find upsetting. THE MOST FUN WE EVER HADBy Claire Lombardo. I mean, having caring parents and a stable household doesnt necessarily guarantee a happy childhood and eventually happy adulthood, but it seemed there should be a better way to go about making that point than blaming the people whove had good luck and put hard work into their relationships. Every combination can work in most scenarios, and figuring out how to make it work is one of the joys of the game. 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. Shepherd is a community of 7,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world. And that sometimes they choose zero degrees. In truth, I dont think theres anything at all to learn here. So now your here, wondering what Violets secret is? By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest. Back to reviews with another Womens Prize longlist title! That said, the characters are not immune to the human condition. Meanwhile, youngest daughter Grace perpetrates a whopper, and every day the lie was growing like mold, furring her judgment. The writing here is silky, if occasionally overwrought. The entire book, Violet really does not accept Jonahs transition into the family. But this was the thing: sometimes being a sister meant knowing the right thing to do and still not doing it because winning was more important. Youd think his arrive would upset everything, teaching these children more about their parents than they thought the parents capable of. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I love a good family saga, so I've been meaning to read this since the spring. The only thing that the daughters have over their parents is sisterhood. This was quite a delightful debut. Though this year is presented chronologically, the book also delivers numerous flashbacks that showcase virtually every significant moment in each characters life, from the parents origin story, through their four daughters childhoods, and into choices each make as adults, all leading up to this one eventful year. Not only did I get to read about whats going on presently, but I got to dive into the history and background, to see how each sisters childhood and her birth order shaped her. Claire Lombardo has given us all a spectacular gift: the Sorenson family. ", Lombardo's sweeping family drama, fueled by power plays between spouses and between sisters, is operatic in both good ways and bad. I read Everything I Never Told You this year and I really liked it although the characters were heavily flawed. The Sorenson daughters all witness their parents sharing an intimate moment beneath the gingko tree and are awestruck at their love. Hilarious one moment, haunting the next, and always -- always -- so authentic and deeply felt. Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like The Most Fun We Ever Had. 'I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry It doesnt help that Miller already has a jealous girlfriend who stalks him via text from college. The Most Fun We Ever Had is an ambitious and brilliantly written first novel, sometimes amusing and sometimes shocking, but its unrelenting nature and lack of context is ultimately off-putting . I've had a day of bliss at @thehausofvenom with my partner. But you don't mind, because the Chicago-based clan of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD is definitely worth getting to know. You have to really like these characters to spend time in their lives and inside their heads for days at a time. Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had probably won't be the most fun you'll ever have (I hope not, for your sake), but it's a wonderfully immersive read that packs more heart and heft than most first novels. #haunted #haunting #ghost #mystery #strange. The Most Fun We Ever Had. However, compared to her sisters struggles, Grace is not quite on the same level. She also decided that his biological family should be the ones to provide that. On that note, if youre looking for likable characters, this probably isnt the book for you. But at least I mostly enjoyed this one!). 3, flirts with a groomsman at her sisters wedding. Marilyn and David Sorenson are two such people, and their four daughters Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace are simultaneously spellbound by them and over it. Basically, a book with loads of potential to explore something interesting, but doesnt go there? Oooh, interesting. Her first born, Wendy, has just been married on the Sorensons lawn in Fair Oaks, outside of Chicago. Please comment your thoughts on how I did or what you thought of the book. She has not lived enough life to have made any mistakes or have any defining characteristics. So, one of the daughters has a son when shes very young, with no father in the picture, and hides the entire pregnancy from her family. Ah, I saw Fatmas review a couple days ago as well. Want to keep up with breaking news? Lombardo has the remarkable ability to delve into people's minds so deeply that the most quotidian moments become utterly fascinating." -- Laline Paull, author of THE BEES I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. ), with a link to a digital soundtrack by American Idol contestant Griffin Peterson. Perhaps someone with stronger sibling ties might get more out of this one than I did, or find more to identify with at least. Im not sure if I understand correctly, but did the parents raise four girls and give their son up for adoption? FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP. Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men . Oh man, I appreciate your honest review!! "The Most Fun We Ever Had" is an ambitious and brilliantly written first novel, sometimes amusing and sometimes shocking, but its unrelenting nature and lack of context is ultimately. Ive been kind of curious about this one. Subscribe to our email newsletter. At this point you may be thinking that theres no way four women can spend an entire book being obsessed with their happily married parents and that perhaps I just have some sort of older suburban couple kink. Claire Lombardo's debut novel seems to go on forever. Violet is the daughter that did everything right. She went to college, became a lawyer, married a nice man and has two young children. If thats the case, I would have a hard time learning about my new brother and then seeing my parents as a happy, stable marriage. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. 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. Wendy fears she cannot care for Jonah and asks Marilyn and David to take him. To make it extra easy for you . 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. But let's not lose sight of Lombardo's considerable achievement. I always find those relationships so interesting to read about, which was definitely the highlight of this book for me. Other than an event which I found hard to fathom, this is a realistic and intimate look at an affluent Chicago family as they love, laugh, annoy, clash, and support each other over the course of forty-odd years. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Lombardo describes falling for someone as feeling accompanied in a way she had never before, by a person who was choosing to feel beholden to her instead of simply scooting up the rope of familial obligation. The novel shines brightest in the moments in which Lombardo is able to probe into the psyche of her female characters to express something that feels universal, yet somehow fresh. On the surface, this is a boy meets girl, they fall in love, have children and live happily ever after. Violet quickly departs avoiding the now fifteen year-old Jonah. I was cautiously optimistic about this years list at first since so many of the titles surprised me- I was hoping that Id find some hidden depths to these titles that I hadnt been expecting, but unfortunately its not turning out that way. Violet also makes amends with Jonah. 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. 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: Courtesy of HBO. It is a stellar debut that modernizes family histories for the 21st century. I hope youll have a good time with it if/when you pick it up! Thank you! 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. Characters flip between bottomless self-regard and pitiless self-loathing while, as late as the second-to-last chapter, yet by At times, it feels as though there are too many details, too many implausible things that go wrong, tied up with all-too-convenient deus ex machinas. Its one of those lovely meandering, literary tales that weaves the story of a family over a long period of time. . Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had debuted on the New York Times bestseller list an impressive start for this first-time novelist who started life in Oak Park. In truth, I appreciate your honest review! flirts with a groomsman at her struggles... Find upsetting Prize longlist title slept with David Prize longlist title I & # x27 ; s most popular authoritative... To have made any mistakes or have any defining characteristics and are awestruck at their love ghost # #... She went to college, became a lawyer, married a nice man and has two young children, herself. 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