The ruthless competitiveness between these sisters is the driving force of the novel. All Rights Reserved. Across all of these moments, The Most Fun We Ever Had demonstrates the duality of affection and pain in familial relationships, showing that what holds people together can also drive them apart, and that it is after all easiest to hurt the ones we love. The Most Fun We Ever Had is certainly not boring. 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. 8. When she receives her final rejection letter, she lies about her acceptance. The "shining unfathomable orb of their parents, two people who emanated more love than it seemed like the universe would sanction," sets a powerful but daunting example for the couple's children. The Offspring. Lastly, I sincerely hope you have a good day! Not only do I get to read about the perspective of one sister, I get to read about the thoughts and emotions of all three sisters, their parents AND Jonah. In any case Im glad its mostly family year because thats one of my favorite topics in fiction. By 2016, their four radically . (LogOut/ The Most Fun We've Ever Had (Spoiler Free) spoiler. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. Her first born, Wendy, has just been married on the Sorensons lawn in Fair Oaks, outside of Chicago. save. Colleen Hoover. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The length is a stopper: 532 pages. I found it entertaining at least, but I am somewhat surprised to see it on the longlist since it didnt seem like there was more to the story than met the eye. In truth, I dont think theres anything at all to learn here. As the novel moves through the single tumultuous year following the arrival of Jonah Bendt given up in a closed adoptions by one of the daughters fifteen years before we are shown the rich and varied tapestry of the Sorensons past: years marred by troubled adolescence, infidelity and resentment, but also the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile. 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. I've had a day of bliss at @thehausofvenom with my partner. When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Part Three, Fall, tells how Marilyn nearly died giving birth to Grace, and Gillian Levin saved her. Lombardo levels this vision by interspersing chapters of the Sorenson parents early lean times with chapters about their daughters wobbly forays into adulthood. 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 degree; a tenured professor facing solo parenting; and the perpetual afterthought of the family, a recent college graduate caught up in an embarrassing lie came to the messy pass in which we find them. I had this in a queue at my library but I may press on with others I want to read first! Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Still getting used to this book reviewing deal. influencers in the know since 1933. Im not sure if I understand correctly, but did the parents raise four girls and give their son up for adoption? Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The book also provides perspectives from almost all main characters. I am calling it this book will win all of the awards. Sorry, Ive been struggling with explanations lately I guess! Ohhhh! The narrative is filled with pregnancies (including one that results in a child placed for adoption), births, deaths, infidelities, accidents, sibling rivalries, secrets, lies and lots of wine and kissing. Their parents were good with them but I guess, too good. Of course its not the responsibility of every novel to wrestle with cultural shifts, with politics and war, but the near total absence of even a whiff of non-Sorenson-related events over 40 years and 500-plus pages must be a conscious choice. Though each is sympathetic and suffering in their own way, they do all make poor choices, sometimes for bad reasons. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Most Fun We Ever Had. 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.". In addition to more likable characters this could have used a good edit. , i read this book last year and didnt like it at all, so its been so interesting to see what people have been saying in their reviews of it now that its on the womens prize longlist! Sometimes we dont get to know about a characters childhood or sometimes we dont get to know about a secondary characters thoughts or emotions. Enjoy! This was quite a delightful debut. (LogOut/ You will never not be entertained. Its one of those lovely meandering, literary tales that weaves the story of a family over a long period of time. We first meet the Sorensons in 2000, at the backyard wedding of their oldest daughter, Wendy, an unapologetic gold digger who has struck it rich with an old-money millionaire she's genuinely wild about. There is no reason that it took that much to tell the story of this upper-middle class suburban family. It took me almost 2 weeks to finish this 500+ page family saga. The Most Fun We Ever Had. Ehhhhh.. Why arent people writing great stories in fewer pages?! 544 pp. The book primarily focuses on Jonahs integration back into the family. Now Im curious as to how the grandparents handled and may have to check this book out for myself. Also, nothing was happening for me. But Ridge cant hide his feelings for Sydney longand they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty. Your email address will not be published. Their dedication, joy and unrelenting lust produced four daughters who share the same collective fear. 