From the Bookshelf of Retro Chapter Chicks …

Vinegar Girl

Anne Tyler

Start date: August 1, 2016

Finish date: August 31, 2016

Discussion leader: Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu

Why we're reading this: Our August theme book, "Books Inspired by the Classics," as suggested and voted on by members.…more
[close] Our August theme book, "Books Inspired by the Classics," as suggested and voted on by members.

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Feb 10, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, author-pub-giveaways

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

When I read the blurb to the book, I thought it sounded like something I would enjoy. I had no idea how much I would like it. The book is hilarious! I have never read William Shakespeare's "The Taming Of The Shrew" but I certainly want to now.

I fell in love with the character Kate, she cracked me up through out the book. I love the way she just says it like it is and I found my self coughing at times because she had me laughing so much.

Kate lives with her ...more

67 likes · Like · see review

Aug 27, 2019 Book Concierge rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, concierge, strong-women, library, romance, shakespeare, satire, retelling

Digital audio performed by Kirstin Potter

This re-imagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series. Tyler gives us a Kate who is a modern day woman, with a job she likes (though she seems to always be in trouble with the parents of the toddlers she cares for), dedicated (though a bit resentful) to helping her widowed father run the household, uninterested in romance and intolerant of her younger sister Bunny’s obsessions with flirting and collecti Digital audio performed by Kirstin Potter

This re-imagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series. Tyler gives us a Kate who is a modern day woman, with a job she likes (though she seems to always be in trouble with the parents of the toddlers she cares for), dedicated (though a bit resentful) to helping her widowed father run the household, uninterested in romance and intolerant of her younger sister Bunny’s obsessions with flirting and collecting young (and not-so-young) men’s hearts. Their hapless father is a university professor consumed by his research. He’s had the good fortune to find an excellent and talented graduate research assistant, but Pyotr’s visa is about to expire and he’ll be deported if he can’t find a way to stay in the US. So Dr Battista hatches a plan to have Kate marry Pyotr so he gets a green card.

I generally like Tyler’s novels that focus on relationships rather than plot. But this one felt a little stilted and “not-quite-right” to me. Perhaps it was the constraints of fitting into the Shakespeare tale’s basic premise of a harridan whose father is eager to get rid of her, and who is “tamed” (read beaten and starved into submission) by a handsome, virile man. Clearly that scenario just doesn’t work in today’s “Me-Too” culture. I think she did the best she could within the framework of Shakespeare’s tale, but it just didn’t quite work.

Still, there were some scenes where Tyler’s skill at exploring relationships shone through. And I did like the way that Pyotr was portrayed – not as the bully Petruchio, but more of a gentle, if determined, person. I also liked that Tyler turned Shakespeare’s women around; the original seems to paint younger sister Bianca as the “ideal” woman – pretty, compliant, obedient – and therefore much more desirable than Katherina. Here Bunny is more of an immature flirt, not really desirable, though she MAY grow up eventually.

Kirstin Potter does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and the characters came to life via her performance. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 18, 2016 Phair rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, retellings-shakespeare, audio-books, a-to-z-challenge

What a disappointment. I began to wonder if I had picked up a Harlequin Romance or some chick-lit rather than a novel by a well respected mainstream author. It was hard to find much "Shrew" apart from the tenuous 'forced' marriage idea. I did like Kate's banquet speech which I felt was a passing good modernized parallel to the play. I do love Shakespeare retellings but would not have realized that's what this is if not so stated in the publicity. Thankfully the unabridged audio was only 5 discs ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2016 Tasha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-reads, favorites-2016

I loved this short little book. I listened on audio and it was a great production. I often forget how much I enjoy Anne Tyler's stuff. I'm glad this one reminded me and now of course I'm interested in reading The Taming of the Shrew. ...more

1 like · Like · see review