When the World Was Steady

by Claire Messud
When the World Was Steady
book data
90 ratings, 2.98 average rating, 19 reviews (more data...)
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published
1995 by Granta (NY)

binding
Hardcover, 270 pages

isbn
0964561107   (isbn13: 9780964561106)

description
In a debut novel of remarkable breadth and intimate insight, Claire Messud tells the story of two middle-aged sisters and the divergent life paths cho...more






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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 128)



Brinda
Brinda rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
04/01/08

Read in March, 2008
recommends it for: people who enjoy being depressed
i raced through this one....mainly so I could get it over with and start Into the Wild. Messud is just not my cup of tea. reading her is like going out for a drink with your highly intelligent, priveleged friend who just whines at you about their not-very-impressive problems...and then continues to look down on absolutely everything around them. One of the characters, Virginia, even admitted so much in the book, that she takes pride in being negative. I tried to think that was the character talk...more
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Stephanie
Stephanie rated it: 1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars
11/25/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in January, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Katelyn
Katelyn rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
06/20/08

Read in June, 2008
This was an interesting book. I picked it up because I absolutely loved Claire Messud's "The Emperor's Children".
"When the World Was Steady" follows the lives of 2 adult sisters by alternating sections devoted to each sister. Both are completely different in the ways their lives have progressed, but both are faced with life-altering experiences and we are shown the strength of their characters by how they react and change with these experiences.
I will say that for ...more
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Michelle
Ultimately the way I felt about this book was very similar to how I felt about Emporer's Children. The story clipped along at a nice pace, there were some characters very richly rendered, but at the end of it all I felt sort of "eh" about the whole thing. Both were told from multiple viewpoints, this one predominantly through two sisters who are essentially estranged, with the occasional viewpoints of random, lesser characters. One of the sisters I disliked immensely and would poke my ...more
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Psirene
Psirene rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
10/14/08

I loved this book. Messund writing reminds me of Pym and Elizabeth Bowen. Messund writes of two middle age sisters both finding themselves at turning points in their lives. Virginia lives with her mother in England. After a break down she is forced into traveling with her mother to the Isle of Skye. Emmy has escaped Virginia and her mother by marrying William and moving to Australia. Emmy fleas to Bali once William has leaves her for her best friend Dora. Both women must confront their grownup s...more
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Peg
07/29/07

I've read two books Claire Messud, and my primary criticism of both is that I really don't like the protagnists of both then -- I may feel compassionate towards each of them, but I don't really like them. This novel is set in both Bali and Scotland. It's easy to read (having read 90% of it while stranded on a flight from Houston back to DC), but I can't say I would have read it had it not been the only book I had readily available on the trip back home.
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Maya
08/30/07

bookshelves: fiction-2007
Read in August, 2007
Well, after Emperor's Children this was something of a disappointment, but I suppose it was destined to be, as I found that book spectacularly good. It was certainly engaging, and the pacing made it a quick read, but ultimately something less than satisfying. I never really felt as though I got to a place of resolution with any of the characters, and each of them got to a moment where you (I) simply wanted some kind of epiphany--but didn't get it.
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Crysta
Crysta rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
10/10/08

Read in October, 2008
This book moved along quickly and developed the characters nicely, but I felt like I missed the boat on something. It just didn't sit quite right with me as I neared the end.

That said, I think this does read like a first book, which it was for Messud. I absolutely loved The Emperor's Children and her other books, so she's improved with time. Read those instead.
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Kelley
Kelley rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
03/23/08

Read in March, 2008
I ended up getting this from the library because I forgot to check whether any copies of the Emperor's Clothes were on the shelf before I went. (They were not.)
I feel like I've heard that each of her successive novels gets a lot better, so this was definitely good enough for me to keep the Emperor's Clothes on my "to read list."
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Scott
Scott rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
06/27/08

She is terrific at detailed character development, but not what we come to expect with stereotypical character growth. But I think her point is that we don't really change major things about ourselves in punctuated bursts; many of us really hardly change at all throughout our lives.
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Gautam
06/02/07

bookshelves: middle-ground
It reads like a book that a post-midlife crisis writer would create, rather than someone in her 20s. She's a strong writer but this didn't work for me as well as The Emperor's Children.
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Jen
Jen rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/29/08

Read in May, 2008
Thought the parallel stories of the two sisters were interesting, but was somewhat surprised at the flat way it wound up. Liked her other books better.
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Nic
Nic rated it: 1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars
08/07/08

Read in July, 2008
Not sure why I kept going with this one, I didn't really like any of the characters, or the story much.
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Amy
Amy rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/28/08

Read in February, 2008
definitely a first novel. some parts were boring. i hated one of the characters until she fell apart.
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Sara
Sara added it
06/24/07

bookshelves: dont-care-to-finish
Read in April, 2004
loved *The Last Life* and the novellas, but I lost interest in this one very quickly.
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Josie
Josie rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
06/14/07

Read in September, 2006
Parts are set in Bali, which I appreciate. There is a very good nasty-old-woman character.
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kihan
kihan added it
11/06/07

bookshelves: gave-up
Read in November, 2007
Just couldn't get through, what with the insane work hours and all.
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Iben
Iben added it
11/13/07

Read in November, 2007
Very boring, couldn't make it past the first 100 pages.
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Mizbooks
Mizbooks rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
07/11/08

library

Really good book.
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Krista
Krista marked it as to-read
11/28/08

bookshelves: to-read


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When the World Was Steady (Vintage)
When the World Was Steady (Paperback)
When the World Was Steady (Hardcover)
When the World Was Steady (Paperback)
When the World Was Steady (Paperback)