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Barbara
From the author of Double Teenage and Talking Animals comes an intimate portrait of a woman losing and finding her identity through the business and art of movie making.
Barbara is born just before World War II to a tragically beautiful mother and a father who becomes an engineer in the famous Manhattan Project. When Barbara is thirteen, her mother commits suicide. These realities of war and personal loss shape her consciousness going forward.
She grows up to become an actress, restlessly travelling the world between film sets and love affairs, from the Bronx to Athens, the Alps to the Rocky Mountains. Navigating decades and genres, Barbara moves from austere 1950s kitchen sink dramas to countercultural 1970s gothics. She takes on and sheds many roles, temporarily becoming a vampire's victim and a stylish mistress, a martyred saint and a bored housewife. She enjoys clandestine sexual encounters and endures an illegal abortion; she marries, divorces, and remarries, the second time to a visionary director who proves to be her great love.
An intense, layered distillation of a zeitgeist, Joni Murphy's latest novel whispers tales of independent cinema and grimy show business, militarism and physics, bomb making and image consumption. It is a study of the mirroring and splitting between old and new worlds, inner sensations, and outward performance. Ultimately, Barbara unspools a delicate yet propulsive tale of a woman grasping for a meaningful life amid the reflective, broken shards of the long 20th century.
Barbara is born just before World War II to a tragically beautiful mother and a father who becomes an engineer in the famous Manhattan Project. When Barbara is thirteen, her mother commits suicide. These realities of war and personal loss shape her consciousness going forward.
She grows up to become an actress, restlessly travelling the world between film sets and love affairs, from the Bronx to Athens, the Alps to the Rocky Mountains. Navigating decades and genres, Barbara moves from austere 1950s kitchen sink dramas to countercultural 1970s gothics. She takes on and sheds many roles, temporarily becoming a vampire's victim and a stylish mistress, a martyred saint and a bored housewife. She enjoys clandestine sexual encounters and endures an illegal abortion; she marries, divorces, and remarries, the second time to a visionary director who proves to be her great love.
An intense, layered distillation of a zeitgeist, Joni Murphy's latest novel whispers tales of independent cinema and grimy show business, militarism and physics, bomb making and image consumption. It is a study of the mirroring and splitting between old and new worlds, inner sensations, and outward performance. Ultimately, Barbara unspools a delicate yet propulsive tale of a woman grasping for a meaningful life amid the reflective, broken shards of the long 20th century.
250 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 29, 2025
Barbara is a star of the silver screen, a veteran of the stage, a goddess revered and a whore cursed by the public at large - she also happens to be entirely fictional.
Told in a style that is deliberately fragmented, at times curiously obtuse while at others staggeringly raw and open, Barbara is the faux autobiography of a middle-aged actress, laid bare in an almost stream of consciousness style narrative. In reflecting on her life and her own intergenerational experiences with trauma, Barbara recounts and unpacks such events as the loss of her mother by suicide when she was 13, her father’s work as an engineer for The Manhattan Project, and a harrowing illegal abortion following an affair with a famous costar in her early career as a young ingenue.
Despite its heavy themes, the story never veers into tragedy p*rn, maintaining a sense of intentionality throughout. One of the novel’s biggest strengths, is in the frank discussion of a woman who revels in a life filled with not only great love affairs, but an everyday sort of hedonism, granting backstage access to the psyche of a woman who unapologetically engages in affairs with a casual ease I’ve rarely seen depicted so
matter-of-factly in fiction. There’s no attempt to pathologize or pass judgment on Barbara, leaving it to the reader to form their own opinions about a complex character unconcerned with her own likability.
As a self-professed cinephile, I was immediately sucked in by Joni Murphy’s arthouse sensibilities and clear reverence for film and the craft of acting. I felt transported and utterly gripped by a story steeped in an understated, humanist style akin to the work of Wim Wenders or John Cassavetes. This was one of those rare “this book was written for me” moments that every avid reader hopes to discover along their reading journey. An easy 5 ⭐️.
Told in a style that is deliberately fragmented, at times curiously obtuse while at others staggeringly raw and open, Barbara is the faux autobiography of a middle-aged actress, laid bare in an almost stream of consciousness style narrative. In reflecting on her life and her own intergenerational experiences with trauma, Barbara recounts and unpacks such events as the loss of her mother by suicide when she was 13, her father’s work as an engineer for The Manhattan Project, and a harrowing illegal abortion following an affair with a famous costar in her early career as a young ingenue.
