The Most Fun We Ever Had
A Novel
(Sprache: Englisch)
Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. Wendy,...
When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. Wendy,...
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Longlisted for the Women's Prize for FictionWhen Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are 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 arrival of 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: years marred by adolescent angst, infidelity, and resentment, but also the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.
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The OffspringApril 15, 2000
Sixteen years earlier
Other people overwhelmed her. Strange, perhaps, for a woman who d added four beings to the universe of her own reluctant volition, but a fact nonetheless: Marilyn rued the inconvenient presence of bodies, bodies beyond her control, her understanding; bodies beyond her favor. She rued them now, from her shielded spot beneath the ginkgo tree, where she was hiding from her guests. She d always had that knack for entertaining, but it drained her, fully, time and time again, decades of her father s wealthy clients and her husband s humorless colleagues; of her children s temperamental friends; of her transitory neighbors and ever-shifting roster of customers. And yet, today: a hundred-odd near strangers in her backyard, humans in motion, staying in motion, formally clad; tipsy celebrants of the union of her eldest daughter, Wendy, people who were her responsibility for this evening, when she already had so much on her plate not literally, for she d neglected to take advantage of the farm-fresh menu spread over three extra-long card tables, but elementally four girls for whose presences she was biologically and socially responsible, polka-dotting the lawn in their summer pastels. The fruits of her womb, implanted repeatedly by the sweetness of her husband, who was currently nowhere to be found. She d fallen into motherhood without intent, producing a series of daughters with varying shades of hair and varying degrees of unease. She, Marilyn Sorenson, née Connolly a resilient product of money and tragedy, from dubious socioemotional Irish-Catholic lineage but now, for all intents and purposes, as functional as they come: an admirably natural head of dirty-blond hair, marginally conversant in both literary criticism and the lives of her children, wearing a fitted forest green sheath that exposed the athletic curve of her calves and the freckled landscape of her shoulders. People kept referring to
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her with great drama as the mother of the bride, and she was trying to act the part, trying to pretend that she wasn t focused almost exclusively on the well-being of her children, none of whom, that particular evening, seemed to be thriving.
Maybe normalcy skipped a generation, like baldness. Violet, her second-born, a striking brunette in silk chiffon, had uncharacteristically reeked of booze since breakfast. Wendy was always cause for concern, despite seeming less beleaguered today, owing either to the fact that she d just married a man who had bank accounts in the Caymans or to the fact that this man was, as she vocally professed, the love of her life. And Grace and Liza, nine years apart but both maladjusted, the former a shy, stunted soon-to be second-grader and the latter about to friendlessly finish her sophomore year of high school. How could you grow people inside your own body, sprout them from your own extant materials, and suddenly be unable to recognize them?
Normalcy: it bore a second look, sociologically speaking.
Gracie had found her beneath the ginkgo. Her youngest was almost seven, an insufferable age, aeons from leaving the household, still childish enough that she d tried to slip into their bed in the middle of the previous night, which wouldn t have been that big of a deal had her parents been clothed at the time. Anxiety did something to Marilyn, always had, drew her magnetically to the animal comfort of her husband.
Sweetheart, why don t you go find She hesitated. The only other children at the wedding were toddlers and she didn t specifically want to encourage Grace s already-burgeoning antisocial love of dogs by suggesting that she go play with Goethe, but she wanted a moment to herself, just
Maybe normalcy skipped a generation, like baldness. Violet, her second-born, a striking brunette in silk chiffon, had uncharacteristically reeked of booze since breakfast. Wendy was always cause for concern, despite seeming less beleaguered today, owing either to the fact that she d just married a man who had bank accounts in the Caymans or to the fact that this man was, as she vocally professed, the love of her life. And Grace and Liza, nine years apart but both maladjusted, the former a shy, stunted soon-to be second-grader and the latter about to friendlessly finish her sophomore year of high school. How could you grow people inside your own body, sprout them from your own extant materials, and suddenly be unable to recognize them?
Normalcy: it bore a second look, sociologically speaking.
Gracie had found her beneath the ginkgo. Her youngest was almost seven, an insufferable age, aeons from leaving the household, still childish enough that she d tried to slip into their bed in the middle of the previous night, which wouldn t have been that big of a deal had her parents been clothed at the time. Anxiety did something to Marilyn, always had, drew her magnetically to the animal comfort of her husband.
Sweetheart, why don t you go find She hesitated. The only other children at the wedding were toddlers and she didn t specifically want to encourage Grace s already-burgeoning antisocial love of dogs by suggesting that she go play with Goethe, but she wanted a moment to herself, just
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Autoren-Porträt von Claire Lombardo
CLAIRE LOMBARDO earned her MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Prior to writing The Most Fun We Ever Had, she spent several years doing social work in Chicago. She was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Claire Lombardo
- 2021, 640 Seiten, Maße: 12,8 x 20,3 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: VINTAGE
- ISBN-10: 0525564233
- ISBN-13: 9780525564232
- Erscheinungsdatum: 25.03.2021
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
A New York Times Bestseller Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee"A rich, engrossing family saga, spiked with sisterly malice...[rendered] with such skill and finely tuned interest that it feels like a quiet subversion of the traditional family saga."
The New York Times Book Review
"Ambitious and brilliantly written."
Jane Smiley, The Washington Post
If ever there were to be a literary love child of Jonathan Franzen and Anne Tyler, then Claire Lombardo s outstanding debut, which ranges from ebullience to despair by way of caustic but intense familial bonds, would be a worthy offspring This is a novel epic in scope emotionally, psychologically and narratively. Combining a broad thematic canvas with impressive emotional nuance, it s an assured and highly enjoyable debut.
