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Necessary Madness
From the critically acclaimed author of Etched On Me comes a poignant, moving story of resilience and second chances.
After nine short but blissful years of marriage, American expat Gloria Burgess's world shatters when her British artist husband dies of leukemia. Estranged from her mother, utterly alone in her adopted home of London, she must now struggle to raise her young son on her own -- and fight the temptation to sink into the self-absorption of grief that once drove her father to suicide.
As she puts on a retrospective of her late husband's work, Gloria finds solace in the form of an empathetic friendship with a charming widower, and agrees to let her mother cross the Atlantic to stay with her for their first visit in a decade. The reunion could drive the wedge between them deeper ... or offer Gloria a priceless opportunity for regaining equilibrium and wholeness. Will she seize the opportunity, or turn her back on a new beginning?
After nine short but blissful years of marriage, American expat Gloria Burgess's world shatters when her British artist husband dies of leukemia. Estranged from her mother, utterly alone in her adopted home of London, she must now struggle to raise her young son on her own -- and fight the temptation to sink into the self-absorption of grief that once drove her father to suicide.
As she puts on a retrospective of her late husband's work, Gloria finds solace in the form of an empathetic friendship with a charming widower, and agrees to let her mother cross the Atlantic to stay with her for their first visit in a decade. The reunion could drive the wedge between them deeper ... or offer Gloria a priceless opportunity for regaining equilibrium and wholeness. Will she seize the opportunity, or turn her back on a new beginning?
212 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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236 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 5, 2009
I admit it: I'm floored. Seventeen years old? But yes, the author of this very well-written novel was all of a ripe and vintage seventeen years of age when she wrote it. Nearly impossible to believe. I would give this novel highest marks even had this not been so, but that it is so - well, I'm floored.
I read Crowell's second novel, "Letting the Body Lead," before I read this one. It was good, and one would expect an author's second novel to be better than their first... but this is not the case. While her second novel is strong and her command of literary language impressive, it is the first novel, this one, that really astounds. Age of author aside, this is real talent. The story line begins with a young widow and mother who has just buried her much-loved husband, succumbed to leukemia. Crowell's language draws the reader into the bleeding soul of the young widow, makes the pain achingly real. The inner struggles to heal are more than convincing. Even the descriptions of the deceased husband's artwork, "painting for his life" as the character puts it, bring the paintings to life in the mind's eye of the reader. The child, a young boy, is forced to mature over early, as he is told he is now "man of the house." For a while, he is the stronger of the mother and child grieving their loss, but isn't it often so? The two exchange roles of who is the healer, who is the one most in need of healing, and so both begin their faltering steps to recovery from their grief. Loss of a loved one brings out the man in the boy and the child in the woman, but, gradually, they resume their stations in life of mother and son and are stronger one for the other. Dealing with death, for all three members of the family, is a necessary madness and Crowell expresses it just that way. "He coaxed the words onto my silent tongue," the widow says of her husband.
The least convincing thread weaving through this novel is the relationship between the young widow and her estranged mother. Something's missing. The young woman's anger at her mother is palpable, but the degree of it remains a puzzle. Mom tends to yell and be abrasive and unkind, but so many family dynamics are messy and imperfect, that the grown daughter's fierce hatred of her mother doesn't quite ring true. Her relationship with her father, however, described as something of an "emotional incest," the father worshiping his daughter as a replica of his own lost and youthful love, however strange, is more convincing. Minor flaws.
Upon turning the final page, the overall sense of the book remains that this is not only the vivid description of the death of a young artist and the heartache of those who love him, but that it is in itself - a work of art. At any age.
I read Crowell's second novel, "Letting the Body Lead," before I read this one. It was good, and one would expect an author's second novel to be better than their first... but this is not the case. While her second novel is strong and her command of literary language impressive, it is the first novel, this one, that really astounds. Age of author aside, this is real talent. The story line begins with a young widow and mother who has just buried her much-loved husband, succumbed to leukemia. Crowell's language draws the reader into the bleeding soul of the young widow, makes the pain achingly real. The inner struggles to heal are more than convincing. Even the descriptions of the deceased husband's artwork, "painting for his life" as the character puts it, bring the paintings to life in the mind's eye of the reader. The child, a young boy, is forced to mature over early, as he is told he is now "man of the house." For a while, he is the stronger of the mother and child grieving their loss, but isn't it often so? The two exchange roles of who is the healer, who is the one most in need of healing, and so both begin their faltering steps to recovery from their grief. Loss of a loved one brings out the man in the boy and the child in the woman, but, gradually, they resume their stations in life of mother and son and are stronger one for the other. Dealing with death, for all three members of the family, is a necessary madness and Crowell expresses it just that way. "He coaxed the words onto my silent tongue," the widow says of her husband.
