This is a WP book that I really didn't know much about beforehand, and now I'm thinking this may not be for me. Really appreciate your honest review, Alice. Sending this back to the library tomorrow.
It is a really good book, but I did find the subject matter more upsetting than I expected. There are certainly books that are slightly more hopeful on the list. Thanks for your comment. 😊📚
Thanks, Alice!🌷Last week I finally decided which books I wanted to read from the WPF longlist and one of them is actually Ordinary Human Failings. I’m curious to see how Megan Nolan has written the character of the tabloid journalist exploiting the family’s misery for his own personal gain. I’m currently reading Restless Dolly Maunder (and enjoying it) and I’ll probably get to OHF in a couple of days. I hope I won’t get too depressed…
I hope you really like this when you get to it. You’ll have to let me know what you thought. I think it’s an excellent read and I look forward to more from the author. 😊📚
Thank you for your thoughts on this. I was thinking about picking this one up, but--at the very least--it doesn't sound like it is a book that I am in the right mindset for right now.
My experience of this book was more hopeful and redemptive than it seems yours was. It seemed not as dark to me as you experienced. I am generally very sensitive to dark, depressing novels and tend to avoid them, this one had some darkness to be sure, but to my mind, there was a redeeming light that overcomes it. I gave it five stars. I agree the journalist aspect wasn’t perfect, but it did give the reader someone to despise.
That’s fair enough, I think we all interpret books in different ways, which I love. I did feel like maybe there was some redemption towards the end but I felt especially sad for Lucy and I couldn’t really get past how neglected she had been by the whole family in the lead up to the events of the book. It was enjoyable to dislike the journalist I must say. Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the book. 😊📚
I thought this novel was first rate and I would have shortlisted it. For me, Nolan does what the mediocre The Wren Wren did not do: she creates a multigenerational story that makes all the characters believable and interesting. Nolan has such empathy for all of her characters even when the story is utterly depressing as you mention. I can understand what you're saying about the journalist, but I bought it. We have a major court case happening here in the U.S. where a tabloid editor testified to behaviour very much like the journalist in the book.
Absolutely agree that the characters were so believable and interesting! I was heartbroken by the end, particularly for Lucy. It was far more interesting than The Wren The Wren, and actually had a strong plot driving it forward. You make a fair point about the journalist too, it certainly wasn’t that I didn’t believe in him as a character or his behaviour, that all seemed real to me, I just preferred hearing about the family. I guess when I think about it that way it did work well framing the story and bringing it together through the journalist, I just wondered if perhaps we could have done without that thread. Thanks for your insightful comment, Chris. 😊📚
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This is a WP book that I really didn't know much about beforehand, and now I'm thinking this may not be for me. Really appreciate your honest review, Alice. Sending this back to the library tomorrow.
It is a really good book, but I did find the subject matter more upsetting than I expected. There are certainly books that are slightly more hopeful on the list. Thanks for your comment. 😊📚
Thanks, Alice!🌷Last week I finally decided which books I wanted to read from the WPF longlist and one of them is actually Ordinary Human Failings. I’m curious to see how Megan Nolan has written the character of the tabloid journalist exploiting the family’s misery for his own personal gain. I’m currently reading Restless Dolly Maunder (and enjoying it) and I’ll probably get to OHF in a couple of days. I hope I won’t get too depressed…
I hope you really like this when you get to it. You’ll have to let me know what you thought. I think it’s an excellent read and I look forward to more from the author. 😊📚
Read her first book and found that bleak so don't think will try this one. Thanks for another fair and thoughtful review.
It is good though. Lots of family secrets and lies. Very sad. 📚
Thank you for your thoughts on this. I was thinking about picking this one up, but--at the very least--it doesn't sound like it is a book that I am in the right mindset for right now.
Thanks Melinda. I would recommend it, but it would definitely be one to be in the mindset for when you start it. 😊📚
My experience of this book was more hopeful and redemptive than it seems yours was. It seemed not as dark to me as you experienced. I am generally very sensitive to dark, depressing novels and tend to avoid them, this one had some darkness to be sure, but to my mind, there was a redeeming light that overcomes it. I gave it five stars. I agree the journalist aspect wasn’t perfect, but it did give the reader someone to despise.
That’s fair enough, I think we all interpret books in different ways, which I love. I did feel like maybe there was some redemption towards the end but I felt especially sad for Lucy and I couldn’t really get past how neglected she had been by the whole family in the lead up to the events of the book. It was enjoyable to dislike the journalist I must say. Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the book. 😊📚
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I thought this novel was first rate and I would have shortlisted it. For me, Nolan does what the mediocre The Wren Wren did not do: she creates a multigenerational story that makes all the characters believable and interesting. Nolan has such empathy for all of her characters even when the story is utterly depressing as you mention. I can understand what you're saying about the journalist, but I bought it. We have a major court case happening here in the U.S. where a tabloid editor testified to behaviour very much like the journalist in the book.
Absolutely agree that the characters were so believable and interesting! I was heartbroken by the end, particularly for Lucy. It was far more interesting than The Wren The Wren, and actually had a strong plot driving it forward.
You make a fair point about the journalist too, it certainly wasn’t that I didn’t believe in him as a character or his behaviour, that all seemed real to me, I just preferred hearing about the family. I guess when I think about it that way it did work well framing the story and bringing it together through the journalist, I just wondered if perhaps we could have done without that thread. Thanks for your insightful comment, Chris. 😊📚
This sounds like it's such a difficult book to read
It was somewhat difficult. I’m always surprised when something hits me the way this did. I think it was the children that I felt so sad for. 📚