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[Addition] [by: Toni Jordan]
Everything counts . . .Grace Lisa Vandenburg orders her world with how many bananas she buys, how many steps she takes to the café, where she chooses to sit, how many poppy seeds are in her daily piece of orange cake. Every morning she uses 100 strokes to brush her hair, 160 strokes to brush her teeth. She remembers the day she started to count, how she used numbers to organize her adolescence, her career, even the men she dated. But something went wrong. Grace used to be a teacher, but now she's surviving on disability checks. According to the parents of one of her former students, "she's mad."
Most people don't understand that numbers rule, not just the world in a macro way but their world, their own world. Their lives. They don't really understand that everything and everybody are connected by a mathematical formula. Counting is what defines us . . . the only thing that gives our lives meaning is the knowledge that eventually we all will die. That's what makes each minute important. Without the ability to count our days, our hours, our loved ones . . . there's no meaning. Our lives would have no meaning. Without counting, our lives are unexamined. Not valued. Not precious. This consciousness, this ability to rejoice when we gain something and grieve when we lose something—this is what separates us from other animals. Counting, adding, measuring, timing. It's what makes us human.
Grace's father is dead and her mother is a mystery to her. Her sister wants to sympathize but she really doesn't understand. Only Hilary, her favorite niece, connects with her. And Grace can only connect with Nikola Tesla, the turn-of-the-twentieth-century inventor whose portrait sits on her bedside table and who rescues her in her dreams. Then one day all the tables at her regular café are full, and as she hesitates in the doorway a stranger—Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (19 letters in his name, just like Grace's)—invites her to sit with him. Grace is not the least bit sentimental. But she understands that no matter how organized you are, how many systems you put in place, you can't plan for people. They are unpredictable and full of possibilities—like life itself, a series of maybes and what-ifs.
And suddenly, Grace may be about to lose count of the number of ways she can fall in love.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Toni Jordan
28 books316 followershttps://www.tonijordan.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authortonijo...
Toni Jordan has worked as a molecular biologist, quality control chemist, TAB operator and door-to-door aluminium siding salesperson.
She is the author of six novels including the international bestseller Addition, which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, Nine Days, which was awarded Best Fiction at the 2012 Indie Awards and was named in Kirkus Review's top 10 Historical Novels of 2013, and Our Tiny, Useless Hearts, which was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.
Toni has been published widely in newspapers and magazines.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in physiology and a PhD in Creative Arts.
Toni lives in Melbourne.
https://www.facebook.com/authortonijo...
Toni Jordan has worked as a molecular biologist, quality control chemist, TAB operator and door-to-door aluminium siding salesperson.
She is the author of six novels including the international bestseller Addition, which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, Nine Days, which was awarded Best Fiction at the 2012 Indie Awards and was named in Kirkus Review's top 10 Historical Novels of 2013, and Our Tiny, Useless Hearts, which was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.
Toni has been published widely in newspapers and magazines.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in physiology and a PhD in Creative Arts.
Toni lives in Melbourne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 731 reviews
April 6, 2013
This wee gem has been on my Aussie author radar for some time (Marianne our/my own Whisperer spoke of this unique novel a long time ago). It is also one of the first books ever added to this site when I joined years ago. So in my own little way I can say I'm working on my Tbr. Doubtful, Suz.
Quirky it was. Grace (19 letters in her full name) has a number issue. Counting counting counting. OCD to the extreme, and she even has a partner in crime, Mr Nikola Tesla. He sits by her bedside, waxed moustache and all. This book is full of fact, and most entertaining fiction. Grace is a very likeable character, and I loved the journey she made, beginning with the handsome, totally understanding and endearing Seamus O'Reilly (again 19).
Loved loved loved loved it, Grace still ended up counting her poppy seeds et all, but on her terms. Toni Jordan has written a beautiful and just simply a lovely story, and in my opinion a sparkling debut. Please let me count on you to give it a whirl, I promise you a whole lot of quirk and special!
Quirky it was. Grace (19 letters in her full name) has a number issue. Counting counting counting. OCD to the extreme, and she even has a partner in crime, Mr Nikola Tesla. He sits by her bedside, waxed moustache and all. This book is full of fact, and most entertaining fiction. Grace is a very likeable character, and I loved the journey she made, beginning with the handsome, totally understanding and endearing Seamus O'Reilly (again 19).
Loved loved loved loved it, Grace still ended up counting her poppy seeds et all, but on her terms. Toni Jordan has written a beautiful and just simply a lovely story, and in my opinion a sparkling debut. Please let me count on you to give it a whirl, I promise you a whole lot of quirk and special!
August 11, 2017
5★
“Juicy and funny. . . A gem!” So said one of Australia’s premier newspapers, The Sydney Morning Herald about this award-winning 2008 debut novel by Aussie author Toni Jordan.
This is a heartfelt, funny, sensitive look at how obsessions and compulsions can affect everyone around you. Grace is a smart, funny attractive young woman who happens to love numbers. She wonders if a cavewoman invented counting (cavemen would have been out hunting, of course) because she wanted to remember her monthly cycle or figure out how much food was needed.
Grace loves her childhood Cuisenaire rods. [I miss the ones my kids had, and the vintage ones now are worth a bundle! but I digress.] She is obsessed with Nikola Tesla, best known for being the quintessential mad genius who was largely responsible for giving us AC electricity, among other things. [His surname will now be forever associated with cars and batteries, but I digress again]. Grace idolised him for his tall, dark and handsome, moustachioed looks and his brilliance with numbers. She keeps his photo on her bedside table and fantasises about him, swooning with gusto!
“Nikola, like all truly great people, had a truly great obsession. People don’t understand obsessions. An obsession is not a weakness. An obsession is what lifts people up; what makes them different from the grey masses. Do you think we’d still be talking about ‘Romeo and Juliet’ today, over four hundred years since its first performance, if the two lovebirds had followed their parents’ advice and each settled down with more appropriate partners in four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom neo-Georgians in a new subdivision on the outskirts of Verona?”
Choosing what to wear, she pulls items out of the washing machine at random (random!), hangs them to dry in that order, puts them back in her wardrobe in that order, and wears them in that order.
“I don’t worry about co-ordination but there is a disproportionate amount of solid, dark colour in my wardrobe. Patterns and prints are asking for trouble.”
Ridiculous? Well, yes. Easy? Also yes. So who’s nuts?
Her sister is a distracted, busy, suburban mother, married with a couple of kids, one of whom is a kindred spirit for Grace. Her mother is a bit of a nut herself. Both call her every Sunday, at exactly the right time. Mother collects and cheerily passes on the grimmest news, apropos of nothing.
She mentions a neighbour she bumped into. “You’ll never believe what happened to her cousin’s daughter’s yoga teacher.” (She died horrifically with her baby son when her car’s brakes failed and they slammed into the back of a truck is what happened, not what Grace needs to hear every Sunday!)
Early on in the story, Grace bumps into Seamus, a pleasant young Irish bloke, at the supermarket checkout as she quietly steals a banana from his basket. Somehow she collected only 9, and it is imperative that she buy everything in lots of 10. Walking home lugging plastic bags with ten boxes of washing powder is a finger-numbing challenge.
