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We Only Know So Much
Jean Copeland, an emotionally withdrawn wife and mother of two, has taken a secret lover—only to lose him in a moment of tragedy that leaves her reeling. Her husband, Gordon, is oblivious, distracted by the fear that he's losing his most prized asset: his memory. Daughter Priscilla (a pill since birth—don't get us started) is talking about clothes, or TV, or whatever, and...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
June 12th 2012
by Harper Perennial
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Well, I know enough.
We Only Know So Much tells the story of the Copeland family - a seemingly happy family of 6 comprising of four generations - all living in the same house. The story is told from each character's point of view, and they are presented, flaws and all, very humanly and honestly. The characters appear as stereotypes but as the novel progresses we get deeper insight into each of their lives, from nine year old Otis to ninety-eight year old Vivian, and the others in between.
The novel embodies what I di...more
The novel embodies what I di...more
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Former Chicagoan Elizabeth Crane is just a little too good a personal friend for me to claim I could do an "objective" review of her newest book, last year's We Only Know So Much (BONUS: Listen to my 2007 podcast interview with Crane); but I wanted to get a mention of it up here anyway because I enjoyed it...more
Former Chicagoan Elizabeth Crane is just a little too good a personal friend for me to claim I could do an "objective" review of her newest book, last year's We Only Know So Much (BONUS: Listen to my 2007 podcast interview with Crane); but I wanted to get a mention of it up here anyway because I enjoyed it...more
This novel shows familial struggles so well from inside all sides you get to thinking: man, why doesn't Jean leave her husband Gordon, they're just miserable and can't even relate to each other, they're so wrapped up in their own struggles -- and then you think yeah, they have kids, so it's complicated, and they did care for each other, it was a long, slow progression of getting to this place, maybe they can get out of it, but then just no, sometimes relationships outgrow their potential for pos...more
We Only Know So Much is a wonderful book, bursting with heart and wit. This is one of those books where you will laugh over and over because so much of the story of the Copeland family is so open and honest and human.
Crane was really effective in showcasing the concerns of each family member--Gordon, the loquacious, self-involved, deeply distracted father, Jean, the mother mourning the suicide of her lover, Priscilla, the bitchy daughter, trying to figure out what she's going to do with her lif...more
Crane was really effective in showcasing the concerns of each family member--Gordon, the loquacious, self-involved, deeply distracted father, Jean, the mother mourning the suicide of her lover, Priscilla, the bitchy daughter, trying to figure out what she's going to do with her lif...more
Cannot even express how much I enjoyed this writing style. It flowed so freely & fluidly. If not for the chapter breaks, I probably would have read this book in one sitting, that's how difficult it was to put down.
The story centers around the various members of the Copeland family. There's Gordon - the dad, a kind of know-it-all, although he means well; Jean - the mom, a good person but a little preoccupied with her own issues as of late; Priscilla - the bitchy fame obsessed daughter; Otis -...more
The story centers around the various members of the Copeland family. There's Gordon - the dad, a kind of know-it-all, although he means well; Jean - the mom, a good person but a little preoccupied with her own issues as of late; Priscilla - the bitchy fame obsessed daughter; Otis -...more
Add a star for not following the formula of adultery novels. Take away a star for the precocious kid who doesn't have words for all he understands; I wanted more from him than he was allowed in his story of not understanding what his mother told him and having that elementary school first love. Add stars for compassion for characters lacking self-awareness. Add two stars because her short stories have made me life-long loyal and this disconfirmed my hypothesis that people who can really do short...more
I didn't hate this book, but I also didn't love it. It left me feeling "meh." There were parts that I really like. I liked Otis and his ill-fated love with Caterina, lover of jelly beans. I liked Theodore, and his relationship with Pricilla. I do think that much of this book is witty and funny. I'm just not sure what it's all supposed to add up to (or what we're to make of that move towards magical realism (maybe? I'm not even sure) at the end that seems to come out of nowhere. Really, no one wi...more
We Only Know So Much is a wonderful book, bursting with heart and wit. This is one of those books where you will laugh over and over because so much of the story of the Copeland family is so open and honest and human.
Crane was really effective in showcasing the concerns of each family member--Gordon, the loquacious, self-involved, deeply distracted father, Jean, the mother mourning the suicide of her lover, Priscilla, the bitchy daughter, trying to figure out what she's going to do with her lif...more
Crane was really effective in showcasing the concerns of each family member--Gordon, the loquacious, self-involved, deeply distracted father, Jean, the mother mourning the suicide of her lover, Priscilla, the bitchy daughter, trying to figure out what she's going to do with her lif...more
What would we do without the ill functioning family as we know it today? We'd certainly have much less material to draw from to create fanstastically entertaining stories that might just make you feel better about your own, or at least not feel like you are the only one.
Meet the Copelands. We have four generations of characters here ranging from matriarch, Vivian and her son, Theodore to his son, Gordon, and his wife Jean, and then their kids, Priscilla and youngest Otis.
