The Gilmore Guide to Books

Connecting Books and Readers One Review at a Time

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
  • More Books
  • Policies
    • Review Policy
    • Privacy Policy

It’s Not You It’s Me: Mini-Reviews

January 22, 2016

it's

Sometimes people say “It’s not you, it’s me” just to get out of a relationship but in the case of today’s books I really do believe they’re both good options—probably great for any number of readers. It may have been my mood, the color of the cover, the fact that’s it’s been raining for a month—who knows, but both are well-written on topics that will keep you reading. Regardless of my lack of book love, read on, check them out and then check back here to share why they worked for you. Seriously…I’ll be waiting.

And Again Published by Touchstone
Publication date: January 12th 2016
two-half-stars

Hannah, Connie, Linda and David have nothing in common except that each of them have run out time in the bodies they were born in. Each suffers from a terminal disease or injury that left them facing death, until they were approved as the first subjects of human cloning. And Again is Jessica Chiarella’s novel of what happens to their lives after their minds are reintegrated into their new bodies. Bodies that were made from their DNA and injected with a special mix of growth hormones to rapidly age them from infancy to the current age, at which point the portion of the brain responsible for memories was removed from their dying body and placed in their new brain.

There is a lot going on in And Again and yet the novel feels a bit like four stories with a central theme, despite the fact that the main characters interact as they are part of a clinical trial and have to be monitored. Chiarella does do a great job playing with the pros and cons of this medical miracle. For each character there is the wonder at finding themselves in what is their body, but without all the ravages of age and its bodily manifestations—old scars, tattoos, healed bones, and aches and pains. Quite a pro for any reader who has woken up with an aching back for no reason. The con, though, is a bit less clear, but it feels as if Chiarella plays with the theme of the wisdom that comes with age and on an even larger and more amorphous scale- the concept of the soul.

It’s the elusiveness of what is meant by the character’s stories in And Again that makes it difficult for me to heartily endorse it, but I freely acknowledge that to others, Chiarella’s theme may be abundantly clear. David, Connie, Linda, and Hannah all come with a lot of baggage and leaving behind their old bodies only negates some of it. Scientifically and spiritually there is plenty to think about, but, while I was interested I could not get enough of a grasp on the heart of the novel to stay engrossed.


My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Published by Random House
Publication date: January 12th 2016
three-stars

I never read Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel Olive Kittredge and so was unfamiliar with her style when I read her newest novel, My Name is Lucy Barton. Set in the 1980s in a New York City hospital room, Lucy is recovering from an operation and is visited by her mother, whom she hasn’t seen in decades. Despite this estrangement her mother camps out in her room giving them time to do that most delicate of dances—the mother-daughter conversation.

Strout writes My Name is Lucy Barton in the past tense as Lucy is only ever looking back on her life. This, plus a style that is almost stream-of-consciousness, makes for halting and sometimes repetitive reading. Lucy uses the words “That’s what I think” or just “I think” so frequently that it seems clear she expects to be disagreed with. That many of her memories hint at childhood traumas makes the evasion difficult in the long term. Was her mother party to abuse? Is she looking for redemption and is Lucy looking for acknowledgement? It’s never clear.

I don’t shy away from ambiguity and it may be that Lucy’s hesitancy are exactly what Strout means to evoke, but Lucy is a herself a writer and instead she feels like a woman who talks mostly to herself in her own mind and is therefore unable to fully articulate her thoughts. There is no doubt that Strout’s spare, quiet prose makes for beautiful reading. Where it falls short for me is that so much is hinted at but never revealed, which is realistic to many mother-daughter relationships, but unsatisfying to read. Lucy’s desire to connect with her mother paired with her difficult and painful memories of childhood don’t mesh and I can’t reconcile why.

 

Fellow blogger (and trusted resource for my own reading), Sarah reviewed My Name is Lucy Barton at her blog, Sarah’s Book Shelves. Take a look to get a different perspective on the novel!

Related Posts

  • Related Posts
summer
Summer 2019 Reading Preview (Part 2)
gossip
Gossip
reading
What I’m Reading This Week
five books
Five Books in 2016 That Didn’t Get Enough Love
Mini-Bloggiesta To-Do List

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: lists, New York City

Comments

  1. crimeworm says

    January 22, 2016 at 2:41 am

    I was looking at My Name Is Lucy Barton – I’ve seen it around quite a bit – but your description makes me think it’s not really for me – although I’ll check out Sarah’s review too! That’s one of the reasons I’ve such a large collection of books (although even with this excuse, it’s still excessive) – I never know what sort of book I’ll be in the mood for. So I like A LOT of choice!

    Reply
  2. Sarah's Book Shelves says

    January 22, 2016 at 4:47 am

    Thanks for linking to my review! And – I’m glad to hear your perspective….for some reason all the hinting without revealing and the stream of consciousness didn’t really bother me. I like your point about Lucy’s desire to connect with her mother despite her past (and, what I really noticed was her mother’s total reluctance to engage on a truly deeper level). For me, I read that as a child still (even at Lucy’s age) seeking a parent’s approval and/or forgiveness for her life decisions…or at least wanting to explain/discuss them. And then, Lucy’s mother, coming from the generation of “we don’t discuss uncomfortable things” (I have seen this SO often in my life) just shuts her down and goes back to safer (i.e. more surface level) territory.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      January 22, 2016 at 9:30 am

      You’re so right about the generational aspect of ‘sharing’. It probably bothered me because it so familiar.

      Reply
  3. Kate @ booksaremyfavouriteandbest says

    January 22, 2016 at 4:52 am

    Don’t judge Olive by Lucy! They’re very different books (Olive more complex) – hope you will still make time for Olive (that said, I loved Lucy but I’m a confirmed Strout fan…)

    Reply
  4. Lauren says

    January 22, 2016 at 7:48 am

    These are both on my radar, the second more than the first, so I welcome your input. I will still read Lucy Barton, not sure about And Again. Thanks for the insight, Catherine!

    Reply
  5. Kristin says

    January 22, 2016 at 8:23 am

    Seems like I’ve been reading several “It’s not you, it’s me” books recently. Two in a row just now! And I”m not the type to quit reading, because I always hope it is going to improve. Urgh!

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      January 22, 2016 at 9:28 am

      That’s exactly it! I usually keep trying but this year has been so choppy that I’ve gotten more harsh about quitting books that aren’t cutting it. These two were good enough to read, they just didn’t wow me.

      Reply
  6. Tara @ Running 'N' Reading says

    January 22, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Well, I’m glad I decided to skip And Again, Catherine! I really loved Olive Kitteridge but, for some reason, Strout’s latest didn’t “speak” to me and I didn’t add it to my list. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these two; hope you have a great weekend!

    Reply
  7. Gayle says

    January 22, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    You always review the books that have recently intrigued me. Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Andi (@estellasrevenge) says

    January 22, 2016 at 6:28 pm

    Olive Kitteridge has been lingering on my ereader (in an account I don’t use too often) for a long, long time. I’ve heard some good things about Lucy Barton but I’ll try Olive first. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Save time and subscribe via email

No time to keep checking for new reviews? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Currently Reading

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
by Emily Nagoski
The Dutch House
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

goodreads.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I’m an affiliate for Indiebound and Amazon. If you click on a link that takes you to any of these sites and make a purchase I’ll earn a small fee, which goes towards the costs of maintaining this site. Your support is appreciated. Thank you!

Archives

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2021

Copyright © 2021 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in