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I Smile Back
"Powerful. Koppelman's instincts help her navigate these choppy waters with inventiveness and integrity." ― Los Angeles Times
Now a major motion picture starring Sarah Silverman in her dramatic-acting debut, and Josh Charles, I Smile Back tells the affecting tale of Laney Brooks, a mother and wife on a self-destructive streak. She takes the drugs she wants, sleeps with the men she wants, disappears when she wants. Lurking beneath Laney's seemingly composed surface is the impulse to follow in her father's footsteps, to leave and topple her family's balance in the process. “This crushing novel by the author of A Mouthful of Air is a shocking portrait of suburban ennui gone horribly awry. Koppelman’s prose style is understated and crackling; each sentence is laden with a foreboding sense of menace. Like a crime scene or a flaming car wreck, it becomes impossible not to stare.” ― Publishers Weekly
Now a major motion picture starring Sarah Silverman in her dramatic-acting debut, and Josh Charles, I Smile Back tells the affecting tale of Laney Brooks, a mother and wife on a self-destructive streak. She takes the drugs she wants, sleeps with the men she wants, disappears when she wants. Lurking beneath Laney's seemingly composed surface is the impulse to follow in her father's footsteps, to leave and topple her family's balance in the process. “This crushing novel by the author of A Mouthful of Air is a shocking portrait of suburban ennui gone horribly awry. Koppelman’s prose style is understated and crackling; each sentence is laden with a foreboding sense of menace. Like a crime scene or a flaming car wreck, it becomes impossible not to stare.” ― Publishers Weekly
194 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
39 people are currently reading
909 people want to read
About the author
Amy Koppelman
9 books94 followersAmy Koppelman is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, A Mouthful of Air and I Smile Back. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Pennsylvania, and an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. Koppelman and her screenwriting partner adapted I Smile Back for the screen. The film, starring Sarah Silverman, premiered at the 2015 Sundance, Toronoto and Deauville Film Festivals. Amy lives in New York City with her family. She is an outspoken advocate for women’s mental health.
Amy would love to participate in your book club when reading her newest book - Hesitation Wounds.
For more info - amykoppelmanoffice@gmail.com
Amy would love to participate in your book club when reading her newest book - Hesitation Wounds.
For more info - amykoppelmanoffice@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 22, 2009
I started reading this book at take-off on a 4 hour flight. I did not put it down, not even for Delta drinks, not even for Delta snacks nor movies, not until I had finished reading all 188 pages upon landing. If I had not finished, I would have sat in the concourse until I had. It is a powerful account of a tortured, smart, cynical venomous, loving married mother of two beautiful children who seems to have it all, except in her psyche. That may sound like a book no one would ever want to read, but WOW, it is delivered in a way that I highly recommend it, mostly for women, and definitely to women's reading groups. There's a lot to relate to, to think about and to discuss.
January 29, 2023
hopeless and bleak as hell.
i gravitated toward this book when i found it in the library as a teenager. i read just a passage, but wasn't able to check out the book for whatever reason. but the title always stuck with me, and over a decade later i finally returned to it.
it's darkly funny that i had no idea it was a daddy issues book. maybe that helped draw me to it subconsciously. but it's a fucked up book on many levels. deep depression, unaddressed childhood trauma, unchecked substance abuse and various self-destructive behavior, all in the realm of picture-perfect middle class suburbia.
the title, which seems as though it could be hopeful, is actually super sinister. laney smiles back at her reflection, hollow, while she's spiraling. it's not a happy smile. she's still trying to live up to expectations, even while crumbling inside.
i gravitated toward this book when i found it in the library as a teenager. i read just a passage, but wasn't able to check out the book for whatever reason. but the title always stuck with me, and over a decade later i finally returned to it.
it's darkly funny that i had no idea it was a daddy issues book. maybe that helped draw me to it subconsciously. but it's a fucked up book on many levels. deep depression, unaddressed childhood trauma, unchecked substance abuse and various self-destructive behavior, all in the realm of picture-perfect middle class suburbia.
the title, which seems as though it could be hopeful, is actually super sinister. laney smiles back at her reflection, hollow, while she's spiraling. it's not a happy smile. she's still trying to live up to expectations, even while crumbling inside.
