Lucky

by Jane Smiley

From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, a soaring, soulful novel about a folk musician who rises to fame across our changing times

Before Jodie Rattler became a star, she was a girl growing up in St. Louis. One day in 1955, when she was just six years old, her uncle Drew took her to the racetrack, where she got lucky—and that roll of two-dollar bills she won has never since left her side. Jodie thrived in the warmth of her extended family, and then—through a combination of hard work and serendipity—she started a singing career, which catapulted her from St. Louis to New York City, from the English countryside to the tropical beaches of St. Thomas, from Cleveland to Los Angeles, and back again. Jodie comes of age in recording studios, backstage, and on tour, and she tries to hold her own in the wake of Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Joni Mitchell. Yet it feels like something is missing. Could it be true love? Or is that not actually what Jodie is looking for?

Full of atmosphere, shot through with longing and exuberance, romance and rock 'n' roll, Lucky is a story of chance and grit and the glitter of real talent, a colorful portrait of one woman's journey in search of herself.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Music, Literary Fiction, Family, Novels, Audiobook

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2024

About the author

Jane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained a A.B. at Vassar College, then earned a M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996, she taught at Iowa State University. Smiley published her first novel, Barn Blind, in 1980, and won a 1985 O. Henry Award for her short story "Lily", which was published in The Atlantic Monthly. Her best-selling A Thousand Acres, a story based on William Shakespeare's King Lear, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 1997. In 1995 she wrote her sole television script produced, for an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Her novella The Age of Grief was made into the 2002 film The Secret Lives of Dentists.

Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel (2005), is a non-fiction meditation on the history and the nature of the novel, somewhat in the tradition of E. M. Forster's seminal Aspects of the Novel, that roams from eleventh century Japan's Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji to twenty-first century Americans chick lit.

In 2001, Smiley was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Reviews

[Linden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jodie’s story starts out with a cute anecdote from her childhood. Her uncle took her to the race track where she won a lot of money, and she kept this lucky roll of $2.00 bills with her. Then we learn many details of her life in the first person narrative— growing up fatherless in St. Louis; college life at Penn State; her many liaisons with anyone she fancies, single or married; her music gigs and songwriting. The story ends with her 50th high school reunion, and chatting with someone she referred to as "the gawky girl."

Then there's an epilogue set in an apocalyptic future of a monstrously fascist America. The "real Jodie" disavows the fiction of the book, ostensibly written with some true information gleaned by "the gawky girl" as they conversed after the reunion.

I chose this book to read because I was interested in reading about a woman coming of age during the 1960's. I was very disappointed--sadly after awhile I didn't even care about (either) Jodie. To anyone who wants to read excellent historical fiction set in this time period, I recommend Sister Stardust by Jane Green, and The Women by Kristin Hannah. I received an advance copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Kendra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lucky is perhaps Jane Smiley's most self-indulgent book yet. While I liked Moo and admired A Thousand Acres, this meta-meta narrative was disappointing and annoying from the start. The first -person narrator is Jodie Rattler, who has a folk-music career that she's not particularly committed to, but which sets her up monetarily for life when she's still in her teens. She floats her way around the world, leaving lovers and experiences in her wake but not ever developing much as a person. She writes songs, or doesn't, and records them, or doesn't, and plays a festivals, or doesn't. The song lyrics are, I'm sorry to say, cringeworthy, and the music terminology isn't always right. In fact, it's more often wrong than correct. Jodie often mentions "the gawky girl" with whom she went to school and of course this girl is Smiley herself, who writes a fictional narrative of Jodie's life, which is what you're reading. The real Jodie, reading her own copy of Lucky, isn't happy about this, but the world is ending, I don't know why Smiley chose to structure the novel as she did, but it was easy to see her setting it up with the "gawky girl" and to watch as Smiley's fictional self and the fiction of Jodie came into collision with one another. The result isn't very good: the device doesn't come off well, revealing very little about anyone, and the epilogue, a correction of fictional Smiley's book and state of the world address, is kind of bizarre. I'd love to read or hear why Smiley decided to create the book in this way.

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and GP Knopf/Borzoi Books/Penguin Random House LLC (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this novel was like tediously trudging along a snow-filled trail that ultimately leads you nowhere. I really wanted to like this book as a fan of the author, but I was quite disappointed. There are elements that warrant the spoiler warnings you can see in other reviews, but these components aren't enough to save the story.

