She has not lived enough life to have made any mistakes or have any defining characteristics. I've had a day of bliss at @thehausofvenom with my partner. Strange, perhaps, for a woman who'd added four beings to the universe of her own reluctant volition, but a fact nonetheless: Marilyn rued the inconvenient presence of bodies, bodies beyond her control, her . Jonah acclimates to living with David and Marilyn, but he witnesses Liza kissing another man and inadvertently discloses this information to Ryan. The item is very worn but continues to work perfectly. Its definitely an interesting story, but not a perfect one. The story centers around a couple (David and Marilyn) from when they met toward their golden years, and each of their four very different daughters. 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. Most Fun We Ever Had (Lombardo) - Discussion Questions Discussion Questions 1. Thats interesting! It made me laugh, made me cry and made me angry. His return years later is what wakes everyone up to the enormity of what the four daughters have been hiding. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a brilliant, if meandering, portrayal of family ties, with a sharp eye for dialogue and an acute understanding of familial and sibling relationships. 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. In truth, I dont think theres anything at all to learn here. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. 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. The Most Fun We Ever Had: A Novel Hardcover - June 25 2019 by Claire Lombardo (Author) 4,877 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle Edition $13.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover $36.95 40 Used from $12.35 3 New from $26.47 Paperback $22.72 16 Used from $15.13 17 New from $16.99 Ah, sorry you didnt enjoy this one! 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. Lets start with Wendy, the eldest daughter. (The sisters improbably kept David and Marilyn clueless with a phony study-abroad scheme.) NOT to say that anyone who doesnt know what they want to do isnt seen as struggling. Yet, I felt compelled to see it through and finish. Spanning nearly half a century, and set against the quintessential American backdrop of Chicago and its prospering suburbs, Claire Lombardos debut explores the triumphs and burdens of love, the fraught tethers of parenthood and sisterhood, and the baffling mixture of affection, abhorrence, resistance and submission we feel for those closest to use. But I do agree that theres tons of potential for deep exploration here, which sadly is never quite realized. Oooh, interesting. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. Ohhhh! Jonah is the character that I was backing and rooting for. 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. Ah, I saw Fatmas review a couple days ago as well. Gloomhaven is a cooperative game of tactical combat, battling monsters and advancing a player's own individual goals in a persistent and changing world that is played over many game sessions. Independent Maggie never complains about Ridges friendship with Sydney, and it's hard to even want Ridge to leave Maggie when she reveals her devastating secret. She finds great comfort and solace in her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded. By Moving on. The Most Fun We Ever Had is certainly not boring. The flashbacks and cast of characters large enough to people a sitcom give the reader someone to root for, and one could read all 500 pages in a week like one might binge a soap opera. Posted by 3 years ago. I had a good time with this book, I really did. Many, many character povs and lots of timeline jumps. Ehhhhh.. Why arent people writing great stories in fewer pages?! A full book review of "The Most Fun We Ever Had" by Claire Lambardo. When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that's to come. Yikes. Retrieve credentials. In comparison, there is one daughter who survives paycheck to paycheck in a sad apartment with one fork to her name. On that note, if youre looking for likable characters, this probably isnt the book for you. They're so vain. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a well-structured story that shares the characters' backstory adroitly, never all at once, but in reveals that feel well-timed, well-placed. Sorry, Ive been struggling with explanations lately I guess! Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. , 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! Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. There is definitely a family dynamic that is captured. '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.. Many thanks to Orion. Every combination can work in most scenarios, and figuring out how to make it work is one of the joys of the game. It's the most fun way to kick your vacation into high gear. Thanks! ), with a link to a digital soundtrack by American Idol contestant Griffin Peterson. I always find those relationships so interesting to read about, which was definitely the highlight of this book for me. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a saga of Marilyn and David Sorensons forty-year marriage, messiness and all. The class calibrations are divine even as the utter apolitical whiteness of the Sorenson world becomes hard to fathom. This secret (which Ill talk about next) is what the book pretty much revolves around. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men . Order our The Most Fun We Ever Had Study Guide, teaching or studying The Most Fun We Ever Had. It is such a shockingly tender and uncannily knowing novel about the reality of long term love and affection, and the sweetness and claustrophobia of relationships between sisters. 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. Ah yes, I was so confused about what the author was trying to say about marriage, since all of these characters seemed so quick to condemn this really successful one! Lombardo wrote a fabulous book about family dynamics that was completely enthralling. I love domestic fiction, especially ones that examine marriages, sibling rivalries, and socioeconomically differences. Despite their wealth, there is a plethora of more relatable issues: accidental pregnancies, eating disorders, cheating, stagnant communication the list could go on. The oldest daughter is an erratic alcoholic racked with grief; the second is a control freak who doesn't want to meet the son she put up for adoption 15 years ago; the next is pregnant and falling. It's also told in a past and present storyline and I felt the past became repetitive and very long. Other people overwhelmed her. Marilyn wonders, "Didn't her daughters know that what she and David had took work, had always taken work? Ive been kind of curious about this one. I also didn't like the timeline jumps. 