Seamus interrupts her life and seems to enjoy her in spite of her foibles. She however, finds herself increasingly disturbed, and one night she wakes suddenly thinking of numbers and how out of sync she’s become with her usual schedule.
“It was the unflossing and the unbrushing and the unwashing . . . these are not small, these wrongs disguised as nothings. They are somethings. They are tiny cracks in the world that run for miles underground. They cause earthquakes and landslides and in my mind I see the kind of people who suffer in disasters like these; an old woman, perhaps, or motherless children, wide eyes turned to a photographer they hope will tell the world and then someone stronger will come and lift them up. . . it will all crack and split and I will fall into the ground and there will be nothing but the fall and nothing solid not even an end to this crevice. And the worst is the knowledge that it is me. It is me who has shaken it. My foolish, stupid forgetting.”
It’s the butterfly effect for real. Every flutter moves a passing zephyr, a breeze, all the way to a typhoon somewhere. Grace knows she is responsible for it all.
When she attempts to smooth off some of the edges of her square-pegged self to fit the round holes of society, she bumps into some unexpected problems, which gives a lot of food for thought. Some of it is terribly funny and some is quite poignant. Therapists, groups, medication, advice. It’s all there and then some.
At one point, much to Grace's amusement, her mother says,
“I was just wondering . . . if you’ve decided you prefer girls. It seems to be so popular nowadays. . . Imagine not having to do all the housework, and if you found a nice girl the same size you’d have double the wardrobe and you’d never have to shave your legs or clean whiskers out of the sink. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do it.”
It is such a funny, perceptive book, and I loved it, shoe-counting, room-measuring, Cuisenaire rods and all!
Nikola Tesla - info and his compelling photos. :)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_...
“Juicy and funny. . . A gem!” So said one of Australia’s premier newspapers, The Sydney Morning Herald about this award-winning 2008 debut novel by Aussie author Toni Jordan.
This is a heartfelt, funny, sensitive look at how obsessions and compulsions can affect everyone around you. Grace is a smart, funny attractive young woman who happens to love numbers. She wonders if a cavewoman invented counting (cavemen would have been out hunting, of course) because she wanted to remember her monthly cycle or figure out how much food was needed.
Grace loves her childhood Cuisenaire rods. [I miss the ones my kids had, and the vintage ones now are worth a bundle! but I digress.] She is obsessed with Nikola Tesla, best known for being the quintessential mad genius who was largely responsible for giving us AC electricity, among other things. [His surname will now be forever associated with cars and batteries, but I digress again]. Grace idolised him for his tall, dark and handsome, moustachioed looks and his brilliance with numbers. She keeps his photo on her bedside table and fantasises about him, swooning with gusto!
“Nikola, like all truly great people, had a truly great obsession. People don’t understand obsessions. An obsession is not a weakness. An obsession is what lifts people up; what makes them different from the grey masses. Do you think we’d still be talking about ‘Romeo and Juliet’ today, over four hundred years since its first performance, if the two lovebirds had followed their parents’ advice and each settled down with more appropriate partners in four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom neo-Georgians in a new subdivision on the outskirts of Verona?”
Choosing what to wear, she pulls items out of the washing machine at random (random!), hangs them to dry in that order, puts them back in her wardrobe in that order, and wears them in that order.
“I don’t worry about co-ordination but there is a disproportionate amount of solid, dark colour in my wardrobe. Patterns and prints are asking for trouble.”
Ridiculous? Well, yes. Easy? Also yes. So who’s nuts?
Her sister is a distracted, busy, suburban mother, married with a couple of kids, one of whom is a kindred spirit for Grace. Her mother is a bit of a nut herself. Both call her every Sunday, at exactly the right time. Mother collects and cheerily passes on the grimmest news, apropos of nothing.
She mentions a neighbour she bumped into. “You’ll never believe what happened to her cousin’s daughter’s yoga teacher.” (She died horrifically with her baby son when her car’s brakes failed and they slammed into the back of a truck is what happened, not what Grace needs to hear every Sunday!)
Early on in the story, Grace bumps into Seamus, a pleasant young Irish bloke, at the supermarket checkout as she quietly steals a banana from his basket. Somehow she collected only 9, and it is imperative that she buy everything in lots of 10. Walking home lugging plastic bags with ten boxes of washing powder is a finger-numbing challenge.
Seamus interrupts her life and seems to enjoy her in spite of her foibles. She however, finds herself increasingly disturbed, and one night she wakes suddenly thinking of numbers and how out of sync she’s become with her usual schedule.
“It was the unflossing and the unbrushing and the unwashing . . . these are not small, these wrongs disguised as nothings. They are somethings. They are tiny cracks in the world that run for miles underground. They cause earthquakes and landslides and in my mind I see the kind of people who suffer in disasters like these; an old woman, perhaps, or motherless children, wide eyes turned to a photographer they hope will tell the world and then someone stronger will come and lift them up. . . it will all crack and split and I will fall into the ground and there will be nothing but the fall and nothing solid not even an end to this crevice. And the worst is the knowledge that it is me. It is me who has shaken it. My foolish, stupid forgetting.”
It’s the butterfly effect for real. Every flutter moves a passing zephyr, a breeze, all the way to a typhoon somewhere. Grace knows she is responsible for it all.
When she attempts to smooth off some of the edges of her square-pegged self to fit the round holes of society, she bumps into some unexpected problems, which gives a lot of food for thought. Some of it is terribly funny and some is quite poignant. Therapists, groups, medication, advice. It’s all there and then some.
At one point, much to Grace's amusement, her mother says,
“I was just wondering . . . if you’ve decided you prefer girls. It seems to be so popular nowadays. . . Imagine not having to do all the housework, and if you found a nice girl the same size you’d have double the wardrobe and you’d never have to shave your legs or clean whiskers out of the sink. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do it.”
It is such a funny, perceptive book, and I loved it, shoe-counting, room-measuring, Cuisenaire rods and all!
Nikola Tesla - info and his compelling photos. :)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_...
October 7, 2008
Grace has a bad case of OCD. She counts things, everything in fact, and it has made her, effectively, a recluse. How did she get this way? Her hero is Nikola Tesla. They share something. One day at the supermarket, short one banana at the checkout, she swipes one from the guy behind her on line to make a perfect 10, and thus begins her adventure.
This is a wonderful, charming novel. It will make you smile and occasionally laugh out loud. Jordan had written a character study that is both attractive and frightening. And the man in Grace’s life is a wonder. It is not exactly War and Peace, but it is an excellent, entertaining and moving small novel. You might pick up some nifty information about Nicola Tesla as well.
This is a wonderful, charming novel. It will make you smile and occasionally laugh out loud. Jordan had written a character study that is both attractive and frightening. And the man in Grace’s life is a wonder. It is not exactly War and Peace, but it is an excellent, entertaining and moving small novel. You might pick up some nifty information about Nicola Tesla as well.
March 19, 2015
Loved it!!!
Before Grace Vandenburg fell victim to her need to order her life and movements by numbers and counting, she was a teacher who loved her job.
But somehow things went wrong and her counting became an obsession, eventually causing her to lose her job and go onto sickness benefits to get by.
This novel got me thinking about how these obsessive disorders begin to manifest in people, which in turn reminded me of the games we played as children.
