The Marriage Plot in Around the World in 80 Books

Nov 17, 2011 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: new-york, france, fiction, new-england

Quiet and simple, this book grew on me. Actually, it mades me rethink my (embarrassing!) decision to abandon Middlesex a couple years ago.

Now that I've had some time to mull over this book, I think it might be one of my favorites this year. Basically, it's a story of a love

Of the three characters, Mitchell was definitely my favorite. I liked how introspective he was and interested in turning his inner turmoil into positive action. Even though he thought he failed, I found him endearing and sel ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 15, 2014 Nikki Morse rated it it was ok

Meh. Had to push myself a bit to finish this, and wished I was someone who was comfortable with not finishing books. Pretty forgettable, but easy to swallow.

2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2012 Sam rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2012, reviewed, 1-contemp-literary, tournament-of-books12

I have lots of respect for Jeffrey Eugenides, but this book just didn’t resonate with me. I wonder if this is related to the point at which I find myself in life right now. Maybe if I had just graduated from college and was still searching for my identity, the themes here would've spoken to me more. I had absolutely zero interest in Madeleine or Mitchell. The Leonard parts broke my heart and kept me engaged, but probably because Leonard is speculated to be a fictionalized version of David Foster ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Katie rated it it was ok

Shelves: male-author

I was really disappointed by this book. I enjoyed the other two books I read by Eugenides and was excited to read this one. The book is about three students graduating from Brown in the early 1980s. It jumps back and forth in time, but mostly takes place during their college experience and the year afterwards. The book is extremely pretentious and for the most part the characters drove me crazy—mostly Madeleine, the only female character in the book. Thankfully, they are only characters in a boo ...more

Like · see review

Nov 25, 2018 Astrid Lim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, romance, culture, america, dramatic, contemporary, campus-life, popsugar-2018, mental-illness

Jeffrey Eugenides is one of the most intelligent, eloquent writers in his generation. He had written some "literary worthy" books, and even successfully grabbed prestigious awards, such as the Pulitzer. So.. the question is: if he writes a romance novel, do people really buy the story??? Is it any good just as his other more serious books?

Well, for me the answer would be Yes and No. Yes, because it is a compelling novel, with lots of intense moments, in depth characters and a bit twists and turn ...more

Like · see review

Dec 03, 2011 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, popular-fiction

Oh man has this book sucked me in right from the beginning. It's simultaneously making me miss the days of college when everyone is philosophizing on the experience of living and thinking our ideas are so big and important while at the same time making me happy I'm past that stage. This is also a book lovers book with tons of literary references and criticism. This is going to be a quick read. Now that I'm done I really loved it. I absolutely couldn't put it down. Eugenides captured the feelings ...more

Like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Amy Nash Parker rated it liked it

definitely not on the same level as Middlesex, although I could at least finish this one versus Virgin Suicides. I got tired of spoiled Madaline and even more tired of Mitchell's obsession with her. I did like the look into Leonard's life and living with mental illness. ...more

Like · see review