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Fates and Furies

Lauren Groff

Discussion: April, 2016: Female Author

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April, 2016: Female Author

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By Anita · 1 post · 58 views

last updated Apr 01, 2016 04:30AM

Their Eyes Were Watching God - 3.5 stars
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last updated May 19, 2016 07:02PM

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What Members Thought

Aug 31, 2016 Michael rated it liked it

Shelves: theater, new-york-city, fiction, family-relationships, mythology

Two versions of a storybook marriage with a tragically different take. Lancelot/Lotto arises from a woman who played a mermaid for Florida tourists, thrives on charisma and charm in college, and is struck by love at first sight for Mathilde after a triumphant performance of a Shakespeare play. After many years with Mathilde as a helpmate and muse, he finds success as a playwrite. Late in the game another version of their life comes to us from Mathilde’s perspective. Was she right to keep her sec ...more

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Dec 02, 2015 Liz rated it liked it

Shelves: book-clubs

I can't figure out if I like this book or not. Parts of it were so well written and others parts scream pretentious. My feelings about both characters were all over the map. An odd, odd book about a marriage built on lies. ...more

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May 29, 2017 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: concierge, strong-women, library, book-club, audio, florida, relationships, literary-fiction, new-york

Audiobook performed by Will Damron and Julia Whelan

From the book jacket: They meet in the final months of college, and by graduation, they have married. It’s 1991. …A decade or so later, though, Lotto and Mathilde are on their way. He is a world-famous playwright, she is integral to his success. Their life and marriage are the envy of friends, the very definition of successful partnership.

My Reactions
Well I certainly didn’t see THAT coming! I don’t read the book jacket summaries before reading a Audiobook performed by Will Damron and Julia Whelan

From the book jacket: They meet in the final months of college, and by graduation, they have married. It’s 1991. …A decade or so later, though, Lotto and Mathilde are on their way. He is a world-famous playwright, she is integral to his success. Their life and marriage are the envy of friends, the very definition of successful partnership.

My Reactions
Well I certainly didn’t see THAT coming! I don’t read the book jacket summaries before reading a book-club selection, so had no warning of “an explosive twist” other than the title.

The book is told by the two central characters. Lancelot / Lotto tells their story in the first section: Fates. Groff is masterful building these characters, with qualities that draw the reader into their circle. They are young, in love, each other’s champion against the world. Mathilde never stops believing in Lotto, encouraging him, supporting them with her small gallery job as he struggles as an actor. When his mother cuts them off, Mathilde makes sure Lotto’s Aunt Sallie and little sister, Rachel, are welcomed for annual visits. She hosts parties for their friends, and includes his childhood buddy Chollie, who seems not much more than a moocher. They are a devoted couple. Apparently.

One revelation breaks the bond. Forcing first Lotto, and then Mathilde to examine their relationship.

When Mathilde takes over narrating in the Furies section the truths and lies tumble one after another, leaving this reader reeling. Every single character’s “other side” is revealed. No one and nothing is what it seemed at first. By the end I’m left feeling battered and bruised and stunned. I want to start reading it again from the beginning so I can pick up any clues Groff may have buried.

Will Damron and Julia Whelan are perfect in performing the audio version. I absolutely believed in their characters, was drawn in and held captive from beginning to end.

Readers take note: There is considerable sex in the book, some of it disturbing.
...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Kristel rated it really liked it

Shelves: f2f-bookclub-books

Back to write more later but I found this book full of flawed people, a lot of sexual content but overall, well written story however a little unbelievable as well. Bookclub read so I will wait until after we meet to discuss the book.

A story of a marriage with the overtones of a Greek tragedy (Fates) (Furies). Fates is the story of the marriage from the man's point of view and Furies from the woman's. I feel bad because I really disliked the woman. I thought she was awful but then I realize tha ...more

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Jul 19, 2016 Raine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: abandonment, goal-65-books-in-2016-read, polarization, marriage

FATES AND FURIES is the story of a marriage. The couple are polar opposites in their true persons but they really don't know everything about the other person. I enjoyed this book because of the different perspectives from each person involved.