Despite its heavy themes, the story never veers into tragedy p*rn, maintaining a sense of intentionality throughout. One of the novel’s biggest strengths, is in the frank discussion of a woman who revels in a life filled with not only great love affairs, but an everyday sort of hedonism, granting backstage access to the psyche of a woman who unapologetically engages in affairs with a casual ease I’ve rarely seen depicted so
matter-of-factly in fiction. There’s no attempt to pathologize or pass judgment on Barbara, leaving it to the reader to form their own opinions about a complex character unconcerned with her own likability.
As a self-professed cinephile, I was immediately sucked in by Joni Murphy’s arthouse sensibilities and clear reverence for film and the craft of acting. I felt transported and utterly gripped by a story steeped in an understated, humanist style akin to the work of Wim Wenders or John Cassavetes. This was one of those rare “this book was written for me” moments that every avid reader hopes to discover along their reading journey. An easy 5 ⭐️.
February 4, 2025
barbara was an intricate novel about many things but it was not about what the synopsis led me to believe, not really. while all in all it's a well-written, enjoyable novel, i did read with the expectation that it would explore more of what it promised to, or in more depth. her marriage, for instance, was presented as a complex but essential aspect of her life but didn't end up being that way. or, the interaction between the character herself and the political context she exists within—especially having grown up during the cold war with a father that worked on the atomic bomb—is discussed much later in the book. for most of it the political occurrences are reported in a way that is separate from the character entirely, which i understand may be intentional, but i was misled by the synopsis in this too. however, her mother's suicide was the event that propelled barbara into her subsequent life, and the complexities of the generational experiences she was shaped by were tied inextricably to the political realities of the setting. everything about this book was set up really well, i only wish the author had engaged with it all more in-depth.
thank you to astra house and netgalley for the arc!
thank you to astra house and netgalley for the arc!
May 4, 2025
It's told in a nonlinear, memory-soaked structure, it reads like a diary, complete with photographs that evoke a hazy, Marilyn Monroe-esque atmosphere. The writing is simple yet good, and the structure mirrors the internal progression of its main character.
While the style was solid, the emotional impact was surprisingly muted. The book feels like watching a hot, sleepy night unfold: beautiful, slow, and a little disorienting. It's for readers who enjoy books where not much happens, but something still shifts beneath the surface.
While the style was solid, the emotional impact was surprisingly muted. The book feels like watching a hot, sleepy night unfold: beautiful, slow, and a little disorienting. It's for readers who enjoy books where not much happens, but something still shifts beneath the surface.
June 19, 2025
Joni Murphy’s Barbara is a quiet, atmospheric novel that immerses itself in mood, memory, and interiority. Told through a fragmented, diary-like structure, it invites readers into a nonlinear meditation on identity and self-perception. The tone evokes the faded glamour of old Hollywood, tinged with a persistent melancholy. Murphy’s prose moves fluidly between spare, clipped observations and long, winding sentences that mirror Barbara’s introspective and often drifting inner world. Rather than anchoring the story in biographical milestones, the novel builds an emotional landscape shaped by mid-century beauty ideals and womanhood's quiet, enduring tensions.
Though stylistically compelling, the novel does not consistently deliver the emotional weight suggested by its premise. The subtle undercurrents at play are intellectually engaging but can feel distant, offering more atmosphere than resolution. Readers who seek narrative drive or a clear emotional arc may want more, but those who appreciate introspective, stylistically bold fiction will find much to admire. Barbara is less concerned with the plot than with capturing the experience of being adrift—of trying to make sense of the self through memory, feeling, and fragments.
Though stylistically compelling, the novel does not consistently deliver the emotional weight suggested by its premise. The subtle undercurrents at play are intellectually engaging but can feel distant, offering more atmosphere than resolution. Readers who seek narrative drive or a clear emotional arc may want more, but those who appreciate introspective, stylistically bold fiction will find much to admire. Barbara is less concerned with the plot than with capturing the experience of being adrift—of trying to make sense of the self through memory, feeling, and fragments.
October 20, 2024
"What is poisoned may stay poisoned for generations to come."
I approached this novel expecting a deep dive into the trials of fame and Hollywood (think Marilyn Monroe). However, what I encountered was a profound character study that delved into generational trauma. The narrative intricately explores how the protagonist’s parents and their past profoundly influenced her own life. In parallel, we see a similar story at the societal level.
The time period in which the story unfolds plays a crucial role, amplifying the themes of trauma and cause and effect. It’s a fascinating exploration of how the weight of the past can shape our identities.
This novel left a lasting impression on me and I'll be reflecting on the themes for a while. Thank you NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the ARC!
I approached this novel expecting a deep dive into the trials of fame and Hollywood (think Marilyn Monroe). However, what I encountered was a profound character study that delved into generational trauma. The narrative intricately explores how the protagonist’s parents and their past profoundly influenced her own life. In parallel, we see a similar story at the societal level.
