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The Melting Season
by
Jami Attenberg (Goodreads Author)
A tender, provocative story about the power of friendship, the thrill of self-discovery, and the strength it takes to escape the past.
Catherine Madison is headed West with a suitcase full of cash that isn't hers. She's just left the only home she's ever known, a small town in Nebraska, after the only man she had ever known, her husband, Thomas, deserted her. She's also...more
Catherine Madison is headed West with a suitcase full of cash that isn't hers. She's just left the only home she's ever known, a small town in Nebraska, after the only man she had ever known, her husband, Thomas, deserted her. She's also...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
January 21st 2010
by Riverhead Hardcover
(first published 2010)
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I thought the book had promise, not least of all because it's Jami Attenberg and she's written several short stories and essays I really liked. It had moments that I could relate to, as a woman who was married young to a...let's call him "difficult." You know, the kind of person who has difficulty conceiving of other people with needs and ideas that exist outside of their own concepts of themselves. It's easy to get sucked into a relationship with a person like that, and I thought Attenberg capa...more
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It was a chore to read this book. I thought about giving up but then I pushed forward hoping it'd come together by the end. Nope, not really! The mysterious and "not feeling" protagonist (Catherine) stayed pretty much that way ...okay, maybe there was an implication that growth had taken place but I felt that it was one of those imagery endings that did not work here. Don't get me wrong, I don't need the ending to be neat and explained ... remember, I liked Murakami's Kafka on the Shore, ... but...more
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I cannot say that I loved this book, in so much that I loved the author. I loved the way Attenberg drove me through the chapters of a story about a bored and lonely soul who's only good luck in life, is the fact that she married a pathetic man with enough money to help her have an adventure of a lifetime when she finally get's abandoned by his sad ass. I was empathetic and at the same time curious, kind of the same feelings I had when I saw the movie Selma and Louise. If you're a meyers briggs t...more
This is a really outstanding book. I'm not a big fiction reader, so my thoughts may not count for much, but I was consistently riveted and entertained by Attenberg's story of journey and realization, most of all by her strong, concise prose style. Attenberg populated Moonie's thoughts with thoughtful observations while still noting that the character isn't used to trafficking in thoughtful observations. There's that annoyingly common compliment that a writer "really understands the mindset of th...more
So funny story... One of the ladies in my book club picked "The Melting Season" for our monthly book. As this book got stranger and wierder (and I'm no stranger to wierd) I kept waiting to figure out what this nice conservative-ish lady saw in this book containing a penis enlargement surgery, transvestite celebrity look-alike one night stands, and scores or other sexual wierdness.
When we got to the book club meeting and started giving her a hard time about it, she had no idea what we were all t...more
When we got to the book club meeting and started giving her a hard time about it, she had no idea what we were all t...more
I really liked this author's first novel, _Instant Love_. This new book has the same zippy writing, and I was sucked right in. But, in the end, it didn't quite work for me.
The premise is that a young woman leaves her husband behind in Nebraska and flees westward with a suitcase full of money but no plan. The reader gets to try to figure out what happened to her to make her go on the run. Sadly, the answers are pretty mundane. And, in a novel that is so focused on relationships, I didn't quite be...more
The premise is that a young woman leaves her husband behind in Nebraska and flees westward with a suitcase full of money but no plan. The reader gets to try to figure out what happened to her to make her go on the run. Sadly, the answers are pretty mundane. And, in a novel that is so focused on relationships, I didn't quite be...more
This is a story of a Nebraska women who flees her small town life, an unhappy marriage, a controlling mother and a needy pregnant sister and heads to Las Vegas where she briefly lives the fast life. There she confides in a women with whom she develops a strong friendship and is able to move forward and confront the life she has abandoned. The book is about mid western life and sensibilities, and at the same time delves into the world of stardom and celebrity. Although some of the people seem lik...more
At first I wasn't sure this book was for me--an Omaha woman in her mid-twenties takes a big chunck of her husband's money and heads to Vegas, staying in a few raunchy motels along the way. I hate Vegas! However, once the main character gets to there, the book gets interesting and deep. It kind of sucks you in and you can't put it down until you finish. It passed the Sonya test! Definitely a worthwhile read! I haven't read anything else by the author but will probably take a look at some of her o...more
I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed Attenberg's writing style and will definitely try reading another of her books. Her main characters were empathetic and well developed. I loved both of them and their developing friendship. For me the plot/journey was the weak point. The re-telling of how Catherine got to where she was, was a bit clunky and the description of Catherine and Valka's first encounter was a bit too "meet cute" for me.