It's a gorgeous day and she's thankful for the bright sun, cooler air. Weather, she thinks, is impartial. You don't need to be principled to enjoy a breezy day like this. You merely have to be alive.
January 9, 2016
Amy Koppelman's “I Smile Back” is the story about what goes on inside the mind of Laney who lives in Short Hills, New Jersey, with her husband, Bruce, and their two small kids, Eli and Janey. Laney leads a privileged life but doesn't know what she should be doing with it. It's not how she imagined it would be – or actually, it is exactly how she imagined it would be – but she thought she would be happier. These thoughts cause her to reject living in the present and instead to dwell on the past. She wants to recapture the magic and comfort she felt as a child but only during the days before her father abandoned her and left the family for good.
Laney lives her days plagued with feelings of anxiety and is consumed with the notion of death. I was able to relate to many of Laney's thoughts as I've often been an extremely phobic person since childhood. Once my daughter was born, these issues skyrocketed. After years of being consumed with concerns over my own mortality, suddenly I gave birth to someone that I loved more than my own life, and now there was something that had complete control over me. When you feel too much and too deeply, this, in turn, can lead you to feeling nothing. The fear of loss can become so great, you have a self-protective instinct to be the first to sabotage it. This is what I believe drives Laney to act out through casual sexual affairs and drugs.
“I Smile Back's” stream of consciousness narrative plunges the reader directly into Laney's mind, and that's why I loved the book's style. I didn't want to be bogged down with extraneous info involving mundane settings and minor characters. I wanted to be inside of Laney's mind to understand these feelings because when you have this type of anxiety, it drives you all day, every day, and what is going on around you is just in the background. Your fears are first and foremost. “I Smile Back's” unique voice demonstrates this perfectly. It is the only way to tell Laney's story. Amy Koppelman's relaying of Laney's thoughts while interacting with her young daughter complements the book's theme of hopelessness:
“Like tonight I was baking a cake with Janey and she was upset that it wasn't perfect and I wanted to tell her not to worry about it – that it didn't matter because nothing matters. We're all going to die. And when we're dead no one will ever know we ever made this cake.”
Another of my favorite quotes from the book confirms how it is Laney's all-consuming love for her children that fuels her feelings of dread and her fears:
“Frankly, at the end, Laney won't be thinking of Bruce, or Eli for that matter, but of Janey's arms. As they are now. Wrapped tightly around her mother's neck. The little girl clings. Laney pretends this doesn't frighten her. She'll be here long enough. To see Janey marry? Have a baby? When would be a safe time for Laney to close her eyes, fade to black?”
Not only is the need to escape constant in Laney's mind but also the need to make amends with her father. She harbors a tremendous amount of anger towards him but also still wants his love. But Laney is not mentally stable throughout the book so these normal desires get translated into a need to surprise her father and to frighten his very young, almost six-year-old, daughter who is Laney's half sister. On her way there, she fantasizes about ruining her father's new family life by telling them how this is what his new daughter can anticipate happening to her as well. But as is often the case, Laney keeps her darkest thoughts to herself and, as the title says, she just smiles. Instead, she secretly steals the wooden father figure from her half sister's dollhouse and puts it in her purse. I thought this was a brilliant image of a grown-up daughter's need to hold onto her father all for herself. It reminded me of that scene in the 1980's TV drama, “Dynasty,” when another wealthy and spoiled daughter, Fallon, bites the heads off the bride and groom from her father's and soon-to-be stepmother's wedding cake.