The time period in which the story unfolds plays a crucial role, amplifying the themes of trauma and cause and effect. It’s a fascinating exploration of how the weight of the past can shape our identities.
This novel left a lasting impression on me and I'll be reflecting on the themes for a while. Thank you NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the ARC!
October 19, 2024
DNF @ 68% I’m so sorry but couldn’t get into this. The simplistic writing chops and mundane voice didn’t captivate at all. I liked the photographs and overall plotline. faux autobiographical account. mid 20th century high jinks. just fell flat to me..thank you Astra House and NetGalley. Will give this author another try come time!
March 24, 2025
Unexpectedly loved, this is the A24 version of Evelyn Hugo
February 12, 2025
Oh, Barbara. Sometimes a book really will find you at the perfect time.
I've been thinking about David Lynch, so I've been thinking about the atomic bomb. When I was given the chance to read this book and I remember thinking, how funny, I remember walking out of the theatres in July 2023 thinking someone should write something that connects the events of Oppenheimer to the creation of the Barbie doll. Anyway, this book is not about that. But it is a story about creating, and its consequences. One woman's generational trauma set against a nuclear trauma that affected a whole generation.
Joni Murphy's Barbara is a delicious freudian dream of a character study.
Very much not a plot-driven sort of story, with paragraphs circling back and forth, run on prose becoming poetry – a brilliant, distant father's work on the Manhattan Project as a mother's fragile mind unravels towards the suicide that will be the bomb trickling radiation down throughout her child's life, all the nuclear explosions in all the nuclear compositions that came before them, and the culmination of this in Barbara, saint Barbara, the patron saint of mathematicians and those who work with explosions, a story of the many that starts with the one, a woman played by several women, who plays herself but also her mother and her grandmother. I could write an essay on this, but I'll spare us both.
I'd recommend this to anyone interested in “nothing” books, literary and historical fiction, troubled women in the mid 20th century, and especially to anyone who participated in the web weaving movement on tumblr from 2020 to 2022.
Thank you immensely to Astra House and Netgalley for this arc, and Joni Murphy for Getting It.
I've been thinking about David Lynch, so I've been thinking about the atomic bomb. When I was given the chance to read this book and I remember thinking, how funny, I remember walking out of the theatres in July 2023 thinking someone should write something that connects the events of Oppenheimer to the creation of the Barbie doll. Anyway, this book is not about that. But it is a story about creating, and its consequences. One woman's generational trauma set against a nuclear trauma that affected a whole generation.
"There are ways to survive an atomic blast my father said, but I wonder sometimes if he said that to give me something to hope for, in the event of a catastrophe.
My mother was so sad. She was sad enough to leave me and the world and now I can do nothing but remember her.”
Joni Murphy's Barbara is a delicious freudian dream of a character study.
Very much not a plot-driven sort of story, with paragraphs circling back and forth, run on prose becoming poetry – a brilliant, distant father's work on the Manhattan Project as a mother's fragile mind unravels towards the suicide that will be the bomb trickling radiation down throughout her child's life, all the nuclear explosions in all the nuclear compositions that came before them, and the culmination of this in Barbara, saint Barbara, the patron saint of mathematicians and those who work with explosions, a story of the many that starts with the one, a woman played by several women, who plays herself but also her mother and her grandmother. I could write an essay on this, but I'll spare us both.
I'd recommend this to anyone interested in “nothing” books, literary and historical fiction, troubled women in the mid 20th century, and especially to anyone who participated in the web weaving movement on tumblr from 2020 to 2022.
Thank you immensely to Astra House and Netgalley for this arc, and Joni Murphy for Getting It.
November 30, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
I think that I will have to revisit this review as I continue to sit with the book, but I really loved Joni Murphy's Barbara. I am biased; it touches upon many things that deeply interest me, personally: mid-20th century America, the problematization of celebrity, physics and the obsession of the scientist with forward progress, parental relationships complicated by tragedy and circumstance, beauty and femininity, and the experiences and motivations of performers. I think it is worthwhile for anyone interested in any one of those subjects to read this book. I thought the form was also interesting and appreciated the inclusion of photographs to ground the faux memoir in the material world.
I can see why readers who prefer a plot-driven book might feel like Barbara goes nowhere and has no point. I would not recommend the book to people who need a meaty plot and/or to those who don't enjoy literary fiction. I, clearly, don't feel this way. I enjoyed this as an expanded character study of a complex woman who has experienced a life that is at once fabulously charmed and extremely difficult. I will definitely be recommending this book to many people in my life with whom I think Barbara will resonate.