The least convincing thread weaving through this novel is the relationship between the young widow and her estranged mother. Something's missing. The young woman's anger at her mother is palpable, but the degree of it remains a puzzle. Mom tends to yell and be abrasive and unkind, but so many family dynamics are messy and imperfect, that the grown daughter's fierce hatred of her mother doesn't quite ring true. Her relationship with her father, however, described as something of an "emotional incest," the father worshiping his daughter as a replica of his own lost and youthful love, however strange, is more convincing. Minor flaws.
Upon turning the final page, the overall sense of the book remains that this is not only the vivid description of the death of a young artist and the heartache of those who love him, but that it is in itself - a work of art. At any age.
March 29, 2023
Szaleństwo z konieczności to książka siedemnastoletniej autorki Jenn Crowell wydana w 1997 roku. Utwór posiada 185 stron i 19 w miarę długich rozdziałów, które są wykonane w sposób: 1.rzeczywistość-2.retrospekcja-3.rzeczywistość-4.retrospekcja. Nie wiedziałam tej książki dotąd w żadnym sklepie, znalazłam ją w bibliotece, nie jest popularna zwłaszcza że została wydana już spory czas temu a wiele jej opinii mówi że Jenn używa zbyt częstych metafor chcąc udowodnić że nie jest 17-letnim dzieckiem. Natomiast moje zdanie jest inne, gdyż szaleństwo z konieczności pochodzi z gatunku literatury pięknej która charakteryzuje się kwiecistymi metaforami i pięknym, wyrazistym słownictwem. Czasami ciężko zrozumieć niektóre słowa, ale to nie problem gdyż można je znaleźć w internecie i nie występują non stop a co jakiś czas, najczęściej przy opisach. Historia bardzo mi się podobała, kiedy zobaczyłam ją w bibliotece pomyślałam że potrzebuje takiej historii, historii która jest o miłości i próbie poszukiwania miejsca w życiu po stracie bliskiej osoby. To nie tak że fabuła odpowie na wszystkie pytania które dręczą ludzi pod tym tematem, bardziej skłania do refleksji. Zwracam uwagę na małe elementy i szczególnie fajne były nawiązania rozdziałów że to co było wspomniane raz w pierwszym rozdziale i może być uważane za nie ważne jest później nawiązanie w dziesiątym. Autorka daje także wiele zabawnych scen przy których się uśmiałam. Klimat tej opowieści jest niesamowity, uważam że nie każdy by się w niej odnalazł jeśli nie lubi metafor i licznych porównań oraz przemyśleń, natomiast każdy się w niej odnajdzie jeśli chodzi o temat. Są tam wspominane też problemy z rodzicami, ciężkie dzieciństwo i jakie dorastanie jest trudne. Książka to nie jakieś dzieło sztuki ale mega mi się podobała. W skali punktowej myślę że 8.5/10
November 25, 2021
I read this book for the best part of 25 years ago. It is certainly an emotional read. A moving novel that deals with the emotional roller coaster that is grief. I would certainly recommend this book.
I enjoyed the way Ms Crowell described the mechanics of family relationships and how our individual emotional journey impacts our behaviour and attitudes. You can't help but feel for Gloria Burgess as the plot jumps back and forth between her courtship with her husband to be, their life together, his illness and death, and ultimately how she copes in the months that follow when she is asked to approve a retrospective of her late husbands work.
I enjoyed the way Ms Crowell described the mechanics of family relationships and how our individual emotional journey impacts our behaviour and attitudes. You can't help but feel for Gloria Burgess as the plot jumps back and forth between her courtship with her husband to be, their life together, his illness and death, and ultimately how she copes in the months that follow when she is asked to approve a retrospective of her late husbands work.
May 9, 2018
I read this book when it first came out 20 years ago and just re-read it now. Such a tender, heartbreaking novel about love and loss...I am simply amazed this was written by Crowell when she was only 17 years old! She was certainly wise beyond her years and wrote a lovely, heartfelt novel. Glad she was so young and will be writing more. One of my favorite books!
February 20, 2022
A take of love, loss and heartbreak. When Gloria’s husband dies and she must raise their son alone she struggles. Well written and a decent read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
December 20, 2017
An honest story of loss.
April 11, 2020
Ho pianto? Sì.
Tralasciando la mia personale predilezione per il dramma, son riuscita ad immedesimarmi in Gloria che, senza "indorare" il lutto, è riuscita a trasportarmi in un quel mare di confusione che caratterizza la sofferenza di chi resta.
