Rate this book

Farewell, Dorothy Parker (2013)

by Ellen Meister(Favorite Author)

3.4 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

039915907X (ISBN13: 9780399159077)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Putnam Adult

series

Dorothy Parker

review 1: Meister explains in her "Acknowledgements" that she simply wanted more of Dorothy Parker--the way we have gotten so much "more" of Jane Austen and her world through ancillary fan-fictionish works over the past couple of decades. It's very true that Dorothy Parker is a vibrant character who deserves to live on...and whose spirit, like that of Jane Austen, is sure to be a valuable invisible companion to modern women.This book is an enjoyable reminder of Parker's wit, and a well-constructed story of a self-editing young woman who benefits from absorbing some of Parker's power. It is not a literary novel, but a rather light personal-development story. For me, as a Parker fan, there was not nearly enough of her as an on-stage character. But, like the author, I "miss" having... more Parker around, and this story gave me a welcome opportunity to spend some time with her.
review 2: When I added this book to my list and expressed interest in reading it, I had the mindset that it was a memoir. I did discover that it was categorized as fiction, chick-lit, historical fiction but still had that memoir mindset. I hoped that I didn't set myself up poorly as I approached this book. Thankfully this novel put my worry to ease right away within the opening chapter.I found this novel to be very intriguing! It was very well organized; it didn't lull or dull but instead moved right along with an easy, simple flow. You could almost feel the strength when Violet channeled it or her weakness when she failed. Also, when an action was taken by Violet that we could assume would result in tough consequences (such as taking her niece to the nude show and telling her about the custody battle) we read the reaction from the grandparents or other parties involved in good timing - we're not waiting around. Continuing with the character Violet, I liked how we saw the progression of her strong character develop. It showed (as cheesy as it sounds) that sometimes we have to look deep within ourselves to gather the strength we need to do things outside our comfort zone - outside our box. It's in us, all of us, we just need to find itTowards the end of the story, I was about to remark that there didn't seem to be any real climax, but then suddenly BAM! I found myself reading faster which added to the adrenaline emotion of the storyline.Embarrassing as it was to admit, I had to Google Dorothy Parker for I didn't know if she was a true person from history; I never heard of her before now! Because of this novel, I admit that I was intrigued by her. I liked all of Dorothy Parker's puns. I wanted to copy each one! This is one in particular that stood out for me: "His novels were fine. But he could write the fucking bejeezus out of a short story" -Dorothy Parker on Ernest HemingwayThe ending overall felt really, really rushed with a lot of missing pieces. For example, where all did Parker go and do once she released herself with the book in the box? While Dorothy was off "spying" where did she visit and do - Did she find that Malcom was actually cheating? (And that bomb to Grandmother Weber was released suddenly. One could have missed it). Before Parker went away for good, I wish she would have helped fill in the missing pieces of her adventures off away from Violet. In regards to Violet and her niece, I wish we would have read how the whole trail unfolded including the verdict. The overall story had a nice rhythm, flow and organization, minus the ending. It builds and builds but the ending falls flat. This was a fun, entertaining read I recommend if you need an escape from life and/or are looking to find your own inner strength.4 out of 5 StarsProduction Note: The copy I borrowed through the 3M app lists 286 pages with the story ending on page 259. Goodreads ebook lists 320. less

Download links for: Farewell, Dorothy Parker

Advertising