I remember as a child we used to play games where we would chant things like "step on a crack and you'll break your back," and so you would be walking or running along the footpath and notice a crack or cracks in the path that would have to be either stepped over or jumped so as not to step on them...lest you tempt fate!
As children this was a very entertaining occupation when going for walks and was often the reason behind some pretty funny antics in the street.
How many times we nearly tipped ourselves over when noticing a crack at the last moment and having to quickly side step or jump to avoid stepping on it!
We also used to count how many steps to each others' house or how many steps up to the door etc...it was just fun and games...wasn't it?
I mention this because, although it is nothing like the compulsiveness of Grace's counting, it is a sort of obsessive behavior which, once learned is difficult to "unlearn" as your mind remembers and recites the chant, seemingly independent of your desires to forget it.
I'm wondering if this is where it starts, when we are very young, do some people retain just enough of that ingrained repetitive training to go either way? As children, is it a seed we plant in a comfort zone?
We all have our little peccadilloes don't we? Friends laugh at my "thing" about clothes pegs...I like their colours to match the clothes I'm hanging on the line :) This is not an absolute necessity, and I wouldn't have a meltdown if I couldn't match them...however...I have gone out of my way to shop for particular colours...same with coat hangers. I like the way they look :) Am I on the borderline?
Although Grace's "condition" is debilitating to a great extent, she has come to terms with it and is comfortable with the way she has her life organised, and doesn't wish to be "normal," ...to fit in...if that means conforming to other peoples' idea of "normal."
She has found work that she can do from home now and has found a comfortably ordered lifestyle that suits her personality perfectly, and she is happy to keep it that way.
While others who have varying degrees of compulsions or OCD's, find it stressful and disrupting to their day to day lives, Grace has found a way to organise her life and her things to suit her needs to an acceptable degree of comfort.
By buying in bulk and counting once, for example, she has discovered that if she buys many of the same brand and style of toothbrush, she knows that once she has counted all of the bristles, she won't need to do it again.
Grace is not silly, she understands that because of her advanced knowledge of maths and numbers, she knows she can trust her own results, and in that same way has come to understand that she can live happily and content in the knowledge that her life makes sense...for her...as long as she doesn't break her own rules.
She has a lovely and special relationship with her niece and ally, Hilly, who fully accepts, supports and fits in nicely with her lifestyle.
She also has a complicated relationship with her hero Nicola Tesla!
This is a very uplifting story showing how one person has turned what might have been a disability capable of crippling her lifestyle, into a positive and acceptable lifestyle through self empowerment.
That is not to presume that all OCD sufferers can do the same, though it would be nice to think that they could.
There are many laugh out loud moments and many touching moments, and you can't help but love Grace for her innocence and honesty.
Many thanks to my GR friends for recommending this book to me, and to Marianne for gifting it to me.
A lovely enlightening story which I can highly recommend. 5★s
December 16, 2008
When I first started reading "Addition" I was addicted to Toni Jordan's intelligent, quirky writing. Given the amount of times I laughed out loud, I was convinced this was going to be a five-star book; then, I got into the "meat" of the story and all my high hopes floundered.
"Addition" starts out strong as Grace, a young woman with OCD, expounds on life, love, counting, and Nikola Tesla. Grace's obsessive-compulsive voice is constructed with such delightful abandon that I was ... well, I was charmed by her neurotic tendencies. However, as the narrator falls in love and gives into a new world of group therapy and psychotropic drugs, we, the reader, are asked to consider the question: "Is it empowering or burdensome when someone thinks differently from the rest of society?" The problem with "Addition" is that the author heavy-handedly answers her own rhetorical question. That is, Grace is so quirky and lovable while "sick" and so dreadfully morose when "cured" that there really isn't a question as to what path we want her to follow. Go the crazy route, sister; you're WAY more likeable and WAY more interesting.
"Addition" has some wonderful moments, particularly when the author draws the reader into the narrator's web of obsessive rituals. These sections are smart, unique, and compelling. The novel as a whole, though, is a little didactic and, as a narrative, doesn't really have much depth or substance.
"Addition" starts out strong as Grace, a young woman with OCD, expounds on life, love, counting, and Nikola Tesla. Grace's obsessive-compulsive voice is constructed with such delightful abandon that I was ... well, I was charmed by her neurotic tendencies. However, as the narrator falls in love and gives into a new world of group therapy and psychotropic drugs, we, the reader, are asked to consider the question: "Is it empowering or burdensome when someone thinks differently from the rest of society?" The problem with "Addition" is that the author heavy-handedly answers her own rhetorical question. That is, Grace is so quirky and lovable while "sick" and so dreadfully morose when "cured" that there really isn't a question as to what path we want her to follow. Go the crazy route, sister; you're WAY more likeable and WAY more interesting.
"Addition" has some wonderful moments, particularly when the author draws the reader into the narrator's web of obsessive rituals. These sections are smart, unique, and compelling. The novel as a whole, though, is a little didactic and, as a narrative, doesn't really have much depth or substance.
July 4, 2015
Grace Vandenburg has an unusual form of OCD where her world is controlled by numbers.Every action must abide by some rule that she has formulated - how many times she brushes her teeth, how many steps to the cafe, how many items she buys at the supermarket. Numbers control her life so much she has had to give up her job teaching and can no longer drive, so how will she cope when a sexy, handsome Irishman called Seamus falls into her life?
There are some very funny laugh out loud moments as Grace struggles with her condition. She hero-worships Nikola Tesla who suffered from the same condition and drops in interesting snippets and stories of his life into the story. Altogether, a charming, entertaining novel which makes you think about what it means to be 'normal'.
December 11, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up
Don't let it be said that I don't give authors a second chance ... well, there's at least one I refuse to read again. I didn't enjoy Jordan's Our Tiny Useless Hearts, but I wanted to try another novel.
Addition was a much more enjoyable experience than the above-mentioned book. Thirty-five-year-old Grace Vandenburg is obsessive compulsively counting and has very strict routines that she follows adamantly. She loves numbers and her idol is Nikola Tesla. The nerd in me enjoyed the bits about Tesla that were interspersed throughout the novel. The guy was a genius!
I enjoyed getting to know Grace. For someone so rigid, she sure had a sense of humour and could be self-deprecating. When she goes shopping she buys things in tens. When in the cashier line, she discovers she only places nine bananas in the basket. What to do, she doesn't want to miss her place in the line. So she steals one banana from the guy behind her. And that's how she meets Seamus O'Reilly.
And that is where the cynic Bianca reappears. The dude was too good to be true. And Grace's behaviour was a bit contradictory to her usual self. I guess there wouldn't be much of a plot otherwise.
With Seamus' help, Grace decides to address her issues and seek professional help. Will she be cured? Does she need to be cured? Do we all have to fit the mould? These are questions that Toni Jordon attempts to answer.
So, if you're after quirky heroines and are interested in a light romantic read, give this one a go.
Caroline Lee, one of my favourite Australian narrators, did a brilliant job, as always.
This book goes towards my Aussie Authors Challenge 2018 on www.bookloverbookreviews.com
Don't let it be said that I don't give authors a second chance ... well, there's at least one I refuse to read again. I didn't enjoy Jordan's Our Tiny Useless Hearts, but I wanted to try another novel.