I found “I Smile Back” an impressive read as an example of what the pressures of trying to be mature while dealing with feelings of dread and a tremendous amount of past emotional baggage can do to a hypersensitive and fragile woman. But it is an extreme example which is often needed in art to get the point across when matters like these are buried deep inside most of us because they are unpleasant and unproductive. The feelings Laney has are all valid even though she acts on them in destructive ways. We are not supposed to be able to completely identify with Laney – she is a metaphor. If we're not given such a disturbing, no holds barred, picture, I don't think any of us would ever be able to push these thoughts to the surface and try to deal with them head-on. Growing up is hard. Being responsible is harder. And making the transition from cherished daughter to competent mother is the hardest of all:
“'Deliver me,' Laney slurs to the silent fear that contains her. She is, no longer, special.”
I highly recommend “I Smile Back” to readers who aren't afraid to face all those unpleasant feelings that lurk inside us but, when faced, teach us how to appreciate the beauty in our present lives as best we can.
Laney lives her days plagued with feelings of anxiety and is consumed with the notion of death. I was able to relate to many of Laney's thoughts as I've often been an extremely phobic person since childhood. Once my daughter was born, these issues skyrocketed. After years of being consumed with concerns over my own mortality, suddenly I gave birth to someone that I loved more than my own life, and now there was something that had complete control over me. When you feel too much and too deeply, this, in turn, can lead you to feeling nothing. The fear of loss can become so great, you have a self-protective instinct to be the first to sabotage it. This is what I believe drives Laney to act out through casual sexual affairs and drugs.
“I Smile Back's” stream of consciousness narrative plunges the reader directly into Laney's mind, and that's why I loved the book's style. I didn't want to be bogged down with extraneous info involving mundane settings and minor characters. I wanted to be inside of Laney's mind to understand these feelings because when you have this type of anxiety, it drives you all day, every day, and what is going on around you is just in the background. Your fears are first and foremost. “I Smile Back's” unique voice demonstrates this perfectly. It is the only way to tell Laney's story. Amy Koppelman's relaying of Laney's thoughts while interacting with her young daughter complements the book's theme of hopelessness:
“Like tonight I was baking a cake with Janey and she was upset that it wasn't perfect and I wanted to tell her not to worry about it – that it didn't matter because nothing matters. We're all going to die. And when we're dead no one will ever know we ever made this cake.”
Another of my favorite quotes from the book confirms how it is Laney's all-consuming love for her children that fuels her feelings of dread and her fears:
“Frankly, at the end, Laney won't be thinking of Bruce, or Eli for that matter, but of Janey's arms. As they are now. Wrapped tightly around her mother's neck. The little girl clings. Laney pretends this doesn't frighten her. She'll be here long enough. To see Janey marry? Have a baby? When would be a safe time for Laney to close her eyes, fade to black?”
Not only is the need to escape constant in Laney's mind but also the need to make amends with her father. She harbors a tremendous amount of anger towards him but also still wants his love. But Laney is not mentally stable throughout the book so these normal desires get translated into a need to surprise her father and to frighten his very young, almost six-year-old, daughter who is Laney's half sister. On her way there, she fantasizes about ruining her father's new family life by telling them how this is what his new daughter can anticipate happening to her as well. But as is often the case, Laney keeps her darkest thoughts to herself and, as the title says, she just smiles. Instead, she secretly steals the wooden father figure from her half sister's dollhouse and puts it in her purse. I thought this was a brilliant image of a grown-up daughter's need to hold onto her father all for herself. It reminded me of that scene in the 1980's TV drama, “Dynasty,” when another wealthy and spoiled daughter, Fallon, bites the heads off the bride and groom from her father's and soon-to-be stepmother's wedding cake.
I found “I Smile Back” an impressive read as an example of what the pressures of trying to be mature while dealing with feelings of dread and a tremendous amount of past emotional baggage can do to a hypersensitive and fragile woman. But it is an extreme example which is often needed in art to get the point across when matters like these are buried deep inside most of us because they are unpleasant and unproductive. The feelings Laney has are all valid even though she acts on them in destructive ways. We are not supposed to be able to completely identify with Laney – she is a metaphor. If we're not given such a disturbing, no holds barred, picture, I don't think any of us would ever be able to push these thoughts to the surface and try to deal with them head-on. Growing up is hard. Being responsible is harder. And making the transition from cherished daughter to competent mother is the hardest of all:
“'Deliver me,' Laney slurs to the silent fear that contains her. She is, no longer, special.”