Thank you to Astra House and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.
I think that I will have to revisit this review as I continue to sit with the book, but I really loved Joni Murphy's Barbara. I am biased; it touches upon many things that deeply interest me, personally: mid-20th century America, the problematization of celebrity, physics and the obsession of the scientist with forward progress, parental relationships complicated by tragedy and circumstance, beauty and femininity, and the experiences and motivations of performers. I think it is worthwhile for anyone interested in any one of those subjects to read this book. I thought the form was also interesting and appreciated the inclusion of photographs to ground the faux memoir in the material world.
I can see why readers who prefer a plot-driven book might feel like Barbara goes nowhere and has no point. I would not recommend the book to people who need a meaty plot and/or to those who don't enjoy literary fiction. I, clearly, don't feel this way. I enjoyed this as an expanded character study of a complex woman who has experienced a life that is at once fabulously charmed and extremely difficult. I will definitely be recommending this book to many people in my life with whom I think Barbara will resonate.
Thank you to Astra House and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2025
I am usually not a fan of “fictional biographical” novels, but this book does it wonderfully.
Murphy places less weight on the specific details of Barbara’s life story, and more on the universally-relatable impacts the events have had on her, and how this affects the way she experiences the world. Murphy’s insightful writing combines lively morsels of mid-century glamour with the searing realities of womanhood.
Murphy places less weight on the specific details of Barbara’s life story, and more on the universally-relatable impacts the events have had on her, and how this affects the way she experiences the world. Murphy’s insightful writing combines lively morsels of mid-century glamour with the searing realities of womanhood.
May 14, 2025
smoothly and beautifully written character study of a beautiful young woman, of her acting career and her romances and marriages and familial trauma and just her life in general. a bit slow, but wonderfully written and made me interested to read more of joni murphy's work in the future
January 19, 2025
Barbara is an arresting exploration of a woman’s psyche, offering a quiet yet unsettling study of 20th-century malaise.
Set in 1975, the novel follows Barbara, an actress in her early 40s, who spends her downtime confined to a hotel room, engaged in a fleeting affair with her leading man while reflecting on her life and career. At first, she seems poised yet resigned: “I got to be beautiful, and that determined the direction my whole life would take.” But as her narrative unfolds, the weight of her family’s past and the turbulence of the century emerge as central to her identity. While Barbara finds power in her beauty, she’s painfully aware of the effort it takes to fit into “the endless small rectangles controlled by grown men.”
A devoted cinephile, Barbara is captivated by the alchemy of filmmaking, embracing its methods, magic, and contradictions. Her passion for the craft—workshopping characters and creating authenticity in an artificial medium—mirrors her broader quest to make sense of life’s complexities. She applies this deconstructive lens to everything: her parents’ lives, war, gender, performance, and relationships. Her observations are startling in their clarity, such as when she reflects on her father: “He had appeared as a baby in the olden days, and by the time he died, the sky was speckled with satellites.”
Barbara’s voice, marked by its understated tone, is both disarming and absorbing. Is her simplicity a way to contain the chaos of her experiences, or is it a deliberate distancing from their enormity? The narrative, though structured, flows with the organic rhythm of a therapy session—a string of reflections that feel intimate and raw. Scattered photographs deepen its resonance, grounding her memories in a tangible space.
This is a quietly affecting novel, delivering its shocks and uncertainties with measured restraint. Its unassuming tone allows its truths to settle gradually, creating an emotional impact that feels both unexpected and profound.
Set in 1975, the novel follows Barbara, an actress in her early 40s, who spends her downtime confined to a hotel room, engaged in a fleeting affair with her leading man while reflecting on her life and career. At first, she seems poised yet resigned: “I got to be beautiful, and that determined the direction my whole life would take.” But as her narrative unfolds, the weight of her family’s past and the turbulence of the century emerge as central to her identity. While Barbara finds power in her beauty, she’s painfully aware of the effort it takes to fit into “the endless small rectangles controlled by grown men.”
A devoted cinephile, Barbara is captivated by the alchemy of filmmaking, embracing its methods, magic, and contradictions. Her passion for the craft—workshopping characters and creating authenticity in an artificial medium—mirrors her broader quest to make sense of life’s complexities. She applies this deconstructive lens to everything: her parents’ lives, war, gender, performance, and relationships. Her observations are startling in their clarity, such as when she reflects on her father: “He had appeared as a baby in the olden days, and by the time he died, the sky was speckled with satellites.”
Barbara’s voice, marked by its understated tone, is both disarming and absorbing. Is her simplicity a way to contain the chaos of her experiences, or is it a deliberate distancing from their enormity? The narrative, though structured, flows with the organic rhythm of a therapy session—a string of reflections that feel intimate and raw. Scattered photographs deepen its resonance, grounding her memories in a tangible space.