Addition was a much more enjoyable experience than the above-mentioned book. Thirty-five-year-old Grace Vandenburg is obsessive compulsively counting and has very strict routines that she follows adamantly. She loves numbers and her idol is Nikola Tesla. The nerd in me enjoyed the bits about Tesla that were interspersed throughout the novel. The guy was a genius!
I enjoyed getting to know Grace. For someone so rigid, she sure had a sense of humour and could be self-deprecating. When she goes shopping she buys things in tens. When in the cashier line, she discovers she only places nine bananas in the basket. What to do, she doesn't want to miss her place in the line. So she steals one banana from the guy behind her. And that's how she meets Seamus O'Reilly.
And that is where the cynic Bianca reappears. The dude was too good to be true. And Grace's behaviour was a bit contradictory to her usual self. I guess there wouldn't be much of a plot otherwise.
With Seamus' help, Grace decides to address her issues and seek professional help. Will she be cured? Does she need to be cured? Do we all have to fit the mould? These are questions that Toni Jordon attempts to answer.
So, if you're after quirky heroines and are interested in a light romantic read, give this one a go.
Caroline Lee, one of my favourite Australian narrators, did a brilliant job, as always.
This book goes towards my Aussie Authors Challenge 2018 on www.bookloverbookreviews.com
August 27, 2014
Grace Lisa Vandenburg is obsessed with numbers and every day she counts everything she does or eats. This includes things like counting her steps everywhere she goes to counting the poppy seeds on her cake that she has at her local cafe which must be precisely cut up into a certain amount of pieces and must be chewed a certain amount of times. When doing her grocery shopping, Grace must also only buy the exact same number of each items that she needs. She speaks to her mother on the phone at precisely the same time each Sunday night.
Grace is also obsessed with Nikola Tesla. Nikola was born in Croatia and after studying engineering he emigrated to the United States where he discovered electricity. Grace has a photo of, Nikola that sits on her bedside table where she can stare at him and admire his looks from his slicked hair to the white shirt he's wearing.
Then one day Grace meets, Seamus Joseph O’Reilly who is not a counter. Grace is attracted to, Seamus and it doesn't take long before romance takes hold between the pair. Seamus is curious to know more about why Grace is a counter, but she reluctant to to talk about it. Not long after meeting, Seamus it's seems that's, Grace's counting obsession is starting to take less priority in her life. Could this be a turning point for, Grace or will she revert back to old ways?
When I first started reading this book I really wasn't sure about it and thought I might not finish it, but I continued and before I knew it I was on the last page. A quick read which I found different from what I would normally read, but in parts I also found it interesting. Worth reading.
Grace is also obsessed with Nikola Tesla. Nikola was born in Croatia and after studying engineering he emigrated to the United States where he discovered electricity. Grace has a photo of, Nikola that sits on her bedside table where she can stare at him and admire his looks from his slicked hair to the white shirt he's wearing.
Then one day Grace meets, Seamus Joseph O’Reilly who is not a counter. Grace is attracted to, Seamus and it doesn't take long before romance takes hold between the pair. Seamus is curious to know more about why Grace is a counter, but she reluctant to to talk about it. Not long after meeting, Seamus it's seems that's, Grace's counting obsession is starting to take less priority in her life. Could this be a turning point for, Grace or will she revert back to old ways?
When I first started reading this book I really wasn't sure about it and thought I might not finish it, but I continued and before I knew it I was on the last page. A quick read which I found different from what I would normally read, but in parts I also found it interesting. Worth reading.
February 21, 2015
4.5 ★s
The principal character and narrator of Toni Jordan’s debut novel, Addition is Grace Vandenburg. Grace is 35 years old, unmarried, living alone in a 1BR flat in Melbourne’s suburb of Glen Iris. She grew up in the suburb and her widowed mother lives a few blocks away in the family home. Grace is described as good-looking, tall, thin, angular, with pointy features and long straight blonde hair. She is attractive and enjoys flirting with the opposite sex.
Grace has a remarkable gift and passion for mathematics, and she is a qualified teacher who taught primary school maths until 2 years before the story opens.
Grace has been preoccupied with numbers and counting since she was 8 years old. Because of her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) she is no longer teaching and is surviving on the Disability pension, supplemented by some private tutoring.
Grace’s sometimes sad, often hilarious, story of recovery from disabling OCD involves the support of her sister Jill, niece Hilary, and boyfriend Seamus. For her, the drugs don’t work…nor does therapy with Francine and the amusing Germphobics.
While this book is a novel, the careful detailing of Grace’s life and preoccupations suggests that the author has drawn on real peoples’ experiences of living with OCD. It is a very satisfying read, which stayed with me for quite a few days after I’d finished it.
The principal character and narrator of Toni Jordan’s debut novel, Addition is Grace Vandenburg. Grace is 35 years old, unmarried, living alone in a 1BR flat in Melbourne’s suburb of Glen Iris. She grew up in the suburb and her widowed mother lives a few blocks away in the family home. Grace is described as good-looking, tall, thin, angular, with pointy features and long straight blonde hair. She is attractive and enjoys flirting with the opposite sex.
Grace has a remarkable gift and passion for mathematics, and she is a qualified teacher who taught primary school maths until 2 years before the story opens.
Grace has been preoccupied with numbers and counting since she was 8 years old. Because of her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) she is no longer teaching and is surviving on the Disability pension, supplemented by some private tutoring.
Grace’s sometimes sad, often hilarious, story of recovery from disabling OCD involves the support of her sister Jill, niece Hilary, and boyfriend Seamus. For her, the drugs don’t work…nor does therapy with Francine and the amusing Germphobics.
While this book is a novel, the careful detailing of Grace’s life and preoccupations suggests that the author has drawn on real peoples’ experiences of living with OCD. It is a very satisfying read, which stayed with me for quite a few days after I’d finished it.
March 22, 2015
To be honest I struggled a bit at the beginning of this, finding Grace's obsession with numbers and counting a little overwhelming and hard to follow. But the story soon took over and the numbers just became background. I ended up really enjoying this and loved the quirkiness and uniqueness of Grace. To me there was a message here that we are all different and all have our own way of thinking and doing things. In the end it's the differences and little idiosyncrasies that make us who we are and there really isn't any one way to be "normal". Trying to change someone to fit into what society deems as "normal" just destroys the essence of that person and perhaps what first made them worth knowing. As Grace herself says, " Most people miss their whole lives. Life isn't standing on top of a mountain looking at the sunset, waiting at the altar or the moment your child is born.....these are fragments. Life is brushing your teeth,making a sandwich, watching the news,waiting for a bus. Or walking. Every day, thousands of tiny events happen....if you're not careful,if you don't capture them and make them count, you could miss it. You could miss your whole life."How very true and liberating. As the saying
goes, "Enjoy the little things in life as one day you may look back and realise they were the big things. "
goes, "Enjoy the little things in life as one day you may look back and realise they were the big things. "
August 25, 2012
Grace Lisa Vandenburg is obsessed with numbers; she counts everything. Her whole life is centred around numbers; how many banana’s to buy, how many bits of an orange cake to take, how many brushes to take for her hair or even teeth. Everything was organised but then something went wrong and now she survives on disability checks and tutoring. Here only real connection in the world was a portrait of Nikola Tesla; that is until she met Seamus Joseph O’Reilly who changed everything.
