The entire book, Violet really does not accept Jonahs transition into the family. Bibliographic information. Please comment your thoughts on how I did or what you thought of the book. But at least I mostly enjoyed this one!). There is certainly some redemptive growth, but its a long journey getting there. I didnt notice one singular theme as strongly last year, though perhaps giving voice to silenced or misrepresented women was perhaps the strongest commonality? Lombardos novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between characters. This is a great review! There were so many great contenders on the longlist last year that I wouldve loved to see win above An American Marriage, even though AAM was a 4-star read for me. Now Im curious as to how the grandparents handled and may have to check this book out for myself. They're so vain. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Lombardo, Claire. The prevalence of plot points only made possible thanks to a steady flow of cash is not so much a criticism of the novel as it is something to be aware of before reading: If problems of the rich arent your cup of tea, this book isnt for you. I do think Lombardos a good writer- I loved seeing how well she fleshed out all of these characters, how the four very different sisters personalities tracked across decades of their lives and how they all interacted with each other. Their personalities are shitty. There is definitely a family dynamic that is captured. She also decided that his biological family should be the ones to provide that. When tragedy strikes, a mother and daughter forge a new life. I had to laugh at your suggestion that the lesson learned might be to have a less stable marriage! I love listening to family dramas but this one had too much needless drama to my taste. She makes you want to yell at the book and throw across the room. He stumbles on his grandparents flirting in the kitchen and pauses to examine these people who consciously chose to talk about weeds with their crotches touching. A very accurate description of enviable long-term commitment. Wendy also has a knack for speaking her mind and exhibits no shame in any of her actions. Press J to jump to the feed. So now your here, wondering what Violets secret is? 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. Ahhhh, I see. Definitely a bit longer than it needs to be, though it wasnt a slog for me. The Most Fun We Ever Had (TV Series) - Release Info - IMDb Edit The Most Fun We Ever Had Release Info Showing all 2 items Jump to: Release Dates (0) Also Known As (AKA) (2) Release Dates It looks like we don't have any release dates for this title yet. Still getting used to this book reviewing deal. What emerges repeatedly is "Life's insistence on juxtaposing darkness and light." 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. But Ridge cant hide his feelings for Sydney longand they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. 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. Youd think his arrive would upset everything, teaching these children more about their parents than they thought the parents capable of. Next up is Violet, unassuming and mild. Completing the quartet is the recently tenured professor Liza, whose own crumbling relationship is constantly falling short of David and Marilyns union. Voracious reader and reviewer Other people overwhelmed her. 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. Books by Claire Lombardo 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.When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that's to come. Marilyn wonders, "Didn't her daughters know that what she and David had took work, had always taken work? Claire Lombardo's debut novel seems to go on forever. But all the small secrets from misremembered slights to misplaced bedsheets are uncovered patiently, skillfully, precisely, in service of the novels central mystery: How do you love? But its the uptight second child, Violet, who is the source of the big family scandal: Her son, born without her parents knowledge, was given up for adoption and rediscovered 15 years later thanks to the pointed meddling of the eldest sister, Wendy, a dissolute young widow who resents Violets inability to appreciate her own luck. 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. 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. 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. ISBN-13: 9780385544252 Summary When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP. Get help and learn more about the design. 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. this imperfect story realistically captures the essence of the imperfect complexities of marriage, parenthood, sisterly bonds, and familial ties. It may not be the most fun youve ever had, but it has to be darn close. 91% Upvoted. Imagine a perfectly crafted mash-up of LITTLE WOMEN and THE CORRECTIONS. The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo, 2019 Knopf Doubleday 544 pp. I can't say enough how much I couldn't stand Wendy especially followed by Violet. A frightened Jonah witnesses it and runs away to Graces apartment. I think of Grace as the color gray. You will never not be entertained. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. That book, which. THE MOST FUN WE EVER HADBy Claire Lombardo. Colleen Hoover His foster parents are moving abroad so Wendy is hoping Violet might take him in. 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. More Circe By Madeline Miller April 15, 2000. Courtesy of HBO. Lombardo shows how menial things can be misinterpreted resulting in decades of bad blood. Enjoy! Everyone got a completely different character, which you wouldn't necessarily have had if you had just picked "whoever I retired for". The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The length is a stopper: 532 pages. The item is very worn but continues to work perfectly. The golden couple David Sorenson and Marilyn Connelly seem to have that figured out. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Lombardo, Claire. The story shifts backward and . Their problems and lives were full of needless drama and issues. If you ever get the chance to sail on Disney Magic or any of the Disney ships don't miss the Sail Away party that takes place shortly after the muster drill as the ship pulls out to sea. The seasons become symbolic for the various life cycles described within the work. From the beginning, I realized that Most Fun would be a new standard for me, Lombardo has a way with words and creating characters that just leapt off the page. And that sometimes they choose zero degrees. I think they mean that the characters all met their retirement goals during the same scenario, not that they met them after playing only one scenario. 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? I also didn't like the timeline jumps. The book opens on one of the daughters weddings, from their mothers perspective. Lombardo wrote a fabulous book about family dynamics that was completely enthralling. It does seem like a rather safe and repetitive set, as a whole. I had a good time with this book, I really did. The blind character choice is great. Lombardos character-driven, eventful, tumultuous, witty, serious, gregarious, tragic, and infectious domestic dramady of a big Chicago family kept me fastened to the pages of this big, buoyant book. In Part Four, Winter, Violet continues to struggle to accept Jonah. Categories: You know that feeling you get when you start a book and immediately know its going to be special? 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. (LogOut/ The class calibrations are divine even as the utter apolitical whiteness of the Sorenson world becomes hard to fathom. 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! Trust me. This surprise, about which I'll only say that it introduces another convincingly complex character, brings out the best and worst in various family members and leads to the most moving scenes. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No. Claire Lombardo is the next Kingsolver. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. The novel is told from the third-person, and provides perspectives from numerous characters. I found the dynamics between characters highly entertaining and enjoyed the writing, but even so I think Lombardo couldve shaved off two hundred pages without losing anything crucial. Liza is considering how to help her boyfriend when she becomes pregnant with his child and decides that the best way to deal with that is to cheat on him with a coworker. Anyone can read what you share. And, of course, the two who started it all have their own issues to deal with: getting older, watching their daughters change, and taking in a grandson to raise after they thought their childrearing days were done. 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