Book Review | Book Chatter

Same As It Ever Was
By Claire Lombardo
Doubleday Books, 9780385549554, June 2024, 512pp.

The Short of It:

One of the most frustratingly, endearing reads I’ve ever read.

The Rest of It:

Let me explain that sentence above. Julia Ames walks us through her life as a married mother of two. She includes it all, the doubts, the flaws, the insecurities. We meet her as a young woman, and then a married woman and then a mom. We are taken back and forth in time to when it was good, and when it wasn’t great. And how a brief slip of common sense sends her down a disastrous path. But does it?

It took me a really long time to read Same as it Ever Was. The back and forth nature of the storytelling is necessary but also a bit exhausting. Julia is a frustrating character. She second-guesses too much. There is a lot of internal dialogue as she navigates life and basically, everyday interactions. Sometimes I wanted to shake her and tell her to be more confident but then other times, you just want to give her a hug because she is the definition of a hot mess.

Julia is deeply flawed but also relatable. Her flashbacks of raising her children reminded me of my own experiences raising tiny humans. The overall not-knowing if what you are doing is right, or if you could be doing it better. Her relationship with her husband Mark, is tenuous at best. So there’s not a lot of encouragement going on there.

What is the story about? LIFE. It’s about leaving your single self to become part of something larger. It’s about all the missteps you take as you figure out the kind of life you want to live. It’s about mistakes, forgiveness, and the people who come into your life to help you navigate the ups and downs.

Lombardo’s writing is clear and authentic. Genuine, you could say. As I was reading, there were a million moments where I caught myself saying, “I get it.” Especially the sections about Julia’s adult children and their evolution from sweet toddlerhood to moody teens. It all made me a little sad though, that empty nest thing and the “what’s next?” aspect of life. Life is a series of next steps and this story is entirely that.

As you get towards the end of the story, there is a lot going on, so many feelings as Julia figures out how to interact with her very difficult mother, I mean, who can’t relate to that? But the awkwardness and sarcasm hits you before the sense of loneliness and loss does. This section felt a little long. Perhaps, because it was uncomfortable.

This is not a story you will love. It’s not that kind of story but it’s a story you will appreciate, no matter what stage of life you are currently in.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls
By Haruki Murakami
Knopf, 9780593801970, November 19, 2024, 464pp.

The Short of It:

Dreamlike. Ethereal.

The Rest of It:

Murakami’s books are always thought-provoking and often serve as a palate cleanser for me because they are so different from most books. The City and Its Uncertain Walls is no different in that regard.

This is a story involving two worlds. One is seemingly reality, the other a simpler existence behind a large wall. In this other world people must give up their shadows to exist there, unicorns roam free only to die from the harsh elements. Dreams are read by a Dream Reader.

This is an odd story. There is a quest to find truth, and also a love story split between two worlds. Lovers of libraries will find comfort in these pages because this town, enclosed by a wall centers around a library, a very special one.

Murakami fans might recognize this story as it began as a short story but there are many references to previous books. Mentions of a “well” a la The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, and The Strange Library. Murakami is known to include these essentials in his stories:

Cats (there are a few mentions of cats, none talking though)
Ears (Murakami has a thing for ears. He describes them just so)
Women’s fashion. Attention to what women wear.
Lonely, everyman type of character
Mysterious worlds

The one thing that stood out to me is the mention of the pandemic. Many of my favorite novelists, Stephen King included have included the pandemic in their storytelling. I mean, it was such a critical point in our lives, how can you not? But this mention of it was interesting because the wall that surrounds this town, forces them into isolation, much the same way that the pandemic did. It DID seem very surreal, those pandemic years.

I was talking to another blogger about this book. Nadia, and I love Murakami but at 16 chapters in, I reached out to her. This one seemed a little different and it was taking me a while to get into it. Initially, the alternating chapters were challenging because I wasn’t able to discern who was speaking. The two main characters are nameless and since the story bounces between two worlds, I felt that it was a little hard to get to know them. Eventually, I did but it wasn’t until about chapter 36 or so.

Murakami fans wait so long for new books because the translation process usually takes two plus years, so when a book drops, we jump on it! I was lucky enough to snag a review copy but this book releases on November 19th.

My fave Murakami book to date is Kafka on the Shore but by the time I got to the last page of this one, I was smitten and already missing that strange world.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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