Addition is a quirky chick lit novel of predictability but still has a few elements I was not expecting. Firstly the obsession with Tesla meant that there was a lot of talk about this great twentieth-century inventor, which really was the main reason I enjoyed this book. She talked a lot about Nikola Tesla and I found myself learning some interesting facts that lead to researching more about this great man. Honestly this might annoy people but I love a book that pushes me to explore more.
Grace’s OCD was also handled really well by the author; I was worried it would turn into something similar to The Silver Linings Playbook but I was wrong. Mental health is a difficult subject to write but I like the way Toni Jordan handled Grace’s obsession with numbers. There was a mix of emotions regarding Graces obsessive-compulsive disorder that were explored in the book from misunderstanding, accepting, desire to change, anger and hatred, as well as many more that I would expect Grace to experience while trying to live with an unusual compulsion. I could not imagine just what Grace would really be going through but I do think this might be a pretty faithful to what might happen.
The main focus of Addition is the quirks of Grace and the romance between her and Seamus; here is where everything starts to feel too much like everything I would expect from a chick lit novel. The romance blossoms in a typical funny and emotional way which I admit I was worried about. Seamus really does not understand this obsessive-compulsive disorder and tries to change Grace. For a while there I thought he would succeed and this would have killed the book completely but then I realised that this was a chick lit novel and that meant there had to be a conflict to force the two characters to make a decision on if they should be together or not.
There was one major problem I had at the start of the book that forces me to wonder if I should bother continuing or not. This was the poor research, two facts in the book near the start of the book (maybe more) that really threw me. Both felt like really stupid mistakes that I don’t think were intentional that put a major dampener on my enjoyment. One was about the Big Ben using Roman numerals IIII instead of IV and the other was when she called Thomas Edison ‘the telephone guy’.
While I did have some issues with Addition, in the end I did end up really enjoying the story a lot more than I anticipated. It was quirky and funny, even if it was completely generic in all the other aspects. I really think the OCD helped this book the most, it was fascinating to see how Grace handled her situation, to the point where I thought there was nothing wrong with her and this wasn’t a mental health issue just a harmless obsession and quirk.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...
Addition is a quirky chick lit novel of predictability but still has a few elements I was not expecting. Firstly the obsession with Tesla meant that there was a lot of talk about this great twentieth-century inventor, which really was the main reason I enjoyed this book. She talked a lot about Nikola Tesla and I found myself learning some interesting facts that lead to researching more about this great man. Honestly this might annoy people but I love a book that pushes me to explore more.
Grace’s OCD was also handled really well by the author; I was worried it would turn into something similar to The Silver Linings Playbook but I was wrong. Mental health is a difficult subject to write but I like the way Toni Jordan handled Grace’s obsession with numbers. There was a mix of emotions regarding Graces obsessive-compulsive disorder that were explored in the book from misunderstanding, accepting, desire to change, anger and hatred, as well as many more that I would expect Grace to experience while trying to live with an unusual compulsion. I could not imagine just what Grace would really be going through but I do think this might be a pretty faithful to what might happen.
The main focus of Addition is the quirks of Grace and the romance between her and Seamus; here is where everything starts to feel too much like everything I would expect from a chick lit novel. The romance blossoms in a typical funny and emotional way which I admit I was worried about. Seamus really does not understand this obsessive-compulsive disorder and tries to change Grace. For a while there I thought he would succeed and this would have killed the book completely but then I realised that this was a chick lit novel and that meant there had to be a conflict to force the two characters to make a decision on if they should be together or not.
There was one major problem I had at the start of the book that forces me to wonder if I should bother continuing or not. This was the poor research, two facts in the book near the start of the book (maybe more) that really threw me. Both felt like really stupid mistakes that I don’t think were intentional that put a major dampener on my enjoyment. One was about the Big Ben using Roman numerals IIII instead of IV and the other was when she called Thomas Edison ‘the telephone guy’.
While I did have some issues with Addition, in the end I did end up really enjoying the story a lot more than I anticipated. It was quirky and funny, even if it was completely generic in all the other aspects. I really think the OCD helped this book the most, it was fascinating to see how Grace handled her situation, to the point where I thought there was nothing wrong with her and this wasn’t a mental health issue just a harmless obsession and quirk.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...
July 22, 2011
The main character Grace suffers from a rare condition of OCD where she counts everything in sight. She will count the bristle of a tooth brush; alfalfa sprouts on her sandwiches to poppy seed on her cake….I mean everything! Grace is a single woman of 35 years of age and a bit of a loner. However she seems content and does not feel the need to change, until she meets Seamus….
I loved this book. And…oh what great characters! Grace, I absolutely adore her, she is smart, witty and very flirtatious with a great sexual appetite. The earlier parts of the book were a little draining though, where her counting and measuring become very consistent but I suppose it gave me better understanding as to what people with illness have to deal with.
It’s the first book Toni Jordan book I’ve read and I must say I had a smile on my face from the start to finish. It was highly entertaining with lots of humour and I’ll recommend it to all my friends :)
I loved this book. And…oh what great characters! Grace, I absolutely adore her, she is smart, witty and very flirtatious with a great sexual appetite. The earlier parts of the book were a little draining though, where her counting and measuring become very consistent but I suppose it gave me better understanding as to what people with illness have to deal with.
It’s the first book Toni Jordan book I’ve read and I must say I had a smile on my face from the start to finish. It was highly entertaining with lots of humour and I’ll recommend it to all my friends :)
October 18, 2016
A Grace é uma personagem com um transtorno muito peculiar.
O enredo além de algum carácter informativo do próprio transtorno obsessivo compulsivo é surpreendentemente divertido. A personagem principal é sarcástica e geralmente tece comentários mordazes e com graça tornando o livro interessante e inteligente. É diferente. Gostei!
January 9, 2009
Addition is a funny, charming book about a woman who counts compulsively, and counts everything. It's the way she feels safe in the world. Every day she goes to the same cafe to have a hot chocolate with two marshmallows and a slice of orange cake. The cake's frosting is dusted with poppy seeds, and she counts the number of seeds each day, which tells her how many bites she has to take to eat the cake. She counts the bristles on her toothbrush. She counts her steps. She buys bananas in multiples of 10. And then, one day at the grocers, she meets a man. They fall in love. Her ordered world is disrupted. How they both cope, come together, fall apart, and how learns to live her life, add up to not just a sweet love story, but an exploration of personality, conformity and honesty.
April 1, 2012
Addition is an unusual romance. Grace's whole life is defined by numbers - numbers give her a sense of being. Numbers dictate how many steps she takes, how many poppy seeds are in her cake, how many slices of zucchini she eats. She is so ruled by her obsession that she has lost the ability to live a 'normal' life. Life for Grace is predictable, with no room for spontaneity, but she doesn't think her life is bad - she is so busy counting. Then she meets Seamus and slowly life changes. But is it for the better?
