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Must Read Well
Ellen Pall's Must Read Well immerses the listener in an escalating game of cat-and-mouse between two a millennial scholar driven to deceit to reach her goals and a frail octogenarian no less capable of deception. Narrated by Liz Miller, a penniless PhD candidate desperate to finish her dissertation, the novel begins when Liz's boyfriend abruptly ditches her, rendering Liz homeless and reduced to couch-surfing at best friend Petra's tiny Manhattan studio apartment. Trying to find an affordable living space, she stumbles across a Craigslist posting that will change her a room with a view in a prewar Greenwich Village apartment. The rent is a pittance, but in exchange, the tenant must be willing to read aloud daily to the apartment's sight-impaired landlady.
Liz quickly figures out that the sight-impaired landlady is none other than Anne Taussig Weil, author of the 1965 international blockbuster The Vengeance of Catherine Clark and the very woman whose refusal to cooperate for the past four years has held up Liz's dissertation on the feminist works of midcentury women novelists. Access to Weil is the key to completing her doctorate at Columbia and finally getting her academic career back on track.
Liz sets scruples aside and presents herself as a quiet young woman still finding her way in life. Once settled in, Liz learns from Weil that her need for a reader stems from a desire to revisit a key episode in her life. That episode, recorded in the scrawled journals Weil kept since she was a young girl, turns out to be the story of her passionate, disastrous, secret love affair with a celebrated pianist—the affair, in fact, which gave rise to the plot of Vengeance.
The novel, which builds from there to a double-twist climax, is fast-paced women's fiction, perfect for book club members everywhere.
Liz quickly figures out that the sight-impaired landlady is none other than Anne Taussig Weil, author of the 1965 international blockbuster The Vengeance of Catherine Clark and the very woman whose refusal to cooperate for the past four years has held up Liz's dissertation on the feminist works of midcentury women novelists. Access to Weil is the key to completing her doctorate at Columbia and finally getting her academic career back on track.
Liz sets scruples aside and presents herself as a quiet young woman still finding her way in life. Once settled in, Liz learns from Weil that her need for a reader stems from a desire to revisit a key episode in her life. That episode, recorded in the scrawled journals Weil kept since she was a young girl, turns out to be the story of her passionate, disastrous, secret love affair with a celebrated pianist—the affair, in fact, which gave rise to the plot of Vengeance.
The novel, which builds from there to a double-twist climax, is fast-paced women's fiction, perfect for book club members everywhere.
- GenresFiction
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First published September 13, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
October 12, 2022
Liz Miller is a Ph.D. candidate in what could charitably be called a transitional period. Her boyfriend has just left her for someone else, which means she’s living on her best friend Petra’s couch. She’s almost broke, and her dissertation has just been rejected due to a lack of depth on one of her subjects; Anne Taussig Weil, author of a trailblazing work of feminist fiction.
But when Liz is browsing Craigslist in the slim hope of finding an apartment she can afford, an unusual listing catches her eye – and it starts to look like she may have just had a single stroke of luck that will balance out everything else going on for her. From the description of the apartment and the stipulation that the tenant be willing to read aloud to their landlady, Liz knows that her potential new landlady is none other than Ms Weil herself. It’s an opportunity she can’t pass up – even if she’ll have to deceive her way through the door.
Must Read Well was a slow burn of a novel, one that quietly impressed me. The dynamic between Anne and Liz is central to the story, and watching the two of them interact was a study in subtle relationships; the thawing of the wariness between two very closed-off women was naturally and cleverly portrayed.
Alongside the story unfolding in the modern day is Anne’s own story, told by Liz as she reads Anne’s journals back to her. In contrast to the measured pace of the central plot, the story of these journals is less controlled and more passionate – an insight into the private life of a very reserved woman that reveals the old saying to be true; still waters certainly do run deep.
This novel was intriguing, intelligent, and best of all, well told. Ellen Pall clearly knows her craft, and Must Read Well should find a very warm reception among readers looking for an absorbing and thoughtful story.
This review originally appeared at mysteryandsuspense.com.
But when Liz is browsing Craigslist in the slim hope of finding an apartment she can afford, an unusual listing catches her eye – and it starts to look like she may have just had a single stroke of luck that will balance out everything else going on for her. From the description of the apartment and the stipulation that the tenant be willing to read aloud to their landlady, Liz knows that her potential new landlady is none other than Ms Weil herself. It’s an opportunity she can’t pass up – even if she’ll have to deceive her way through the door.
Must Read Well was a slow burn of a novel, one that quietly impressed me. The dynamic between Anne and Liz is central to the story, and watching the two of them interact was a study in subtle relationships; the thawing of the wariness between two very closed-off women was naturally and cleverly portrayed.
Alongside the story unfolding in the modern day is Anne’s own story, told by Liz as she reads Anne’s journals back to her. In contrast to the measured pace of the central plot, the story of these journals is less controlled and more passionate – an insight into the private life of a very reserved woman that reveals the old saying to be true; still waters certainly do run deep.
This novel was intriguing, intelligent, and best of all, well told. Ellen Pall clearly knows her craft, and Must Read Well should find a very warm reception among readers looking for an absorbing and thoughtful story.
This review originally appeared at mysteryandsuspense.com.
February 27, 2023
An intriguing, slightly meandering novel, which never tempted me to toss it in the DNF stack yet somehow left me wanting for more.
