Helpful Score: 7
I had a hard time rating this one. It started off amusing, then the catiness b/w the moms got a little too much for me, but then all of the clues revealing what happened to Bernadette really picks up. I was let down by the way the story ended it felt rushed. However, Im tacking on an extra star for the simple fact that as annoying as I found some of the characters to be, I must admit they were very realistic. Unfortunately, I knew some people that behaved just like some of the characters in this book. Though this being true is not a good thing, the author deserves the extra star for describing such believable (and at times, pathetic)characters. These types of people arent isolated to just Seattle! You dont have to be familiar with the city to enjoy this read.
Helpful Score: 5
This is a farcical satire about Seattlites, and really the general pacific northwest vibe, because it could have been set in Portland with a few minor changes. Bernadette and her husband, Elgin, both grew up on the other coast with the boarding school set, then acclimated to L.A. as young adults, before fleeing to Seattle after something bad happened. (Unlike some other books that have pissed me off, this "horrible" event really was pretty horrible.)
Bernadette hates everything about Seattle, while Elgin has discovered his inner (in Bernadette's words) "bike riding, Subaru driving, Keen wearing" alter-ego. (I'm guilty on two of those three counts and working on the third.) In fact, Bernadette hates pretty much everything, except her gifted 14-year-old daughter, Bee. Since Bee has maintained excellent grades all the way through her pretentious, progressive K-8 school, her parents have promised her anything she wants and what Bee wants is a trip to Antarctica. But right before their scheduled departure, Bernadette disappears.
The book consists mostly of e-mails, letters, and other written communications between various characters, including two moms from Bee's school (who Bernadette refers to as "gnats"). I liked this best, although I thought Semple's language was far too descriptive for ordinary communications. Unifying all these pieces was occasional narration from Bee, which I wasn't as crazy about. Usually, I like precocious narrators, but Bee annoyed me for some reason, especially in the last part of the book when the text was almost entirely her narration.
Like her title character, Semple moved from L.A. (where she wrote for Arrested Development and Mad About You) to Seattle, making her a voice of both authority and hilariousness. My fellow PNWers who don't have a problem laughing at our mockable cultural traits will enjoy this fairly light, quick read.
Bernadette hates everything about Seattle, while Elgin has discovered his inner (in Bernadette's words) "bike riding, Subaru driving, Keen wearing" alter-ego. (I'm guilty on two of those three counts and working on the third.) In fact, Bernadette hates pretty much everything, except her gifted 14-year-old daughter, Bee. Since Bee has maintained excellent grades all the way through her pretentious, progressive K-8 school, her parents have promised her anything she wants and what Bee wants is a trip to Antarctica. But right before their scheduled departure, Bernadette disappears.
The book consists mostly of e-mails, letters, and other written communications between various characters, including two moms from Bee's school (who Bernadette refers to as "gnats"). I liked this best, although I thought Semple's language was far too descriptive for ordinary communications. Unifying all these pieces was occasional narration from Bee, which I wasn't as crazy about. Usually, I like precocious narrators, but Bee annoyed me for some reason, especially in the last part of the book when the text was almost entirely her narration.
Like her title character, Semple moved from L.A. (where she wrote for Arrested Development and Mad About You) to Seattle, making her a voice of both authority and hilariousness. My fellow PNWers who don't have a problem laughing at our mockable cultural traits will enjoy this fairly light, quick read.
Helpful Score: 5
3.5 stars. This is a quirky book told from the daughter's perspective. It's a compilation of e-mails, faxes, articles and letters regarding her mother Bernadette. I loved the format and really enjoyed unraveling the mystery of Bernadette. Although the ending was good, it could have been better.
All in all - a fun, quick, quirky read.
All in all - a fun, quick, quirky read.
Helpful Score: 2
A fun, quick read - I completed it in one sitting! The characters are loveable and quirky, the story is engaging, and the format is unique. Definitely recommend for a summer read!
Helpful Score: 2
This is a very good book, written in a way to hold my attention, and always wanting to know more about the characters.
Held my attention throughout the story. Also very humorous.
Held my attention throughout the story. Also very humorous.
Helpful Score: 1
Tho some of the Microsoft techie barbs were funny and accurate the whole book was very overdone to me. Hated the ending.
Helpful Score: 1
wickedly funny book with a dark humor. Made me laugh out loud alone in my back yard. Quick read. Semple skewers Seattle and its residents with a wit reserved for someone who know the city and loves it. Great summer read.
The story was good. The writing was adequate.
Silly story told through a series of letters, faxes and emails and mostly through the eyes of Bernadette's 15 year old daughter Bee. It took me over halfway through the book to really grasp the characters and get into the story. Probably helps that I lived in Seattle for a couple of years and there is definitely some inside humor that could go over ones head if they have never experienced the Emerald City. But, in the end this book is not about where did Bernadette go, but in fact how much she needed to find herself in order to help her daughter grow.
I thought this was a funny crazy book! Bernadette was a great character and I enjoyed spending time with her and her whacked psyche! I highly recommend this book!
Instantly enjoyable. Quick read. Good narrative of Seattle and our times. Quirky charming characters.
This book was enjoyable but not great. I don't know that I really liked piecing the story together through various email messages, letters to each other and different character narratives. It was also a bit "out there" as far as being realistic. I give it 3.5 stars.
Oh, my! What an outstanding book! I had never read a book by Maria Semple before and had no idea what to expect. The first part drew me in because it was laugh out loud funny and then it kept me in with its magical plot. The characters were beautifully developed and quirky. The plot was imaginative with unexpected twist and turns. I fell in love with the Branch family. I can see some of their characteristics in my family, like the humor during the bad times I highly recommend this book.
Fun, easy read that was hard to put down
Part epistolary novel, part narrated by 15 year old Bee, Bernadette's daughter. I liked this book, but felt like it took way too long to get going. From the title, one can assume that it's a book about the disappearance of Bernadette, but that doesn't happen until the second half of the book. Also, the author left at least one of the subplots unresolved at the end. A fun read, but not as spectacular as some of the jacket reviews make it out to be.
I loved this book. I loved Bernadette. She got such a bad wrap. Funny, quick and written in choppy entries that flowed well.
Written in the mind of a bi-polar, artistic narcissist who becomes an introvert as her life unravels. Not interesting or enlightening in any way, and the end was obvious long before you arrived.
I generally didn't like this book. Not for any major reasons other than I didn't think it was any good. I didn't like any of the characters but didn't feel like I got to know them at all. I had a hard time keeping track of which "document" I was reading or who was narrating. If you're looking for an engaging novel, skip this one.
Not perfect, but quirky and amusing and worth the read.
Great fun. Very inventive!
I'm always looking for an unusual and clever book to suggest to my book club, and this was it. It is a bit of a strange story told by Bee, The young daughter of a brilliant mother and father, in the form of emails, letters, reports, emails and texts. It takes place in Seattle, Washington. Another reason I liked it because I also have lived there. I liked the satirical comments about the area And Microsoft. The characters are a bit unusual and it took a little getting used to. But I liked the author's observations about Seattle, private school silliness, neighbors, women in architecture, and Canadians that added zest to the story. The book kept me engrossed, because it is zany and it will have you laughing all the way through.
Quirky and delightful
