Almost

by Elizabeth Benedict

The hilarious opening of Almost does little to prepare either the reader or the narrator, Sophy Chase, for the drama of what is to come. Almost divorced, Sophy is in bed with her new lover — an art dealer and father of four young children — when the police call her with shocking news. Her almost ex-husband, Will, has died suddenly on the Massachusetts island where she left him just months before. Dazed and grief-stricken, Sophy takes off at once for Swansea Island, hurled back into a life and family — her husband’s grown twin daughters and their prickly mother — she had intended to leave behind.
In the tension-filled days that follow, Sophy’s past and present collide as she struggles to find out how her husband died, what role she might have had in the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend’s ten-year-old daughter, and how she can maintain her equilibrium. The gulf between the island’s summer people and its year-rounders is brought vividly to life in the process, as is the particular beauty of a setting that resembles Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
A story about starting over and looking back, about the pain of staying and the consequences of leaving, and about a woman’s longing for children, Almost presses us to wonder how much responsibility we bear for other people’s happiness — and who exactly we are when we’re in limbo. By this riveting novel’s end, Sophy has it all figured out — almost.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Novels, Marriage, Grief, Family

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Me: Lots of books, zillions of essays and articles. This season: REWRITING ILLNESS: A VIEW OF MY OWN. A very serious and kinda funny take on how my lifelong fear of illness collided with actual illness in 2017. I survived. I had time to think about doctor-speak, patient-speak, death, health insurance, CANCER, my husband, my friends, did I mention CANCER? I love this blurb: "As though Nora Ephron had written a book called 'I Feel Bad About My Tumor.'" --Thomas Beller.

I'm the author of the novels ALMOST and SLOW DANCING, and of THE JOY OF WRITING SEX: A GUIDE FOR FICTION WRITERS, and editor of three anthologies: ME, MY HAIR AND I: 27 WOMEN UNTANGLE AN OBSESSION, the NYTIMES bestseller, WHAT MY MOTHER GAVE ME: 31 WOMEN ON THE GIFTS THAT MATTERED MOST and MENTORS, MUSES & MONSTERS: 30 WRITERS ON THE PEOPLE WHO CHANGED THEIR LIVES.

I coach kids applying to college and grad school with their application essays at www.DontSweatTheEssay.com. Maureen Corrigan, on "Fresh Air" raved about ALMOST days after 9/11, and Anne Tyler reviewed THE BEGINNER'S BOOK OF DREAMS, saying, "The marvel is that such a sad book could be such a joy to read."

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second time I read this book, not because I thought it was that good but because I couldn't remember every having finished it. I was sure that each chapter I finished was where I dropped off the last time, because I couldn't recall what was going to happen next. And then I got to the end and realized I had read the whole book before, it was just unmemorable. The character development was stiff, I didn't develop a connection with anyone because everything was only on the surface. Ending was vanilla.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot agree with the reviews that I have found of this book. This was one of the best reads of 2019. I happened upon this author in the public library where I was actually searching for another author with the same last name. It was karma, no doubt. Read this.

Ignore the other reviews. Now to get my hands on her other books.

I read this book in one day. Could not put it down as I had to figure out the ending.

Yes, you just want to shake the main character, Sophy but give her a chance to get her act together.

Love the way she has written this book. Conversations in her head are amusing to me.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unstable novelist Sophy is almost divorced from her husband Will, whom she left at their home on chichi Swansea Island. One day in NYC, in bed with her studly lover Daniel, she gets the news that Will has been discovered dead. It seems he died a few weeks ago in what used to be their family home; no one knows exactly the cause of death. Suicide? Heart attack?

Sophy heads for Swansea Island, where she must confront her own past, the alcoholism she thought she'd left behind, Will's adult children (her stepchildren), Will's first wife, a lover from long ago whom she still regards as a friend, and the ex-lover's wife who clearly distrusts her. Staying for the most part clear of her need for booze, negotiating around the inlaws, Sophy tries to find out the truth about Will's demise . . .