Liz Miller is a PhD candidate who is down on hard times. Couchsurfing at a friend's home after a breakup, Liz needs just one critical interview for her dissertation, with a famous author whose long-ago novel was considered instrumental in the feminist movement. Because the author has repeatedly refused to meet with her, Liz is stalled out in her women's studies doctorate. That is, until she spots an advertisement from an elderly woman who is struggling with increasing visual impairment and is looking for a live-in guest to read to her. A few clues in the advertisement lead Liz to believe it's none other than her famous author, so she leaps at the chance to get a first-hand glimpse into her life and attempt to get the interview details on the sly.
I think because of the feminism angle and the fact that this book leaned more towards literary fiction, I felt like it should have delivered some kind of underlying political or social message that's meaningful. But it just kind of ... doesn't. The dust jacket's description of this as a cat-and-mouse game oversold it on intensity, but it's still a worthwhile read at 3.5 stars.
Liz Miller is a PhD candidate who is down on hard times. Couchsurfing at a friend's home after a breakup, Liz needs just one critical interview for her dissertation, with a famous author whose long-ago novel was considered instrumental in the feminist movement. Because the author has repeatedly refused to meet with her, Liz is stalled out in her women's studies doctorate. That is, until she spots an advertisement from an elderly woman who is struggling with increasing visual impairment and is looking for a live-in guest to read to her. A few clues in the advertisement lead Liz to believe it's none other than her famous author, so she leaps at the chance to get a first-hand glimpse into her life and attempt to get the interview details on the sly.
I think because of the feminism angle and the fact that this book leaned more towards literary fiction, I felt like it should have delivered some kind of underlying political or social message that's meaningful. But it just kind of ... doesn't. The dust jacket's description of this as a cat-and-mouse game oversold it on intensity, but it's still a worthwhile read at 3.5 stars.
February 9, 2022
A smart, clever, surprising, sensual, and original novel with an ending that blew me away. I love the complexity of cagy Anne and scruple-free Beth/Liz, two flawed, fascinating women. I can see MUST READ WELL in lively discussions conducted by book clubs that don’t just drink white wine, eat cheese and talk about their members' issues, and it will be a special treat for anyone who has had a bump or two on the road to getting a Ph.D. in English.
October 31, 2022
This was a very very slow burn novel with no physical action and just a nuanced mental game between two women. For a book that takes place almost entirely within an apartment and with two women talking, it kept me flipping the pages.
Must Read Well follows Liz who needs one final author, Anne Weil, to agree to an interview before she can complete her dissertation. However Anne has refused her multiple times and Liz is desperate. In a moment of sheer coincidence Liz stumbles across a job posting for someone who can read well and the requestor is none other than Anne Weil. Liz decides to hide who she really is and get the job in order to work her way into Anne’s life and get the interview she needs.
The real heart of the story is in the last 5-10 pages as we find out the epic conclusion of the journal entry Liz is reading to Anne and Anne decides what to do next. But the slow build up adds to the tensions in a way that I could really appreciate.
Must Read Well follows Liz who needs one final author, Anne Weil, to agree to an interview before she can complete her dissertation. However Anne has refused her multiple times and Liz is desperate. In a moment of sheer coincidence Liz stumbles across a job posting for someone who can read well and the requestor is none other than Anne Weil. Liz decides to hide who she really is and get the job in order to work her way into Anne’s life and get the interview she needs.
The real heart of the story is in the last 5-10 pages as we find out the epic conclusion of the journal entry Liz is reading to Anne and Anne decides what to do next. But the slow build up adds to the tensions in a way that I could really appreciate.
March 10, 2022
Psychologically subtle, fiendishly engaging, Must Read Well is a tour de force cat-and-mouse game that delightfully confuses the reader from start to finish. Who’s chasing who? Does Elizabeth Miller, the driven, frustrated Ph.D candidate, know all? Or does Anne Weil, the sharp-tongued elderly novelist whose 1965 blockbuster helped reignite the women’s movement? You won’t find out till you reach the last page—and you won’t regret staying up late to get there. This is truly a book you can’t put down. I’m looking forward to the film or streaming adaptation sure to come!
December 4, 2022
I'm a librarian and so look and read a lot of books that are out of my usual area of interest. If I don't like a book I just don't finish it. I did not finish this one that is for sure. Maybe it gets better but the writing at the outset of this novel is atrociously bad. It's James Patterson level bad. The writing is bad, the plot is boring and ridiculous, and why should I care about this PHd forever student who makes bad decisions. Except, of course, for the one miracle ad on Craigslist. I don't believe in trashing artists but this author has quite a few books under her belt and I just don't understand who could get through the sophomoric writing and irritating plot, and who would publish this?
But then again working in a library I should not be surprised, I mean James Patterson is the best selling author in the world.
But then again working in a library I should not be surprised, I mean James Patterson is the best selling author in the world.
October 21, 2022
A good, lightweight read that reminded me of Only Murders in the Building just enough to feel familiar. Like maybe these people were on another floor of the Arconia while everything was happening.
Oh there actually IS one little thing I wanted to bring up... while she's reading the journals, the narrator constantly points out when there's a blank line (or several blank lines) between entries. She brings so much attention to them - when they appear, how many there are, whether or not she tells Anne about them - that I figured they would become important later on. They never do. I think it's just that the author wanted to break up segments of the journal and couldn't think of another way to do it. It was extremely tedious by the end.
