I HATE sad books. In particular, I hate books that are sad because an important character – one you have grown to like – dies at the end of the book. I read, in part, to escape the difficulties that I face in my everyday life. If I want to cry, I’ll go work in the cancer ward of Children’s Hospital, thank you very much.
Having said this, I thought Firefly Lane was a relatively satisfactory read. I tried reading it once before, and gave up fairly early in the book. At that point, I didn’t know that a main character would die at the end of the book, though I admit that I suspected it. You could almost smell imminent sadness. (I thought it would be Kate’s mom, who was lighting up a cigarette every time she was mentioned.) At that time, I was dissatisfied with the writing style. It seemed too simple – almost like reading a teen romance novel. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that Miss Brooke!) Believe me, I am a cheap date when it comes to books. I am not very judgmental when it comes to what I read. It doesn’t have to be Hemingway. I never hesitate, however, to give up on a book I dislike. My motto is “Life is too short to read a bad book.”
This time, I was determined to finish the book no matter what, since it was our first Ethereal Reader book. As I plodded along, I guess I grew accustomed to the writing style. In fact, I almost felt that the writer’s style changed as the book went along. It seemed that Hannah wrote according to the age of Kate and Tully. As they grew up, her writing matured as well. Perhaps I just grew accustomed to the style.
One of my favorite things about the book was the sense of place and time. I think that Hannah did a great job of providing the feel for the decade in which the book was taking place. Having grown up in the 70s, it tickled me to be reminded about music and magazines and pop stars and fashions popular in the 70s and 80s. I read the same magazines as Kate and worried about the same things in high school as did she and Tully. I was parenting in the 80s, and being reminded about big hair and peg-legged pants and shoulder pads literally made me laugh out loud. Jen and Bec, remember when our kids “pegged” their pants?
Hannah chose to go back and forth, from Kate to Tully, throughout the book. I found this to be effective, particularly after Kate was married. It allowed me to really see the dichotomy between these two friends’ lives. Different choices and different ambitions led to completely different lives.
As the plot built, I thought Hannah did a good job of letting us see the ups and downs of Kate’s and Tully’s lives. Both characters were living the life of which they had dreamed. Both were rewarded, but each of them struggled with the down sides of their lives. Kate more or less lost her identity as she became more engrossed in her life as a mother. Tully found fame and fortune, but was always lonely. I never found myself wishing I had either one of their lives.
I don’t know that I believe that it’s reasonable to think that these two women could have maintained such a close friendship as their lives grew more and more separate, but I’m willing to suspend my disbelief in my hope that such a thing could happen. Having suspended that disbelief, however, made me feel even more betrayed that Hannah chose to have Kate die in the end. Hannah’s postscript at the end of the book indicated she wanted to use this book to educate women about this rare form of breast cancer. Couldn’t she have done that without killing her off? Argh. Besides, the cancer sort of seemed to come out of nowhere, sort of contrived.
And such a death. Oy vey! Did it really have to go on that long? Seriously folks. It really was so sad. I know Hannah wanted reconciliation between Kate and her daughter. Still. My heavens. Waaaay too long a death scene.
In my other book club, there is a woman who LOVES sad books. (It’s beyond me.) She would really enjoy this book. As for me, I would only recommend this book with the caveat that the reader knows she will cry her eyes out. I’ll take a happy ending any day.
Book rating: On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being I loved it and 1 being I hated it), I would give this book an overall rating of 6.5.
Favorite character: Mrs. Mularkey. She unequivocally loved her children and Tully. She was practical and unsentimental. She didn’t die at the end.
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First of all, thanks, Kris, for posting early enough that I can respond while I’m still at home.
ReplyDeleteI did not love this book. For me, it always comes down to the characters. If I can’t like any of the characters, I have a hard time engaging with the book. Although I agree that Mrs. Mularky is interesting and likeable, there wasn’t enough of her to make a difference. I simply couldn’t relate to the two main characters. Kate spent most of her life whining about how hard it was to be a stay-at-home mom and wife. It’s for sure that’s true. It’s also for sure that she had choices. Tully—don’t even get me started! I found it unbelievable that she was so awful to Kate, who kept coming back for more. I was interested in Kris’s comment that it was a little hard to think that these two women would have stayed friends, given how different their lives were. I thought the same thing, but I figured I couldn’t relate because I’ve never had such a long-time friend. I can’t believe that anyone would put up with Tully’s shenanigans so many times.