The setup is what you might expect for a mystery novel, and for much of the time I was reading this book I kept expecting there to be some kind of mystery-novel payoff. As I approached the end, though, I realized I was reading something different, with quite different rewards. Elizabeth Benedict does quite consciously utilize the narrative techniques of mystery novels dating back more than a century -- I'm referring to the "had I but known" school, upon whose methods Benedict draws at the end of most chapters. At the same time she's subverting the mystery genre . . . while often being very funny, often raunchily so.

The standout character in the novel, though, isn't Sophy or Daniel or any of Will's left-behind family. It's Vicki, the eldest of the four Vietnamese kids whom Daniel and his wife Gail adopted before Gail had an accident that threw her into a probably terminal coma. Daniel is self-centered without the slightest recognition that he is so; Sophy is just beginning to recognize and deal with her self-centeredness; but Vicki offers a glorious declaration of love.

I laughed aloud several times while reading Almost, which might seem difficult to reconcile with the fact that I came away from the book feeling very much moved. It's that kind of novel.

[Daya Srinivas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure if I’m being purposefully obtuse but just what was the point of this book - it was trying to go somewhere for most of the book and then just when it was about to get there, the story got lost again.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this novel, I discovered that Maureen Corrigan, NPR Book Critic and professor at Georgetown University, listed this book among a list of six novels as her favorites for 2001. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It took me to an island off Cape Cod as well as to a life in New York City. The characters kept my interest throughout the novel as Sophy deals with the unexpected death of the husband she is separated from...

I want to read more by this author.

[Dianelw · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my mother's bookshelf...This was a fun and engrossing read by a smart and funny writer who also has a great deal of emotional intelligence. A thinking woman's page-turner from more than 10 years ago that still stands up. I liked the wry humor of Sophy Chase along with emotional honesty as she navigates the aftermath of her husband's untimely death and her own imperfect choices. Plus, it's fun to read about island life in New England.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bleh. I like the reviewer who said it was "almost" a good book. There were some things that could've been really great. Most of them...didn't even so much as fall flat, but rather, just kinda never really got going. Kinda like when you have a really lazy fat dog who just rolls over and moans at you when you try to get him to play fetch.

[Brenda]

Lesson learned! Research books before grabbing! Reviews surmised this book to be "funny" and intelligent," saying Benedict is a "flawless" writer. Benedict and her book are none of the above. I do agree on one review about her "startling mastery of language." STARTLING says it all. I wholeheartedly give this book a minus star rating and recommend it to no one.

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the last book this author wrote. This one is a bit less enjoyable. You keep thinking a deeper plot will develop but I was disappointed in the end. That said, the ending paragraph was one of the best endings to a book I have ever encountered.

[Rachel Murphree · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good. It was an impulse buy at a thrift store today and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Anne Caverhill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has it all: divorce; affairs; step children; adopted children; suicide; broken hearts; high school sweethearts; more heartbreak; dead ex husbands; cranky ex wives; AA; binge drinking; sobriety; granola son in laws; runaway teenagers; and, lawyers representing Nazi baby killers....all in one month on a New England island off the coast of Maine. Or somewhere. The author made up the island but everything else she describes rings true and is a fun, unpredictable, summer read.

[Tracy Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read- seemed to wander around deciding if it was a mystery, a love story, both, neither

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsure how to review this book, my first by Ms Benedict. Early chapters had some very funny lines, while ending chapters contained sadness, poignant moments, even bit of sociology, theology, and appealing characters overall. Toss in compelling plot, although a true mystery I did not consider it, it was certainly a quick, good summer read. Set on an island much resembling Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, with some New York City thrown in as well, we can feel and see and hear the ferry docking or the tiny plane landing, and then meet the arrivals or be met by open arms. Good writing brings us variety of emotions and memories of our own as the story unfolds. An "almost" splendid thing. Try it.

