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A major new talent tackles the complicated terrain of sisters, the power of books, and the places we decide to call home.
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Apr 15, 2011
Jennifer
rated it: 
Absolutely pitch perfect. (I would give this ten out of five stars if I could.)
This is the first book I have read that uses a first-person-plural narrative style, and it was so completely appropriate; you get the sense that this book came together with these three sisters sitting around a Pensieve after the events of this book have transpired, looking at them playing out again, and dictating the story to the author, who has set up shop with a typewriter in the adjacent corner of the More...
This is the first book I have read that uses a first-person-plural narrative style, and it was so completely appropriate; you get the sense that this book came together with these three sisters sitting around a Pensieve after the events of this book have transpired, looking at them playing out again, and dictating the story to the author, who has set up shop with a typewriter in the adjacent corner of the More...
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Jan 05, 2012
Jann
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I was struck by a few sentences spoken by the character of Father Aidan on page 305 of my copy of this book: "There are times in our lives when we have to realize our past is precisely what it is, and we cannot change it. But we can change the story we tell ourselves about it, and by doing that, we can change the future."
I liked the book and the interactions between the sisters/the sisters and their parents/the sisters and non-family members. It did seem as if some of the c More...
I liked the book and the interactions between the sisters/the sisters and their parents/the sisters and non-family members. It did seem as if some of the c More...
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Oct 20, 2011
Liviu
rated it:
Another unexpected read that I opened by chance and it hooked me, this tale of the three sisters from a reasonably normal small college town family who take quite different life paths only to reunite when thei mother's illness and some major happenings in their life (pregnancy, marriage but also messed up career and heartbreak) brings them back to their home.
A fast and engaging read with well drawn characters
A fast and engaging read with well drawn characters
4 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 04, 2012
Rosemary
rated it: 
This book is nothing like the kind of thing I choose to read. It is the kind of thing found in the "New fiction" section at Barnes and Noble, or "Literature" in other places. I'm a genre fiction sort of girl, and so this isn't something I'd have ever read under normal conditions.
But, when the Vice President comes flying down the hall to give you her copy because she's sure you'd enjoy it...well.... And to be fair, we did talk about it when we were doing the Walk for More...
But, when the Vice President comes flying down the hall to give you her copy because she's sure you'd enjoy it...well.... And to be fair, we did talk about it when we were doing the Walk for More...
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(3 people liked it)
Mar 16, 2011
Isamlq
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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(3 people liked it)
May 05, 2011
Margot
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When their mother is diagnosed with cancer, Bianca and Cordelia find themselves returning home to join their third sister, Rose, who still lives in their hometown. Bean and Cordy aren't returning to support their mother as much as they are impelled by their own messy life situations: Bianca because she has been fired for stealing from her job, and Cordelia because after years of living irresponsibly on the road, she has discovered that she is pregnant. Stalwart Rose has finally glimpsed a chance
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(4 people liked it)
Dec 31, 2011
I read about 50 pages of this. I found the unknown narrator irritating-at first I thought I might have missed who was doing the narrating and kept going back to see, but then I realized the book was supposed to be like that, that there was no one narrator; I may be old-fashioned but I like knowing who's doing the narrating in a book. I suppose this can be considered an antinovel since I haven't seen this kind of narration before. I just can't stand it. And, while Shakespeare was a brilliant wri
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Jan 28, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
This novel left me with a very good feeling of completion as Eleanor Brown chronicled the lives of 3 sisters whose lives diverge dramatically after high school. Their mother's health draws them back to their childhood town, where they finally face their futures. I found a connection with the book-reading Andreas family, for I myself always carry a book with me. I enjoyed the author's dead-on Shakespearean quotes woven into the communications between the sisters and their parents.
