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The Versions of Us
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The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett (June 2016 Group Fiction Read)
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message 1:
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Shirley
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rated it 3 stars
Mar 21, 2016 03:32AM
Please use this thread to discuss our April choice for Group Fiction Read - "The Versions of Us" by Laura Barnett.
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I have this on my kindle already - can't wait to get started with this.
I have an ARc but this doesn't come out in the states until May.
Mod
Uh-oh!!
Diane S ☔ wrote: "I have an ARc but this doesn't come out in the states until May."Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Diane. We've made a last minute decision to postpone this till June! Hopefully more people will be able to join in!
Shirley, that's great . I have an ARC too and will join in the discussion in June.
Just a reminder that this is our June Group Fiction Read, the thread was set up early, but this is the one to use! I have my copy on kindle all ready and waiting!
I just finished this a week or so ago...look forward to hearing others thoughts :)
Mod
Did you enjoy it Erica?
I think I gave it 3.5*. I enjoyed it but did find I needed to keep a few brief notes on the different versions to remind me.
Whilst I wasn't intending to join in with this one, I was in the library and a copy was staring at me from the shelf, it was meant to be so I am in!
Mod
Great Hales! :)
I don't know if I'll get around to this one or not, but maybe if I read my other books quickly enough, I will.
Erica wrote: "I think I gave it 3.5*. I enjoyed it but did find I needed to keep a few brief notes on the different versions to remind me."I'm about half way through and I'm enjoying it so far. Like you, I have to take little notes to keep it all straight.
I have the book, I just have to start it ...
I've started it today and am enjoying it, though as others have said the different versions of the lives are tricky to keep separate at first. (view spoiler)Reminds me of the film Sliding Doors.
I've read about 30% now, and am enjoying it - it's getting a bit easier to follow the different storylines as I read more and more. I'm intrigued to find out how the stories will develop...
Based on the above comments, I decided to take notes immediately (because I am the type of person who asks the person next to her what is going on during a movie they are both watching for the first time)
I finished it quickly - found it compulsive (I like alternate world stories.) The book has chapters on version 1, 2 and 3 in sequence for each date / period and so I found I needed to read it in three chapter chunks - if I put it down after,say, version 2 at any point I'd lost track of where I was.One fault was that the minor characters weren't well-developed. (view spoiler) Though perhaps that was inevitable in such a complex structure.
I thought Eva and Jim's characters were well-developed and I liked the way that each version of their lives had ups and downs in their relationships, rather than there being one idealised 'meant-to-be' version.
message 20:
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Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition
(last edited Jun 15, 2016 08:50AM)
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rated it 3 stars
I am having trouble sticking to reading this - the concept of "what if" intrigues me, but the various versions of Eva, David and Jim are just not that interesting, or different from each other. I think that is why the reader can get mixed up easily. The differences are not dramatic enough for me to care one way or another, which version is the best. I will continue to read and hope it gets better.
I'm now 85% of the way through this. I'm surprised that it hasn't really got any easier to read, nor do I particularly care about any of the characters in either storyline! It all seems a bit...contrived. Is anyone else finding this, or is it just me?
message 22:
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Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition
(last edited Jun 19, 2016 05:16AM)
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rated it 3 stars
Yes, I feel the same, Shirley. However, the positive idea I am taking from this book is that maybe the author is saying that things work out the way they are meant to be? You have good and bad that will happen regardless of the decisions you make - for example, a beloved child from a foolish decsion to marry the wrong person? (That is just an example - I am not far along enough to know the long term results from any of the versions)
Mod
Terry wrote: "Yes, I feel the same, Shirley. However, the positive idea I am taking from this book is that maybe the author is saying that things work out the way they are meant to be? You have good and bad that..."Yes, I see what you mean, Terry. I have finished this now and will write some more when I have gathered my thoughts.
Overall I enjoyed the book even though it was difficult for me to keep all the versions straight. I like the concept and I thought Eva and Jim's characters were well developed. What I took from the book was (view spoiler)
message 26:
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Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition
(last edited Jun 23, 2016 08:08PM)
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rated it 3 stars
I just finished - I agree, Jennifer, It seems as if certain people are meant to be together, regardless of circumstance. Or, certain souls are drawn to each other throughout time. The book was well written, however, I didn't really connect with any of the characters.
The narrative was interesting, but I found all the versions a little monotonous - each version was realistic in the way that each of our lives has it 's own ups and downs, boring and exciting times - just don't know whether I want to read about all of it.
The ending was very good,(view spoiler)
While I did like the characters , I felt at times that the book dragged on a little . It was fascinating, though to think about how one decision or another can change the course of one's life . My review without spoilers : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Alannah wrote: "My copy arrived this morning, hoping to start it now."I am still waiting for my library hold to come in...
I wish I could give you my copy, Leslie - I just put it in our book exchange at work.
Just reflecting on this, it wasn't a bad attempt at running three storylines in a "what if" scenario. I think I was expecting more - I don't know quite what, exactly - but by the end of the book I had reconciled myself to what it was - a study of three possible outcomes - neither one particularly better than the other, and I think the author was trying to tell us that when we make decisions, sometimes there is no right or wrong way - it's up to us to make the best of whatever happens, and not worry too much about "what if..?"
Shirley wrote: "Just reflecting on this, it wasn't a bad attempt at running three storylines in a "what if" scenario. I think I was expecting more - I don't know quite what, exactly - but by the end of the book I ..."Yes, well said, Shirley! That is exactly how I felt after reading, as well.
Terry wrote: "I wish I could give you my copy, Leslie - I just put it in our book exchange at work."Oh well, at least it is going to another reader. Thanks for the thought :)
As we are at the end of the month, I have decided to cancel my hold on this and try again with next month's book. Only 145 people waiting on 191 copies of that one! Luckily there is a much shorter queue for the ebook edition.
Shirley wrote: "Just reflecting on this, it wasn't a bad attempt at running three storylines in a "what if" scenario. I think I was expecting more - I don't know quite what, exactly - but by the end of the book I ..."Well said and I couldn't agree more!
Finally finished, so late I know. As I said above I wasn't planning to join in this one but glad I did. Sometimes it is just nice to read something different, I agree with all of the above and it did take me a long time to finish because of needing to go back and check things (and I haven't had any time recently). Whilst I found all the versions good, it was version 2 where they were not together that I found the most interesting, even though it was predicable at the end.