Oh there actually IS one little thing I wanted to bring up... while she's reading the journals, the narrator constantly points out when there's a blank line (or several blank lines) between entries. She brings so much attention to them - when they appear, how many there are, whether or not she tells Anne about them - that I figured they would become important later on. They never do. I think it's just that the author wanted to break up segments of the journal and couldn't think of another way to do it. It was extremely tedious by the end.
January 3, 2023
I read well and I'm sure you all do too. This book is a challenge for our skills doing so - the premise is nifty, the setting lush, the writing descriptive. But the characters are thin, the plot as slow as gruel, and the ending smacks of the sort of fairy tale you know never comes true and are relieved to think so. Sadly might work as a cautionary tale for anyone considering a PhD without considering their research goals which is a notoriously long, brutish and expensive prospect. So all around, lector cave!
April 25, 2022
Well written, thought-provoking, and entertaining
December 15, 2022
I kept waiting for something to happen. It never did.
May 26, 2022
In the kickoff scene of Ellen Pall’s Must Read Well, we are introduced to Elizabeth Miller. For the past several years she has been grappling to complete her Ph.D dissertation at Columbia University.
Elizabeth has recently broken off with her boyfriend and temporarily lives in her friend Petra’s home.
We encounter her at the kitchen table going through Craig’s list of rental offerings when one, in particular, grabs her eye.
A private room with a bath and a view in a pre-war doorman Greenwich Village building is immediately available. The advertiser mentions the terms would be suitable for a quiet female amenable to reading one hour a day to a purblind landlady. If interested, they should respond with a succinct work/educational resumé. The last few words of the ad encompass the words: “Must read well.”
Amazed, Elizabeth instantly realizes who planted the ad. The advertiser must be Anne Taussig Weil, who is now quite on in age. She is one of the three authors Elizabeth had chosen to concentrate on in her dissertation entitled: “Inadvertent Feminists: Three Mid-century Popular Female Novelists Who Advanced the Cause of Women.” The theme of her thesis is to analyze the lives and sociopolitical influence of three successful authors of so-called women’s fiction in the late 1950s and early ‘60s."
Elizabeth informs us that she was anxious to know how a woman in the the time of Anne behaved sexually? How much, and what they thought of their own sexuality? How they acted on their desires? How freely they articulated their thoughts and actions?
Two of the authors had kindly co-operated with Elizabeth, furnishing her with valuable material. Anne, the most important author of the three, declined to speak to her. Elizabeth knew that Anne, author of the 1965 Blockbuster, The Vengeance of Catherine Clark, had to be key to her thesis. She realizes that if she could persuade Anne to rent the room to her, she would be on the road to gaining access to precious knowledge about Elizabeth’s life and work. She also would find out what provoked Anne to author Vengeance? First, however, Elizabeth had to feign her identity to Anne and not disclose that she was the Ph.D candidate. She had previously hounded her for an interview.
Elizabeth meets Anne and agrees to rent the room to her, provided she is available any moment of the day to read for no less than an hour during the term of their lease. There are, however, essential provisions in the agreement, apart from the one hundred and sixty dollars monthly rental. Elizabeth would be obliged to read for meaning, notice the shape of a sentence, and underscore the appropriate words. Above all, whatever she read must be retained in unqualified confidence, and she would be expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The readings would be from excerpts from some of Anne’s journals, entries she recorded a long time ago. She indicates to Elizabeth, she maintained a diary for practically all of her life.
Failure to comply with the requirements of their arrangement could lead to litigation and potential significant financial damages. Elizabeth does, however, have some solace. She speculates the terms relate merely to what she picks up from the information exclusively contained in the readings. There is no indication of the discussions she might have with Anne, nor the other journals that would remain unread. How will she lay her hands on these journals that are sitting not very far off from her?
As one excellently rendered scene follows another, Elizabeth discovers some titillating information with lascivious images involving Anne-something that shocks her. Anne had been carrying on an extra-marital affair with her neighbor, Greg, a brilliant pianist. Greg is married to a woman who sadly had to give up her career as a well-established violinist due to developing focal dystonia in her left hand. After reflecting on Anne’s behavior, Elizabeth believed Anne seemed to be an unusually liberated woman. Did Anne see herself in the same light? Elizabeth needed to know this, and to what extent Vengeance had been a political statement for her, if it had been at all.
During their daily reading, Anne is solely interested in those parts of the diary that portray her many passionate secret trysts with her lover. After that, nothing else seems of importance to her. She confesses to Elizabeth that it was the death of Greg that made her want to revisit her journals.
Pall’s profoundly moving narrative is a penetrating and provocative exploration of the lingering impact of secrecy and guilt involving forbidden love as the mind and body approach one’s last days. The writing is explicit and relentless, moving along like flowing water, as Anne shares with a stranger her most intimate moments with Greg. Pall refuses to gloss over Anne’s anxiety of understanding and quiet peace of coming to terms with her past. She must further face being a forgotten writer when she passes on. Themes of deception and duplicity are also woven into the plot, where two vivid and compelling characters play their respective parts in “a cat-and-mouse game” while learning from each other. As Elizabeth states: “Two vixens intent on getting their needs met-Anne as she had been in 1963-and me.”