Not a bad read but I preferred Fall Girl
Not a bad read but I preferred Fall Girl
March 12, 2011
“Addition” is a very funny novel. It’s also witty and clever and moving. It is insightful about OCD and also about life in general. “Addition” made me laugh (a lot, out loud), it made me cry, and it made me think. Oh, and just to round things off nicely, there were a couple of hot sex scenes. I was so sorry to reach the end that I read it again, and I hope we don’t have to wait too long before Toni Jordan writes another novel.
February 10, 2009
I received this book as a GoodReads "first reads" giveaway item. I was excited to see that I'd won a copy, as it was one of the most interesting-sounding books in the contest when I signed up. I finished the entire things in one afternoon, tucked under a blanket on the couch while recovering from a bit of a cold.
The book feels a bit like chicklit for brain fans. As a neuroscience student, I found the characterization of Grace, her obsessive-compulsive illness, and her experiences with medication and therapy to ring very true. At the same time, her amusing interactions with variously nutty family members and strangers, as well as her boyfriend Seamus, gave the book a decidedly personal (rather than clinical) feel. Grace's randy and often inappropriate behavior is entertaining without being wholly implausible.
The author's brave choice to portray her heroine as being better off without her meds is something that resonates with me. I have studied this topic a fair amount, and while clearly some people are in dire need of pharmacological assistance, not everyone needs to be "neurotypical" to be happy.
Toni Jordan's prose is funny, contemporary, and precise. A wonderful read for someone like me, who considers herself above mere popcorn-fests like Confessions of a Shopaholic, but enjoys some lighter reading from time to time.
The book feels a bit like chicklit for brain fans. As a neuroscience student, I found the characterization of Grace, her obsessive-compulsive illness, and her experiences with medication and therapy to ring very true. At the same time, her amusing interactions with variously nutty family members and strangers, as well as her boyfriend Seamus, gave the book a decidedly personal (rather than clinical) feel. Grace's randy and often inappropriate behavior is entertaining without being wholly implausible.
The author's brave choice to portray her heroine as being better off without her meds is something that resonates with me. I have studied this topic a fair amount, and while clearly some people are in dire need of pharmacological assistance, not everyone needs to be "neurotypical" to be happy.
Toni Jordan's prose is funny, contemporary, and precise. A wonderful read for someone like me, who considers herself above mere popcorn-fests like Confessions of a Shopaholic, but enjoys some lighter reading from time to time.
January 15, 2019
Abgebrochen, abgesehen vom Inhalt, der ja Geschmackssache ist, fand ich es sprachlich auch nicht gut.
August 19, 2023
4,5★
"E durante todo este tempo nunca lhe prego sermões. Não lhe dou quaisquer conselhos, não lhe conto analogias nem homilias. Não a comparo a ninguém. Porque existem algumas coisas que devemos descobrir sozinhos. Mas se houvesse apenas uma coisa que pudesse dizer a esta linda criança - apenas uma coisa que lhe pudesse oferecer embrulhada em papel brilhante e rematada com um laço enorme, seria o seguinte:
A maioria das pessoas perde a vida inteira, sabias? Escuta, a vida não é quando estás no cume de uma montanha a olhar para o pôr-do-sol. A vida não é esperar no altar ou o momento em que nasce o teu filho ou em que estás a nadar no mar alto e um golfinho aparece ao teu lado. Isso são fragmentos. 10 ou 12 grãos de areia espalhados por toda a tua existência. Não são a vida. A vida é escovar os dentes ou fazer uma sanduíche ou ver as notícias ou esperar pelo autocarro. Ou caminhar. Todos os dias acontecem milhares de pequenas coisas e se não estiveres atenta, se não tiveres cuidado, se não as apanhares, se não lhes deres importância, podes perdê-la.
Podes perder toda a tua vida."
"E durante todo este tempo nunca lhe prego sermões. Não lhe dou quaisquer conselhos, não lhe conto analogias nem homilias. Não a comparo a ninguém. Porque existem algumas coisas que devemos descobrir sozinhos. Mas se houvesse apenas uma coisa que pudesse dizer a esta linda criança - apenas uma coisa que lhe pudesse oferecer embrulhada em papel brilhante e rematada com um laço enorme, seria o seguinte:
A maioria das pessoas perde a vida inteira, sabias? Escuta, a vida não é quando estás no cume de uma montanha a olhar para o pôr-do-sol. A vida não é esperar no altar ou o momento em que nasce o teu filho ou em que estás a nadar no mar alto e um golfinho aparece ao teu lado. Isso são fragmentos. 10 ou 12 grãos de areia espalhados por toda a tua existência. Não são a vida. A vida é escovar os dentes ou fazer uma sanduíche ou ver as notícias ou esperar pelo autocarro. Ou caminhar. Todos os dias acontecem milhares de pequenas coisas e se não estiveres atenta, se não tiveres cuidado, se não as apanhares, se não lhes deres importância, podes perdê-la.
Podes perder toda a tua vida."
February 3, 2009
Not sure if this should get 3 or 4 stars. I'll err on the generous side...
For the most part, I enjoyed this. It's a light and funny novel, but due to the OCD given to the protagonist, it has its dark moments.
I can totally sympathize with people who have OCD since I have a few compulsive behaviors myself. Reading this book, I really felt as though I could get into the main character's head, and felt what she felt. At times, though, her character didn't seem to ring true; she was just a little too clever and ready with the one-liners, I thought. Her "recovery," also, felt slightly off to me.
Slight spoiler:
Just going by my own experiences, having her routine distrupted (even by someone she loves - actually, more likely by someone she loves, because she can express herself more fully) ought to have made Grace more anxious and more likely to fall into her old stress-relieving patterns, not less likely.
This was a good book, a light one, good for an airplane or a vacation. I doubt it will stick with me, though.
For the most part, I enjoyed this. It's a light and funny novel, but due to the OCD given to the protagonist, it has its dark moments.
I can totally sympathize with people who have OCD since I have a few compulsive behaviors myself. Reading this book, I really felt as though I could get into the main character's head, and felt what she felt. At times, though, her character didn't seem to ring true; she was just a little too clever and ready with the one-liners, I thought. Her "recovery," also, felt slightly off to me.
Slight spoiler:
Just going by my own experiences, having her routine distrupted (even by someone she loves - actually, more likely by someone she loves, because she can express herself more fully) ought to have made Grace more anxious and more likely to fall into her old stress-relieving patterns, not less likely.
This was a good book, a light one, good for an airplane or a vacation. I doubt it will stick with me, though.
October 1, 2019
Die australische Form von Sarah Kuttners Mängelexemplar - und das war wegen der Form der Aufarbeitung psychischer Erkrankungen schon nicht meins. Bei Toni Jordan ging es mir ähnlich. Die Protagonistin Grace lebt mit einer Zwangsstörung, die sich durch das Abzählen und Vermessen ihrer Umwelt äußert. Die Darstellung des Zählens wirkte auf mich sehr plakativ, die Entwicklung im Laufe des Romans stark vereinfacht und einfach unglaubwürdig und gerade der mittlere Teil war dann doch etwas stumpf. Ob eine tiefergehende Auseinandersetzung mit dem Krankheitsbild stattgefunden hat, bleibt für mich mehr als fraglich und das kreide ich dem Roman tatsächlich stark an. Repräsentation ist wichtig, aber dann doch bitte realitätsnah. Der gesamte Roman plätschert ziemlich seicht und ohne wirklichen roten Faden vor sich hin, die Liebesgeschichte ist mehr als vorhersehbar und hatte, abgesehen von vielen Sexszenen, kein wirkliches Profil. Man kann schon fast von Glück sprechen, dass es nicht in Richtung "Liebe heilt alles" ausgeartet ist. Für mich absolut kein Buch mit Mehrwert.