[Fred Bubbers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophy Chase, recovering alcoholic, returns to Swansea Island after the mysterious death of her estranged husband, Will. No one is quite sure how to deal with her, not Will’s family, the islanders, or even Sophy herself.

This novel is very-well plotted and once started, it’s hard to put it down until you’ve finished. Sophy struggles to discover the cause of Will’s death, the fate of the dog they shared, and ultimately a way to handle the grief of a sudden unexpected loss. We see her struggling and reaching the end of her tether.

This book is beautifully and sensitively written and it’s emotional impact sneaks up on you, but when it does it resonates very deeply.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

THoroughly engrossing and readable. Transported me to the Vineyard and all of its idiosyncracies. Narrator's voice while initially annoying, greatly grew on me and her efforts to forgive herself and find hope for the future. Great supporting characters including Henderson, Evan- the Kennedyesque lawyer and even the first wife. Descriptions were spot on---the scene with the apple pie priceless. This book might not be for everyone though as some might find the narrator and book in general to be self-indulgent.

[Laureen Nowakowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had it on my bookshelf for years and read it in just a few days. It kept my interest. It is a little dark, but has some humor and is also hopeful. It was written in 2002 but is still relevant. It was an NPR Book of the Year and a NYT notable book and the NPR book of the year. I would like to read one of the author’s more recent books.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the editorial reviews, I felt compelled to read this book. Admittedly, I felt it had a slow start, but once I got into it, the realistic details became too compelling to put down. The author has written an uncommonly intelligent novel, inserting laugh-out-loud humor in spite of the overwhelming sad story lines.

[Blaire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this novel to be anything out of the ordinary. I kept putting it down and wishing that I was reading something more absorbing. I sort of disliked the protagonist, but have to admit that she was believable. As the novel neared its conclusion it picked up a bit. Meh.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an engaging read that was both intelligent and interesting. It was not predictable nor cliche. I would highly recommend it.

[Alana Cash · Rating 1 out of 5]

When this book begins, Sophy who left her husband (Will) 3 weeks before is involved in a sexual relationship with a man (Daniel) that she met in AA. The author makes the point over and over that Sophy enjoys sex with Daniel, and there is an attempt at erotic writing that is weak. Sophy is glib and shallow. She became distinctly unlikable when she referred to Daniels adopted Vietnamese children as "imports." Later on we're supposed to believe she cares about them. What?

There's a lot of name-dropping of places in Manhattan which seems like an attempt at establishing "place" - Dean & DeLuca and a description of stores she sees out of a cab window reads like YouTube video. I'm not there. What are the sounds, the smells, the weather, the people on the street, the cracked worn sidewalks? What is her New York like? Just a bunch of store names.

Then Will dies. There has been no explanation or background of Sophy's marriage and so I was surprised that she was distressed instead of relieved. She didn't love him - that's all we know. So when she goes off the wagon on account of "grief" it just doesn't ring true. Did she ever care about Will? How about we learn some of that and also why she stopped caring? She seems heartless.

Quite honestly, not one of the characters is well developed and the most appealing and real character appears very late in the book - Crystal - and has a marginal role in it. Crystal has a great line: "You remember the last time you wanted all the doors open so the sun could shine on youre life? I sure don't."

The dialogue and actions of the rest of them could be interchangeable. And, I kept waiting for a plot.

[Victoria Hepler · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The sun was shining, and there, right there on the side of the road, was a flower stand, a homemade wooden table covered with painted tins of lupine and cream-colored roses. For a few minutes on that sun-drenched road, I believed that God might be working her magic.”

This was a $2 Goodwill find and I am DETERMINED to read the few physical books I have before moving!

This book was placed in the category “Women’s Fiction” which already put a bad taste in my mouth. What is women’s fiction? Like, what does that even mean??