Spesso, in situazioni di lutto, si pensa solo al fatto che chi rimane sicuramente ci soffre, però poi spesso trascuriamo il peso che sopportano... il lato freddo del letto la mattina, il senso di colpa nel trovarsi bene con qualcuno e al contempo il bisogno che qualcuno colmi quell'assenza. Ci son vari aspetti del lutto che questo libro a mio parere tratta bene, con umanità e con quel pizzico di semplice quotidianità che permette a tutti di immaginare ciò che davvero succede.
....
Qui la recensione completa: http://ventodilibri.blogspot.com/2020...
Tralasciando la mia personale predilezione per il dramma, son riuscita ad immedesimarmi in Gloria che, senza "indorare" il lutto, è riuscita a trasportarmi in un quel mare di confusione che caratterizza la sofferenza di chi resta.
Spesso, in situazioni di lutto, si pensa solo al fatto che chi rimane sicuramente ci soffre, però poi spesso trascuriamo il peso che sopportano... il lato freddo del letto la mattina, il senso di colpa nel trovarsi bene con qualcuno e al contempo il bisogno che qualcuno colmi quell'assenza. Ci son vari aspetti del lutto che questo libro a mio parere tratta bene, con umanità e con quel pizzico di semplice quotidianità che permette a tutti di immaginare ciò che davvero succede.
....
Qui la recensione completa: http://ventodilibri.blogspot.com/2020...
February 6, 2014
A really well-written book about loss, family, and grief. Of course, the author attended the same small liberal arts school that I currently attend, and so part of me came into this book almost needing to like it, and anything I say in this review should probably be taken with a grain of potential conflict of interest.
I'm torn as to whether or not I should comment on Crowell's age at the time she published this thing. Part of me truly believes that "The Author" is dead and should stay that way, and yet obviously, Crowell lives and breathes and wrote the hell out of this book, and anyway one has only to scroll down and see everyone else commenting on how amazing it is that a 17 year-old could produce a work of fiction such as this one.
So, all of that being said, what the hell? Are some people simply born to be great writers? I personally know lots of people who write fiction and am such a person myself, and none of us were this talented at 17 (or even now, at least two older). We were (and still are) trying to figure out how to make our characters believable, how to structure sentences properly, how to cut down on our adverbs. And here is Ms. Crowell, at 17, writing some of the best prose I've read in ages. And if it were ONLY the prose, well, that would be one thing. But it's not. Gloria is a very believable and engaging protagonist, and Crowell has equipped her with a maturity and "adultness" to the extent that I can't begin to fathom how such a character was constructed by somebody who hadn't even graduated high school yet (or I think one of my professors told me she skipped a grade, I'm not sure, and even then...). To make sure that I drive this point home to death, the understanding she demonstrates vis-à-vis familial relationships, lust, grief, guilt, etc. etc. is simply unbelievable.
If there is a sign here of an author who has not yet reached her full potential, it may be the dialogue. The characters, all of them, are hyper-articulate (not unlike the characters in John Green's novels), even at the very height of distress. Still, there is proof of Crowell's strength as a writer in the fact that my only complaint about this book is that the dialogue is too pretty.
I'm torn as to whether or not I should comment on Crowell's age at the time she published this thing. Part of me truly believes that "The Author" is dead and should stay that way, and yet obviously, Crowell lives and breathes and wrote the hell out of this book, and anyway one has only to scroll down and see everyone else commenting on how amazing it is that a 17 year-old could produce a work of fiction such as this one.
So, all of that being said, what the hell? Are some people simply born to be great writers? I personally know lots of people who write fiction and am such a person myself, and none of us were this talented at 17 (or even now, at least two older). We were (and still are) trying to figure out how to make our characters believable, how to structure sentences properly, how to cut down on our adverbs. And here is Ms. Crowell, at 17, writing some of the best prose I've read in ages. And if it were ONLY the prose, well, that would be one thing. But it's not. Gloria is a very believable and engaging protagonist, and Crowell has equipped her with a maturity and "adultness" to the extent that I can't begin to fathom how such a character was constructed by somebody who hadn't even graduated high school yet (or I think one of my professors told me she skipped a grade, I'm not sure, and even then...). To make sure that I drive this point home to death, the understanding she demonstrates vis-à-vis familial relationships, lust, grief, guilt, etc. etc. is simply unbelievable.
If there is a sign here of an author who has not yet reached her full potential, it may be the dialogue. The characters, all of them, are hyper-articulate (not unlike the characters in John Green's novels), even at the very height of distress. Still, there is proof of Crowell's strength as a writer in the fact that my only complaint about this book is that the dialogue is too pretty.