This is a quietly affecting novel, delivering its shocks and uncertainties with measured restraint. Its unassuming tone allows its truths to settle gradually, creating an emotional impact that feels both unexpected and profound.
March 17, 2025
2.5 ☆
This book description has everything you could want in a book. I quote: "a radiant novel tracking the lifecycle of a silver screen starlet rising against the backdrop of the mid-20th century." This sounds so interesting, right? Some of it was in fact interesting, but honestly, this novel felt so disjointed. We jumped around from past, to present, to slightly more past. Honestly, it felt like listening to an old Aunt who can only recall memories in fragments, ramble on about her past, but none of the stuff you actually want to hear about. I feel like we hear more about Barbara in the book's description than we do from the book's actual content.
That being said, there were some interesting parts of the book, some quotes that were particularly poignant, however that didn't make the rest of the book more enjoyable. It felt like every time we were settling into a particular part of the story, the next sentence was ripping us completely out of that and dropping us in the middle of a completely different part and it was so disorienting and disjointed.
This next part may be due to receiving an e-ARC of this book, and it not being the final product, but there was also a lot of either editing mistakes, or really strange editing choices. This book didn't appear to have chapters, and was only punctuated by sporadic photos (that I was originally concerned could be AI, but after seeing the image credits at the end, I'm glad to say I was wrong about that) that also sometimes happened in the middle of the current story arc?
I know there are books out there that don't use quotation marks when characters are speaking, but I am not a fan. Not only were there no quotation marks, but there were also no paragraph breaks to even indicate someone was talking. I often only realised a conversation was going on after the typical "he said/told me/etc".
Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley, Astra Publishing House, and Joni Murphy for this e-ARC. I was provided this ARC for review only, I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.
This book description has everything you could want in a book. I quote: "a radiant novel tracking the lifecycle of a silver screen starlet rising against the backdrop of the mid-20th century." This sounds so interesting, right? Some of it was in fact interesting, but honestly, this novel felt so disjointed. We jumped around from past, to present, to slightly more past. Honestly, it felt like listening to an old Aunt who can only recall memories in fragments, ramble on about her past, but none of the stuff you actually want to hear about. I feel like we hear more about Barbara in the book's description than we do from the book's actual content.
That being said, there were some interesting parts of the book, some quotes that were particularly poignant, however that didn't make the rest of the book more enjoyable. It felt like every time we were settling into a particular part of the story, the next sentence was ripping us completely out of that and dropping us in the middle of a completely different part and it was so disorienting and disjointed.
This next part may be due to receiving an e-ARC of this book, and it not being the final product, but there was also a lot of either editing mistakes, or really strange editing choices. This book didn't appear to have chapters, and was only punctuated by sporadic photos (that I was originally concerned could be AI, but after seeing the image credits at the end, I'm glad to say I was wrong about that) that also sometimes happened in the middle of the current story arc?
I know there are books out there that don't use quotation marks when characters are speaking, but I am not a fan. Not only were there no quotation marks, but there were also no paragraph breaks to even indicate someone was talking. I often only realised a conversation was going on after the typical "he said/told me/etc".
Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley, Astra Publishing House, and Joni Murphy for this e-ARC. I was provided this ARC for review only, I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.
February 22, 2025
Thanks Astra House for the ARC!
Character studies like this are hit or miss for me. Sometimes I love books like this and other times I'm bored to tears. I thought Barbara was well-written and immersive enough to be worth reading. However, I was left wanting more out of this book.
I think my main problem with this book was what felt like a lack of direction. Barbara narrates our story and I believe it's meant to be her talking to her lover, with whom she's filming a movie. At first, I was really into it. Barbara's life was following a series of events and she was changing and growing as a character. Eventually, the book hit a wall. It became mostly existential musings in the last 50 or so pages. Barbara also switches her focus to be on her father, which felt abrupt because he and his work on the atom bomb were mostly mentioned in passing for the first 3/4ths of the book. I felt like the book began wrapping up when there were still a lot of pages left, so I had to push through to finish.
Critiques aside, I think Joni Murphy is a great writer. She harnesses the power of sentence structure well. Murphy leans on short, succinct sentences or long, trailing thoughts to expand upon Barbara's POV. I also think Barbara is a compelling character. This was a pretty typical, 20th century woman character-driven book, but Murphy still manages to make it stick out within that niche genre.
Overall, a solid but messy character study by a talented writer.
Character studies like this are hit or miss for me. Sometimes I love books like this and other times I'm bored to tears. I thought Barbara was well-written and immersive enough to be worth reading. However, I was left wanting more out of this book.