The writing felt unusually flat and, at times, like a huge run-on sentence written by a child for a school project. I am perplexed at how a story that should be imbued with excitement and enthusiasm was so incredibly boring and lacking feeling. The main character was so one dimensional, so matter of fact and so lacking any sense of personality, it was hard to care about her.

Framing herself as lucky, she describes her whole life but it does not feels like the story of a woman who has led a vibrant and full life, instead she comes across like an unemotional robot. There were elements that one would think "oh, how lucky!" such as falling into a quasi-successful music career and finding great financial success but it did not feel as though she was very lucky, it felt more like she wasted most of the opportunities laid at her feet.

Those willing to dive into this book, be forewarned, the song lyrics embedded throughout the novel are cringe-inducing. The ending is the most powerful thing about this book and it left me feeling extremely glum.

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jodie Rattler grew up with a single mother in St. Louis, a city she loves and to which she continues to return. Influenced by her family’s interest in music and the folk singers and other musicians of the 1960s, her talent brings her to the fringes of success, providing enough income to support her. Always independent but with strong family ties, she makes conscious choices how she will live her life. As she passes through the stages of her life, she reflects back, determining whether they were the right alternatives for her.

Well written by Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, this will appeal to fans of literary fiction, although I fear some readers may tire of the constant musical references and Jodie’s wanderings around England. For people of a certain age and fans of the folk rock genre, this is a nostalgic read recounting the songs and singers of the 60s, as well historical events dating from the early 60s. There are some very poignant and insightful observations of the various stages of women’s lives and the options open to them.

I don’t like to write spoilers. Suffice to say that there is a turn at the end of the novel that will cause some to say “brava” and others to say “what the…..?”. Read the book to see in which camp you will be.


Thanks to @NetGalley and @aaknopf for the DRC.

[Royce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have my reading tastes changed as I age? Has Jane Smiley’s writing changed? I am struggling with these two questions. I’m not sure which is true. Or, is it a bit of both, like my wise GR friend Doug Gordy offered, when we discussed this?

Jane Smiley writes beautifully, creates ordinary families living their ordinary lives. But, for some reason, I was unable to connect to the narrator. She was boring. The first sentence of the book made me believe this story would be interesting. Unfortunately, I feel lucky I finished it.

[Cheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

This is a story of family, fame, music, love, luck and a life lived on one’s own terms.

This story begins when Jodie, as a young child, wins a roll of two-dollar bills at the racetrack. It is what drives her belief that luck is on her side, and for the most part, it is. She becomes a musician, and while she doesn’t have quite the same level of fame as the more iconic musicians of the time, she seems quietly content to be adjacent to them, and play with them occasionally.

Her journeys take her to places where she meets several men who she spends some time with, but never seems to be interested in a long term relationship, and while they may occasionally turn up fondly in a memory, she is content to be on her own, as well. She ‘enjoys’ them, she just doesn’t *need* them.

Her family, especially her parents, weave in and out of this story, as she is very close to them, if not always physically, but she does seem to realize how frail they have become, and so she takes some time away from her music to spend time with them.

This isn’t a light and fluffy story, there are darker moments now and then, especially as she watches her parents fading away, but they aren’t traumatic.

While there were a few positives to this, I really didn’t need or enjoy the plethora of ‘song lyrics’ written by Jodie that were sprinkled throughout this novel. I felt that they detracted from the story, and the story would have been better without them.


Pub Date: 23 Apr 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am one year older than Jodie and graduated from high school in 1966 with Brewsky. I am still a fan of folk music - Peter, Paul, and Mary, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez and so many more. My father and I tolerated watching the Lawrence Welk Show in order to watch Paladin and Gunsmoke. I sang along with Mitch Miller. We practiced hiding under our desks in the event of a nuclear attack.. I remember the Cuban missile crisis and watched television for four continuous days when John Kennedy was assassinated. The boy I kissed in the junior class play died in Vietnam... I am reliving my history as I begin this book. Oh!! Oh!! I am about half way through the book and am bored to tears. Jodie has the depth of a small mud puddle. Finally this book is finished. I picked this book because of the author's name.... What a horrible disappointment. Suddenly you find yourself in a dystopian world where nuclear war has destroyed much of the earth. ( The author states that the intertnet no longer exists, but sends emails and has to check her laptop in with customs when she moves. Oh, well foolish consistency is the hobgobblin of little minds.... ) We learn that Jodie is not Jodie and the novel up until the epilogue was written by someone else and only vaguely tells the truth of her life. I read 671 books last year and about 180 so far in 2024. This ranks as one of the worst of all these books. An insult to the reader!!!!!! Kristi & Abby Tabby

[AndiReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story by Jane Smiley. In Lucky, we meet Jodie Rattler, who at six traveled to horse track with her uncle and from then on believed herself lucky. Rattler tells us her story in first person from age 6 to becoming a star. It's very interesting and gripping, even the minutiae of education as you follow her trajectory. Jodie lives almost a half life however, missing something that makes her full. What happens at the end will surprise you and may answer that question for her and all of us.

This meta novel was very enjoyable to me and I am glad I read it. I am not sure that it is for EVERYONE however, it is certainly not a typical rock star rise to stardom story. It's literaray and it is quite different. The story is told in an almost laissez faire style. It's Jane Smiley though! So if you are a fan of literature you will enjoy it!
#knopfpantheon&vintage #knopf #lucky #janesmiley

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically unreadable. What was the writer thinking?

[Jessey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a serious struggle to finish and even then, I skipped pages and chapters. Not to fear, skipping definitely didn’t have an effect on the plot. This book is terribly boring. It was supposed to be about a fictional folk singer in the 1960s/70s and barely touched on that topic. The writer thinks we need to know (or even care!) about details like “I got a muffin. Oh and a napkin too”; yet she skips over the actual plot of the book when the character cuts an album or plays a festival. Sadly the only redemption was the Epilogue which was interesting but wasted on the last few pages.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not even sure how I can review this book. I am not even sure if I should give it 3 stars. I did finish it, but I am still scratching my head.
I cannot give it a fair & honest review & then the ending just totally lost me...I have read this author in the past & have liked her books, not always easy reads but still well written.


This was just not for me.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t believe I read the whole mediocre thing. Not a good read at all.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Smiley is a master of so many writing styles, but what always sticks with me is a kind of ache that comes through in her stories. It is so in "Lucky," which is by turns wonderful and bewildering.

Jodi's uncle takes her to the racetrack at Cahokia Downs as a special treat, and lets her pick the trifecta. To their amazement, they win, and big. Uncle Drew gives her a bundle of $2 bills and tells her to hide them, save them, not tell anyone about them, but buy herself something nice one day. Knowing that she has this special think tucked away. She's a talented singer and almost has a folk career, she writes songs that are modest hits. Somehow, the feeling that she is lucky allows her to live the life she really wants, modest and fulfilling.

But there's something else going on in "Lucky" and I'm still trying to make sense of it. A girl Jodi knew in high school--the "gawky girl"--pops up occasionally in her life and turns out to be Jane Smiley, who writes the book we are reading. Then there's an Epilogue that comes out of the blue and has to do with what's come before. I'm still wondering.

I enjoyed every page of "Lucky" until the end. It is beautifully written, of course, and filled with relatable characters and that ache. Little action but a lot of humanity. How many stars does a book get that is so good until this weird Epilogue blows it apart?

Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for a digital review copy of Lucky. All opinions are my own.

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lucky by Jane Smiley was nothing like I expected. After reading a long and tedious novel about Jodie Rattlet and her life from basically birth to old age and her magically making money in her early 20s and investing it so it became millions, then not really touching it to help her family or live, we find out that this really wasn't the story of her life, but a book of fiction written by someone she knew in high school, loosely based on her life and then it ends with an epilogue that is a distopian rant about the end of the world and destruction of America. I waited the entire novel for something to happen and that's what happened? I found the main character to be tiresome and self involved and the whole book a bore. Read at your own risk.

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was THAT? I have always liked Smiley’s books, so I kept going, because I thought there would be a turn, or a payoff. There is a turn, but it is both grim and self-indulgent, and completely disconnected from the rest of the book. Most of the book is like talking to a lonely elderly relative: floods and torrents of random unimportant details, complete with extensive tangents. What a huge disappointment.

