I read this book twice in a row: the first time weeping with laughter and slack-jawed in wonder; the second time so I could try to figure out Maria SeI read this book twice in a row: the first time weeping with laughter and slack-jawed in wonder; the second time so I could try to figure out Maria Semple does it.
I didn't. I think she was just born with a gift.
For fans of Bernadette: get ready for your new favorite book.
For fans of blazing wit, bottomless empathy, and the kind of side-blinding observations about art and life with which true literary fiction can smack one upside the head: read all three Semple books.
(Especially the first one, which received no buzz, but is one of my favorite L.A. stories of all time.)...more
Simply put: fantastic. An ingenious mix of wit, wisdom, and indie kids using card catalogues. Don't miss this one. Simply put: fantastic. An ingenious mix of wit, wisdom, and indie kids using card catalogues. Don't miss this one. ...more
A truly powerful conclusion to an exceptional series. I will read this one again. It made me take a long, hard look at my own relationship to family aA truly powerful conclusion to an exceptional series. I will read this one again. It made me take a long, hard look at my own relationship to family and the difference between reaction and response. Beautiful. Masterful....more
Remember last year when Ruth Graham wrote that ridiculous piece in Slate about how adults should be ashamed to read Y.A. and should, instead, read" moRemember last year when Ruth Graham wrote that ridiculous piece in Slate about how adults should be ashamed to read Y.A. and should, instead, read" more intricate" books of adult literary fiction "that confound and discomfit," featuring characters "with whom they can’t empathize at all"? Well, here you go.
That is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, or that it is not "good" in my estimation.
One of my favorite authors of all time (Maria Semple) recommended this book, and I found it thoughtful, beautiful, and entertaining. It is a book that completely blurs the line between fiction and memoir. However, there were at least three (3) paragraphs in the book, that, despite returning to again and again—usually armed with my smartphone and an online dictionary pulled up—I could not decipher. I read these paragraphs aloud. I looked up the vocabulary words. I read them to my boyfriend and we discussed them contextually at length. I failed. These three paragraphs occur at different points in the book, and are not, in my opinion, indicative of the entire book. They should not discourage you from reading it. Perhaps, it's a failing of my own intelligence that I was stumped. 10:04 is challenging, and frustrating, and fun. I think this is an important novel, and I encourage you to check it out. Also, you've been warned....more
This is an incredibly beautiful portrait of Hustad's coming-of-age on the foreign mission field, and the fallout that resulted for her family. Hustad This is an incredibly beautiful portrait of Hustad's coming-of-age on the foreign mission field, and the fallout that resulted for her family. Hustad offers no easy answers or caricatures, only poignant observations of her parents, her sister, and herself. The growing questions she has about their faith as a teenager are especially resonate. In the hands of a lesser writer, the subject matter might be stale or treated with bitterness, but Hustad's lyrical prose is peppered with tender renderings of moments both hilarious and heartbreaking. She makes immediate, nimble connections that will leave an indelible mark on both your brain and heart. ...more