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. ", Another narrative throughline is the intense competition between the two older Sorenson daughters: Wendy, an "impulsive, compulsive, turbulent" child, and Violet, the sister who encroached on her infancy by being born in the same calendar year. Want to keep up with breaking news? This isnt a fast read. It feels like it was a little safe and one-note, which is I think where the lack of variety in themes comes in. Thats where I thought Lombardos writing shone in this book- the characters arent always sympathetic but they do feel like complex, well-thought-out people and it was so interesting to see how their lives and decisions would intersect. Ive been continually surprised by how often motherhood comes up as a focus even in the longlisted novels I wasnt expecting to lean that way! There is certainly some redemptive growth, but its a long journey getting there. Amy Adams, Laura Dern to Produce 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' Adaptation at HBO By Joe Otterson Doubleday/Claire Lombardo HBO is developing a series adaptation of the Claire Lombardo novel. Jonah acclimates to living with David and Marilyn, but he witnesses Liza kissing another man and inadvertently discloses this information to Ryan. Violet also makes amends with Jonah. 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. By It does seem like a rather safe and repetitive set, as a whole. Make harvest craft easy to trade. Many thanks to Orion. Grace, the baby, tries to see how long she can live a lie. 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. And that sometimes they choose zero degrees. Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace, four sisters who squabble and have quite flawed but still lovable personalities made this a complete treat that I kept finding myself eager to steal minutes away to come back to. Wendy and Violet mend old wounds stemming from Wendys losses, both of her husband and her stillborn daughter. The Most Fun We Ever Had is an expansive novel centering around relationships with a focus on our families.Written by Claire Lombardo, a Chicago native and Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate, her debut novel based in her home state captivates with precise prose and well-developed, realistically flawed characters. A room without books is like a body without a soul., [This review contains spoilers heads up!]. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. "The Most Fun We Ever Had" is a novel about a family and follows in the footsteps of other reknown novels the chronicle the intricate complexities of close relationships. Claire E. Lombardo is a fiction writer from the Chicago area. Unless the takeaway is that we shouldnt present our children with the model of a solid marriage for fear of setting the bar too high, theres little substance to take back to the real world after closing the back cover. I always find those relationships so interesting to read about, which was definitely the highlight of this book for me. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Lombardos novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between characters. A famous painter. 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. When we picked Press J to jump to the feed. Violet feels as though she is losing her husband Matt, and struggles to accept Jonah into their lives. Violet also has a big secret that no one supposedly knows about. Claire Lombardo's dazzling debut, The Most Fun We Ever Had, is a rich, multigenerational novel that tells the story of four adult daughters of a Chicago couplestill madly in love after forty yearswho recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they've built. DNF 55%. Having sailed on Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, Disney Wish, which is still in its first year of operations, along with both Disney Dream and Disney Wonder, I was curious h (Perhaps!) Sixteen years earlier. EX-FENCING COACH AND HARVARD PARENT ACQUITTED OF BRIBERY CHARGES. On the surface, this is a boy meets girl, they fall in love, have children and live happily ever after. Categories: Amy Adams, Laura Dern to Produce 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' Adaptation at HBO By Joe Otterson Doubleday/Claire Lombardo HBO is developing a series adaptation of the Claire Lombardo novel "The. How they lived and loved became all-important to me as I folded myself into their days and years. Another plot line: one daughter gives a child up for adoption and that child re-enters the family's life. 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. Enough loss to break anybody, but Wendy has overcome her obstacles and continues to overcome by living every day. Amy Adams ( Sharp Objects) and Laura Dern ( Big Little Lies) are producing a new drama series, The Most Fun We Ever Had, for HBO, Deadline confirmed. Victory was a critical part of sisterhood, shed always thought.. Im with you on this one having a lot of interesting thematic potential that sadly goes largely untapped. I also didn't like the timeline jumps. The Most Fun We Ever Had: A Novel Hardcover - June 25, 2019 by Claire Lombardo (Author) 6,526 ratings Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction See all formats and editions Kindle $12.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover $31.66 135 Used from $1.64 2 New from $31.60 13 Collectible from $8.01 Paperback The other long book is 900+ pages, so the short titles were definitely a relief this year. , Wendy, has just been married on the Sorensons lawn in Fair Oaks, outside of Chicago did. They lived and loved became all-important to me as I folded myself into their days and years and! Book primarily focuses on Jonahs integration back into the family & # x27 ; s life a good day make... Sometimes for bad reasons the novel re-enters the family & # x27 ; ve Ever Had ( Spoiler )... 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