Things I love:
- stories with beautiful words
- stories about science
- stories about families
- stories that make me cry
- stories that make me laugh out loud
- stories that build characters not by way of pages of back story but rather by a few select details
- stories that I think about long after I close the book
- stories that have me reading through breakfast, lunch, dinner and well into the night
- stories that have me marking eleventy million exquisite sentences
- stories that include characters that make my heart hurt a little
- stories that include words I don’t know
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler is a story with everything.
5/5 Spoilers for this book are virtually unavoidable. If you are one of the lucky few that know nothing about this story, stop everything and read it. Also, I’m jealous. If, like me, you already know the twist, don’t worry – stop everything and read it anyway.
I’m intrigued. Adding it to my TBR! 🙂
Great response Kate. I concur with all you say. I want to read her earlier stuff now. Brilliant writer. Brilliant characters. Compact but high impact.
I didn’t realise that she wrote The Jane Austen Book Club (haven’t read it but I think I’ve seen the film…). A quick look on Goodreads reveals that lots of people who loved TJABC didn’t love WAACBO and vice versa. Hmmmm… Think I will bask in the post-reading glow of WAACBO for a bit before I seek more.
Oh yes, she wrote that one. I’m probs not interested in that one. But I have the feeling she’s been writing for a while and there’s a bit of a body of work. But no, not that one…
Oh and did you cry? I cried, a couple of times. As you say, crying and laughing (in different places): rare in a novel.
I mean – ooops – how many times did you cry? You prob can’t say without giving spoilers. I cried at the end. And during reunion scene.
Yes, I cried in the same bits. Also some bits with her brother. Was a complete mess at the end (and on a plane!) – bawling my eyes out.
Love your review Kate! Genius way of getting around the spoilers issue. I think there was much to like in this book but it didn’t speak to me in quite the same way it spoke to you, obviously. At one point i put it down for a few days and didn’t even think about it.
Sounds intriguing! One to be added to the ever-growing TBR….
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Loved review. And as I had never heard of this before and know nothing about it (which makes me sound more like ‘where the hell have I been’ than ‘lucky few’!!) I’m adding this to top of my holiday reading list!
I’m green with envy that you don’t know anything about it. Looking forward to your thoughts!
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I enjoy this author…I haven’t read this one yet, but I must!
Oddly, this is the only one I’ve read from this author! What should I read from her next?
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What a great way to frame your review! I loved the book as well and tried to convey that without a spoiler but, as you say, it’s almost impossible!
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Hey Katrina, I just finished this and I am sitting here crying while tea cooks. Such a great book. I loved her writing, not just the story! Only 2 years behind the times I know x
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