I will confess I don’t like sad books, and you had to know something was coming with this one. Anyone’s death is sad, and certainly every woman knows the scariness of breast cancer. But, again, because I didn’t care about the characters, I had a hard time working up much emotion over Kate’s death. (I also will say that I read the ending just days after a true-life tragedy took place, so that may have hardened me to Kate’s fate.)
I did enjoy how Hannah used the music to recreate the feel of each decade. I had those songs running through my head for days! She really did evoke the atmosphere of each time period. I do remember my kids pegging their pants…I believe I may have done it myself.
I’m looking forward to reading everyone else’s comments. I seldom don’t like a book, and when I don’t, I love hearing what others DID like about. Often, I see something I hadn’t noticed…which is the beauty of a book club.
One last comment…unlike Kris, I always finish a book! It’s because when I assign a book to my students, they better darned well read it. Sooo, when the shoe’s on the other foot, I finish my assignment.
I have so much to say about this book, but who knows how it will actually come out. I agree with both Kris and Beckie in many ways...but mostly "Oy Vey"...the death.
ReplyDeleteI thought this book was incredibly predictable. I knew everything that was going to happen years before it did. I knew that Tully would follow her dreams and be successful. I knew that Kate would work in the home for her family. I knew that Tully would always be an on again off again terrible friend, and I knew that Kate would die in the end. Even though I found this book predictable, I was swept away in the emotion...because, as some of you know, I am an emotional wreck 90% of the time. My poor husband was spared the night I figured out Kate would die. I was crying, could not breath and chose not to wake him to make him share in my misery. While he reminded me often, "it is just a book", I allowed myself to fall deep into the characters. I am like that in all aspects of my life. I get too involved and try to solve everyone's problems.
I had a hard time with the relationship that Kate had with her daughter in the pre-teen and teen years. I am really close to my mother and had to ask her, while I was reading the book, if I was a hard teenager. Of course, in true Cindy fashion, she said no...you were a wonderful teenager. Like my mother would ever criticize me. I had to ask her how she made her home such a warm, safe, and beautiful place to be so that I can do the same for my amazing children. My "Tullys" always felt my house was a safe haven, and I owe that all to my mom. I do understand how people like Kate and Tully can remain such good friends over the years because I have friends like Tully...in and out of your life, free spirits, troubled souls. The childhood bond that occurs from the experiences in those formative years that help to shape you as adults keeps you connected...sometimes for life.
At the end of the book, however, I found loose ends still untied. And I was just sad.
I would rate this book about a 6 out of 10. I don't think I could call out a particular favorite character. I related most with Kate, but was constantly disappointed in her inability to stand up for herself. I wanted so badly for her to take charge and kick some ass, but she never did.
I cannot wait to read what other people think.
Wouldn't it be fun if we were gathered together in person to discuss this book? With a glass of wine in hand?!
ReplyDeleteI'm rating this book a 6. I really thought about that number. I was torn because I never considered not finishing the book and I even looked forward to reading it each evening. But I did not enjoy the author's writing style. To put it simply, I thought it was too Danielle Steelish. Furthermore, I did not like either of the main characters. I voted for this book because I love storylines around women's friendship. This did not do that for me because of my dislike of Kate and Tully.
I did enjoy the time span that the book encompassed. I enjoyed meeting the main characters when they were 14 years old. I enjoyed watching them grow through school, college, young careers and adulthood. I loved seeing Seattle through the eyes of the author. I loved Johnny and Kate's house on the Sound. I can picture myself sitting outside there at night on the water with a glass of wine.....lovely!
The character of Kate drove my insane. For God's sake, why didn't she share her feelings of insecurity with Johnny over his feelings for Tully? And I truly believe a mother that is completely self sacrificing hurts her children by doing so. Is that what Kate wanted to mentor to Marah? Her mother didn't teach her to be that way. I didn't get where that came from.
I did see her illness coming a mile away. How early on in the book was it when she was fatigued and suffering with headaches? I think the author could have done a much better job incorporating a storyline with that kind of breast cancer.
I had to dig deep to come up with my favorite charcter. Johnny wins that vote. He really wasn't a bad guy and he did put up with Kate and Tully all of those years.
So if they made this book into a movie, who would play Kate and who would play Tully. Bec, we both like John Cusak (sp?). He could play Johnny!
I forgot to rate the book; I give it a 6.
ReplyDeleteFirefly Lane: The Movie
ReplyDeleteStarring: Amy Adams as Kate, Cameran Diaz as Tully, Sally Fields as Mrs. Mularkey, and George Clooney as Johnny (he's too old, but he's so gorgeous that it doesn't matter!)
It is funny that you are all bringing up movie characters, because that is exactly what I kept thinking of while reading...my goodness, the drama, this could totally be a movie.