Just where it ends is unpredictable, although I must confess that I thought I had it all figured out midway through my reading. How wrong could I have been! As a side note, if the novel is ever turned into a movie, I would like to see Judy Dench play the role of Anne. She would be perfect for the part.
Follow Here https://waa.ai/fygw To Read Norm's Interview With Ellen Pall
Elizabeth has recently broken off with her boyfriend and temporarily lives in her friend Petra’s home.
We encounter her at the kitchen table going through Craig’s list of rental offerings when one, in particular, grabs her eye.
A private room with a bath and a view in a pre-war doorman Greenwich Village building is immediately available. The advertiser mentions the terms would be suitable for a quiet female amenable to reading one hour a day to a purblind landlady. If interested, they should respond with a succinct work/educational resumé. The last few words of the ad encompass the words: “Must read well.”
Amazed, Elizabeth instantly realizes who planted the ad. The advertiser must be Anne Taussig Weil, who is now quite on in age. She is one of the three authors Elizabeth had chosen to concentrate on in her dissertation entitled: “Inadvertent Feminists: Three Mid-century Popular Female Novelists Who Advanced the Cause of Women.” The theme of her thesis is to analyze the lives and sociopolitical influence of three successful authors of so-called women’s fiction in the late 1950s and early ‘60s."
Elizabeth informs us that she was anxious to know how a woman in the the time of Anne behaved sexually? How much, and what they thought of their own sexuality? How they acted on their desires? How freely they articulated their thoughts and actions?
Two of the authors had kindly co-operated with Elizabeth, furnishing her with valuable material. Anne, the most important author of the three, declined to speak to her. Elizabeth knew that Anne, author of the 1965 Blockbuster, The Vengeance of Catherine Clark, had to be key to her thesis. She realizes that if she could persuade Anne to rent the room to her, she would be on the road to gaining access to precious knowledge about Elizabeth’s life and work. She also would find out what provoked Anne to author Vengeance? First, however, Elizabeth had to feign her identity to Anne and not disclose that she was the Ph.D candidate. She had previously hounded her for an interview.
Elizabeth meets Anne and agrees to rent the room to her, provided she is available any moment of the day to read for no less than an hour during the term of their lease. There are, however, essential provisions in the agreement, apart from the one hundred and sixty dollars monthly rental. Elizabeth would be obliged to read for meaning, notice the shape of a sentence, and underscore the appropriate words. Above all, whatever she read must be retained in unqualified confidence, and she would be expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The readings would be from excerpts from some of Anne’s journals, entries she recorded a long time ago. She indicates to Elizabeth, she maintained a diary for practically all of her life.
Failure to comply with the requirements of their arrangement could lead to litigation and potential significant financial damages. Elizabeth does, however, have some solace. She speculates the terms relate merely to what she picks up from the information exclusively contained in the readings. There is no indication of the discussions she might have with Anne, nor the other journals that would remain unread. How will she lay her hands on these journals that are sitting not very far off from her?
As one excellently rendered scene follows another, Elizabeth discovers some titillating information with lascivious images involving Anne-something that shocks her. Anne had been carrying on an extra-marital affair with her neighbor, Greg, a brilliant pianist. Greg is married to a woman who sadly had to give up her career as a well-established violinist due to developing focal dystonia in her left hand. After reflecting on Anne’s behavior, Elizabeth believed Anne seemed to be an unusually liberated woman. Did Anne see herself in the same light? Elizabeth needed to know this, and to what extent Vengeance had been a political statement for her, if it had been at all.
During their daily reading, Anne is solely interested in those parts of the diary that portray her many passionate secret trysts with her lover. After that, nothing else seems of importance to her. She confesses to Elizabeth that it was the death of Greg that made her want to revisit her journals.
Pall’s profoundly moving narrative is a penetrating and provocative exploration of the lingering impact of secrecy and guilt involving forbidden love as the mind and body approach one’s last days. The writing is explicit and relentless, moving along like flowing water, as Anne shares with a stranger her most intimate moments with Greg. Pall refuses to gloss over Anne’s anxiety of understanding and quiet peace of coming to terms with her past. She must further face being a forgotten writer when she passes on. Themes of deception and duplicity are also woven into the plot, where two vivid and compelling characters play their respective parts in “a cat-and-mouse game” while learning from each other. As Elizabeth states: “Two vixens intent on getting their needs met-Anne as she had been in 1963-and me.”
Just where it ends is unpredictable, although I must confess that I thought I had it all figured out midway through my reading. How wrong could I have been! As a side note, if the novel is ever turned into a movie, I would like to see Judy Dench play the role of Anne. She would be perfect for the part.
Follow Here https://waa.ai/fygw To Read Norm's Interview With Ellen Pall
November 11, 2023
This book is perfect for fans of literary intrigue and character-driven plots. The story follows Liz Miller, who's pretty much at rock bottom when her boyfriend leaves. Broke, desperate, and with nowhere to live, she moves in with an elderly woman with the agreement that she will read aloud to her in exchange for a discount on her rent.
It gets twisty from there, with both women playing each other for their own ends. The story is like a chess game with carefully planned moves and countermoves. I love books like this that keep me guessing!
