The Most Fun We Ever Had (Reese's Book Club Pick)
By Claire Lombardo
- Release Date: 2019-06-25
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Description
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK • “A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory.” —Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe
In this “rich, complex family saga” (USA Today) full of long-buried family secrets, Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest.
Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator turned stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects.
With the unexpected arrival of young Jonah Bendt—a child placed for adoption by one of the daughters fifteen years before—the Sorensons will be forced to reckon with the rich and varied tapestry of their past. As they grapple with years marred by adolescent angst, infidelity, and resentment, they also find the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.
Don't miss Claire Lombardo's new book, Same As It Ever Was!
Reviews
Too many words
1By slgorman17Too long. Too boring. Too predictable. I don’t remember the last time I less enjoyed a novel.Loved this story
5By DramaCommaA wonderfully long read with lots of characters with interesting secrets. I usually struggle to remember characters names, but not with this book. I became so engrossed and part of this family that I was able to effortlessly keep up. I didn’t want the spot to end. Upon finishing, I immediately purchased another book by this author.Dysfunctional family
3By CherylmorbuxI wanted to love this book because of the title. I was intrigued by the title and the review. The author’s writing style jumped around too much for me, moving from one character to the next and no one had anything to be grateful for. They were on upper middle class family, raised in a loving home, and all four of their daughters turn unto dysfunctional adults. The book does demonstrate the resilience of family bonds and forgiveness thus the three star rating. The story meandered and was way too long.Fun and Light Heartd
5By golfclubbookcluThis was a fun read about a big family. I loved each person’s story and how they came to be where they ended up. So much love in a family. This is a great summer book.Greatvstory
4By youcallmesomethingCharacters are well developed and understood.Pointless ramblings drenched in white privilege
2By Sassoula_SpeakingThe two stars apply only to the first third of the book which seemed promising like the story would get somewhere and then I would be profoundly “moved” like others (apparently Reece Witherspoon among them) were. I ended up skipping chapters just to get to the last, which was even more dull than the rest of them. Hard to identify with or even make sense of any of these characters and their sense of entitlement. The author’s writing style tired me to the point of annoyance. Here it is: “So-and-so, who did this and that; So-and-so who was this and that; So-and-so who never this and that”. This pattern repeated constantly throughout. How on earth is this a best selling book?The most fun we ever had
3By yviybyiuVery Well written but mostly unlikable characters who are self obsessed - have no friends- do not care about the world- full of narcissists of privilege - I was happy to finish and be done with them.Terrible dysfunction
2By despicto2Horrible book about a very dysfunctional family. The characters are unlikeable and the bad language is overdone. Stopped reading it 1/3 in. Reese missed on this one.Couldn’t finish
4By Uncle folgerWhat an obnoxious book. I tried to care about anyone other than Jonah and just couldn’t, and decided that life is too short to finish this miserable book about miserable people.So boring
2By jh227899I kept waiting for something to happen but it was ALL description - and weirdo grandparents who couldn’t keep their hands off each other in front of their kids. Every single character was insufferable.Amazing
5By CAC-BOne of the best novels of the life and continuity of a family that I’ve ever readWow
5By Jamiam987Thank you for writing this book And for the characters and descriptions so vivid I could almost recognize themThe Most Fun We Ever Had?
2By Georgiagirl21Too long for the lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters. The title really makes little sense and is only a bland reference to one scene that comes late in the book.Loved it
5By jne212I loved this book. I thought it was a beautiful depiction of the aches and joys of a family.My favorite book.
5By alexmoore615A read that is beautiful, heartbreaking, addicting, and real.Immensely satisfying
5By JackieThinksThe story reads as if they are all real people: flawed, loving, bitter, supportive, jealous, pitiful - as all families are. It’s a glimpse into a family life you wish you’d had but are at least glad you’ve experienced their joys and heartbreaks.Idealized picture of traditional suburban family
2By Zhz113I agree with another reviewer that this book is about white privilege. Idealized view of marriage and foster care. Main theme is find your person in life to be complete, family bonds are forever strong, life is messy but all will turn out well.White privilege
2By plantluvr83I couldn’t stand this rich white family and their problems. I kept waiting for a plot, it never came, just chapter after chapter of trivial boredom. Skip it.Complex, intricate and delightful
5By ganjocaI loved the intricacy of the characters the complexities of their relationships and the misunderstandings amongst them. So real life very well detailed and explained. It took me a lot longer to read every sentence was complex from multiple points of view and I wanted to savor each one.
