She sets the plot in motion by springing a terrible surprise on Violet, whose perfect life is just too much for her to swallow after she suffers a series of unhappy blows. THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD By Claire Lombardo The big family secret is revealed almost immediately in Claire Lombardo's engrossing debut novel, "The Most Fun We Ever Had," which. It is an important topic to be sure, but books like this just dont seem to be bringing anything new to the table, sadly. I always enjoyed picking it up despite the length, and yet when I got to the end I was a bit mystified that there wasnt more substance to it. PQ Titles: Study of Anatomy, Trophy Hunt, Zealot of the Blood God, A Helping Hand. There was nothing redeemable about them. Order our The Most Fun We Ever Had Study Guide, teaching or studying The Most Fun We Ever Had. 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. The work begins with Marilyn Sorensons perspective as she reflects on her four daughters, Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace. Thank you! Now her life as a stay-at-home parent has left her feeling empty but not ungrateful for what she has. Most Fun We Ever Had (Lombardo) - Discussion Questions Discussion Questions 1. Required fields are marked *. Author Claire Lombardo writes every sentence with precision. 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. The book primarily focuses on Jonahs integration back into the family. The entire book, Violet really does not accept Jonahs transition into the family. My party is about to do so in our next scenario for example. The two begin a songwriting partnership that grows into something more once Sydney dumps Hunter and decides to crash with Ridge and his two roommates while she gets back on her feet. Perhaps the main message here is something like, love is messy, or theres more to every relationship than meets the eye, but theres nothing groundbreaking or life-altering to be gleaned from such platitudes. Its definitely an interesting story, but not a perfect one. I read Everything I Never Told You this year and I really liked it although the characters were heavily flawed. There is certainly some redemptive growth, but its a long journey getting there. What do they represent? The title really makes little sense and is only a bland reference to one scene that comes late in the book. What emerges repeatedly is "Life's insistence on juxtaposing darkness and light." You have to really like these characters to spend time in their lives and inside their heads for days at a time. Sure, David and Marilyn might have had four daughters several people for whom things can go wrong but need all of them be plagued by multiple unresolved demons? Posted by 3 years ago. . We all desperately want your life and we all know well never have it, the third-oldest, Liza, confesses in a moment of truth. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. hide. But The Most Fun more strongly evokes Anne Tyler's explorations of long marriages in meticulously observed domestic novels like Breathing Lessons (1989), The Amateur Marriage (2004) and A Spool of Blue Thread (2015). I had no idea why Lombardo decided this family saga needs to be 500+ pages. The other 531 and a half pages are variations on Ginkgo tree worship, parents constantly reminiscing on their sex life, affluent yet thirsty sisters being snarky (and worse) to each other and their mom (because they would never talk to dad that way), and some kid reminding his recently discovered biological mother its. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo: 9780525564232 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER "A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory." Madeline Miller, bestselling. Categories: 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. Engrossing and fun but surprisingly shallow seems like a succinct way to say it. Their long-infatuated parents watch on with a combination of love and concern. In that case, you might really enjoy this one! If all of Lombardos future writing reach such a sprawl, however, we may (unfortunately) have to wait a while for her next novel. Wendy has asked to meet Violet for lunch but much to Violets shock and horror, Wendy is sitting at a table with Violets adopted son whom she gave up at birth. I love books that make me feel. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a gorgeous and profound debut." -- Margot Livesey , author of Mercury "Remarkably alive and wise, Claire Lombardo's story of the Sorensons is a stunning vision--not just of family or love, but the funny, tender mystery of human connection itself, with all its intensity, charm, and wonder." Lombardos novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between 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. This is one of the best reads of 2019, bar none. The Most Fun We Ever Had: A Novel Kindle Edition by Claire Lombardo (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 5,310 ratings Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction See all formats and editions Kindle $13.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial It certainly made the book more bearable because I wouldn't have lasted till the 50% mark if I was reading the book. This secret (which Ill talk about next) is what the book pretty much revolves around. Lets start with Wendy, the eldest daughter. 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. 91% Upvoted. How do gingkoes function as a symbol in the book? It does seem like a rather safe and repetitive set, as a whole. I think there are actually some similarities to Fleishman in this book, especially with characterization and marriage commentary, so Im not sure youd enjoy this one much! Next up is Violet, unassuming and mild. Grace, the youngest, is living in Oregon after graduating college, hoping to get into law school. 