I think my main problem with this book was what felt like a lack of direction. Barbara narrates our story and I believe it's meant to be her talking to her lover, with whom she's filming a movie. At first, I was really into it. Barbara's life was following a series of events and she was changing and growing as a character. Eventually, the book hit a wall. It became mostly existential musings in the last 50 or so pages. Barbara also switches her focus to be on her father, which felt abrupt because he and his work on the atom bomb were mostly mentioned in passing for the first 3/4ths of the book. I felt like the book began wrapping up when there were still a lot of pages left, so I had to push through to finish.
Critiques aside, I think Joni Murphy is a great writer. She harnesses the power of sentence structure well. Murphy leans on short, succinct sentences or long, trailing thoughts to expand upon Barbara's POV. I also think Barbara is a compelling character. This was a pretty typical, 20th century woman character-driven book, but Murphy still manages to make it stick out within that niche genre.
Overall, a solid but messy character study by a talented writer.
December 3, 2025
3.5
notes
- compelling voice but too unfocused until last 30 pages but even then. i disagree with book jacket that this reads like Lucia Berlin. perhaps it's the flow of consciousness type narrative but these are like third draft diary entry thoughts
- hammered down on passive female despair, passing down trauma in some form to our children esp from 1950s era. work hard hustle ethic to cope but still
kms mode oh
- life as a performance we are all performing type themes
- main character's father representing what is logical but also the belief that "if it's possible then it's inevitable." sounds like a grim excuse for the evils in the world. the way he engineered the atomic bomb and lived through vietnam war era STILL thinking these types of innovations are "inevitable" so people should naturally pursue chasing all kinds of knowledge. this theme manifesting stronger toward the end after a hundred other musings about inevitability and whats to come because of what came before us. kamala mother coconut tree
- "because we can" attitude really pissing me off and how the women in her family and the negative effects of those around them (their husbands, shit father figures) are unable to escape from just that. the effects radiate through to the next gen yes ok but is there not much more to life beyond that
- autopilot subconscious despair numb with superficial connections hopping to next man mode
- when youre homesick for the type of home you needed but never experienced
notes
- compelling voice but too unfocused until last 30 pages but even then. i disagree with book jacket that this reads like Lucia Berlin. perhaps it's the flow of consciousness type narrative but these are like third draft diary entry thoughts
- hammered down on passive female despair, passing down trauma in some form to our children esp from 1950s era. work hard hustle ethic to cope but still
kms mode oh
- life as a performance we are all performing type themes
- main character's father representing what is logical but also the belief that "if it's possible then it's inevitable." sounds like a grim excuse for the evils in the world. the way he engineered the atomic bomb and lived through vietnam war era STILL thinking these types of innovations are "inevitable" so people should naturally pursue chasing all kinds of knowledge. this theme manifesting stronger toward the end after a hundred other musings about inevitability and whats to come because of what came before us. kamala mother coconut tree
- "because we can" attitude really pissing me off and how the women in her family and the negative effects of those around them (their husbands, shit father figures) are unable to escape from just that. the effects radiate through to the next gen yes ok but is there not much more to life beyond that
- autopilot subconscious despair numb with superficial connections hopping to next man mode
- when youre homesick for the type of home you needed but never experienced
May 6, 2025
3.5 Stars
Marilyn Monroe look-alike on the cover. Check. Synopsis about an actress whose mother committed suicide when main character was a teenager. Check. Father who helped invent the atomic bomb. Check!
"...but too much loneliness, just as with too much control, can unhinge a girl."
I was sucked into Barbara by the cover and synopsis, and stayed for its similarities to The Bell Jar. It just had the same feel to it. Barbara traverses life with a laissez faire attitude, allowing things to happen to her, never really making them happen herself. She allows men to take advantage of her, she drinks too much and doesn’t eat enough (as do most of the characters in this book). She tries not to think too often of her mother who committed suicide when she was a teen, and her habitually absent father who, as an engineer, assisted in developing the atomic bomb in the desert. Most of the book traipses along at a slow pace as Barbara entangles herself with different lovers and husbands, acting jobs, and casual acquaintances throughout the 1950s-60s.
The author had a knack for illustrating Barbara’s disassociation and avoidance. She wrote of Barbara’s depression and mental illness without ever calling it that, just hinting at it. It was quite a unique way of writing. It did take some getting used to at first, almost aloof and clinical, but as the book progressed I grew accustomed to the style and started appreciating the little morsels of wisdom the author imparted through Barbara’s eyes.