I highly recommend “I Smile Back” to readers who aren't afraid to face all those unpleasant feelings that lurk inside us but, when faced, teach us how to appreciate the beauty in our present lives as best we can.
March 14, 2010
This is a rather cryptic and mysterious book. It reads like poetry and explores the "messed up" mind of Laney, a suburban housewife and the protagonist. I Smile Back has an air of Sylvia Plath and Kate Chopin but it is not as artistically or engagingly written.
The book is structured like a play in three sections:
* "Act One: North Jersey, Labor Day, 2002"
* "Intermission"
* "Act Two: North Jersey, Five Weeks Later"
The setting of New Jersey is average enough but extremely important. The suburban location is important to the overall theme of the book and Laney's mental development. Does middle class living imply a happy and fulfilling life? The quote at the beginning of the book answers this question: "Show me a single wound on earth that love has healed" (Jim Harrison). The setting and tone of the book has an intense air of depression that drags the reader into the depth's of Laney's hopelessness.
Laney has everything a woman her age could want: a loving husband, two beautiful and intelligent children, good looks, and financial security (to name a few). Yet, it is not enough for Laney. She constantly feels smothered by her "perfect life." She has no friends, doesn't know her husband, and sees her mortality reflected in the faces of her children. She plays the perfect role of house wife, but it provides no reason for existing. As the novel progresses, the reader is drawn into Laney's mind as well as the mysteries of her past which play into her fears and influences a lot of her destructive actions.
Countering her destruction is Bruce, the ever "helpful" husband. They were teenage sweethearts, and he doesn't understand what happen to the woman he fell in love with. Even though he does everything to get her help, to cure the neuroses, he comes off as a pompous and controlling jerk. He doesn't understand that he is part of the problem. Laney does not want to be simply a wife and mother. Laney's original desires have changed as she's grown older, and her family cannot change with her.
The hardest aspect of the book, other than the utter hopelessness and depression, is the family life. Everyone is a victim and everyone gets hurt by Laney's use of drugs and promiscuous sleeping around. However, the people who are the most helpless to do anything, the people who should be protected from this shock of reality, are Laney's two children: Janey and Eli. The affects of Laney's neuroses messes up their development, as apparent with Eli's eye ticks. They can feel that something is wrong between mommy and daddy, but they cannot understand or help their parents. It is really depressing to see how children are affected by the sins of their parents. I felt like crying every time I read more and more about Laney's children.
This book is about people, most noticeably Laney, Bruce, and their children Janey and Eli. There is no traditional plot that leads us to a denouement. Instead, there are snapshots into one person's life. The pictures don't always connect chronological, though. While reading, I often felt like I was in a drunken stupor trying to connect the pieces to this puzzle.
The book deals with others trying to understand Laney's puzzling life, such as issues of psychology as well as rehabilitation. What the author thinks of psychologists and treatments is expressed by the predictable ending. For me, there were no surprises to this book. Everything happened the way I guessed. You never truly understand the human mind. That is life.
Overall, I recommend reading this book only if you are interested in the human mind, psychology, or are in the mood for a depressing and hopeless story. The style of writing is interesting with vivid details, but it doesn't compare with classic women author's who wrote about similar issues. For me, this is a modern day rewriting of The Awakening with all the filth, language, and medical jargon that embodies the 21st century.
The book is structured like a play in three sections:
* "Act One: North Jersey, Labor Day, 2002"
* "Intermission"
* "Act Two: North Jersey, Five Weeks Later"
The setting of New Jersey is average enough but extremely important. The suburban location is important to the overall theme of the book and Laney's mental development. Does middle class living imply a happy and fulfilling life? The quote at the beginning of the book answers this question: "Show me a single wound on earth that love has healed" (Jim Harrison). The setting and tone of the book has an intense air of depression that drags the reader into the depth's of Laney's hopelessness.