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. We picked entirely on the icons, and they went against type. PQ Spoilers: Zealot will do final exhaustion, which will also be final exhaustion for Anatomy, Trophy Hunt only needs one more unique, Helping Hand will witness it all. I don't have to like the characters to appreciate family dramas but I need to like something about this book. influencers in the know since 1933. It reads, eventually, as a deliberate and fascinating commentary on how a particular kind of moneyed white family can choose the degree to which they engage with such unpleasantries. I could see glimpses of myself in Marilyn and that was one of the main reasons why I continued turning the pages. Why do we need to know about it?? This really looks like the literary version of a telenovela, and while I do sometimes enjoy some melodrama its not something I would expect either from a longlisted title. 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. Im definitely looking forward to wrap-ups and predictions as well. From this glimpse alone the reader can see that there is plenty of interest going on beneath the surface of this happy family, though we soon come to learn that their mother doesnt know half of it. This did not need to be 530 pages long, but man it was. just keep the good things of the last league, and improve some things, with a good league mechanic, would have been enough to be as good or better than the last league. "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. It kept me interested enough to finish it but the ending wasn't worth it. The characters were flawed sure but also horrible. Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had debuted on the New York Times bestseller list an impressive start for this first-time novelist who started life in Oak Park. Ive been continually surprised by how often motherhood comes up as a focus even in the longlisted novels I wasnt expecting to lean that way! Definitely a bit longer than it needs to be, though it wasnt a slog for me. Oooh, interesting. A few themes are replayed so often David and Marilyn's canoodling, Violet's uptight rigidity that the book would have benefited from judicious trims, particularly in the flashbacks. Ohhhh! At its core, The Most Fun We Ever Had isnt much more than an entertaining drama about four sisters and their futile competition to prove themselves most worthy of their picture-perfect parents- and each other. Marilyn wonders if she failed the girls. If I'm to be honest I found myself bored at times and absolutely enthralled at others. Instead, there are plenty of life events. It's really hard to believe that 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a debut novel. Claire Lombardo's dazzling debut, The Most Fun We Ever Had, is a rich, multigenerational novel that tells the story of four adult daughters of a Chicago couplestill madly in love after forty yearswho recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they've built. Brilliant review, Emily! 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. WE GET IT. Books that follow a group of characters over decades have always been the kind that speak to me in a special way, namely, The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer - a gold standard that Ive held many other books to over the years. 3, flirts with a groomsman at her sisters wedding. I've had a day of bliss at @thehausofvenom with my partner. It is anchored by the four-decade marriage between David and Marilyn, "two people who emanated more love than it seemed like the universe would sanction.". Extra points for Lombardo. 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. In comparison, there is one daughter who survives paycheck to paycheck in a sad apartment with one fork to her name. When tragedy strikes, a mother and daughter forge a new life. Its a love story, its a coming of age story, its a generational story, and yet despite everything the book encompasses, its primary purpose seems to be entertainment. Those three paragraphs are all you need to read. Please do not be discouraged by the 500+ page count. Flashbacks in Part One tell the story of David and Marilyns fortuitious meeting at college and Davids proposal and invitation to join him in Iowa where he will attend medical school. Ehhhhh.. Why arent people writing great stories in fewer pages?! Grace confesses her lie and returns home to live with Marilyn and David while she contemplates her next move. Magazine Subscribers (How to Find Your Reader Number), Mantel, Woodson on Womens Prize Longlist. In the novel, four adult sisters are trying to find their way in the world, both guided and hindered by what they see as their parents epic romance, an impressive love story none of the girls is confident about finding for herself. In addition to more likable characters this could have used a good edit. A secret son, concealed by two of the sisters and given for adoption at birth, suddenly reenters their lives fifteen years later, testing the bounds of the familial relationships and finally showing the sisters that there may be more to a good and successful life than keeping up appearances. But I do agree that theres tons of potential for deep exploration here, which sadly is never quite realized. 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. Ah, sorry you didnt enjoy this one! lot of improvement of the loot were (and for lot, are still) possible. I know that's a long way to get in a book and then put it down but I had this on audio and I couldn't take the narration anymore. Lastly, I sincerely hope you have a good day! Violet confronts the son she gave up for adoption 15 years ago while grappling with her growing sense of powerlessness in her role as a stay-at-home mother. KimD66 | Nov 29, 2022 |. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with . In Part Four, Winter, Violet continues to struggle to accept Jonah. Please enjoy my thoughts and ideas below. Please understand that Violet did not go out and seek her son, it was Wendy that decided to track him down and welcome him back. Thanks, Emily! I had a good time with this book, I really did. This time were looking at Claire Lombardos The Most Fun We Ever Had, one of the largest books on the list at over 500 pages. This sounds exactly like the kind of book Ill enjoy, even if it was fine but not perfect for you. I dont like to think that the author is being ignorant, but there are other books Ive read where I seriously just wasnt sure. The blind character choice is great. I appreciated your probing more into the themes of the novel and how they didnt seem to illuminate anything beyond the specific situation of this family. This was quite a delightful debut. 