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| Source: barnesandnoble.com |
The story picks up with Judd Foxman's sister nonchalantly announcing their father's death. After going to his childhood home to bury his father, along with his two brothers, sister, and mother, they find out their father requested they sit shiva as his dying wish. In the Jewish tradition, shiva is a week of mourning after the passing of a parent, spouse, sibling, or child. It consists of a lot of family time and guests paying visits throughout the week. Seems like a fair request from a dying man, although his kids think differently. Their father was never a religious man and the Foxman family is a "hot mess," to put it kindly. In one week, what could go wrong? Everything...and they know it.
I have two different opinions of this book. First, the narration is hilarious. It is first person, from Judd. So many funny one liners and his voice was just great! The narration really made the story as much as any part of the plot. I wrote down enough quotes to last me for a couple months of Sunday Sentence!
However, I think the book was a little heavy on the sex talk. I've read and was fine with plenty of books with scenes or language in them. These things don't offend me or cause me to give up on a story, but with this book I'd find myself laughing at a section and suddenly there was something dealing with sex showing up. It threw off the momentum of the funny parts for me and overshadowed scenes where an intimate scene might be needed for the plot. And even for the parts where intimacy was needed for the plot, the description was too much. I guess I felt the humor was the focus and too much unnecessary sex talk took away from it more than anything.
Overall I really liked the book, the narrator so well written I can't help but appreciate it, but I will be careful recommending it. If you are a reader who is not easily bothered or offended by such topics, then you would like this book.
Ever read a book that you truly loved, except for that one thing about it (whatever it may be)?
Sounds likeit will be a funny movie and a light hearted book to read. I am sure I have felt that way about a book before but I am drawing a complete blank right now!
ReplyDeleteYea, it will definitely be a funny movie. And they have a good cast too.
DeleteYou don't really think about sex showing up so much in a book that is essentially about a family. Though when I look back on the trailer, i think there was a fair bit of sex talk in it too. Either way, I still want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI think it wouldn't have caught me off guard if I'd had a heads up. Yes, still read it!
DeleteAnother blogging buddy of mine recently read this one and enjoyed it. It hasn't really been on my radar until now, but since I think my library has it, I might give it a go!
ReplyDeleteThe author's ability to have such a strong voice is what I loved about it. The family is sassy and hilarious and you can just hear it and see the people interacting.
DeleteI loved this book! It made me laugh. I agree about that the sex sometimes got in the way of a good thing but I definitely could overlook it. You might try "Where'd You Go Bernadette" if you liked this novel. It shares the same quirky sense of humor without the gratuitous sex.
ReplyDeleteGratuitous, yes, that's the word I couldn't remember to describe it. I started overlooking it as well because I loved the other pieces of the story. Someone else told me to try Where'd You Go Bernadette as well! I will, thanks,
Delete@Sharon wampler, yup that's life, sometimes sex gets is the way. LOL :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! Leave it to Carolynn...
DeleteA great review!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my book blog if you want to :) lillysbookblog.blog.com
Your site wouldn't let me leave responses! Something needs updated before I could sign in it said.
DeleteI also don't have a problem with sex in books but I feel like it can be overdone. What's most likely to bother me is if the I feel like the sex scenes are included in a book for the sake of including them and not because they add to the story.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's my take exactly! And that's how I feel it works in this book. The proof to me is that one specific scene was a big deal when it happened and I was thinking, "Oh something will come of this," and yet there was never any follow up of it, like it never happened. It was just unnecessary in the end. However, the voice in the writing was worth pushing through it anyway.
DeleteIt wasn't the style of writing I took issue with but a turn of plot. When I read What Alice Forgot, I almost threw the book across the room when the main character seemed to have made a major life decision (that I was unhappy with) at the end of the book. Fortunately she changed her mind in the epilogue, but for a minute there I was devastated. That's when I knew that she'd hooked me into the fiction!
ReplyDeleteWhat was the turn you didn't like? The whole thing with his wife at the end?
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