June 7, 2017
a quick read which ended up being a lot more unpredictable that i thought. often funny and sometimes sad, all in all a great story.
Read
May 24, 2019This novel is well-written and the story starts out strong, but I was troubled by the main plot concerning Grace's experiences receiving treatment for her OCD. After being pressured by her boyfriend into beginning a regimen that includes talk therapy, exposure and response prevention, and medication, Grace gains so much weight she no longer identifies with her body; stops displaying all of the personality traits that previously defined her; and loses the ability to think or interact coherently, instead watching TV for hours every day. The solution to this problem is not to make adjustments to her treatment but to quit every element of it, at which point she is able to establish a new, fulfilling lifestyle. There should be space for fiction to discuss the potential downsides of treatment for mental disorders, but this is not the way to do it: Jordan implies that attempts to improve the symptoms of people with mental illnesses will prevent them from being in any way 'remarkable,' and her frequent references to the life of Nikola Tesla serve to reinforce this thesis. The idea that putting up with preventable suffering is necessary for greatness is toxic and harmful, and a comedic novel is not a suitable setting to explore it, since (at least in this case) it allows for no nuance or complexity to enter the discussion. As someone with OCD who has received significant relief from medication and ERP, I'm glad I hadn't read this book when I was making decisions about treatment, because the thought of becoming an an unrecognizable "zombie" as Grace does would have been terrifying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2011
Maybe it's not fair of me to review this book because I did not finish it, but I don't finish books I don't like. And this book made me mad. Basically we have a talented writer who has decided to write chick lit although they don't write chick lit well, they write other lit well. I came across some sentences that I loved, some sentences that showed me that the editor of this book should have hit the author around the ears with the badly done chick lit and demanded bravery and a new start. It was either greed (because chick lit sells and serious lit most of the time doesn't) or fear that made Toni Jordan turn her idea into what she turned it into.. the book reads like a soulful, searching novel that has been forced into a shape it never intended to be in. All of a sudden the tone of the book changes into badly done light hearted wooly brained idiot tones and then goes back to soulful. Especially the dialogue is painful to read, it's "snappy" and "sassy" and "juicy" and terrible. All of that juxtapositioned next to a quite interesting story of a woman living with COD. The most painful thing about the book is the attempt to shock or attempt street cred by the use of sudden, misplaced "bad words" that are just jumping at you painfully out of context.
It is basically a good book, ruined by the attempt to make it sassy chick lit.
It is basically a good book, ruined by the attempt to make it sassy chick lit.
February 11, 2018
recommended to me by Goodreads
I really hoped that would be a lovely read like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine but this book makes me so angry right now.
I tried so hard to like Grace, she started out so fine, but wtf happened then? The author tried to make it feels like the side effects of those drugs she took, but it's just because Grace is a whiny selfish bitch. I couldn't care less what happens to her. And i'm not saying that because I feel offended with her comments about pharmacists.
Seamus deserved someone better. wtf was the comeback?? omg he's not average he's unique let's get back together *facepalm
PS: I was afraid that this would be a "love cures mental illness" book, but it was even worse -_-
I really hoped that would be a lovely read like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine but this book makes me so angry right now.
I tried so hard to like Grace, she started out so fine, but wtf happened then? The author tried to make it feels like the side effects of those drugs she took, but it's just because Grace is a whiny selfish bitch. I couldn't care less what happens to her. And i'm not saying that because I feel offended with her comments about pharmacists.
Seamus deserved someone better. wtf was the comeback?? omg he's not average he's unique let's get back together *facepalm
PS: I was afraid that this would be a "love cures mental illness" book, but it was even worse -_-
September 2, 2019
"Die meisten Menschen verpassen ihr ganzes Leben, weißt du. Leben heißt nicht, auf einem Berggipfel zu stehen und den Sonnenuntergang zu beobachten. Leben heißt nicht, am Altar zu warten, oder auf den Augenblick, wenn dein Kind zur Welt kommt, oder das eine Mal, als du im tiefen Wasser geschwommen bist und ein Delphin neben dir herschwamm. Das sind Bruchstücke. [...] Aber sie sind nicht dein Leben. Leben heißt Zähne putzen, ein Sandwich belegen, Nachrichten sehen, auf den Bus warten. Einen Spaziergang machen. Jeden Tag passieren tausend winzige Ereignisse, und wenn du nicht aufpasst, wenn du nicht vorsichtig bist, wenn du sie nicht einfängst und dafür sorgst dass sie zählen, könntest du es verpassen. Du könntest dein ganzes Leben verpassen." (269)
Read
February 1, 2009I loved this light hearted, quirky story, and in fact nearly swallowed it whole on a lazy, cloudy Saturday. This is a story about Grace, who lives with a form of
obsessive/compulsive disorder that demands that she count EVERYTHING and live by the rule of numbers. This can be rather demanding, as you can probably guess. But she is absolutely adorable, with an acerbic wit that made me giggle many, many times. This book is all about learning to embrace,and even flaunt, who you are, no matter what. It's a first novel by Australian author Jordan who is bound to set the chic-lit world on it's ear with this delicious down-under treat!
Jackie
obsessive/compulsive disorder that demands that she count EVERYTHING and live by the rule of numbers. This can be rather demanding, as you can probably guess. But she is absolutely adorable, with an acerbic wit that made me giggle many, many times. This book is all about learning to embrace,and even flaunt, who you are, no matter what. It's a first novel by Australian author Jordan who is bound to set the chic-lit world on it's ear with this delicious down-under treat!
Jackie
September 4, 2017
‘Addition’ was Australian author Toni Jordan’s 2008 debut novel. It is both a romantic comedy and heartfelt tale of mental health and individuality.
I have owned but not read this book since 2008, and have known of its brilliance for that long too. This is partly because Toni Jordan attended the same RMIT writing and editing course as I did (she graduated a few years before I attended though) and all my lecturers raved about her and the breakout success of ‘Addition’ – a few of my lecturers are even thanked in the acknowledgments.
And yet – 2017 is the year of Toni Jordan for me (or, well – technically 2016 was but I couldn’t remember my Christmas read of ‘Our Tiny Useless Hearts’ so … nevermind!) 2017 is the year of Toni Jordan for me. I think I’m going to read all of her books as a treat to myself, and after this – ‘Fall Girl’ will be next!
‘Addition’ is about 35-year-old obsessive-compulsive counter Grace, who is on leave from her teaching job because her counting compulsion came to the attention of parents (“they wanted me teaching their children, not counting them,” she explains at one point). Grace is high-functioning in her compulsion, so long as she sticks to routines and keeps her life patterned by numbers her world will keep ticking along … number of steps to the café, poppy seeds in a slice of orange cake, 10 bananas bought from the supermarket. Her one true love is similarly tortured-by-numbers inventor Nikola Tesla, whose photo is framed and sits by her bedside.
