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The Great Perhaps (2009)

by Joe Meno(Favorite Author)

3.58 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0393067963 (ISBN13: 9780393067965)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

review 1: I did not expect to enjoy this book. Abandoned on the first attempt after applying my mantra that life is too short to read books I am not enjoying. Reading it again happened by accident (elaborate self-effacing explanation involving different covers for hard and soft copies which I shall not go into). It is more than just a good novel about nuclear families in modern America - I also really enjoyed the historical touches (including stories of family members dating back to the 19th century, and life as an interned American in WW2). Overall, a sensitive and nuanced tale drawing on various techniques to show the commonality in our humanity.
review 2: I'm tired of novels that present each chapter from a different character's point of view. Plus, I'm not feeli... moreng particularly empathetic this week, so I didn't feel sorry for any of these characters. While I enjoyed reading parts of this book (Grandpa's childhood was a great set of stories), overall it was too much character development and not enough actual plot. I also don't care for magical realism, which pops up in this book a few times. less

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