Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Birthday present
Genre: General fiction
Objectionable material: use of F-bomb
What do a former award winning architect, a Microsoft guru, a crumbling manor house, a super gifted tween with a heart defect, a crazy neighbor who invades your property, an international personal assistant, the Russian mafia, and a cruise to the South Pole have in common?
They are all dysfunctional, quirky, struggling, and brilliantly crafted characters in Maria Semple’s hilarious book, Where’d You Go Bernadette.
Bernadette Fox’s biggest problem seems to be her rancorous relationship with her neighbor over an abundance of blackberry vines. But what starts out as pesky gardening issue, turns into a woman desperate to find herself, her lost career, and an opportunity to rebuild her family.
Told in epistolary form, Bernadette and the rag tag crew that inhabit the pages, take us on a Rube Goldberg-like journey – the reader never knowing what will happen next, where you will end up or how it will end.
Truly, I haven’t read something so different, unique, and entertaining in a very long time!
Caveat: If you were to purchase this book – make sure you have the LAST 3 pages! In my edition – there was a printing error and the last three pages were missing!!! Ahh!! I stayed up until 1am to finish this, only to get slapped with no ending at all. The publisher acknowledged that it was a manufacturing problem, and is sending me a complete copy. Thankfully, because this is a book I would like to pass around.
I never got around to reviewing this one, but really liked it. I agree....it is unique.
ReplyDeleteI've read only good things about this book.
ReplyDeleteOk, that does it. I'm going to put this one on my TBR pile. Way too many people like it for me to ignore it any longer.
ReplyDeleteThis review is terrific and because of it...I am off to get Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review!
ReplyDeleteZaira Lynn (Skagway)