Laney has everything a woman her age could want: a loving husband, two beautiful and intelligent children, good looks, and financial security (to name a few). Yet, it is not enough for Laney. She constantly feels smothered by her "perfect life." She has no friends, doesn't know her husband, and sees her mortality reflected in the faces of her children. She plays the perfect role of house wife, but it provides no reason for existing. As the novel progresses, the reader is drawn into Laney's mind as well as the mysteries of her past which play into her fears and influences a lot of her destructive actions.
Countering her destruction is Bruce, the ever "helpful" husband. They were teenage sweethearts, and he doesn't understand what happen to the woman he fell in love with. Even though he does everything to get her help, to cure the neuroses, he comes off as a pompous and controlling jerk. He doesn't understand that he is part of the problem. Laney does not want to be simply a wife and mother. Laney's original desires have changed as she's grown older, and her family cannot change with her.
The hardest aspect of the book, other than the utter hopelessness and depression, is the family life. Everyone is a victim and everyone gets hurt by Laney's use of drugs and promiscuous sleeping around. However, the people who are the most helpless to do anything, the people who should be protected from this shock of reality, are Laney's two children: Janey and Eli. The affects of Laney's neuroses messes up their development, as apparent with Eli's eye ticks. They can feel that something is wrong between mommy and daddy, but they cannot understand or help their parents. It is really depressing to see how children are affected by the sins of their parents. I felt like crying every time I read more and more about Laney's children.
This book is about people, most noticeably Laney, Bruce, and their children Janey and Eli. There is no traditional plot that leads us to a denouement. Instead, there are snapshots into one person's life. The pictures don't always connect chronological, though. While reading, I often felt like I was in a drunken stupor trying to connect the pieces to this puzzle.
The book deals with others trying to understand Laney's puzzling life, such as issues of psychology as well as rehabilitation. What the author thinks of psychologists and treatments is expressed by the predictable ending. For me, there were no surprises to this book. Everything happened the way I guessed. You never truly understand the human mind. That is life.
Overall, I recommend reading this book only if you are interested in the human mind, psychology, or are in the mood for a depressing and hopeless story. The style of writing is interesting with vivid details, but it doesn't compare with classic women author's who wrote about similar issues. For me, this is a modern day rewriting of The Awakening with all the filth, language, and medical jargon that embodies the 21st century.
September 8, 2017
Um, nope. Beautiful writing? I think not. Laney's story is compelling, but well told? Comparing Koppelman with Sylvia Plath? Please. First of all, the author has serious problems with the use of commas, and we're not talking about poetic license. And language? Laney is described as having a "taught jaw", but I don't think we are talking about how well it has learned to do things. "Notice the lines around Laney's mouth, the taught [sic] jaw." Also not impressed with the "basic research" done (actually, not done) by the author. "Roy Bitten" from the "East Street Band" should be "Roy Bittan" from the "E Street Band"; and "Marianne Faithful" should be "Marianne Faithfull". Sorry, but I just can't feel good about the writing of an author who puts out faux pas (plural) like these. I read stories of authors who have written classics and who have struggled to get published, and this book gets a movie deal? Just wow.
January 20, 2018
This book should have a way higher score on Good Reads. I found it not just well-written, but insightful and scary, because mental illness is nothing if not scary.
I Smile Back felt most like Hausfrau, which I also loved; however, it was so much more effective in describing the emotions and rationale of the wife.
The author’s asides about people’s motivations in a variety of scenarios was also brilliant, and normally though-provoking, if not downright funny.
Highly recommended, though I don’t have a good rating system and give most books five stars. It probably calls into question my objectivity, but the truth is I rarely finish a crappy book.
I Smile Back felt most like Hausfrau, which I also loved; however, it was so much more effective in describing the emotions and rationale of the wife.