Elizabeth Crane takes u...more
Im not even too sure what to think about this book.. I loved the writing style and I found the characters to be interesting most of the time. in the end though the book really is about nothing! just follwos the life of a family over time. I thought it ended entirely too aburptly. like the author got bored with their own thoughts. however the characters were developed well. I liked the daughter the most. just because she is exactly what I think most misguided youth are today. she just cares about...more
I loved Crane's earlier works. With this book, I thought it was fine but not quite up to her usual standards for the first two-thirds. But the characters slowly took form and, by the end, I was sad to say goodbye to them. In assessing my lukewarm appraisal of this book, I should admit that I loved Crane's young, manic voice but that was not necessarily going to be (nor should be) sustainable and that the shift towards a more family-oriented plot and voice ended up being totally enjoyable. One la...more
I've never had so much fun reading about such messed up people. Messed up people are always the most interesting (though I suppose everyone is messed up anyway and it is just where they are messed up that they are interesting), but it can sometimes be unpleasant to read about it. Interesting and pleasant are not the same thing. Crane balances wonderfully in this book. The characters go through some real bad times with their messed up selves, but I still found the book enjoyable to read. I have r...more
I pulled this book off the "new fiction" shelf at the library, and ended up loving it.
Covering a month or 2 of time in the lives of the 6 members of the Copeland family, each person narrates chapters, so we get 6 different perspectives on their family, their lives, and their household. Otis (9), Priscilla (19), Jean (mom), Gordon (dad), Theodore (76, Gordon's dad), and Vivian (95, Theodore's mom).
I love the narration style and different voices. This is a regular odd family, everyone does truly c...more
Covering a month or 2 of time in the lives of the 6 members of the Copeland family, each person narrates chapters, so we get 6 different perspectives on their family, their lives, and their household. Otis (9), Priscilla (19), Jean (mom), Gordon (dad), Theodore (76, Gordon's dad), and Vivian (95, Theodore's mom).
I love the narration style and different voices. This is a regular odd family, everyone does truly c...more
I LOVED this book- reading about the Copeland family had me laughing, cringing and crying almost at the same time. This family is one at a cross roads- each for a slightly different reason- each wrapped up in their own personal drama that they don't see the turmoil in the lives of those around them. This first novel will be one that sticks with you and makes you want to spend more time with this cast of characters.
This is a book I recommend for any one who loves Wes Anderson's movies as it has...more
This is a book I recommend for any one who loves Wes Anderson's movies as it has...more
My full response to this novel appears here on Buried In Print.
Thanks to Tolstoy, everybody knows that each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Maybe that's not quite the same as saying that unhappy families make the best stories?
But one could make an argument for that, with Elizabeth Crane's We Only Know So Much.
"At the moment, the Copeland family is a bit at odds."
But you wouldn't know it to look at them. Nor would you suspect it from the book cover.
The cover photograph is striking, with...more
Thanks to Tolstoy, everybody knows that each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Maybe that's not quite the same as saying that unhappy families make the best stories?
But one could make an argument for that, with Elizabeth Crane's We Only Know So Much.
"At the moment, the Copeland family is a bit at odds."
But you wouldn't know it to look at them. Nor would you suspect it from the book cover.
The cover photograph is striking, with...more
a novel from a short story. and has wonderful letter to the reader and reading list and essay on the writing of the book. now for something completely different
ONE good thing about 15,000,000 new book titles
Yes, a 500% increase in books published from 2011 to 2012. And for nostalgia’s sake, in 2003 there were 300,000 titles published. One good thing about the huge amount of choice today is the prominence of fantastic new women authors. Sure there have always been some books written by women, and...more
ONE good thing about 15,000,000 new book titles
Yes, a 500% increase in books published from 2011 to 2012. And for nostalgia’s sake, in 2003 there were 300,000 titles published. One good thing about the huge amount of choice today is the prominence of fantastic new women authors. Sure there have always been some books written by women, and...more
I.
Loved.
It.
This is the voice I try to emulate whenever I think "Yea, I could write a book." Crane takes the 'omniscient' narrator to a new level. We only know so much, and she reminds us of that throughout the novel.
The Copelands are real and troubled. They each experience a change early on that carries them through the book with a burden. They're problems are intense. Their inner monologue is familiar. It's familiar not because these are common characters, it's familiar because these are real c...more
Loved.
It.
This is the voice I try to emulate whenever I think "Yea, I could write a book." Crane takes the 'omniscient' narrator to a new level. We only know so much, and she reminds us of that throughout the novel.
The Copelands are real and troubled. They each experience a change early on that carries them through the book with a burden. They're problems are intense. Their inner monologue is familiar. It's familiar not because these are common characters, it's familiar because these are real c...more
Elizabeth Crane delivers a lively and well-crafted novel dealing with the lives and times of the Copelands. Witty, poignant, heartfelt, plain spoken, and filled with a narrative voice that draws you in and doesn't let you go. Vividly painted images and the inclusive "we" narrative voice places the reader in the book, peeping in and observing, the observing leads to thinking outside of the pages. Much is stirred up by Crane's book for the readers to think about and take away to view their own liv...more
I only know so much, and now I know much more . . .