Then Grace steals Seamus’ banana. This is not a euphemism. She swipes it from his grocery basket while waiting in line at the supermarket – to complete her perfect 10. Over the next few days, Grace’s carefully ordered patterns seem to keep leading her back to Seamus … and the two eventually embark on a relationship (Grace’s first in three years).
What follows is both an utterly sexy and tender romance, and a heartbreaking exploration of mental health that questions conformity and normality in the most respectful and humorous ways.
And let’s make something 100% clear – this is a romance (to me, at least – Bookthingo thought differently and that’s okay). But to me – it’s also a *hot* romance. I am coming to quickly admire Toni Jordan’s sweetly sensual stories which beautifully uphold the one true romance rule for me – that is, that our female protagonist has to stand a little taller by the end of the novel. And on her own two feet, with a companion who encourages her autonomy but wishes to be apart of her journey. If I have any complaints about the book, it’s that I would have liked a little bit more – and especially scenes of Grace meeting Seamus’s family.
I am loving my journey through Toni Jordan’s backlist, and I’m not even a little sorry that it’s taken me this long to finally get around to reading her … because these are just the books I needed *right now*. To get me out of a few reading slumps, and to be companionable friends when world events start squeezing in. I’m not sorry that I’ve taken a while to join the Toni Jordan fan-club, I’m just happy that I found my way eventually.
I have owned but not read this book since 2008, and have known of its brilliance for that long too. This is partly because Toni Jordan attended the same RMIT writing and editing course as I did (she graduated a few years before I attended though) and all my lecturers raved about her and the breakout success of ‘Addition’ – a few of my lecturers are even thanked in the acknowledgments.
And yet – 2017 is the year of Toni Jordan for me (or, well – technically 2016 was but I couldn’t remember my Christmas read of ‘Our Tiny Useless Hearts’ so … nevermind!) 2017 is the year of Toni Jordan for me. I think I’m going to read all of her books as a treat to myself, and after this – ‘Fall Girl’ will be next!
‘Addition’ is about 35-year-old obsessive-compulsive counter Grace, who is on leave from her teaching job because her counting compulsion came to the attention of parents (“they wanted me teaching their children, not counting them,” she explains at one point). Grace is high-functioning in her compulsion, so long as she sticks to routines and keeps her life patterned by numbers her world will keep ticking along … number of steps to the café, poppy seeds in a slice of orange cake, 10 bananas bought from the supermarket. Her one true love is similarly tortured-by-numbers inventor Nikola Tesla, whose photo is framed and sits by her bedside.
Then Grace steals Seamus’ banana. This is not a euphemism. She swipes it from his grocery basket while waiting in line at the supermarket – to complete her perfect 10. Over the next few days, Grace’s carefully ordered patterns seem to keep leading her back to Seamus … and the two eventually embark on a relationship (Grace’s first in three years).
What follows is both an utterly sexy and tender romance, and a heartbreaking exploration of mental health that questions conformity and normality in the most respectful and humorous ways.
And let’s make something 100% clear – this is a romance (to me, at least – Bookthingo thought differently and that’s okay). But to me – it’s also a *hot* romance. I am coming to quickly admire Toni Jordan’s sweetly sensual stories which beautifully uphold the one true romance rule for me – that is, that our female protagonist has to stand a little taller by the end of the novel. And on her own two feet, with a companion who encourages her autonomy but wishes to be apart of her journey. If I have any complaints about the book, it’s that I would have liked a little bit more – and especially scenes of Grace meeting Seamus’s family.
I am loving my journey through Toni Jordan’s backlist, and I’m not even a little sorry that it’s taken me this long to finally get around to reading her … because these are just the books I needed *right now*. To get me out of a few reading slumps, and to be companionable friends when world events start squeezing in. I’m not sorry that I’ve taken a while to join the Toni Jordan fan-club, I’m just happy that I found my way eventually.
May 14, 2020
“Counting is what defines us. Listen, Seamus.... the only thing that gives our lives meaning is the knowledge that eventually we will all die. All of us. That’s what makes each minute so important. Without the ability to count our days, our hours, our loved ones... there’s no meaning. Our lives would have no meaning. Without counting, our lives are unexamined. Not valued. Not precious... counting, adding, measuring, timing. It’s what makes us human.”
5 stars.
Holy mother of god I loved every second of this book. I’m not just saying this when I say I’m going to recommend this book to absolutely everyone. What a read. I haven’t read a standard fiction book in AGES. This? This has given me hope, maybe I will pick up more. It’s all thanks to Toni Jordan and her debut novel (YES, ITS HER FIRST BOOK!!! I couldn’t believe it either.)
This book is brilliant, from the prose & character interactions to the little Melbourne references littered through the pages (Australian author.)
The book follows Grace Lisa Vandenburg, a young woman with an OCD that compulsively forces her to count. The book explores how Graces need to count controls her entire life & greatly isolates her from many of life’s offers.
220 pages isn’t a lot of time to a) develop characters, and b) makes you feel connected to them (hence my tendency to avoid them.) I’ve read books that are 800 pages in length and I don’t give a shit about any of the characters. Immediately, almost 5 pages in I care more for Grace than I’ve cared for a protagonist in a long time. She has depth, she has personality and she feels very very real. Her interactions with her niece are some of my favourites. The banter/flirting with the love interest is captivating and some of the best I’ve seen.
The compulsive counting comes off as both hilariously & excruciating as I try to imagine how it must feel for people suffering with these disorders. From counting all the bristles on 14 different toothbrushes to (just Incase they don’t all have 1768) adding up the total of poppyseeds on her cake to how many steps it takes to reach the corner street.
The journey on which Grace embarks on as she begins to question whether her life could be easier without the counting is truely something that everyone should read. Such a quick, quirky and beautiful read.
5 stars.
Holy mother of god I loved every second of this book. I’m not just saying this when I say I’m going to recommend this book to absolutely everyone. What a read. I haven’t read a standard fiction book in AGES. This? This has given me hope, maybe I will pick up more. It’s all thanks to Toni Jordan and her debut novel (YES, ITS HER FIRST BOOK!!! I couldn’t believe it either.)
This book is brilliant, from the prose & character interactions to the little Melbourne references littered through the pages (Australian author.)
The book follows Grace Lisa Vandenburg, a young woman with an OCD that compulsively forces her to count. The book explores how Graces need to count controls her entire life & greatly isolates her from many of life’s offers.
220 pages isn’t a lot of time to a) develop characters, and b) makes you feel connected to them (hence my tendency to avoid them.) I’ve read books that are 800 pages in length and I don’t give a shit about any of the characters. Immediately, almost 5 pages in I care more for Grace than I’ve cared for a protagonist in a long time. She has depth, she has personality and she feels very very real. Her interactions with her niece are some of my favourites. The banter/flirting with the love interest is captivating and some of the best I’ve seen.
The compulsive counting comes off as both hilariously & excruciating as I try to imagine how it must feel for people suffering with these disorders. From counting all the bristles on 14 different toothbrushes to (just Incase they don’t all have 1768) adding up the total of poppyseeds on her cake to how many steps it takes to reach the corner street.
The journey on which Grace embarks on as she begins to question whether her life could be easier without the counting is truely something that everyone should read. Such a quick, quirky and beautiful read.
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