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 . Bibliographic information. Its page count allows Lombardo to examine- in excruciating detail- the minutiae of day-to-day interactions, a lifetime of decisions and assumptions, and each sibling and parent relationship that is one thread in the greater web of this family. Jonah calls Wendy from Montana and she retrieves him. 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is an intense, edgy family drama brimming with sibling rivalry, marital distress, and soul-binding love that will leave you with an onslaught of emotions. 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. 4 retirements within one scenario, how is that even possible? More Circe By Madeline Miller 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! Set in the Chicago suburbs, Lombardo's book has been compared to The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen's seminal ode to a dysfunctional Midwestern family. It was definitely a fun read for me even though I was wishing for a bit more thematic depth. This big, chewy, multi-generational tale rings so true, handles multiple characters so deftly, and moves back and. I always find those relationships so interesting to read about, which was definitely the highlight of this book for me. That's awesome! I had this in a queue at my library but I may press on with others I want to read first! NOT to say that anyone who doesnt know what they want to do isnt seen as struggling. Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. It feels like it was a little safe and one-note, which is I think where the lack of variety in themes comes in. The adopted boy has, by a bad stroke of luck, spent most of his life in the foster care system, and his sudden need for care provides a rude awakening for the sisters whove grown up with two loving parents in a big house with adequate income. 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. The Most Fun We Ever Had. Sydney and Ridge make beautiful music together in a love triangle written by Hoover (Losing Hope, 2013, etc. 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? Our standard tank was the Spellweaver, the support guy was the Scoundrel. 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. Front-loaded with drama, the story leaves plenty of room for the mother and daughter to unpack their feelings and decide whats next. I was aware that An American Marriage won last year, but I didnt know it was up against a lot of pretty strong works. 876 Likes, 43 Comments - @lovelylonghaired on Instagram: "How was YOUR day? I love a good family saga, so I've been meaning to read this since the spring. This book gives you a behind the scenes look into this familys life and I was so grateful for it because most times we leave books wanting more information. Still, the deft touchesa neighborhood fundraiser for a Little Free Library, a Twilight character as erotic touchstonedelight. Want to keep up with breaking news? After a while, you feel that you've always lived with the Sorenson family, and always will. A dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secrets A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A small masterpiece. April 15, 2000. Lombardo deeply understands marriage, sisterhood and plain old ordinary family dysfunction which is present on every character driven page. The author hinted that the child's mother had sex with someone another sister would find upsetting. Naturally, from the inside it is not without its peaks and valleys. Back to reviews with another Womens Prize longlist title! To make it extra easy for you . J. 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. 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. Other people overwhelmed her. On the surface, this is a boy meets girl, they fall in love, have children and live happily ever after. But let's not lose sight of Lombardo's considerable achievement. (LogOut/ It is a stellar. Liza is neurotic and indecisive while the youngest, Grace, is simply lost and living a lie of her own making. 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. Doubleday, 2019. Some of them bothered me as well, but a lot of the problematic things the characters say and do I took as criticisms of them; I dont think the author was using horrendous digs at less fortunate people out of a place of ignorance, but as a way of showing how privileged and ignorant her characters are. Also: David and Marilyn love each other madly. 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. Not all of them but Wendy, Violet, and Lisa in particular. And yes, the book is annoyingly long! This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Quotes and a Free Quiz on Lombardo levels this vision by interspersing chapters of the Sorenson parents early lean times with chapters about their daughters wobbly forays into adulthood. From here, the narration jumps ahead sixteen years to follow a years worth of family drama, divided into seasonal sections. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men . Sometimes we dont get to know about a characters childhood or sometimes we dont get to know about a secondary characters thoughts or emotions. 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. Dang it. Enough loss to break anybody, but Wendy has overcome her obstacles and continues to overcome by living every day. Not only do I get to read about the perspective of one sister, I get to read about the thoughts and emotions of all three sisters, their parents AND Jonah. report. 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. There are a FEW more likable characters though so its maybe not a totally lost cause! I was wrong about who the father of that child was though. 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