Lancelot (Lotto) is a southern boy who was banished to boarding school as a teenager because of some teen acts. He stays in the north and after college meets Mathilde, who is the partner with the true secrets that no one would have guessed. Her true story ...more

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Apr 10, 2016 Bobbi rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction

I really don't know what the hype was about this book. The writing was good, I'll give it that. This book is about a marriage, about two people trying to find themselves, each with a dysfunctional young life. I got so sick of the sex; it was like a movie that uses f--- in every other sentence. Pretty soon that's all you can hear. These people have sex, think about sex, speak about sex. I kept reading, however, hoping that I'd the later portion would bring it all into focus, and it did, hence 3 s ...more

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Mar 10, 2017 Alishia rated it liked it

In a nutshell Fates and Furies is the story of a marriage. There are moments that we can all identify in this marriage...time of struggle, joy, and wanting the please the other; there are also, however dark secrets and and two people telling the same story from very different lenses.

Essentially the story is told in two parts "Fates", which mainly comes from the perspective of the man, Lotto; and "Furies" that comes from the perspective of the woman, Mathilde. Our narrators start of similar to Ro In a nutshell Fates and Furies is the story of a marriage. There are moments that we can all identify in this marriage...time of struggle, joy, and wanting the please the other; there are also, however dark secrets and and two people telling the same story from very different lenses.

Essentially the story is told in two parts "Fates", which mainly comes from the perspective of the man, Lotto; and "Furies" that comes from the perspective of the woman, Mathilde. Our narrators start of similar to Romeo and Juliet, they are intense and impulsive leading to a quick marriage.

Lotto is charismatic and popular, while Mathilde is beautiful and enigmatic; and even though this story is set in the nineties something about it kept putting my mind in a much older place. Perhaps is was the tone of the "kept wife" in the first half, in the end I am not sure, but I never in my mind placed them in the modern setting although the years were mentioned.

I have always been drawn to novels with damaged women, women who turn the story on it's head and lead you directions you did not expect. This novel is no exception to that, however I find it misplaced when it is compared to "Gone Girl" as I have seen it done so many times. True, Mathilde is manipulative, and with out giving any direct spoilers away, also a resourceful liar; Groff tries to pull sympathy from the reader for much of Mathilde's past. In the end I simply found Lotto to be a self centered jerk and her to be a pathetic and mean hearted liar.

I truly wanted to like this book, the writing is very good and the plot had a lot of promise that always ended leaving me frustrated. As silly as it is, the one thing I actually liked was the ending. I felt everything wrapped up very nicely in a way that was slightly redeeming.

Without giving anything away what I can say is nothing in the lives of these two is truly as it seems...who is a good friend or spouse may not always be what it

For more of my reviews please see my blog: alishiamarie.com ...more

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Oct 31, 2016 Becky rated it it was ok

I wanted to like this book so much. Based on the reviews and the topics, I thought it would be one of those books that worked for me. I love the idea that there can be two totally different sides to one shared story, which we get by seeing events play out first from Lotto's perspective and then from his wife Mathilde's perspective. I applaud the construction of this book, and how it makes you think about your own assumptions of what happens in a relationship, and why, and even how the flow of th ...more

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Jan 30, 2016 Kim rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

I found it to be beautifully and interestingly written, although I didn't get fully "into" the book until about 100 pages in. A little slow, redundant. After that I was fully absorbed and couldn't put it down nice I got to the second half. ...more

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Jan 31, 2017 Tamie rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-club

(bookclub) I really liked this book. It was really long. The character development was unbelievable. I loved the two book concept. The second book made the first book so much more interesting. Brought up moral dilemnas and choices at life's crossroads in a way that I will be thinking about for a long time. If you like long books, this is a good one that really keeps your attention. ...more

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