Though each is sympathetic and suffering in their own way, they do all make poor choices, sometimes for bad reasons. So if youre looking for your next read, pick this one! The outside world barely enters into the cosseted lives of the Sorensons. Now Jonah is back in town, engaged to Jenny, and working at the local high school as Claras teacher. Each character was individualized and any one of them could have leaped off the pages. Staff writer Cassandra Luca can be reached at cassandra.luca@thecrimson.com. Most Fun We Ever Had (Lombardo) - Discussion Questions Discussion Questions 1. Every chapter contains a piece of the pie that you must consume. 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. Knopf Doubleday. Things seem to snowball out of control, and perhaps for a reader it seems like a bit much, but Lombardos inclusion of all the minutiae are also true to life: This is how life actually is. However, it is based upon a deep and abiding love that seems to be unattainable to their four daughters within their own lives. Residents Demand Answers at Council Meeting on Police Killing of Sayed Faisal, Bob Odenkirk Named Hasty Pudding Man of the Year, Harvard Kennedy School Dean Reverses Course, Will Name Ken Roth Fellow, Ex-Provost, Harvard Corporation Member Will Investigate Stanford Presidents Scientific Misconduct Allegations, Harvard Medical School Drops Out of U.S. News Rankings. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest: Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator-turned-stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt when the darkest part of her past resurfaces; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a HBO has put in development The Most Fun We Ever Had, a drama-series project based on Claire Lombardo 's New York Times bestselling novel, from Amy . She wonders how her daughters could have all turned out so markedly different, not only from one another but also from her. David has a heart attack and falls from the gingko tree. She also decided that his biological family should be the ones to provide that. 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. (The sisters improbably kept David and Marilyn clueless with a phony study-abroad scheme.) A family of six subsisting on one doctors salary didnt exactly equate to the lap of luxury for the four girls while growing up (which isnt to say they wanted for anything), but most of them were able to improve their circumstances even further as they reached adulthood- their own children are well-situated indeed. '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. Violet is the daughter that did everything right. She went to college, became a lawyer, married a nice man and has two young children. 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. Prior to writing The Most Fun We Ever Had, she spent several years doing social work in Chicago. 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. #haunted #haunting #ghost #mystery #strange. Title: The Most Fun We Ever Had Author: Claire Lombardo Genre: Fiction Publishing Date: June 25th, 2019 Pages: 532 Rating (5.0 Scale): 5.0 Synopsis (from cover): When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that's to come. Lombardo shows how menial things can be misinterpreted resulting in decades of bad blood. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. Too long for the lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters. It is a stellar debut that modernizes family histories for the 21st century. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Meet Me The Person Behind Books and Bowquets. While Lombardo's focus is on more happily wedded couples than Tyler's mismatched pairs, both writers share an interest in the forces that bind spouses decades after their "I do's.". From the outside, the parents marriage seems flawless. Categories: It's also told in a past and present storyline and I felt the past became repetitive and very long. Ehhhhh.. Why arent people writing great stories in fewer pages?! It's really hard to believe that 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a debut novel. 91% Upvoted. How each character deals with that child is demonstrated. Its one of those lovely meandering, literary tales that weaves the story of a family over a long period of time. Instead, I found this story engrossing and fun, but surprisingly shallow. 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! Yet, I felt compelled to see it through and finish. 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. Overarching it all is the unusually ardent connection between Marilyn and David Sorenson. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with . Extra points for Lombardo. I did like the relationships between the characters and seeing how their choices panned out, effecting the whole family in the end. 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. Hilarious one moment, haunting the next, and always -- always -- so authentic and deeply felt. But at least I mostly enjoyed this one!). . The story is divided into two storylines. In truth, I dont think theres anything at all to learn here. 49,240 Ratings 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 Want to Read Rate it: This book give you unlimited access to everything, all the time. How do gingkoes function as a symbol in the book? The Most Fun We Ever Had is a deliciously absorbing novel with brace yourself a tender and satisfyingly positive take on family. All Rights Reserved. 'I adored The Most Fun We Ever Had. I cared and cringed and chuckled and cried with each of the four sisters and their parents (and then theres the third gen of kids). 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. My reaction: 3 out of 5 stars. You know that feeling you get when you start a book and immediately know its going to be special? We picked entirely on the icons, and they went against type. Claire Lombardo By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. Part One, Spring, begins with Chapter One, set in current day. This was a delightful debut and I cant wait to see what the author writes next. Beneath it all, the daughters share the lingering fear that they will never find a love quite like their parents. The ruthless competitiveness between these sisters is the driving force of the novel. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page' Jenny Colgan, Spectator A joyful celebration of books - the perfect gift for bibliophiles, word lovers and anyone who's ever wondered, should you judge a book by its cover? There are much better family sagas out there with better stories and fewer pages. Liza, the second youngest, has just received tenure but is ensconced in a difficult relationship with Ryan, who is depressed. It's really hard to believe that 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' is a debut novel. CLAIRE LOMBARDO earned her MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. ", Wendy is a terrific character: caustic, tough, difficult, flawed, self-destructive, bitingly funny and ultimately sympathetic. 4 retirements within one scenario, how is that even possible? October 15, 2019 11:00am. 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. The Most Fun We Ever Had Quotes. Diving into a 550-page novel as opposed to, say, a 300-page novel is the difference between a dalliance and a full-blown commitment. Page edges may . The big family secret is revealed almost immediately in Claire Lombardos engrossing debut novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had, which connects four decades in the lives of the Sorensons of Oak Park, Chicago. Wendy also has a knack for speaking her mind and exhibits no shame in any of her actions. 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. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry 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? Brilliant review, Emily! Liza gets pregnant and appears to follow in Violets footsteps. Arrive a few minutes early to get a spot by the stage, especially if you have little kids. Change). That child, Jonah, the returned observer of this cloistered world, is as fascinated by David and Marilyns love as their daughters. Where to start this book was amazing in so many different ways. Ridges deafness doesnt impede their relationship or their music. Wendy not only lost her child but she lost her husband. This big, chewy, multi-generational tale rings so true, handles multiple characters so deftly, and moves back and. The Most Fun We Ever Had. Want to keep up with breaking news? By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. 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. 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. 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. . Her capacious novel also encompasses the "vast hormonal hellscape" the couple has spawned four cattily close, constantly sparring grown daughters trying to figure out their place in the world as they measure themselves against their mother and each other. But I expect more from the Womens Prize than a simple good time, and I didnt find any standout depth or technical skill here. When tragedy strikes, a mother and daughter forge a new life. The author hinted that the child's mother had sex with someone another sister would find upsetting. The title really makes little sense and is only a bland reference to one scene that comes late in the book. Colleen Hoover. Magazine Subscribers (How to Find Your Reader Number), Mantel, Woodson on Womens Prize Longlist. 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. ROMANCE | 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. Theres four of you? he asked. In that case, you might really enjoy this 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. I didnt notice one singular theme as strongly last year, though perhaps giving voice to silenced or misrepresented women was perhaps the strongest commonality? There was a lot of repetition and I honestly wanted to skip some pages when the characters really got on my nerves. Sadly the shortlist seemed a bit uninspired compared to the longlist, so Im very curious to see which books will make the cut this year- hopefully not the disappointing ones! Claire Lombardo has given us all a spectacular gift: the Sorenson family. 544 pp. by I particularly enjoyed their contrariness, but it wont be the right fit for everyone. Naturally, from the inside it is not without its peaks and valleys. 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. In comparison, there is one daughter who survives paycheck to paycheck in a sad apartment with one fork to her name. 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? It may not be the most fun youve ever had, but it has to be darn close. There is certainly some redemptive growth, but its a long journey getting there. 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. The central narrative arc of the work begins in Chapter One with the Spring of 2017, and ends on December 10, 2017, in The Midst of Life. The novel focuses on the extraordinary marriage of Marilyn and David Sorenson, and the byproduct of their incredible union, the four Sorenson girls. Another dysfunctional family book , 500 pages long, 4 daughters who are mostly annoying and unbearable, bring it on, this is one of the most challenging experience for me! There was nothing redeemable about them. ISBN-13: 9780385544252. That was the feeling I had with The Most Fun We Ever Had and it was spot on. 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. Thank you! FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP, by 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. Morgan felt obligated to marry her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter, Clara. Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace, four sisters who squabble and have quite flawed but still lovable personalities made this a complete treat that I kept finding myself eager to steal minutes away to come back to. '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.. They're so vain. 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. influencers in the know since 1933. 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. Lombardo's novel is divided into 34 chapters, with dated flashbacks interspersed throughout in order to provide deeper exposition on the relationships between characters. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. In addition to more likable characters this could have used a good edit. Other than an event which I found hard to fathom, this is a realistic and intimate look at an affluent Chicago family as they love, laugh, annoy, clash, and support each other over the course of forty-odd years. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo review - family friction A restless mother and meddling sister trigger family reprisals in this nuanced, polished debut Claire Lombardo: 'a keen. Flashbacks interspersed with the present-day chapters scroll all the way back to 1975, which in Lombardo's telling feels more like the 1950s. 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