Dit is zo'n boek waarbij ik van te voren dacht het prachtig te vinden. Maar ik vond het vooral langdradig. Het verhaal wordt door verschillende mensen verteld/bezien. Het speelt zich in verschillende tijden af. En hoewel de Engelstalige titel prachtig klinkt, vond ik het verhaal ontzetten voorspelbaar en vrij leeg. Er zaten soms best mooie beschrijvingen tussen, maar het bleef allemaal vooral erg vlak. Ik had gehoopt op meer. ( )

An exploration of the ramifications of a tragedy upon a whole family told from each member's point of view. ( )

You'd think I would know from the title that this book was going to be a depressing affair. "Depressing affair" does not quite cover it.

Despite the inherent tragedies this novel discloses, I liked it. Just not that much to overlook the sadness and weird 6 train tears I shed a various times during the book. The only time 6 train tears are appropriate is when finishing Just Kids by Patti Smith. Otherwise, like in this situation, they are unacceptable. ( )

The problem with having a near-brilliant first five pages is that the rest of the book might not live up to it. The first five pages of this book are devastating--it really is the fastest a book has ever made me cry--and beautiful and real. But much of the rest of the book doesn't live up to it. I loved Ricky, but we don't spend much time with her; the author chooses instead to give us pages and pages with her husband John, her children Paul and Biscuit (the cutesy nickname makes me wince, but then one of my children goes by Jibbitz at home, so who am I to judge?), John's grown daughter Jess, a random passerby named Gordie. The diffuse focus weakens the book.

I really just did not give a rat's ass about Gordie. Sorry. Ultimately what I did care about was Ricky and John and their marriage. The writing of the marriage, of the various ways they fail each other, was very well-done and the best part of the book. I wish there had been more of it! The ending of the book works, despite the self-consciously literary way in which it's written. ( )

The two children were the most interesting and empathetic characters in this, I thought. The book seemed influenced by James salter, but not as good. ( )