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.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
