Home by Julie Andrews
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You know, I love me some Julie Andrews. If you pressed me into naming only one favorite movie of all time (as I really have at least one in each genre), it would probably be The Sound of Music. Why? Because it’s a great movie for both kids and adult. When you’re little, you like the first half of the story. When you’re older, you enjoy the love story and the second half of the movie.
So, I was really excited to read her memoir. But since I read it right after Carol Burnett’s latest book, it fell flat for me. It was rather boring in many places. And I really didn’t need the background on her grandparents. I guess I wanted her to tell me more about her emotions, rather than just recite facts.
I had no idea that the book would end at 1964. I was looking forward to reading all of the backstories about the filming of The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. The book ends before that.
I can’t recommend it unless you’re an absolute diehard fan who feels as though nothing in your life will be complete unless you read this.
From Amazon:
This disappointing memoir narrowly focuses on Julie Andrews’ young years–which are pretty boring the way she tells it. She certainly had some weak family members in her background, including a number with mental illness, out-of-wedlock pregnancies and divorces at a time when divorce was taboo. She struggles with telling everyone’s stories because she recalls few details and express very little emotion.
This is a very guarded autobiography and at the end you figure out that really has written this for her oldest child, a daughter named Emma who she obviously adores. The family stories of adultery and drunkenness are told in a way that you would tell a child–hinting at impropriety without coming out and giving details. The fact that the book culminates in the birth of Emma is no coincidence–this book is dedicated to her and is like a mother writing a private diary to her daughter.
There is a pretty big shocker in chapter 18 (which I won’t reveal to avoid spoiling the surprise) but after reading it one has to wonder if this woman has just denied all of her emotions. She must be numb from the personal hurt she suffered at the hands of birth parents who failed to communicate love. She is guarded for a reason–too bad she didn’t use this book to let that guard down.
It’s hard to recommend much from this book because she recalls so few details (even though she claims that since age 7 or so “the memories are solid”–but they’re not!). The basic facts are here but written with so little finesse and color that the stories are rendered pointless. She often tells a meaningless story and then just abruptly ends it, as if it’s the only memory she has of that particular time period. For example she mentions getting invited as a teen to a summer picnic and wearing a dress that’s too small for her, perspiring and feeling embarrassed. That’s it. Why tell such a dull story? Or why be so careful in stating her emotions about the situation as “I was horribly aware of my state and acutely embarrassed all afternoon.” Those are scattered throughout the book.
It’s all very prim and proper–we end up knowing little more about her feelings than when we started. She certainly disliked her cheating mother. And she implies improper advances from her step-father, who ended up being the one who pushed her into show business. She adored her dad. But beyond that there is no sense that we know the real Julie Andrews. This will only appeal to those so in love with Andrews’ screen image that they will accept the sweet shallowness that comes with any minor revelation here.
She covers her career highlights up until 1964, but those stories are also short and lack much insight. She ends with her offer from Walt Disney to star in Mary Poppins but that makes the book even more disappointing because she has chosen to leave out any memories of the major movies that most of us know her from. The book is ill-conceived. She needed a good editor to push her to expose herself more in this memoir–instead she was guided by her writer/daughter Emma, for whom this book becomes a saccharine family tribute.
Writing Jane Austen: A Novel by Elizabeth Aston
Regular Amazon Price: $10.20 Kindle Price: $9.99 Savings: $0.21
I adore Elizabeth Aston’s continuations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Her novels are the only ones I’ve found to stand up to the Austen standard. This was her first foray (that I’m aware of) into a novel set in modern times.
The heroine of the story is an author who has never read any Jane Austen, yet is coerced into completing a manuscript of Austen’s that has just come to light. The story follows her as she travels through Austen’s life, seeing the world as Austen must have.
Parts of it were a bit flighty for me – how many times was she going to run away? – but in general it was an entertaining and easy read. Predictable, but enjoyable. The protagonist is not the strong Austen heroine we are used to, and perhaps that is what detracts from the story the most.
From Amazon:
I approached this book fully expecting to like it, as I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the period books this author writes. Unfortunately, I was disappointed, even given the clever plot twist at the end, because I never came to like the main character. To me, even with the stated beating her self esteem had taken — boy, have I ever come to hate that term, and I’m really coming to dislike all of the fiction that hinges on it — she was just too much of a chicken, and yet too obstinate at the same time, to be believable, much less sympathetic. The upshot is that I never came to root for the main character. I simply found her annoying. The supporting characters surrounding her were much more believable, engaging, interesting, and sympathetic (even allowing that the romantic male “lead” was of course too good to be true, as the genre requires). When the ending came — this is a romantic comedy, folks, so it’s not a spoiler to say things turn out well for the main character — I didn’t feel she necessarily deserved the good things that came her way. That’s just not where the author should leave the reader, if the author of a book in this genre has properly done his/her job.