Feb 07, 2012
Ronni
rated it: 
This book started out great! I loved the quoting Shakespeare and the story itself told by all three sisters. After a while I found the writing annoying. It wasn't always easy to understand what Brown was trying to say. I persevered and by the middle I just wanted to know what happened. I was relieved when I finally finished! I felt that this was basically a very juvenile story and I most certainly would not recommend it to anyone. By the way, this is the first time I am taking the time to
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Jan 17, 2011
The Andreas family of Barnwell, Ohio is a bookish one. Father is a professor of English at Barnwell College, renowned as a Shakespeare scholar and more than a little obsessed with the works of the immortal bard. Each of his daughters is named for a Shakespearean heroine: Rosalind, called Rose, Bianca, known as Bean, and Cordelia, who is, of course, Cordy. His conversation is peppered with quotes from the plays--a habit all three of the daughters have picked up (Strike up the drum; cry 'Courage!'
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Feb 11, 2012
Book Concierge
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Book on CD performed by Kirsten Potter
The Andreas sisters have a father who is a famous Shakespeare scholar, and so, they are named for great Shakespearean women – Rosalind (called Rose), Bianca (Bean), and Cordelia (Cordy). They’ve grown up in a rather insular college town, where life revolves around the college schedule and everyone knows them as their father’s daughters. And they have always felt that they had a lot to live up to – their parents’ expectations, of course, but also t More...
The Andreas sisters have a father who is a famous Shakespeare scholar, and so, they are named for great Shakespearean women – Rosalind (called Rose), Bianca (Bean), and Cordelia (Cordy). They’ve grown up in a rather insular college town, where life revolves around the college schedule and everyone knows them as their father’s daughters. And they have always felt that they had a lot to live up to – their parents’ expectations, of course, but also t More...
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Jan 31, 2012
Laura
rated it:
If you don’t know that “the weird sisters” is a reference to the witches in Macbeth, please read this book and then read some Shakespeare. It’s a great read even if you’re not terribly familiar with the Bard, but it’s much more fun if you are.
It’s the story of three grown sisters who, for one reason or another, are living at home with their Shakespearean professor father and mother. Their entire lives are defined by the books they read—there’s no problem a book can’t solve—and their More...
It’s the story of three grown sisters who, for one reason or another, are living at home with their Shakespearean professor father and mother. Their entire lives are defined by the books they read—there’s no problem a book can’t solve—and their More...
Jan 17, 2012
Kat
rated it:
Oh book how I hated thee. Let me count the ways. One detail that bothered me greatly was that these girls were constantly reading, but never does the author tell us what they are reading. I like books about books about books. A book about books this was not.
Then there was the disappointing fact that these sisters were in no way weird. They WERE banal, cliche, boring, trite, annoying, and unrealistic. First we have Rose the stuffy, plain, type-A eldest sister who just needs to More...
Then there was the disappointing fact that these sisters were in no way weird. They WERE banal, cliche, boring, trite, annoying, and unrealistic. First we have Rose the stuffy, plain, type-A eldest sister who just needs to More...
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Jan 09, 2012
Jan
rated it:
If you are a woman for whom reading is like breathing, only much more interesting, you will love Eleanor Brown’s The Weird Sisters. The title refers to the three witches of Macbeth, though our heroines lack supernatural powers. They will be familiar to readers raised in bookish families, who will revel in the love of reading that permeates the novel:
“She turned to look back into the living room, one dim light behind our father’s favorite sun-paled orange wing-back chair spreading shado More...
“She turned to look back into the living room, one dim light behind our father’s favorite sun-paled orange wing-back chair spreading shado More...
Jan 05, 2012
Eric
rated it:
THE WEIRD SISTERS is about the "clash" of three sisters when they return to their parents' home in a small college town to not only be there for their cancer-striken mother, but because circumstances in their own individual lives led them to this point of "starting over." Their father is a HUGE fan of Shakespeare, named the three girls after Shakespeare characters, and often recites quotations from the bard. His daughters picked up on this trait growing up and so now they, to
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Dec 26, 2011
Tamara
rated it:
Predictable plot and predictable characters. Three sisters sterotyped by birth order - the bossy eldest sister, the slutty, attention seeking middle sister and the irresponsible youngest. All returning to live at home using the excuse to care for their mother who has breast cancer. But these three self centered 30 somethings are really just trying to avoid making adult decisions or facing the consequences of their poor decision making. The eldest is so terrifed of change that she is using he
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(3 people liked it)
Dec 13, 2011
Paula
rated it:
"There is no problem that a library card can't solve"
As a big reader myself , I loved this quote and as soon as I opened the book , it was one I could not put down as the characters were so realistic , that you could not help but be related to one or a combination of all three. Introduced in the novel is the Andreas Family , the father is a Professor who only talks in Shakespearean script , the mother who has discovered that she is dying from Breast Cancer and the three sisters Ro More...