The author’s asides about people’s motivations in a variety of scenarios was also brilliant, and normally though-provoking, if not downright funny.
Highly recommended, though I don’t have a good rating system and give most books five stars. It probably calls into question my objectivity, but the truth is I rarely finish a crappy book.
September 1, 2015
Very, very dark and very, very lovely writing. The reader is compelled to identify and sympathize with Laney, a depressed, alcoholic and drug-addicted housewife, who has it all but is unhappy. Heartbreakingly beautiful.
June 11, 2012
If you want a read a happy book about the life of a happy suburban housewife and mother, this isn't it. However, if you want to be introduced to a screwed up woman who becomes a suburban housewife and mother, this is definitely it. As none of those things myself, and further with no aspirations to be either, I always tend to want to read the disgruntled versions of such lifestyles. It strikes more real to me than a modern version of "Leave It to Beaver." There's very few on the market and I was glad to find this.
The story is told from the perspective of Laney a young woman from a broken home who's father left when she was even younger. Laney takes the first train out of Dodge in marrying her high school boyfriend and while it does appear in the beginning to be a good match, over time Laney starts to notice all those little detrimental statements her husband makes. At one point he even tells potential insurance clients he intended to be a senator but then met Laney. To compound problems further Laney turns to drugs, alcohol and infidelity in an attempt to force herself to remain in the role of wife/mother/SUV driving/suburbia dwelling, unhappy individual. Her father's abandonment seems to be her only reliable companion and while she tries her best to fit the roles she plays, she just keeps returning to destructive behavior to try to cope. It's not that she hates her life exactly, she's just not happy and that's a feeling I think most people can identify with on some level.
Life is mostly about choices and while even the ending of this book isn't a happy one, at least it's one that fits her character and doesn't tie things up in a pretty, happy and often unrealistic package.
The story is told from the perspective of Laney a young woman from a broken home who's father left when she was even younger. Laney takes the first train out of Dodge in marrying her high school boyfriend and while it does appear in the beginning to be a good match, over time Laney starts to notice all those little detrimental statements her husband makes. At one point he even tells potential insurance clients he intended to be a senator but then met Laney. To compound problems further Laney turns to drugs, alcohol and infidelity in an attempt to force herself to remain in the role of wife/mother/SUV driving/suburbia dwelling, unhappy individual. Her father's abandonment seems to be her only reliable companion and while she tries her best to fit the roles she plays, she just keeps returning to destructive behavior to try to cope. It's not that she hates her life exactly, she's just not happy and that's a feeling I think most people can identify with on some level.
Life is mostly about choices and while even the ending of this book isn't a happy one, at least it's one that fits her character and doesn't tie things up in a pretty, happy and often unrealistic package.
August 11, 2011
This is was a sad but interesting story. My heart went out to the character. It is a must read.
January 26, 2009
I can't remember the last time I read a book I disliked as much as I disliked this one. After 188 pages, you haven't gotten any where. The language is vulgar, the sex graphic and neither of those things is necessarily needed in the context of the book. If it's necessary, then I don't have a problem with it, but I really felt it could have been toned down here. I didn't like the writing style. I felt like Koppelman couldn't decide if she was writing poetry or prose and a great deal of the writing made no sense to me.
March 1, 2015
This book is so different than anything else on my list--every sentence is perfect, yet many are, well, jarring. It's a shorter book, but instead of racing through, as I thought I would, I lingered, because although so much is on the page, there's even more that's left for us to put together. The movie just premiered at Sundance to rave reviews, and I wanted to read the book first.
November 30, 2015
I would say this is somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4. It's a compelling book, and finishes very strong. The prose is both difficult and beautifully fluid, at varying times, sometimes at the same time. The story and the characters are uncomfortable in so many ways.