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
Regular Amazon Price: $15.52 Kindle Price: $12.99 Savings: $2.53
Emily Giffin’s books are chick-lit plus in my book. The “plus” is for the fact that they are almost a bit painful in that the characters are incredibly realistic. In so many of the chick-lit novels the characters are so exaggerated that they run the risk of exhausting the reader.
But Giffin’s players are all incredibly normal. You know people like this. And that makes it almost uncomfortable when you are reading it and realize that these situations occur every single day, perhaps to you or to someone you know.
Although this book contains characters from Giffin’s other books, you won’t be lost, as all relationships are explained enough to get you through.
This is a tough book to read in some respects, as it deals with infidelity. Where really, no one is wrong – it’s the chance you take with any serious relationship that lasts longer than a year. After that, the mystery is gone and if you are not careful, if you don’t pay attention to each other, you can allow your curiosity to be sparked by someone who does find you fascinating now.
I have seen it over and over again. When I was single, I was approached by married men all of the time. I turned them down, but always asked what they were looking for that they weren’t getting at home. Was it sex? Sometimes. Was it love? Not really. It was attention. It was being made to feel as if he was the only person in your world.
You gave that to him when you first started dating. And maybe even through the beginning of your marriage. But then when kids or your career took over, that changed and he became just an afterthought. You can’t imagine your life without him, because you don’t really see him. It becomes no different than expecting the toilet to be there when you want to use it.
It works both ways, too. Women can feel that same way – that they are a fixture, rather than an appreciated part of the team.
I enjoyed the book, but I warn you that it’s not an easy-breezy summer read in the end.
From Amazon:
I have loved all of Emily Giffin’s books, and Heart of the Matter is no exception. In it, Nick Russo is a pediatric plastic surgeon and is married to Tessa, a stay-at-home. They are actually celebrating their wedding anniversary when Nick is called in to the hospital to treat young burn victim, Charlie, and explain treatment options to the child’s mother, single attorney, Valerie. Lines between patient-family-doctor become blurred as Nick develops an attraction to Valerie and a friendship with Charlie.
Giffin gives you plenty of details and flashbacks so that you feel like you really understand the characters of Tessa and Valerie and what led them to the points in which they are at in their lives. The story is told in alternating chapters by the two women and chronicles Tessa’s unshakeable feelings that her marriage is disintegrating and Valerie’s growing attraction to Nick and desires for a father figure for her son. As the story progresses, you find yourself asking over and over again, “Will Nick cheat on Tessa?” AND “What will Tessa do if he does?”
All of Giffin’s characters in Heart of the Matter are colorful and multi-dimensional and definitely tug at your heartstrings (even the rich, pampered housewives in the story). I felt especially sympathetic toward the character of Tessa, and although I understood and respected some of Valerie’s actions and views, I found her less likeable than Tessa. There are also many other well-developed characters that support Tessa and Valerie in their seperate yet entertwined dilemnas, including Tessa’s brother, Dex (from Something Borrowed!) I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the character of Dex and seeing where his life had taken him. And I also loved Tessa’s parents in the book and the point in which they re-examine their own failed relationship. Very touching!
A Promise to Remember by Kathryn Cushman
Regular Amazon Price: $5.60 Kindle Price: $0.00 Savings: $5.60
I can say that for a free book, this wasn’t too bad. In other words, I don’t hate that I spent time reading it. It did not, however, make me want to seek out more by this author. And I’m glad that I didn’t pay for it.
It’s hard to connect with the characters. I don’t feel pulled in at all by the tragedy that both families have suffered. I thought that the character of Melanie Johnston was easy to hate, even though you’re supposed to feel sorry for her. I did not.
I didn’t care any more for the other family, either. Again, the characters were just so one-dimensional, I couldn’t connect.
From Amazon:
Half way through the book I seriously considered putting it down and reading no more. I kept on reading because I really try to finish every book I begin. Here is what I didn’t like:
1. Simplistic and unrealistic plot and development of events. Elementary, amateurish writing style. (Felt I could have written it myself).
2. Poor characterization. Characters lack depth. It’s hard to feel empathy towards Melanie, the main character.
3. Highly predictable.
4. As other reviewers have mentioned, the Christian/religious message is annoying. You feel like you’re being preached by a book. If you are a Christian and do enjoy religious-themed books, I still consider there should be better options out there. I wouldn’t recommend this one at all.
5. Overall, it lacks depth and substance in plot and character development.
The only thing I did like about the book was the forgiveness theme, the message of “hating someone does not hurt anyone other than yourself.” It was a good concept; too bad it was so poorly developed. It felt like a “Lifetime” movie.
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