The book did follow a loose non-linear pattern, and at times was a bit difficult to follow. Transitions from past to present to future and back again were sometimes very abrupt. If you weren’t paying attention you would get a bit lost and have to go back and re-read.
I think the book was a success, imparting on readers a different perspective of a typical woman of that time period. Barbara lived life on her own terms, while still maintaining her place in society.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Marilyn Monroe look-alike on the cover. Check. Synopsis about an actress whose mother committed suicide when main character was a teenager. Check. Father who helped invent the atomic bomb. Check!
"...but too much loneliness, just as with too much control, can unhinge a girl."
I was sucked into Barbara by the cover and synopsis, and stayed for its similarities to The Bell Jar. It just had the same feel to it. Barbara traverses life with a laissez faire attitude, allowing things to happen to her, never really making them happen herself. She allows men to take advantage of her, she drinks too much and doesn’t eat enough (as do most of the characters in this book). She tries not to think too often of her mother who committed suicide when she was a teen, and her habitually absent father who, as an engineer, assisted in developing the atomic bomb in the desert. Most of the book traipses along at a slow pace as Barbara entangles herself with different lovers and husbands, acting jobs, and casual acquaintances throughout the 1950s-60s.
The author had a knack for illustrating Barbara’s disassociation and avoidance. She wrote of Barbara’s depression and mental illness without ever calling it that, just hinting at it. It was quite a unique way of writing. It did take some getting used to at first, almost aloof and clinical, but as the book progressed I grew accustomed to the style and started appreciating the little morsels of wisdom the author imparted through Barbara’s eyes.
The book did follow a loose non-linear pattern, and at times was a bit difficult to follow. Transitions from past to present to future and back again were sometimes very abrupt. If you weren’t paying attention you would get a bit lost and have to go back and re-read.
I think the book was a success, imparting on readers a different perspective of a typical woman of that time period. Barbara lived life on her own terms, while still maintaining her place in society.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 7, 2025
"The world got friendly when I got pretty"
This book reads a bit like a tell-all diary, thats not what it is but thats how it feel when you read it.
And I admit I did think it would be more intresting world wise as part of it takes place during the cold war and her dad literally works on some of the bombs but its just kinda stated and not fully delved into which I get bc shes not the one making the bombs but the blurb kinda higlights the time period and it just feels a little wasted idk. The lack of quotations when characters spoke did catch me off guard a few times just because im not used to it.
Thsi was one of my most anticipated books and overall I did enjoy it, while it wasnt the type of book I thought I was gonna read it did have this kind of relaxing vibe to it idk how to explain it but it felt like reading a book in the sun, idk it just felt liek a breath of fresh air and I would genuienly re-read.
Thank you Astra Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!
This book reads a bit like a tell-all diary, thats not what it is but thats how it feel when you read it.
And I admit I did think it would be more intresting world wise as part of it takes place during the cold war and her dad literally works on some of the bombs but its just kinda stated and not fully delved into which I get bc shes not the one making the bombs but the blurb kinda higlights the time period and it just feels a little wasted idk. The lack of quotations when characters spoke did catch me off guard a few times just because im not used to it.
Thsi was one of my most anticipated books and overall I did enjoy it, while it wasnt the type of book I thought I was gonna read it did have this kind of relaxing vibe to it idk how to explain it but it felt like reading a book in the sun, idk it just felt liek a breath of fresh air and I would genuienly re-read.
Thank you Astra Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!
April 24, 2025
Thank you Astra House for my free copy of Barbara by Joni Murphy — available now!
» READ IF YOU «
💭 love an introspective, thoughts-not-plots kind of vibe
📽️ are fascinated by vintage cinema
💔 want to be just a little bit heartbroken
» SYNOPSIS «
Barbara is born right before the second World War, which kind of sets the tone for her years to follow. She'll lose her mother, barely even have a father, and drift from lover to lover when she takes on the role of a film actress. What does she want from her life, and could she achieve it even if she figured that out?
» REVIEW «
This is a quiet, introspective novel. I think the publisher's synopsis does the story a bit of an injustice by making it seem loud and action-packed—it's not. It's the story of a woman just trying to figure out what she wants from life, and trying to enjoy what she has in the meantime. But man, does she struggle. It's a little heartbreaking, Barbara's story, but I loved how immersed in her world I felt throughout this short novel. If you're into vintage cinema, female-forward stories, and thoughts not plots, this is the book for you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
» READ IF YOU «
💭 love an introspective, thoughts-not-plots kind of vibe
📽️ are fascinated by vintage cinema
💔 want to be just a little bit heartbroken
» SYNOPSIS «
Barbara is born right before the second World War, which kind of sets the tone for her years to follow. She'll lose her mother, barely even have a father, and drift from lover to lover when she takes on the role of a film actress. What does she want from her life, and could she achieve it even if she figured that out?