I know that after I got started, I thought what I know, I knew, but know I'm not so sure I know that much. Or was it that, I thought that I knew, I know, but know I'm not so sure I knew that much?
I know, that what I know now, is that I know I didn't like this book.
Am I talking in circles? Or am I confused? Or have what little I knew got lost reading this book?
Whew . . . glad I got that out!
I know that after I got started, I thought what I know, I knew, but know I'm not so sure I know that much. Or was it that, I thought that I knew, I know, but know I'm not so sure I knew that much?
I know, that what I know now, is that I know I didn't like this book.
Am I talking in circles? Or am I confused? Or have what little I knew got lost reading this book?
Whew . . . glad I got that out!
This book was written in a style I wasn't used to reading, but I was able to embrace it. I think the third chapter of this witty, sassy and fast-moving book is when I knew I was hooked for sure. In a comfortable, personal way, it felt like someone was telling me the story, instead of me being the one reading it. The times I had to put it aside I was wondering what would be happening next with these characters, they were so alive!
Basically an expanded version of a short story, this is a nice portrait of a "normal" Midwestern family with each member on the verge of some kind of change or discovery from their previous self-absorbed states. Written with warmth and humor, it's easy to identify with the characters and their peevishness with each other and with their situations. But they care for each other and move past annoyance to acceptance and beyond. A fun afternoon's read!
The narrative voice was satirical and playful. Basically showcasing absolutely awful characters and I had no interest in exploring the dysfunctional American family cliché. That was already done, much better, in Freedom and even then I didn't have a desire to read a book about such ordinary, despicable people. They were very flat as characters but again I didn't finish, so maybe they developed further but I doubt it.
A snapshot of this dysfunctional family includes Gordon, a bore who is beginning to feel that is mind is going, his wife Jean whose lover has just committed suicide, daughter Priscilla who fantasizes about a role on reality tv, son Otis who, at nine, has his first girl friend. Minor characters include Gordon's father Theodore, at 77 slipping into Alzheimer's and great grandmother Vivian who, at 98 remains sharp, but totally focused on herself.
I really didn't care for this book. I found out when I was finished (there are some explanations from the author at the end) that this was supposed to be a short story, and it certainly had that feel. Though the characters were interesting and lovable for the most part, there was no real story. I thought I was still reading introductions of the characters when I realized I was a third of the way through the book. The style is unique, and I think I would really enjoy this author's short stories,...more
If you are hoping for a well defined plot, this is not the book for you. If, however, you enjoy interesting characters who evolve, a unique voice, and well-crafted words, I think you'll like this as I did. I didn't love it, but it was a fun, quick read. I held off from a 5 star rating because I do like when characters find more redemption that these did, and I didn't care for some of the subject matter. Crane's voice is enviable though, which might have been what I liked the most about this book...more
Like a dollhouse or the Sims, this is about the members of a family, how they interact, their different foibles and character flaws, how they are all running on their individual obsessions and thought loops even when spending quality time together. It's a character study more than anything, with a wry, detached sense of humor and some sympathy for the emotional lives of ordinary people.
Wonderfully flawed characters; lots of funny scenes. Themes of marital ennui and infidelity; death and aging (yes, I mean to put those in that order); making it. One character stops yakking and begins painting and another blunders into success as a young adult finding her place in the world. I don't want to reveal anything but just to praise. Read.
SPL recap: Follows four generations of an American family living under one roof as they each look for meaning in all the wrong places.
I really enjoyed this book even though it was more a story of character development than story line. Would give it an extra 1/2 star if Goodreads would allow me to.
I really enjoyed this book even though it was more a story of character development than story line. Would give it an extra 1/2 star if Goodreads would allow me to.
Have I mentioned that I really really liked When the Messenger Is Hot and don't like the direction her writing has been going in since then?
Update: I have changed my rating from 3 stars to 2. I have literally stopped short in the course of my day or lying in bed at least 10 times, thinking, 'I should really change this to a 2 because I feel so very bad for all the other books I've ranked as a 3 for putting them on the same level as this book.'
In case anybody cares.
I mean, the book is just so fu...more
Update: I have changed my rating from 3 stars to 2. I have literally stopped short in the course of my day or lying in bed at least 10 times, thinking, 'I should really change this to a 2 because I feel so very bad for all the other books I've ranked as a 3 for putting them on the same level as this book.'
In case anybody cares.
I mean, the book is just so fu...more
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Elizabeth Crane is the author of three collections of short stories: When the Messenger Is Hot and All This Heavenly Glory (Little, Brown) and You Must Be This Happy to Enter (Akashic Books). Her work has been featured in Other Voices, Mississippi Review, Bridge, the Chicago Reader, the Believer, and several anthologies including McSweeney’s Future Dictionary of America, The Best Underground Ficti...more
More about Elizabeth Crane...
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Jul 04, 2012 12:21pm
Thanks, Traveller! :)
Jun 17, 2013 09:58am