This book was a snoozer. It followed Sophy, a middle aged woman going through a climatic period of her life while we watched. Sophy was an enjoyable FMC but the story wasn’t original and most of the characters fell extremely flat for me. This book lacked substance and lacked growth. I felt like I read but didn’t consume anything. Does that make sense? Regardless, the best part of this book was holding a physical book, lol.

Women’s fiction did exactly what I thought it would - disappoint.

I give Almost ⭐️⭐️.75 stars.

[Marion · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a review of this book somewhere which said it was 'almost' a good book. Sorry to say, I agree.
The premise was kind of interesting, but somehow I just didn't find the characters to be particulalrly interesting or well drawn enough to make me care about them. So, all in all - seemed kind of flat.

While in bed with her lover, Sophy gets a phone call informing her that her almost ex-husband has been found dead. Sophy, a struggling novelist and ghost writer living in New York City, returns to Swansea, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, where she had lived with her almost ex-husband Will. There, she must deal with unraveling a number of mysteries and unanswered questions about Will and his rather sudden death. In the process, she has to deal with friends, a former lover, her two adult step children and Will's ex wife.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I really want this book to have three stars, but it wasn't a two-star, so....

First of all, Sophy wasn't someone I could relate to or connect with. In fact, there really wasn't anyone in the book that was. The characters were, at best, two-dimensional. It seemed like the most interesting character would have been Will, but he was dead, and we didn't learn much about him except that he seemed to be pretty depressive. I bet he'd have been interesting if developed more fully.

There was some good handling of language, but overall, the story was pretty 'meh' for me. I wanted an ending with more punch. I wanted answers. I wanted little mysteries solved. Didn't seem to happen.

Move ahead!

[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually don’t want a book to end but in this case I couldn’t wait for it to end. This was the most depressing story I’ve ever read. It contained nothing but death, alcoholism, and adultery. I couldn’t warm up to any character because we never got to know any of them. Such a depressing story. I really didn’t want to finish reading it but I will always finish what I started, mostly with the hopes that it will get better. It finally did in the absolute last chapter. The only part of the story that was not depressing.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and unexpected. The main character is a writer whose post separation fling is disrupted by an emergency involving her soon to be ex husband. Love some of her descriptions. Best thing about the book is Benedict's command of the voice of the main character--am in awe of her capacity for details that make this story so real. For example, she describes the earrings of her husband ex as hanging like gold fists on her earlobes. Would read another by her.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was an easy read but seemed less predictable than some books…meandering at times, much like someone telling you over coffee about the crazy recent events in her life. The gun on the wall doesn’t necessarily go off after intermission, but it is enjoyable all the same.

And for a book about death (no spoiler, pretty sure it’s on the jacket) and other serious themes, I didn’t find it terribly dark.

[Bostonlotus · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just horrible. The mystery that never was. Not ALMOST-was. NEVER-was. Sophy was a bitch to everybody around her, especially the only two people who loved her - Will and Vicki. She was self-centered and destructive. I hated her (and everybody but Vicki) the whole time. This book was terrible, from the writing, to the characters, to the total lack of plot. SKIP IT!!!!

[Jen Strachan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I get bored if the main character is too introspective. This was a bit of an issue with this book since she is looking at how her life has unfolded since she left her husband. I debated rating this higher since I sometimes think the introspective might be my issue? I do like how Sophy comes around at the end and realizes she needs to figure out who SHE is.

[jenna tregear · Rating 2 out of 5]

i got this as a “blind date” mystery book from a local bookshop and im kinda sad cus i had high hopes but there were four main conflicts and when i tell u not a single one of them was solved in the end? and there’s no sequel? literally theres a death and the whole time ur unsure if its murder or suicide and in the EPILOGUE it says the autopsy was inconclusive. like ??? okay?

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't always sure where we're supposed to be tonally with this novel about grief, loss, adultery, parenting, depression, and aging --- not exactly a list of hilarious topics, to be sure, and yet the novel didn't sit squarely in the realm of black comedy, either. So a bit of a puzzler, much like the puzzles the protagonist seeks to solve.