It gets twisty from there, with both women playing each other for their own ends. The story is like a chess game with carefully planned moves and countermoves. I love books like this that keep me guessing!
February 15, 2023
[3,5 stars] Yes, this was not a very fast-paced story but I liked the way the tension built up slowly. Okay, the ending was not surprising at all, I could see it coming.
The switching between the two storylines (the love story in the past and the present day story) made it interesting enough for me to continue.
Not a book I'll be thinking about for the rest of my life but certainly a good read.
The switching between the two storylines (the love story in the past and the present day story) made it interesting enough for me to continue.
Not a book I'll be thinking about for the rest of my life but certainly a good read.
October 4, 2022
Even though I knew where it was going, it didn’t take away from the story. Entertaining page turner.
September 18, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I couldn’t put it down and read it in one weekend! I wanted to desperately know the ending and why the cause for suspense! This is for sure the kind of book I would read more than once to pick up on subtleties! My only complaint is that I was expecting it to be more of a thriller based on the author’s description! But definitely loved the book - no pun intended but it reads very well!!
May 26, 2022
Two devious women: An utter delight to spend time with them. Surprises at every turn. A story terrifically told.
January 11, 2023
I'm a little torn on this rating. I did enjoy it, but it really was just 'okay' for me. It wasn't badly done. It was just very predictable and sort of underwhelming. I did notice the author doesn't have a lot of ratings for her book. This is the first with over a 100 reader ratings. Not unlike Anne Weil's 'other' novels before and after The Vengeance of Catherine Clark. Interesting correlation.
September 16, 2022
A doctoral candidate in feminist literature uses underhanded means to get close to the author she NEEDS to interview for her dissertation.
To read my full review, please visit my website, LorieKleinerEckert.com. In the menu bar at the top of the page, you will find a drop-down menu under the word “BLOG.” It will lead you to my BOOK BLOG. Thanks!
To read my full review, please visit my website, LorieKleinerEckert.com. In the menu bar at the top of the page, you will find a drop-down menu under the word “BLOG.” It will lead you to my BOOK BLOG. Thanks!
June 22, 2022
Must Read Well is gripping, sometimes anguishing, always compelling and written by a wonderfully gifted writer. Her central character is struggling to finish her dissertation, hits a roadblock, and finds a way to deceptively penetrate the home of the feminist writer who is her subject. The unraveling of her subjects complicated secret past drives the story as does the tension of the risks the main character is willing to take because of her ambition. It's two stores in one, woven together artfully and truthfully. Couldn't put it down.
October 16, 2022
Must Read Well is a thoughtful, clever and intriguing game of wits between two female leads of different generations, Anne and Elizabeth, both equally cunning and interesting. Just who is using who for their own gain? I was completely swept into this story especially the passages from Anne's journals about her affair with famous pianist Greg and the aftermath of that event. I found Elizabeth's hypocrisy with her judgements about Anne revolting while Elizabeth herself was plotting to steal whatever material she could from Anne's journals for her own academic advancement. This was a stunning work and the first book I have read by Ellen Pall but definitely not the last.
February 7, 2023
I read this book because I took a class from Ellen Pall at UCLA many moons ago, Siri thought she was a good writer, and was curious about her latest offering. I think it is really good and that she has found her footing as a psychological suspense writer. A cat and mouse duel between two women, one young and ambitious, one old, bitter and cagey. Neither one of them completely likable, though the young one was much more so. But both intelligent, literary, intellectual, quick witted, just the way I like them.
There is a story in the past and a story in the present; there is a beautiful apartment overlooking the Hudson river in Greenwich Village; there are constant mentions of books and authors, and I kept thinking, oh, I've read that one! Or, I haven't read The Bell by Iris Murdoch, I have to get on that! How many novel protagonists mention JB Priestley and Iris Murdoch, not to mention read them in paper copy? I have to say I laughed at the one critique that compared this author to James Patterson! WTF yes???
The negatives are, as I said, that neither one of the characters was super likable, though I much preferred the youthful protagonist. I didn't feel that her desire to subvert the older author, Anne Taussig Weil's, wishes, was out of line; she wanted to bring to light early feminist elements in the woman's most famous book, and I can't help feel sympathetic to anyone who wants to advance the sum of knowledge in the world.
And I even liked the older author in her present incarnation, as she trailed around her elegant if tattered apartment like a latter day Miss Havisham, clearly hugging a past secret to her breast, and speaking, I've no doubt, in an intimidating, patrician drawl. But I confess that her past story, about an affair with a famous violinist, put me off. After two months( or less) of passionate trysting, she and her lover decide that they are made for each other and must tell their spouses immediately, setting in train tragic events. The pure willful selfishness of their behavior put me in mind a quote George Bernard Shaw, who wrote "When two people are under the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal and exhausting condition until death do them part."
I have always had difficulty with people who leave their spouses, feeling that if they do so it should only be for a good strong adult reason. Have these two people, clearly in what Shaw would call the grip of a violent and delusive state, met those requirements? No. And the man is clearly a serial philanderer, whose approach of Weil reeks of past seductions. He might have stronger feelings for her than he did for his past conquests, but you can't help knowing that it's really all about him.
But despite this, I found the characters addictive – just the opposite of James Patterson characters, who are utterly superficial and only exist to move the story along – and I read the book in one delicious gulp. The end was not unexpected, and not entirely satisfactory, but the Journey was mesmerizing and I only wish that Pall had dug even deeper into these characters and found even more fascinating wrinkles in their psyches.