November 22, 2010
I wanted to like this book. But I didn't. I had little sympathy for the main character and her series of bad choices. And the fact that she hurt her own son in the same way she was hurt -- perhaps realistic, but unforgivable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2025
i do always enjoy a tormented narrator. pain, addiction, childhood trauma; all themes that usually make a character more interesting and relatable. when i first began the book i was enjoying it, she reminded me of James Frey.
but after finishing…Laney is sooooooo insufferable. all woe is me, i’m so messed up bcos my dad left but i won’t bother to sober up or get the help i need, bcos playing the part of a tormented suburban house wife is much more interesting. YAAAWWWNNNNNNNN.
i also noticed how much internal misogyny she was holding onto. of course, this being a direct result of her self hatred (stemming from being abandoned by her father when she was young). but christ almightly, this woman HATES other women.
i think Laney is unlikeable. and whilst i understand that the whole point of the novel is to convey that addicts aren’t actually nice people. and that not everyone who goes to rehab/therapy gets better. but it’s not that Laney couldn’t get better, it’s that Laney didn’t want to get better, and that’s why she didn’t. she preferred to revel in her self pity, bcos it suited her more; and she didn’t know how to get better. but the fact is, no one knows. if you want it enough, you get help, you work on yourself, you lean on those around you, and you. get. better.
i cannot stand people who complain about their life/situation, yet will do nothing to change it. it’s up to you and no one else. NEXT
but after finishing…Laney is sooooooo insufferable. all woe is me, i’m so messed up bcos my dad left but i won’t bother to sober up or get the help i need, bcos playing the part of a tormented suburban house wife is much more interesting. YAAAWWWNNNNNNNN.
i also noticed how much internal misogyny she was holding onto. of course, this being a direct result of her self hatred (stemming from being abandoned by her father when she was young). but christ almightly, this woman HATES other women.
i think Laney is unlikeable. and whilst i understand that the whole point of the novel is to convey that addicts aren’t actually nice people. and that not everyone who goes to rehab/therapy gets better. but it’s not that Laney couldn’t get better, it’s that Laney didn’t want to get better, and that’s why she didn’t. she preferred to revel in her self pity, bcos it suited her more; and she didn’t know how to get better. but the fact is, no one knows. if you want it enough, you get help, you work on yourself, you lean on those around you, and you. get. better.
i cannot stand people who complain about their life/situation, yet will do nothing to change it. it’s up to you and no one else. NEXT
February 26, 2009
Several reviews cited this novel as having strong feminist overtones. Unfortunately, I found those statements to be untrue. The main character is hell-bent to destroy herself and her current life, but it's not because she's rebelling against suburbia, necessarily. She feels as if she needs something "other" even though this was the life she had chosen for herself. Her family is a loving, supportive one.
To me, this was a book about self-loathing not a "an unrestrained statement on the modern suburban woman" as it is described. Had I realized that initially, I probably would have been more satisfied with the story. Koppelman's writing, while intense, is very lyrical with the narration often reading like poetry.
To me, this was a book about self-loathing not a "an unrestrained statement on the modern suburban woman" as it is described. Had I realized that initially, I probably would have been more satisfied with the story. Koppelman's writing, while intense, is very lyrical with the narration often reading like poetry.
March 27, 2010
I picked this up, because I was excited to find a brand new author, published by an independent press at the Queens library. They don't have much at our local branch, so it was nice to see something unexpected. This book was lame. The ending made me angry, I didn't like the main character at all, it used 9/11 in a cliched and annoying way that the author obviously thought was edgy. The only reason I'm not giving it zero stars is because the only book I've ever given zero stars to is 'The Secret,' and this book is not as absurd and destructive as that piece of garbage. Koppelman has some points of good writing throughout the book, but for the most part it just stinks.
January 2, 2016
God. Why did I even bother finishing this thing?
Almost 200 pages about a rich, bored, cheating, sociopathic housewife whom you learn to hate more and more with each turn of a page.
Koppelman writes as if she's trying to be Sylvia Plath, but you can't help but cringe when the subject matter is about coke, fake tits, and SUVs.
All I got out of this book was the urge to throw it at the main character.