[Lea Columbus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to thank Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor, as well as Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I did not like this book. I did finish it, but it was tough going. It os a hard book to review without giving away spoilers, so I will do a brief synopsis then give a spoiler alert, if you do not want the spoilers.
Jodie Rattler is a woman living in St Louis, at the outset. She is being raised by a single mother. One day her Uncle takes her to the race track where he wins a lot of money. He gives her 86 dollars and she rolls up the bills and keeps them for good luck. In High School, she has some friends and often mentions a girl, only by her description- "the gawky girl". This girl turns up at times during the narrative. Jodie goes to college and becomes a folk singer/songwriter of some small fame. She gives her earnings to her Uncle to invest. Like the roll of bills from the race track, she really doesn't seem to use it, not for her self or for her family. The book continues on in this way, as Jodie has some romantic relationships, writes and sings, and interacts with her family and some friends. The writing is very odd. It is awkward, and stilted. The story is meandering and takes forever to get to a conclusion. OK SPOILER ALERT. The book itself ends with Jodie going back to her High School Reunion.She meets up with the gawky girl ( who is now a writer) and they talk. The last chapter is an epilogue, written by the "real" Jodie Rattler, who says that everything we just read was written by the "gawky Girl", and was not accurate. Ok, once I got my mind wrapped around this twist- is this meant to be a Meta kind of thing, a statement on writing and truth in writing, came another twist. All of a sudden we are plunged into an Global disaster, a combination of Climate Change, War and political candidates. It was jarring, unneeded and dumb. I am not sure what Jane Smily tried to do here. However, if it was to keep me from reading anything else she wrote- well she succeeded.

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Happy Publication Day!**

Another family saga from Jane Smiley. Is this part of the trilogy she began with Some Luck? I can't find anything that says it is but it seems like it should be with its emphasis on 'luck.'

This is a good read as we watch one life unfold. Jodie Rattler grows up in St Louis, Mo, in the 1950s, in the bosom of a warm, loving extended family, the only child of an unwed mother. She has talent as a singer, songwriter and guitar player and finds some success. As a songwriter, she spends a great deal of time observing people--their feelings and their actions. From them, she learns how to make friends, but although she has many affairs, she never allows Love to get in the way of her career.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates said as he declared the essence of a good life. Jodie has an epiphany when she thinks that maybe the purpose of religion is to ask oneself: 'Who am I and what is my reason for living?'

The span of Jodie's lifetime has been my own lifetime experience so I identified with the world events as they were happening. I was also a little surprised about what wasn't mentioned. St Louis is lovingly depicted--a place I've been to a few times myself but just as a tourist.

My favorite part 0f the book is actually the epilogue where we learn the truth about the story and get a glimpse of a possible future for all of us.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published April 23, 2024.

The newest from Pulitzer Prize winning author Jane Smiley follows Jodie Rattler from about age six when she goes to a racetrack with her uncle (who will remain an important figure in her life) through her old age. We go through her youth in St. Louis, her college years as a music major at Penn State, life as a working musician and her “lost years” in England. Then she returns to America and works, again as a musician in New York before she returns to St. Louis. Smiley also inserts herself into the book as a minor character.

I have loved some of Smiley’s work and have been not quite as enamored with some of her output. I actually quite liked this gentle story until the rapid turn it took at the end, which I didn’t really understand, in light of all that had come before. I mean, clearly Smiley thinks we’re on the brink of something calamitous here, and I get that, but the end of the novel just didn’t work for me. So, not a bad book, but I can’t endorse the end.

[Paige · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
I started this book over and over again, trying so hard to get into it. It could be the narrator's voice, but the plot also felt lackluster. I wanted to enjoy this so badly. I may pick up a physical copy, and that might get me into it.
The plot felt very hard to follow, skipping around timelines within just one single chapter. Not a lot of flow to it. The writing fell very flat for me, the prose could have had more flow and method to the madness.
I received this copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Jena Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read and enjoyed two books by Jane Smiley, “Horse Heaven” and “Perestroika in Paris.” I was swept away by these books and I highly recommend them. My advice? Read those books instead of “Lucky”.

“Lucky” is told in the first person by “Jodie Rattler”, in an almost a stream of consciousness way. Jodie narrates her whole life, from growing up in St. Louis, high school, college, her career as a folk singer and recording artist, her 25 lovers. All this is mildly interesting- sometimes witty, sometimes appealing. We get to know her family, too.

