"The Interestings" by Meg Wolitzer

Mar 25, 2014 16:23

I just finished the book in the subject, and I have to say, it was not interesting. The characters all started off as teenagers with lives they weren't really happy with. They went through adult life into middle age, still living lives they weren't really happy with. I don't need every book to have a happy ending, but I wanted at least some of the characters here to be content. They author might as well have ended the book by saying, "And they all lived in mediocrity ever after. Except for the one guy who died from cancer." Below is a list of the main characters, and my impressions of them (in their own voices). Mainly because I feel like venting.

Julie Jacobson: I change my name from "Julie" to "Jules" near the very beginning of the book. I do it because I was invited to hang out with the cool kids, and the name "Julie" wasn't cool enough. I stay friends with the cool people, and I think that should magically make my life awesome. Except I'm not really happy with my job, my husband is depressed, and we hardly have any money. Even when I do take my dream job I decide it wasn't my dream after all, and I go back to my old life.

Ash Wolf: I think my family is more important than anything. You might think this is a noble feeling, but I take it to the extreme. My brother was accused of rape, and he ran away before the trial. Of course he didn't do it (because he's my brother and he says he didn't), and I hide the fact that I'm still in contact with him from my husband. I also send him money even though he spends most of it on drugs. I spend the rest of the time writing feminist plays. They're not terrible, but they're not great either. They mostly get noticed because my husband is famous.

Goodman Wolf: Yeah, I was accused of raping that girl, but I didn't do it. I swear! And even though I didn't do it, I ran away all the way to Iceland before the trial. My mom and dad sent me money, and then Ash sent some. Sure, I used most of it to buy drugs, but my life was ruined by a rape accusation. Why not have some fun?

Ethan Figman: I'm Ash's husband. I'm the one you want to root for. I was a geeky, nerdy kid, but I grew up to become rich and famous for creating a hit cartoon show for adults. After I marry Ash you stop wanting to root for me because we have a kid who ends up being on the autism spectrum. I can't handle this, and I don't even go with my wife when she gets the diagnosis. I also tell a friend I'm not sure I love my kid anymore. Oh, and by the way, about Goodman? I think he did rape that girl.

Jonah Bay: My mom was a famous folk singer, and I grew up playing guitar. I thought I was going to be a musician. But when I was a kid a man I thought of as a father figure gave me drugs, and stole songs I wrote while under the influence. But I'm not going to tell anyone about that. I'm going to brood and sulk. Also I can never play music again.

Basically those are my impressions on the main characters. They *do* have some redeeming qualities, and those were mentioned in the book, but these were my main thoughts.
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