Girl. You're married. You're rich. You've got a beautiful, healthy family. Yeah you're depressed and have some daddy issues. Who doesn't these days?
Get your act together. Just try. Just TRY to enjoy life. Come on. You're acting like a spoiled, teenaged brat.
Ugh.
Almost 200 pages about a rich, bored, cheating, sociopathic housewife whom you learn to hate more and more with each turn of a page.
Koppelman writes as if she's trying to be Sylvia Plath, but you can't help but cringe when the subject matter is about coke, fake tits, and SUVs.
All I got out of this book was the urge to throw it at the main character.
Girl. You're married. You're rich. You've got a beautiful, healthy family. Yeah you're depressed and have some daddy issues. Who doesn't these days?
Get your act together. Just try. Just TRY to enjoy life. Come on. You're acting like a spoiled, teenaged brat.
Ugh.
January 10, 2016
I say this movie (starring Sarah Silverman). It only played at one theater in the area so many people might not even know it was a movie. It was good, but lacked that emotional factor that I thought could have put it over the edge. I read the book, thinking that it would give more insight to Laney, the film's protagonist. It did in a way, but not nearly enough. I remembered almost nothing from the book even a few months later. However, if you like fictional movies about people dealing with mental disorders or addiction, I think you'll like this book. I think you'll be left hoping for a little bit more though.
June 10, 2009
A dark look inside a woman who isn't happy with the standard suburban life. I really enjoyed the fact that Koppelman wasn't afraid to show the really dark side of the woman, and didn't have to force some false happy ending. I'm sure not many want to admit this, but I did relate to the protagonist in a lot of ways. Many may not be able to understand why she acts or reacts the way she does (some may call it "lashing out"), but it seemed very real to me. Not everyone gets a happy ending, and not everyone is happy, even when they "should be." A brave book.
April 7, 2016
I'm not one to say that a book has to be happy, or even slightly hopeful, to be good. but I don't understand the point of this book. Where's the conflict? What's the point of writing this story? I guess no point because nothing matters and then we die. Point made to death, book.
tldr review: Reads like a 200 page suicide note.
tldr review: Reads like a 200 page suicide note.
June 10, 2019
As much as I wanted to love this book I was more confused than anything. Maybe it is that I do not identify with Laney and her destructive behaviour? One thing I know for sure is that some of the sentence structure is rather odd and that confused me a lot throughout reading the book. At the same time, I do think that all of this could easily be something happening to the suburban wife.
January 6, 2009
This was my favorite title from 2008. Sordid and lean and devastating. Koppelman has the wonderful talent to include the story's necessities, yet always leaves space for inference and extrapolation on the reader's part.
May 27, 2009
This book was written by a friend of mine. Harrowing and desolate, in razor sharp prose, the story of one woman's desperate attempts to find meaning in her life. Amy is a gorgeous writer of spare poetic prose.
December 28, 2011
-at points not at all engaging
-at points too engaging
-definitely not at all as obscene as people are making it out to be! some... questionable parts, but not enough for a lot of people to be offended by. but then again, i dont think anything can be as crude as chad kultgens "the lie"
-at points too engaging
-definitely not at all as obscene as people are making it out to be! some... questionable parts, but not enough for a lot of people to be offended by. but then again, i dont think anything can be as crude as chad kultgens "the lie"
December 29, 2015
It's a good, well-written piece about a modern woman struggling with depression, addiction, and dissatisfaction. The language is lovely, but any joy is hard to find in the story, which makes it tough to experience, and yet, very real.
June 6, 2009
Very different A little off the wall but I enjoyed it.
December 18, 2009
Not a bad book by any means, but an unsettling one. Laney Brooks isn't a character anyone should like. A fast-paced read, but one that will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.
November 12, 2013
Heartbreaking and sad, this story stays with you long after you've finished it. One of those rare books that I will go back and read again.
January 21, 2016
Awful!
December 16, 2015
As haunting as the movie...
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