The Guardian
An assured first novel The fun well, that s in the reading of the novel, which nicely blends comedy with pathos and the sharp- with the soft-edged.
Wall Street Journal
The Most Fun We Ever Had is a remarkable first-time novel offering such an intimate picture of people s interior lives I feel as if every one of these characters is now a close friend. Lombardo has the remarkable ability to delve into people s minds so deeply that the most quotidian moments become utterly fascinating."
Ruth Reichl, Los Angeles Times
A wonderfully immersive read that packs more heart and heft than most first novels A deliciously absorbing novel with brace yourself a tender and satisfyingly positive take on family.
NPR
The big family saga of the summer, unfurling the fallout of a long-buried secret and persisting rivalries between four sisters across 50 transformative years.
EW
A sprawling, enchanting debut, this novel jumps back and forth across time to tell the story of one powerful, complicated, and utterly unforgettable family as they navigate love and loss.
Town and Country
"This
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juicy saga spans more than four decades You ll be glad this loopy family isn t yours, but reading about them is a treat.
People Magazine
[A] satisfying multicourse feast.
O Magazine
A rich, complex family saga.
USA Today
[A] brilliant debut.
PopSugar
A sharp, sly family story of feminine guile and guilt...A fun and brimming tale...Divine.
Kirkus Reviews
Lombardo captures the complexity of a large family with characters who light up the page with their competition, secrets, and worries A rich and rewarding family saga.
Publishers Weekly
A family epic It resembles other sprawling midwestern family dramas, like Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections (2001) The result is an affectionate, sharp, and eminently readable exploration of the challenges of love in its many forms.
Booklist
A sprawling drama that explores the maelstrom of love, resentment and tension of the nuclear family, and the ways in which a shared history can affect the future for years Covering 40 years of Sorenson family strengths and foibles, The Most Fun We Ever Had is a classy but juicy read that always has one more surprise up its sleeve.
Shelf Awareness
"Everything about this brilliant debut cuts deep: the humor, the wisdom, the pathos. Claire Lombardo writes like she's been doing it for a hundred years, and like she's been alive for a thousand."
Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers
"In The Most Fun We Ever Had, Claire Lombardo has given us a truly unforgettable American family. The book bristles on every page with intelligence and fierce wit. What a debut!"
Richard Russo, author of That Old Cape Magic and Chances Are
Lombardo's impressive debut is a gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory. She juggles a huge cast of characters with seeming effortlessness, bringing each to life with humor, vividness and acute psychological insight.
Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe
What a splendid, spacious, gripping novel Claire Lombardo has written. These pages sparkle with wit and wisdom. I love the four difficult Sorenson daughters, each in the grip of her own emergencies. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a gorgeous and profound debut.
Margot Livesey, author of Mercury
Remarkably alive and wise, Claire Lombardo's story of the Sorensons is a stunning vision--not just of family or love, but the funny, tender mystery of human connection itself, with all its intensity, charm, and wonder.
Affinity Konar, author of Mischling
Lombardo has a wry, often spiky humour and tightly written style that should appeal to fans of Maria Semple, Emma Straub and Jennifer Egan A moving, immersive, often very funny study of family and sisterhood.
Times UK
People Magazine
[A] satisfying multicourse feast.
O Magazine
A rich, complex family saga.
USA Today
[A] brilliant debut.
PopSugar
A sharp, sly family story of feminine guile and guilt...A fun and brimming tale...Divine.
Kirkus Reviews
Lombardo captures the complexity of a large family with characters who light up the page with their competition, secrets, and worries A rich and rewarding family saga.
Publishers Weekly
A family epic It resembles other sprawling midwestern family dramas, like Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections (2001) The result is an affectionate, sharp, and eminently readable exploration of the challenges of love in its many forms.
Booklist
A sprawling drama that explores the maelstrom of love, resentment and tension of the nuclear family, and the ways in which a shared history can affect the future for years Covering 40 years of Sorenson family strengths and foibles, The Most Fun We Ever Had is a classy but juicy read that always has one more surprise up its sleeve.
Shelf Awareness
"Everything about this brilliant debut cuts deep: the humor, the wisdom, the pathos. Claire Lombardo writes like she's been doing it for a hundred years, and like she's been alive for a thousand."
Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers
"In The Most Fun We Ever Had, Claire Lombardo has given us a truly unforgettable American family. The book bristles on every page with intelligence and fierce wit. What a debut!"
Richard Russo, author of That Old Cape Magic and Chances Are
Lombardo's impressive debut is a gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory. She juggles a huge cast of characters with seeming effortlessness, bringing each to life with humor, vividness and acute psychological insight.
Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe
What a splendid, spacious, gripping novel Claire Lombardo has written. These pages sparkle with wit and wisdom. I love the four difficult Sorenson daughters, each in the grip of her own emergencies. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a gorgeous and profound debut.
Margot Livesey, author of Mercury
Remarkably alive and wise, Claire Lombardo's story of the Sorensons is a stunning vision--not just of family or love, but the funny, tender mystery of human connection itself, with all its intensity, charm, and wonder.
Affinity Konar, author of Mischling
Lombardo has a wry, often spiky humour and tightly written style that should appeal to fans of Maria Semple, Emma Straub and Jennifer Egan A moving, immersive, often very funny study of family and sisterhood.
Times UK
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