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We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (2013)

by Karen Joy Fowler(Favorite Author)

3.8 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0399162097 (ISBN13: 9780399162091)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

G.P. Putnam's Sons

review 1: An intriguing novel that prosaically is nothing spectacular, although credit must be given to the author for making this outlandish idea work. The protagonist, Rosemary Cooke, can be very difficult to identify with but this is (I think) entirely intentional. Considering her story, her whole life which she lays bare for the reader, it is understandable that at times her character feels distant and disconnected - I think the point is that Rosemary actively distances herself from the real world whilst simultaneously participating in it for a large proportion of her life. Fowler is trying to get the reader to understand someone a little different and not necessarily connect. If someone holds the value of a novel in its characters and identifying with them emotionally I don't ... morebelieve this is for you. Personally I enjoyed the psychological elements of the novel that admittedly were occasionally forced but none-the-less Fowler aptly summarised a couple of key theories. The most interesting was her exploration of solipsism and the connection between the philosophical idea and psychological implications - throughout the course of the novel Fowler is challenging the solipsism of Rosemary and showing how it can be damaging. The expansion of Rosemary's mind allows for her to be happy with her compromising ending and find peace. I found the ending bizarre. This was a borderline 3 star for me and although I feel I have gained something from this novel it is because I tried to do so by thinking beyond the book. Unless someone was particularly interested in its subject matter I would ultimately not recommend it.
review 2: Three and a half stars. I think the reason why I am not rating it higher, is that I found this book interesting rather than enthralling. It certainly addresses some significant issues - the hidden or ignored impact of maintaining our lifestyle, the nature of memory, the importance of family ties and the influence our early childhood has on the way we relate to the world. Perhaps Rosemary's silence and reticence kept me from connecting with her, and maybe, also, she, and the rest of the characters, were just a little too odd. It was a surprising and enjoyable read, which didn't quite touch my heart. less

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