As a big reader myself , I loved this quote and as soon as I opened the book , it was one I could not put down as the characters were so realistic , that you could not help but be related to one or a combination of all three. Introduced in the novel is the Andreas Family , the father is a Professor who only talks in Shakespearean script , the mother who has discovered that she is dying from Breast Cancer and the three sisters Ro More...
Nov 02, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it: 
I was reading reviews of this book and read one that started out perfect... First, the sisters aren't really weird.
Thank you for that, it's exactly what I thought.
If you have grown up amongst only sisters, have a literary love for books and enjoy random Shakespearean quotes you might find some nuggets that resonate. Having said that,
A literary family grows up in a small collegiate town. Three sisters, Rose, Bianca and Cordelia, are now older, late 20s and early More...
Thank you for that, it's exactly what I thought.
If you have grown up amongst only sisters, have a literary love for books and enjoy random Shakespearean quotes you might find some nuggets that resonate. Having said that,
A literary family grows up in a small collegiate town. Three sisters, Rose, Bianca and Cordelia, are now older, late 20s and early More...
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Oct 15, 2011
Hillary
rated it:
Essentially an elevated beach read for the English-major set, Eleanor Brown's The Weird Sisters is a quick and enjoyable read nonetheless. Rose (Rosalind), Bean (Bianca), and Cordy (Cordelia) are the titular sisters, who have all returned to their Ohio hometown while their mother battles cancer. Each sister is essentially an archetype, the responsible, put-upon oldest (Rose), the restless middle (Bean), and the free-spirit youngest (Cordy), and this reality does limit Brown's character develop
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(1 person liked it)
Sep 29, 2011
Mike
rated it:
I don't normally read books about normal people doing perfectly normal things, but I found this one tolerable, even enjoyable. Yes, the characters are borderline believable, yes, the story is stupidly predictable, and yes, some of the scenes are painful to read because all three of the sisters are borderline self-destructive. Still, it's a family of flawed people acting the way a family does, pull apart, come together, repeat, so I guess I found some humanity in it.
Some comments on the More...
Some comments on the More...
Sep 21, 2011
Alyce (At Home With Books)
rated it:
What’s not to like about The Weird Sisters? A book that had to have been written with bibliophiles in mind, it is filled with unusual characters and Shakespeare quotes aplenty.
You’re not into Shakespeare? No worries! Most of the quotes are easy to understand and take place in the context of normal conversations. Sometimes the girls’ father (a Shakespeare professor) will reply with a line so ambiguous that even they don’t have a clue what he is talking about. This only helps to illu More...
You’re not into Shakespeare? No worries! Most of the quotes are easy to understand and take place in the context of normal conversations. Sometimes the girls’ father (a Shakespeare professor) will reply with a line so ambiguous that even they don’t have a clue what he is talking about. This only helps to illu More...
Sep 03, 2011
Sandy
rated it:
3.5 stars. I was not totally in love with this book but I loved the story behind the book. I found myself putting this book down and being able to walk away from this book so it was not a book that kept me engaged. The author had quite a few flashbacks in the book and most of the time you were transported back in time and the flow was smooth but a few times I found myself asking "what just happened?" and then I realized that I stepped back in time without any notion of those steps.