Look forward to reading more of her novels.
There is a story in the past and a story in the present; there is a beautiful apartment overlooking the Hudson river in Greenwich Village; there are constant mentions of books and authors, and I kept thinking, oh, I've read that one! Or, I haven't read The Bell by Iris Murdoch, I have to get on that! How many novel protagonists mention JB Priestley and Iris Murdoch, not to mention read them in paper copy? I have to say I laughed at the one critique that compared this author to James Patterson! WTF yes???
The negatives are, as I said, that neither one of the characters was super likable, though I much preferred the youthful protagonist. I didn't feel that her desire to subvert the older author, Anne Taussig Weil's, wishes, was out of line; she wanted to bring to light early feminist elements in the woman's most famous book, and I can't help feel sympathetic to anyone who wants to advance the sum of knowledge in the world.
And I even liked the older author in her present incarnation, as she trailed around her elegant if tattered apartment like a latter day Miss Havisham, clearly hugging a past secret to her breast, and speaking, I've no doubt, in an intimidating, patrician drawl. But I confess that her past story, about an affair with a famous violinist, put me off. After two months( or less) of passionate trysting, she and her lover decide that they are made for each other and must tell their spouses immediately, setting in train tragic events. The pure willful selfishness of their behavior put me in mind a quote George Bernard Shaw, who wrote "When two people are under the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal and exhausting condition until death do them part."
I have always had difficulty with people who leave their spouses, feeling that if they do so it should only be for a good strong adult reason. Have these two people, clearly in what Shaw would call the grip of a violent and delusive state, met those requirements? No. And the man is clearly a serial philanderer, whose approach of Weil reeks of past seductions. He might have stronger feelings for her than he did for his past conquests, but you can't help knowing that it's really all about him.
But despite this, I found the characters addictive – just the opposite of James Patterson characters, who are utterly superficial and only exist to move the story along – and I read the book in one delicious gulp. The end was not unexpected, and not entirely satisfactory, but the Journey was mesmerizing and I only wish that Pall had dug even deeper into these characters and found even more fascinating wrinkles in their psyches.
Look forward to reading more of her novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2022
"Must Read Well," by Ellen Pall, is set in New York City in 2011. Elizabeth Miller is a doctoral candidate who is disconsolate after her boyfriend, Tim, breaks up with her. She moves out of the apartment where she lived with Tim for two years, and is now sleeping on a fold-out sofa in her friend, Petra's, living room. Liz is eager to finish her dissertation, but it has a gaping hole that needs to be filled. Anne Taussig Weil, a writer whose opinions would enhance Liz's thesis greatly, has refused repeated requests for an interview.
Unexpectedly, the very person whom Liz has longed to meet posts a Craiglist ad in which she offers a private room, bath, and kitchen privileges to a quiet female who can read aloud to Ms. Weil's satisfaction. The rent is quite low. Liz quickly replies, and is heartened by what she views as a golden opportunity. If she is hired, not only will Liz have a place to live, but she may also obtain the material that she needs to earn her PhD.
Ellen Pall captures our attention from the first chapter. We feel sorry for the unlucky Liz who had a miserable childhood, earns a pittance from her teaching job at Columbia, and still misses Tim, even though he betrayed her. As it turns out, eighty-nine-year-old Ms. Weil, who is partially blind and ailing, deems Liz acceptable as a tenant and employee. Most days, Liz reads to Ms. Weil from journals that reveal steamy details about Anne's tumultuous affair with Greg Morris, a world-renowned pianist. Although some of Weil's diary entries are shockingly frank, Liz is careful to keep her reactions to herself. This absorbing tale of psychological suspense deals with such themes as romantic obsession, deceit, guilt, and retribution. We are riveted by Liz and Anne's interactions, both spoken and unspoken, and the final twist is devilish, clever, and thought-provoking. This intense and engrossing novel suggests that we should be careful what we wish for. Getting what we want is not always a blessing.
Unexpectedly, the very person whom Liz has longed to meet posts a Craiglist ad in which she offers a private room, bath, and kitchen privileges to a quiet female who can read aloud to Ms. Weil's satisfaction. The rent is quite low. Liz quickly replies, and is heartened by what she views as a golden opportunity. If she is hired, not only will Liz have a place to live, but she may also obtain the material that she needs to earn her PhD.
Ellen Pall captures our attention from the first chapter. We feel sorry for the unlucky Liz who had a miserable childhood, earns a pittance from her teaching job at Columbia, and still misses Tim, even though he betrayed her. As it turns out, eighty-nine-year-old Ms. Weil, who is partially blind and ailing, deems Liz acceptable as a tenant and employee. Most days, Liz reads to Ms. Weil from journals that reveal steamy details about Anne's tumultuous affair with Greg Morris, a world-renowned pianist. Although some of Weil's diary entries are shockingly frank, Liz is careful to keep her reactions to herself. This absorbing tale of psychological suspense deals with such themes as romantic obsession, deceit, guilt, and retribution. We are riveted by Liz and Anne's interactions, both spoken and unspoken, and the final twist is devilish, clever, and thought-provoking. This intense and engrossing novel suggests that we should be careful what we wish for. Getting what we want is not always a blessing.