» REVIEW «
This is a quiet, introspective novel. I think the publisher's synopsis does the story a bit of an injustice by making it seem loud and action-packed—it's not. It's the story of a woman just trying to figure out what she wants from life, and trying to enjoy what she has in the meantime. But man, does she struggle. It's a little heartbreaking, Barbara's story, but I loved how immersed in her world I felt throughout this short novel. If you're into vintage cinema, female-forward stories, and thoughts not plots, this is the book for you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 9, 2025
2.5/3 stars
This is a bit of a difficult book to review. On the one hand I can fully appreciate the gravity of its subject matter and there were times when I couldn’t put the book down, but on the other hand it took me SO long to get through. Some parts felt very slow paced and randomly-placed, causing the plot to feel disjointed. The ending was also a bit underwhelming and I expected a bit more from such an intricate story.
With all that being said, I am glad I carried on and saw the book to its end, and some parts definitely resonated.
Thank you to Astra House and NetGalley for the ARC :)
This is a bit of a difficult book to review. On the one hand I can fully appreciate the gravity of its subject matter and there were times when I couldn’t put the book down, but on the other hand it took me SO long to get through. Some parts felt very slow paced and randomly-placed, causing the plot to feel disjointed. The ending was also a bit underwhelming and I expected a bit more from such an intricate story.
With all that being said, I am glad I carried on and saw the book to its end, and some parts definitely resonated.
Thank you to Astra House and NetGalley for the ARC :)
February 24, 2025
The narrator is Barbara, looking back on her life, particularly losing her mother to suicide as a child and her distant relationship with her scientist father. Some of Barbara’s introspection was interesting to read. I found her depiction of pre-roe abortion access particularly affecting since we now live in a post-roe era.
This book was fine. I didn’t really like it, but it wasn’t an unpleasant read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Astra House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was fine. I didn’t really like it, but it wasn’t an unpleasant read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Astra House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
April 24, 2025I received this book as an advance copy, but was very curious about it because the synopsis seemed right up my alley. Its protagonist is born to a scientist working in the Los Alamos project, but she aspires to be an actress. Her mother's suicide casts a shadow over her, setting the momentum for the slightly bohemian and artistic lifestyle her daughter is going to live from now on.
full review is on my blog: https://www.ashleyhajimirsadeghi.com/...
full review is on my blog: https://www.ashleyhajimirsadeghi.com/...
November 11, 2024
This book was a great look into old Hollywood and fame. As you follow the main character you watch her grow and also dive into her generational trauma. You learn how everyone around her helped shape or influence her own life and the choices she made and how your past choices can shape your life.
Thank you NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the ARC!
Thank you NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the ARC!
March 23, 2025
I read an advance copy which was so full of errors it was distracting. The story is pretty thin. The character development was pretty light. Some of the phrasing was lovely, but in general, I wanted more. It is a short fast read.
The copy I had also included full pages of random photos that kind of set the mood. (Only kinda) I’d like to see more moody photos in books!
The copy I had also included full pages of random photos that kind of set the mood. (Only kinda) I’d like to see more moody photos in books!
October 14, 2024
ARC as a bookseller
*reese witherspoon voice*: women’s stories matter. they just matter.
appears that it still needs an extensive copy edit, but a great portrait of 20th century america and a great character study
*reese witherspoon voice*: women’s stories matter. they just matter.
appears that it still needs an extensive copy edit, but a great portrait of 20th century america and a great character study
February 18, 2025
DNF at 20%
Unfortunately, I found the tone very monotonous, not much variety. I just found it too boring from the start, personally. But I appreciate topics that were brought up and the synopsis as a whole.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.
Unfortunately, I found the tone very monotonous, not much variety. I just found it too boring from the start, personally. But I appreciate topics that were brought up and the synopsis as a whole.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.
June 8, 2025
Another reviewer called this book "the A24 version of Evelyn Hugo" which encapsulates this book perfectly. Very atmospheric, lush writing, diarial, intimate fauxtobiography. LOVED the addition of the photographs.
November 26, 2024
an interestingly done meditation on the characters that feels a bit too simplistic to fully fill its big shoes. 3 stasrs. tysm for the arc.
May 12, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
I just wanted more from the ending!
I just wanted more from the ending!
May 13, 2025
2.5
I would have given this book 2.5 stars if I could. Good, but not my fav type of book I think
I would have given this book 2.5 stars if I could. Good, but not my fav type of book I think
June 2, 2025
“No plot, just vibes” taken to an extremely ponderous conclusion.
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