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Sep 01, 2011
Amy
rated it:
The Weird Sisters is, at its core, a story of sisters. ("See, we love each other. We just don't happen to like each other very much.") Daughters of a Shakespeare professor who primarily communicates through verse and named each of them after great Shakespearean women, each come home after failing in life to help their mother who was recently been diagnosed with cancer. But "home" means something different to each of them, and they must not only come to terms with where their
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Aug 23, 2011
Roxanne
rated it:
I really wanted to like this book, but when I found myself putting it down time after time I knew I was kidding myself. First, the sisters were not really weird. They were immature, self-centered, mean, shallow and undeserving. Having five sisters of my own, I really did not identify with any of the characters or relationships in the book. Eventually each sister just got on my nerves. I could see the ending from a mile away. The book was packed with gimmicks.
Relationships between More...
Relationships between More...
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(6 people liked it)
Aug 19, 2011
Laura
rated it:
I've had my eye on this book for awhile, as it sat upon my boss's shelf, but with all the NAL list reading I've been doing to get a feel for my department, I haven't found the time or justification to read it, since it's an Amy Einhorn/Putnam book. One very tough gchat conversation later and the completion of at least one book by each author on my boss's list provided me with the proper argumentation to pick it up.
What was I drawn to? The title and the editor. It's strange now More...
What was I drawn to? The title and the editor. It's strange now More...
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Aug 16, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
Given that I am a fan of Shakespeare (and the daughters in this book have been truly impacted by their father's study/teaching of the Bard's works), this book was a delight to read. I was especially impressed by the juxtaposition of the language. Brown deftly navigated back and forth between truly Shakespearean eloquence and truly commonplace, contemporary and colloquial expressions.
There is nothing quite like reading one line from Hamlet or Othello followed by character comments inc More...
There is nothing quite like reading one line from Hamlet or Othello followed by character comments inc More...
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 16, 2011
Julie
rated it:
This was an interesting book; coming from a family that includes three sisters! Each of the sisters in the story come with their own set of issues, each trying to resolve them and figure out who they are, this novel allowed glimpses into each of the sisters.
The three sisters have all attempted a life of happiness with the oldest being the family caregiver, the middle child leaving home for the big city and getting wrapped up in a world in which she didn't fit and the youngest wandering More...
The three sisters have all attempted a life of happiness with the oldest being the family caregiver, the middle child leaving home for the big city and getting wrapped up in a world in which she didn't fit and the youngest wandering More...
Aug 11, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
The Weird Sisters has been all abuzz in the blogosphere and publishing industry. All the other blogger reviews I've read have spouted adoringly about this debut novel, and I can now say that I have also had the pleasure of absolutely reveling in this fantastic book as well.
The Weird Sisters (which is actually a Shakespearean reference) is a story about a family with three adult daughters who return home when their mother is diagnosed with cancer. That description, though, is too mild, More...
The Weird Sisters (which is actually a Shakespearean reference) is a story about a family with three adult daughters who return home when their mother is diagnosed with cancer. That description, though, is too mild, More...
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Jul 23, 2011
Tricia
rated it:
It was okay, pretty good even. I had to get past the weird narration--1st person plural, perhaps? The story is about three sisters and it seems as though one of the sisters is narrating, but all the sisters are accounted for, so to speak, so it was difficult to figure out just who was telling the story: "Cordy watched us, eyes flicking back and forth, watching the Ping-Pong match. 'Why don't you take off your shoes and make her happy?' Cordy asked, ever the peacemaker. 'What's the big d
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Jul 07, 2011
Icepick
rated it:
"A Cuckoo Clock Ticks Anxiously Waiting For Its Big Moment"
This was a book that I probably wouldn't have read without a very strong recommendation, as it doesn't fit comfortably into my usual tastes. I would have missed out on some excellent writing.
I actually listened to this book as an audible.com download on my recent trip to visit family for a wedding and the 4th of July holiday. My wife and I were entranced by the beautiful use of language and were drawn More...
This was a book that I probably wouldn't have read without a very strong recommendation, as it doesn't fit comfortably into my usual tastes. I would have missed out on some excellent writing.
I actually listened to this book as an audible.com download on my recent trip to visit family for a wedding and the 4th of July holiday. My wife and I were entranced by the beautiful use of language and were drawn More...
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