ReplyDeleteJennie, I totally relate to your feelings about Kate and her insecurities, and her self-sacrificing attitude. She was an insecure teenager who would not think for herself, and let others make decisions for her. She hid in the shadows of the people she loved, and never had the courage to make it out.
I agree with Jen...John Cusack as Johnny.
ReplyDeleteJosey, you're insight of Kate makes me dislike her a bit less. Maybe I'll bump my score up to 6.5! You're so good at predicting storylines and characters in books. You did that with the book we read in Cocoa Beach. Did you think that Tully and Johnny would end up having a fling in this story? I wasn't sure where that storyline was going through the entire thing. But I was glad that Johnny was true to Kate to the end.
ReplyDeleteI did think at first that the betrayal in the book would be a fling between Johnny and Tully. When it was about Marah, I thought it made sense, considering the attention the author gave to that mother/daughter relationship. I too am glad Johnny was faithful to Kate...he was one of the only characters in the book to exhibit realism...in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteYour comments reminded me about something else that troubled me in the book. The cover jacket warned of a huge betrayal, but I never figured out really which one of Tully's betrayals was the "big" one. I thought it might be the scene in the hospital when Tully brought in the camera crew.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great point Kris. I thought the "big one" was when Tully brought Kate and Marah on her live show and stated that the show was about Overprotective Mothers and the Daughters who Hate Them. She had totally blind-sided Kate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my mother that I did look forward to reading the book every night. I did think that the book dragged on. Especially the death scene. My lord!! I kept thinking while I was reading, "Geez I've read a lot but there are 200 more pages!" I agree with Aunt Kris that it was an easy read like a teenage novel. I did get emotionally envolved like Josey. I too, feel so strong for everyone and everything in my life. That of course can be good and bad. So the end of the book did make me bawl my eyes out. Yes Aunt Bec like when you put me on the plane to Colorado, that kind of crying! I thought the sad part wasn't really that she was dying, sorry to say, but that Tully wasn't there for her when she was first diagnosed.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character was Tully. I liked her and all her baggage. She wasn't the best fiend to Kate but Kate took it. Kate excepted Tully for who she was. I liked that she ended up making it despite all the crap she went through.
I agree 100% with Aunt Kris' movie star character choices.
I thought the BIG blow was going to be that Tully and Johnny had an affair.
I rate the book a 7. It dragged on too long.
Sorry it took me soooooo long to respond,AUNT KRIS!!!
Oh, and Maggie, remember when you taught Nana how to peg her jeans? She thought she was very snappy. She really was a cool Nana!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry that I subjected Nana to that horrible 80's trend. At least she didn't have the high bangs!!!
ReplyDeleteNow that we're all stuffed from Thanksgiving, I want to point out that NOT ONE OF US mentioned the most dysfunctional character in the book -- Cloud! Do we cut Tully any slack because her mother was such a mess? It was interesting to me that Tully was always drawn back to her mother, no matter how psycho Cloud was. I guess Hannah believes (as do I) that children love their mothers no matter what. What say you all?
ReplyDeleteCloud was such a mess. Why couldn't she have been the one to die in the end? That is strange none of us mentioned her. After discussing this book has anyone's rating of the book moved, up or down? Oh, and I agree with Maggie. Kris' casting of who will play who in the movie was well done. I had to google Amy Adams and she looks just like I pictured Kate.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty funny that no one mentioned the entire reason Tully is who she is and why Tully and Kate became friends. I also believe that children will always love their mothers, no matter what. From a mother's perspective, I cannot imagine a disease so terrible it would be more important that my children. Having said that, I think that Cloud did love Tully and eventually realized that being in her life was more detrimental than not.
ReplyDeleteWell. I read this book. I am sorry I am so late to comment. It is sort of a wonder I read it at all. Heather told me to stop. I really did not like the writing and I can read some pretty trashy stuff. I felt as if there were broad sweeps of time and emotion that were glossed over. I really like to feel like I "know" the characters of a book and ultimately, I felt like I knew the shell of each of the characters. I was of course, reading the end crying none the less. I came down stairs from reading the end of the book and Heather thought I had heard bad news I had been crying so hard. I liked cloud's character and I would have like to get more of a picture of why she was the way she was. With how long the book was I was not impressed with Hannah's ability to create connections between characters or any insight. I REALLY thought the drama was going to be that Tully and John were going to sleep together. I also would have like the story to go a bit longer (can't believe I am writing that) so see what it was like for everyone after Kate died. I hope the next book has a bit more depth. Some how I think even though it is from a dog's perspective it will.
ReplyDelete