December 29, 2022
I swear I will never believe another blurb that claims "acute psychological suspense." I think the last 3-4 books I picked up (with trepidation) that were described thus were most assuredly not what I would consider thrillers. This book is about Liz (or Beth), a stymied PhD candidate who chances into a circumstance that promises to help her get unstuck from a seemingly impossible situation. Her dissertation is all about the works of Anne Taussig Weil (I kept thinking it was Weir -- I could not keep it straight), who wrote a foundational second-wave feminist novel in the 1960s, then faded from public view. Despite Liz' best efforts, Weil has refused her the access, to her works and her mind, that Liz needs to complete her work. So, when Liz stumbles over an ad for a reader-slash-tenant for none other than Weil, she obfuscates her identity and becomes Beth, and secures the spot. It turns out the assignment is to read aloud Anne's journals from a period in her life she wishes to remember as she slowly succumbs to illness. I suppose the "suspense" the reviewers allude to is the subterfuge that Beth employs, to attain illicitly what was not freely given. But, aside from some apprehension on Beth's part, there really is no danger. Perhaps this is a fault in the writing, the author not adept enough to truly build tension, but with or without that, it is an engrossing story. Beth must read some pretty explicit stuff, as the period being relived involves a torrid affair, but there are numerous allusions to the deceit she is reading about even as she is undertaking a pretty serious deceit of her own. I think I had an inkling of the ending, though I didn't mentally spoiler myself by thinking about it too hard, and while it wasn't exactly surprising, it ended on a tantalizing note, which was satisfying.
February 3, 2023
I was intrigued by the title of Ellen Pall’s latest novel: Must Read Well. The story involves two women: Beth Miller and Anne Taussig Weil. Beth is a poor PhD candidate in English working on her dissertation, but she has hit several roadblocks. Anne Taussig Weil wrote a bestselling novel in 1965; none of her other books achieved much success. Now, 90, Weil is almost blind and can barely walk. She advertises for someone to rent a room in her home in Greenwich Village for a nominal charge and read to her once a day for an hour.
Beth has written several letters to Weil previously because Beth is including Weil in her dissertation. Weil refused to meet with Beth. Now, Beth recognizes the woman advertising for someone “who reads well” to rent a room in her home is none other than Anne Taussig Weil.
Beth thinks this will be the perfect opportunity to get the information she needs firsthand from Weil so she can finish her dissertation. Beth gets the opportunity to rent the room and to read to Weil, thinking Weil does not know Beth is the person who wrote to her so many times.
Thus begins a relationship between the two women with deception on both sides. The story keeps readers enthralled as the secrets pile up. Yet, Beth does learn about Weil and what led her to write the bestselling novel.
Will Beth find the information she needs to complete her dissertation? She had to sign a nondisclosure agreement when she took the room. Will that preclude her from using anything she learns while living with Weil? These questions all will be answered.
Beth has written several letters to Weil previously because Beth is including Weil in her dissertation. Weil refused to meet with Beth. Now, Beth recognizes the woman advertising for someone “who reads well” to rent a room in her home is none other than Anne Taussig Weil.
Beth thinks this will be the perfect opportunity to get the information she needs firsthand from Weil so she can finish her dissertation. Beth gets the opportunity to rent the room and to read to Weil, thinking Weil does not know Beth is the person who wrote to her so many times.
Thus begins a relationship between the two women with deception on both sides. The story keeps readers enthralled as the secrets pile up. Yet, Beth does learn about Weil and what led her to write the bestselling novel.
Will Beth find the information she needs to complete her dissertation? She had to sign a nondisclosure agreement when she took the room. Will that preclude her from using anything she learns while living with Weil? These questions all will be answered.
June 22, 2023
This book has garnered some very negative reviews and I don't think it deserves them. I think this is another case of marketers creating false expectations to sell books and then readers being disappointed when the book fails to deliver. Calling this a psychological thriller sends the message that it's going to have you on the edge of your seat with a tight, unpredictable plot. And that's not the case here.
But I would argue that this is still a good book. Other reviewers have complained that the writing is too simple. The descriptions of the main character's day-to-day life are written with simplicity, but they serve their purpose in the story and don't need to be elaborate or filled with flowery prose. I would argue that the author really shows her writing chops in Anne's journal entries, which contain some beautiful and evocative writing. And frankly, it'd be weirder if the voices of these two women sounded exactly the same, especially considering one is supposed to be a PhD student and the other, an accomplished author.
Don't come to this book looking for a fast-paced thriller. Come to this book if you're looking for an original, intriguing, very human story of two women brought together in unique circumstances and forced to face the realities of their own deceptions. If you can enjoy realistic human drama, fraught with mistakes and flaws, this book has something for you.
But I would argue that this is still a good book. Other reviewers have complained that the writing is too simple. The descriptions of the main character's day-to-day life are written with simplicity, but they serve their purpose in the story and don't need to be elaborate or filled with flowery prose. I would argue that the author really shows her writing chops in Anne's journal entries, which contain some beautiful and evocative writing. And frankly, it'd be weirder if the voices of these two women sounded exactly the same, especially considering one is supposed to be a PhD student and the other, an accomplished author.