When Catherine Madison falls in love with a boy named Thomas, the love is so complete and all encompassing that when he nicknames her Moonie it sticks so well that everyone takes to calling her Moonie. As is often the case in small midwestern towns, this one located in Nebraska, Moonie and Thomas marry soon after high school. However, the couple doesn’t get the happily ever after teenagers often dream they’ll get. Of course, because if they did why would there be a novel?
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Nov 10, 2010
Dorinda
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REad on a friend's recommentdation who is usually a good resource. She missed on this one. It was awful, cliche, trite, straining credulity and predictable. Not worth the time it took even if the author could describe Nebraska sufficiently to get you there, there was no reason to go there once she had.
There's some really intriguing stuff for many readers to enjoy here. I really liked the descriptions of the Midwest and the frostbitten scenery and people in it. The Las Vegas scenes are fun and snappy. And the storyline about the husband who wants to "correct" his small penis is a pretty unique element too. The revealing bit toward the end about the mother and her bedtime story is pretty crushing.
I really enjoyed the writing -- some passages really resonated with me, and were noteworthy enough to dog-ear the page (which is not something I do often!). The story was intriguing...however, it fell a bit flat for me at the end with some of the candid/blunt language and events.
I don't know what to make of this. I liked it enough to read it quickly, but it felt like a "how to spot an abuser" manual in places. And the structure, setting Catherine's story up as told to Valka, made me frustrated because I wanted to hear more from Valka.
There is enough carefully crafted imagery in this book to fuel a Lifetime Channel mini-series: rape, abuse, sexual dysfunction, cancer, reconstructive surgery, transgender process, girls on the run... I could not tell if the author was having fun with us.
It was an ok read, great for the beach or when you need something you don't have to think aboout. I might have liked it more if I could have related to any of it, or any of the characters but I couldn't. You might like it though, it was written well I just couldn't relate. Book clubs would have a lot to discuss if they read this but it's not for the timid as far as sexual references go.
I thought I liked it when I finished it, but when I stumbled across it a few months later, I couldn't even remember I read it. Once I remembered the plotline, I realized what a unrealized potential the story had. Too bad.
I tried to hard to like this book. I think this author is better with short stories. As it dragged on, I kept hoping the characters or the story would evolve a bit more. It had promise, but never quite got anywhere.
This was was an easy read, but just not that interesting. It starts out with some promise of an interesting story and repeated mention of secrets that we expect to be unraveled. But in the end, the secrets are ones that we've heard too many times before and the interesting became mundane.
I wanted to borrow Attenberg's newest novel from the library, but they didn't have it, so I ordered this instead. I liked it, though it really dragged for me in spots. Further proof everyone needs an editor they not only love, but one that will be harsh and make strong cuts, I guess.
I just didn't really enjoy this book. It was another book club selection and if it weren't for that, I probably would have stopped reading it mid-way through. I just couldn't relate to the characters and the story was kind of dry. Also, I felt like the story kind of jumped around and didn't explain enough in certain areas.
All in all, I would not recommend reading it.
All in all, I would not recommend reading it.
Good Book. Catherine Madison has a case full of cash after she leaves her husband. She has lots of secrets and a weird family. She meets a woman is Las Vegas and they become friends.
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This was a very good book with several lessons. It is easy to lose yourself in your love for someone. In some circumstances you have to rise above your upbringing and you can.
Maybe 2 1/2 stars. It was entertaining but a bit awkward and slow. The dialogue was a bit stilted but I'm so grumpy lately maybe I'm just being picky.
This is a very good book marred by the strange stylistic quirk of NEVER using contractions! Distracting and annoying in an otherwise interesting and well-written book.
An honest and straight-forward novel that I found myself appreciating and enjoying much more than I expected. I'm looking forward to exploring Attenberg's other works.
A beautifully told story of a woman's search for her own identity. I stayed up late to finish it and usually I only use books to put me to sleep.
Dec 16, 2009
Featherbooks
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Kirkus says "Iintellilgenlt, moving portrait of a journey to self-awareness, with meaty characters and a refreshing absence of psychobabble."
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I'm the author of Instant Love, The Kept Man, and The Melting Season, and a fourth book, The Middlesteins, will be out sometime in 2012. I blog at whatever-whenever.net, and you can find me on twitter too! (@jamiattenberg, of course.)
My essays and criticism have appeared in a number of places, including The New York Times, New York, Print, Salon, and Nylon, as well as the anthologies Alone in the...more
More about Jami Attenberg...
My essays and criticism have appeared in a number of places, including The New York Times, New York, Print, Salon, and Nylon, as well as the anthologies Alone in the...more
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