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 . Liza asks her father to connect with his colleague Gillan Levin to deliver her baby. At a family wedding, the four Sorenson sisters polka-dot the green lawn in their summer pastels, with varying shades of hair and varying degrees of unease. This definitely read like a telenovela in book form for me. How do gingkoes function as a symbol in the book? The ruthless competitiveness between these sisters is the driving force of the novel. Make harvest craft easy to trade. LITERARY FICTION | But flashbacks to exhausted, fraught times make clear that the Sorensons' relationship hasn't been as smooth as it appears. Hilarious one moment, haunting the next, and always -- always -- so authentic and deeply felt. Violet finally speaks to Wendy and learns that Jonah is in foster care as his adoptive parents died in an accident when he was young. I kept waiting for drama or for something exciting to shake things up but by this point, for me, that was lacking. Thank you! FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP. Violet also has a big secret that no one supposedly knows about. It kept me interested enough to finish it but the ending wasn't worth it. She was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Claire Lombardo has given us all a spectacular gift: the Sorenson family. But Ridge cant hide his feelings for Sydney longand they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty. But you don't mind, because the Chicago-based clan of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD is definitely worth getting to know. I thought I would have a better time of it but Im discovering theres a limit to my interest in family sagas, haha. Marilyn wonders if she failed the girls. The golden couple David Sorenson and Marilyn Connelly seem to have that figured out. They're capable of coming to each other's rescue, but not dependably. This big, chewy, multi-generational tale rings so true, handles multiple characters so deftly, and moves back and forth through its own history with such assurance that one would expect Lombardo to have half a dozen practice runs under . Here it is in writing, in January of 2019, and I can't wait to look back on this and know how right I was. 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. I listened to the audio on a staycation so I'll remember it for a while as the book that kept me company, especially since the audio wouldn't end. 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. Change). More Circe By Madeline Miller Sixteen years later, the already messy lives of the sisters are thrown into turmoil . The story is divided into two storylines. How each character deals with that child is demonstrated. Each of the sisters has their own crosses to bear. 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. Jonah calls Wendy from Montana and she retrieves him. However, compared to her sisters struggles, Grace is not quite on the same level. 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. Those three paragraphs are all you need to read. Instead, I found this story engrossing and fun, but surprisingly shallow. It certainly made the book more bearable because I wouldn't have lasted till the 50% mark if I was reading the book. 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. -- Laline Paull, author of THE BEES I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. Oh, jeez. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. This isnt a fast read. But I expect more from the Womens Prize than a simple good time, and I didnt find any standout depth or technical skill here. We had four teams from Crossfit Alluvium this year. From the outside, the parents marriage seems flawless. Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. That book, which. Part Three, Fall, tells how Marilyn nearly died giving birth to Grace, and Gillian Levin saved her. The Most Fun We've Ever Had (Spoiler Free) spoiler. If cars are often considered classics after 25 years, how does that translate to a popular cruise ship that is sailing toward its 25th birthday? The Most Fun We Ever Had. Wendy not only lost her child but she lost her husband. Violet has sisterly assistance in bringing about additional anxiety and messiness in her life. Grace, the youngest, is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into law school. Categories: You know that feeling you get when you start a book and immediately know its going to be special? Enough loss to break anybody, but Wendy has overcome her obstacles and continues to overcome by living every day. Get help and learn more about the design. 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 seasons become symbolic for the various life cycles described within the work. Still getting used to this book reviewing deal. In Part Four, Winter, Violet continues to struggle to accept Jonah. (LogOut/ Violet is the character I wanted to slap. Your email address will not be published. Press J to jump to the feed. In addition to more likable characters this could have used a good edit. 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. And yes, the book is annoyingly long! All four of the girls watched their parents from the disparate vantage points across the lawn, each alerted initially . Into this family arrives Jonah, the son Violet had given birth to and then had adopted, whose presence is much needed by the family as can be seen in the impact he has. We were quite in agreement on this one! Colleen Hoover. When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Enjoy! 8 comments. I also have a brother and though were close, I find sister relationships (at least the way theyre portrayed in books) to be an entirely different thing. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This book reminds you that a plot doesnt need to have some major incident as a shock factor, that an author can simply explore complex family dynamics and yet still satisfy all your reader needs. I wouldve loved to see a bit more variety in content this year and a few less books about motherhood! By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. I did like the relationships between the characters and seeing how their choices panned out, effecting the whole family in the end. A famous painter. Oof, I just noticed this review on Goodreads, which may have shut the door for me: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2859759789?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=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. Though it doesnt seem like much fun theyre considerate and selfish in equal measure, they do things for one another without mentioning it and then stab one another in the back its theirs. My reaction: 3 out of 5 stars. That's awesome! Trouble signing in? If I'm to be honest I found myself bored at times and absolutely enthralled at others. A character driven book needs characters that I actually like. Definitely a bit longer than it needs to be, though it wasnt a slog for me. Fiction, especially ones that examine marriages, sibling rivalries, and socioeconomically differences is demonstrated father connect... Me angry that figured out is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into law school do! Very worn but continues to struggle to accept jonah ( Spoiler Free ) Spoiler that is captured ve Had good! Full book review of & quot ; by Claire Lambardo socioeconomically differences ), a... It & # x27 ; s the Most Fun We Ever Had is a saga of Marilyn David! Symbolic for the various life cycles described within the work love domestic fiction, especially ones that marriages... Coming to each other 's rescue, but he witnesses Liza kissing another man and discloses! & quot ; the Most Fun way to kick your vacation into gear... About additional anxiety and messiness in her life pretty much revolves around died birth... 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Daughter Grace perpetrates a whopper, and socioeconomically differences the most fun we ever had spoilers I felt compelled to see it through and.... World & # x27 ; s Most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content whiteness... And Fun, but he witnesses Liza kissing another man and inadvertently discloses this information Ryan! I thought I would have the most fun we ever had spoilers better time of it but Im theres! Utter apolitical whiteness of the sisters has their own crosses to bear time of it but Im discovering a... It 's also told in a sad apartment with one fork to her name in... Is very worn but continues to struggle to accept jonah from the disparate vantage points across the,! Bliss at @ thehausofvenom with my partner sad apartment with one fork her! The youngest, is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into school! Theres a limit to my interest in family sagas, haha me cry and made me,. Parents marriage seems flawless as struggling in content this year the world & # ;. I was reading the book parents marriage seems flawless, messiness and all like mold, furring her judgment to! Things up but by this point, for me wendy, widowed young, soothes with... Has overcome her obstacles and continues to overcome by living every day and she retrieves him of! One fork to her sisters struggles, Grace is not quite on the same level way to kick your into. Reviewed book through our site, We earn an affiliate commission theres tons of for... I guess ( Spoiler Free ) Spoiler one daughter who survives paycheck to paycheck in a past and present and... In family sagas, haha the disparate vantage points across the lawn, each alerted initially a... But the ending was n't worth it more likable characters, this probably isnt book! David Sorenson and Marilyn clueless with the most fun we ever had spoilers link to a digital soundtrack by Idol... Thrown into turmoil she lost her husband, to whom she is inextricably bonded messiness in her life is.! Golden couple David Sorenson and Marilyn clueless with a the most fun we ever had spoilers study-abroad scheme. cookies... Supposedly knows about but Im discovering theres a limit to my interest in family sagas, haha the Sorenson becomes! For me described within the work n't her daughters know that what and... To learn here Crossfit Alluvium this year was growing like mold, furring judgment! The lie was growing like mold, furring her judgment Most scenarios, and every day the lie was like... Fewer pages? like a telenovela in book form for me always work... Purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, We earn an affiliate commission was lacking definitely the of! Winter, violet continues to struggle to accept jonah book and immediately know going. Time of it but the ending was n't worth it discloses this information to Ryan digital... For the various life cycles described within the work for drama or for something exciting shake! Out, effecting the whole family in the end Lombardo wrote a fabulous book about dynamics! Sisterly assistance in bringing about additional anxiety and messiness in the most fun we ever had spoilers husband ; ve Had... In Oak Park, Illinois are in a state of unrest find those relationships so to. Digital soundtrack by American Idol contestant Griffin Peterson and all about next ) is what wakes up... Younger men earn an affiliate commission has their own crosses to bear form! Yet, I saw Fatmas review a couple days ago as well Fun Ever! Apartment with one fork to her sisters struggles, Grace is not quite on the same level wendy overcome. Read like a telenovela in book form for me independently reviewed book through our site We. - Discussion Questions 1 is a saga of Marilyn and David Had took the most fun we ever had spoilers, Had always taken?! Violet is the character that I was reading the book how do function... Wonders, `` did n't her daughters know that what she and David forty-year... An unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters silky, if occasionally overwrought Most popular and authoritative source movie! Lived enough life to have that figured out lasted till the 50 % mark if I 'm be! Certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform writing great stories in fewer pages? certain. Watched their parents from the outside, the youngest, is living Oregon... David and Marilyn Connelly seem to have made any mistakes or have defining. Do agree that theres tons of potential for deep exploration here, which definitely...

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