The book ends in a very abrupt way, followed by an “I didn’t see this coming at all” end of the world scene. Turns out this story isn’t even told by “Jodie Rattler”. I’m giving this book 3 stars, instead of 1 or 2 stars, only because I do respect Jane Smiley.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital review copy. I was so delighted to receive a copy, and so disappointed with the book. This is my honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

worst book ever

I cannot believe I stuck with this book, hoping that someTHING WOULD HAPPEN…IT never did. Skip this one…there are better books awaiting!!!

[Jakki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea why I picked this one up. I should have read the 1 and 2 star reviews FIRST. This was truly boring. Can’t finish.

[Justin HC · Rating 3 out of 5]

OOF talk about an epilogue that we didn’t need! I would’ve rated this higher if the book ended before the epilogue. The book kind of reminded me of Stoner - it’s a life lived, somewhat quietly, lots of interiority without much conflict for our main character to confront. It was suffused with wry Midwestern humor and insights, and I was along for the ride, even when some of the details about the music industry felt not so true to life. I especially liked the section when she moves back to St Louis to care for her alcoholic mother and ailing grandparents.

But then the epilogue essentially pushes away and rejects everything that came before. Yeah, ALL of this book is fiction, but the epilogue felt like a betrayal to the reader - the “Jodie Rattler” we’ve spent so much time getting to know and understand is actually a fictional creation by an author she went to high school with? And our “real” protagonist is escaping a hellscape America. My knee-jerk reaction is that the author is trying to shock her fellow boomer readers out of their climate and political complacency to see how the luck is all gone and the world has already gone down the toilet but… I don’t really get how it’s a satisfying or even earned ending to the 95% of the story that the reader invested in during the course of the novel. She did drop foreshadowing throughout about climate change anxieties (even in the 90s/Y2K section). Weird! Not sure if I would recommend… but I did enjoy the majority of this ultimately perplexing novel.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where Jane Smiley leads I am happy to follow. IMO she writes family sagas like no one else. They are not romances as many family sagas are. Also the book is totally original. This work takes place mostly in St Louis. The neighborhoods are described so fully and lovingly that they become characters in their own right. The lead character is a woman who is a singer songwriter that garnered some attention but never made it to the big time. The trajectory of the novels takes us from her childhood to her old age. I enjoyed every single page of this book.
However, the epilogue turns this book on its head and is revelatory. It is completely clever as well as unexpected. Kudos to Ms. Smiley.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Jane Smiley’s books, but I think this is the best yet. The story is about the life of Jodie and how she navigates family, friends, and a career as a somewhat successful folk singer. The story contain a lot of day to day details that might normally be a bit mundane, but Smiley uses them to keep the story moving. And it does move- I kept looking to see what percentage I had read because I didn’t want to get through it too quickly. Would have loved a sequel, but the epilogue changes how you feel about the story- not in a bad way, but in a different way. Enjoy this book to the end.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jodie Rattler and I just didn't connect. We tried, had many of the same interests, but I felt ever at a distance with her, throughout all the times of her life. Most people change during the differing seasons of life, and one may not like a person at one point, but later become good, even great friends. Not for me and Jodie. She stays the same, not a very deep pool at any point.

I'll leave it there.

*A sincere thank you to Jane Smiley, RB Media, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #Lucky #NetGalley

[PJ Lutz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never thought I would call a Jane Smiley book dull, because up until now she has been one of my favorite authors. The writing is so bland and matter of fact, it makes the characters and the events seem dull and uninteresting. And won’t even bother with that ridiculous “twist” of an ending. Very disappointing.

[Lee]

Didn’t finish this. I just couldn’t get into it.

[nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

*DNF

Admitting defeat with this one. Interesting in style where fiction meets memoir. How do you write a life so real? By telling it in fashion of memoir? It feels real. Almost too real.

And after a 100 or so pages, that's where I draw the line. Because it's a life well-lived in a way where a middle aged white woman is telling me how much luck and privilege has kept her afloat and I'm there nodding my head until my head is nodding to a doze.

I just don't care enough!!! I'm sorry lady!

p/s: Being on this app, I'm sad I'll be missing out on the "twist" but there are just too many pages. If Smiley spent 100 pages being expository, what good is the other two-thirds :/

🥮🥮🥮

If you enjoyed this write-up, please consider purchasing my novella here.
Or find other thoughts on books and films here.

[Ali Fredrickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically one long boring run on sentence about what she’s eating, which married man she’s sleeping with, and so. Many. Cringey. Song lyrics.