Don't come to this book looking for a fast-paced thriller. Come to this book if you're looking for an original, intriguing, very human story of two women brought together in unique circumstances and forced to face the realities of their own deceptions. If you can enjoy realistic human drama, fraught with mistakes and flaws, this book has something for you.
February 20, 2023
Basically 1.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I don't think it's fair to penalize an author for false marketing. I was absolutely not the target audience for this zero-stakes, navel-gazing, affair-glorifying, diet erotica "women's fiction," which was presented as a cat-and-mouse psychological thriller involving literature. I hated it, but the writing wasn't the worst and there was technically a story, so three stars seems fair.
The plot of this book is that a glass of sour milk makes a glass of curdling milk read sour milk's journals aloud to her. Curdling milk thinks the journals will give some insight into the nutritional facts of milk, but instead they tell the story, in detail, of how the milk soured. Also, the curdling milk is wearing a pair of Groucho glasses and claiming to be strawberry milk. It's torturously bland, yet also nauseating.
It's also the kind of nesting doll story where you've got the modern-day characters and those in the story one of them is telling. This format can be amazing, assuming the nesting dolls in the metaphor are gorgeous, intricately handpainted marvels in their own right, nesting or no. In this case, neither story-line or cast is sufficiently developed or interesting to stand alone, so the nesting quality just adds a frustrating layer of, "what is the point of any of this?"
The plot of this book is that a glass of sour milk makes a glass of curdling milk read sour milk's journals aloud to her. Curdling milk thinks the journals will give some insight into the nutritional facts of milk, but instead they tell the story, in detail, of how the milk soured. Also, the curdling milk is wearing a pair of Groucho glasses and claiming to be strawberry milk. It's torturously bland, yet also nauseating.
It's also the kind of nesting doll story where you've got the modern-day characters and those in the story one of them is telling. This format can be amazing, assuming the nesting dolls in the metaphor are gorgeous, intricately handpainted marvels in their own right, nesting or no. In this case, neither story-line or cast is sufficiently developed or interesting to stand alone, so the nesting quality just adds a frustrating layer of, "what is the point of any of this?"
November 25, 2022
A spry, smart, nerve-racking pleasure to read, MUST READ WELL is the story of a battle of minds between young protagonist Liz Miller, a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia whose dissertation has run aground, and the redoubtable Anne Taussig Weil, a second-wave feminist writer whose withholding of access is the only thing keeping Liz from finishing that dissertation. Through magical happenstance, Liz becomes a live-in reader for the “purblind” Weil, hiding her identity so that she can slyly gather material on the elusive older woman, setting the game in motion. The wholly fictitious and yet wholly believable Weil – she rather reminds me of a professor who would have handed me my butt at Barnard College in the ’80s for being inattentive – shows herself to be one wily piece of work, a more than equal match for crafty Liz. This is thoroughly engaging book, giving the reader the pleasures of both a literary novel and a page-turner. The propulsive plot drives to a twisty ending that makes the reader groan for Liz, in an instance of “Better be careful what you wish for” writ large.
January 29, 2023
I read this quickly because the print is large and looks to be spaced at 1.5 between the lines. It’s not a very long story. While it captured my attention, it’s a slow build with two main characters I really didn’t like and the writing isn’t all that great. It reminds me of a James Patterson style: a good read but not well written. There are many unnecessary details that seem to be there simply as filler to extend the story but don’t add anything to it. And the last thing I’ll say is that I don’t like stories that leave the reader without a definitive ending and this book is guilty. You know what I’m saying? Where you, as the reader THINK you know how it ends but it’s not answered. It would be nice if there was an Epilogue 5 years later, letting the reader know what happened. What choice did Beth make? This just ends. Period.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2022
"Must Read Well" is a wonderfully drawn game of cat and mouse between two calculating, shrewd women, each determined to, and highly capable of, achieving her own ends. What better to keep one up at night, when the suspense refuses to take a back seat to something as banal as sleep? This is a novel to be both devoured and rationed, savoring the complex weave of past and present, the trials and tribulations of the morally flawed characters for whom one quickly develops often conflicting sympathies. The prose also compels in its elegance and acuity. "Must Read Well" could only have been written by a keen observer of human nature. And that nature does not let up in its tugging complexity until the very last line.
December 19, 2022
3 stars for a split stance on whether I loved/hated this book.
I had mixed feelings about this novel:
- It was a slow read, and I kept waiting for *something* to happen. Felt a little boring but at the same time I burned through it in 2 days via marathon reading sessions.
- I disliked the 2 main characters, but desperately wanted them to get their happy endings in their own respective stories.
- I can see myself re-reading this to pick up on some of the nuances after revelations in the last chapter but not sure they are interesting enough to read through it again. More of a curiosity.
Overall i felt like the premise of the book was exciting but the actual book fell a little short. And not just because of its abrupt, cliff-hangery ending!
I had mixed feelings about this novel:
- It was a slow read, and I kept waiting for *something* to happen. Felt a little boring but at the same time I burned through it in 2 days via marathon reading sessions.
- I disliked the 2 main characters, but desperately wanted them to get their happy endings in their own respective stories.
- I can see myself re-reading this to pick up on some of the nuances after revelations in the last chapter but not sure they are interesting enough to read through it again. More of a curiosity.
Overall i felt like the premise of the book was exciting but the actual book fell a little short. And not just because of its abrupt, cliff-hangery ending!
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