July 17, 2008
While a tad too Modern Anglo for my tastes (which is hilarious since it's an English novel...), this novel still held my attention, cover to cover. I don't know if that's a testimony of a good book (it is, though, partially) or if it awakened from coma some late-teenage fantasy of writing and publishing a novel of some stature (it did, depressingly enough). Of course, there were a number of things that didn't meet my standards (I'm beginning to think that if I held friends and lovers to the same high standards I hold novels, I'd be a bitter young lady). The relationships, while nuanced, sometimes lacked dimension. The characters sometimes mimicked reality, but without effect. The grief that Gloria leads us through is tangible, but somewhat put-upon.
Much of those shortcomings can be overlooked. The scenes are typically well-crafted, if not somewhat predictable, though in the defense of authors everywhere, there are only so many believable paths a story can take before you jump genre.
I've heard that Crowell's second novel isn't as good. I'm going to judge that myself--it's on the list to read.
Much of those shortcomings can be overlooked. The scenes are typically well-crafted, if not somewhat predictable, though in the defense of authors everywhere, there are only so many believable paths a story can take before you jump genre.
I've heard that Crowell's second novel isn't as good. I'm going to judge that myself--it's on the list to read.
December 10, 2016
Necessary Madness is a character-driven novel about a woman in London surviving after her husband dies from cancer. Gloria Burgess lives with her 7 year-old son, but she’s doing a poor job of everything due to her grief. She’s planning a retrospective of his artwork with his colleague. There isn’t much plot in the present. Every other chapter is a flashback to the past. The reader gets to see Gloria’s unhealthy relationship with her father, her refusal to talk to her mother after her father’s suicide, and her development of her relationship with Bill, her husband.
I am not a fan of character-driven books, but I did find Gloria’s unintentional following in her parents footsteps (in some ways) to be intriguing. I also had to keep reading to see how things would develop with her current relationships with her son, her mother, and her husband’s colleague. This book was short, so I didn’t get too frustrated with the large percentage of text devoted to the back story. If you enjoy characterizations, you may like this one more than I did, but ultimately, it didn’t stand out to me.
http://opinionatedbooklover.com/revie...
I am not a fan of character-driven books, but I did find Gloria’s unintentional following in her parents footsteps (in some ways) to be intriguing. I also had to keep reading to see how things would develop with her current relationships with her son, her mother, and her husband’s colleague. This book was short, so I didn’t get too frustrated with the large percentage of text devoted to the back story. If you enjoy characterizations, you may like this one more than I did, but ultimately, it didn’t stand out to me.
http://opinionatedbooklover.com/revie...
September 19, 2010
This was a different read for me. I usually read what we (my reading buddies and I) call "sick shit". Psychological murder mysteries that are the worst of the worst.
This is Jenn Crowell's debut novel and I have to say if as a teenager this is her debut novel she has a brilliant career ahead of her.
'Necessary Madness' the name of a painting by Bill Burgess and the state of mind after someone loses a spouse that was his wife's center. Gloria Burgess loses Bill to leukemia. This is her story. Ms. Crowell weaves Gloria's past and present leading up to the loss of Bill and then forward still weaving her past with the 'necessary madness' and beyond till she starts to put her life back together and move on.
You can feel Gloria's pain and after learning of her upbringing understand why her crash after Bill's death was so awful. He was the brick that held her life together and when he was gone she really did not know how to go on but she does with a lot of pitfalls.
This is Jenn Crowell's debut novel and I have to say if as a teenager this is her debut novel she has a brilliant career ahead of her.
'Necessary Madness' the name of a painting by Bill Burgess and the state of mind after someone loses a spouse that was his wife's center. Gloria Burgess loses Bill to leukemia. This is her story. Ms. Crowell weaves Gloria's past and present leading up to the loss of Bill and then forward still weaving her past with the 'necessary madness' and beyond till she starts to put her life back together and move on.
You can feel Gloria's pain and after learning of her upbringing understand why her crash after Bill's death was so awful. He was the brick that held her life together and when he was gone she really did not know how to go on but she does with a lot of pitfalls.
November 2, 2016
Hats off to Jenn Crowell who wrote this moving book at the ripe age of just 17. Jenn has an amazing career ahead of her.
Gloria Burgess's world has just fallen apart and she has been left to bring up her son on her own. This was not the way they had planned things.
Gloria's husband has just died from Lukimia. Having been married for 9 blissful years. Gloria is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband. But she has to keep things together for her little boy.
Sometimes it's a struggle and Gloria's son is left to grow up to early and at times be the rock and take care of his mum. Trying to find the right balance was always going to be hard.
A moving read. Of loss, growing up and how to deal when you loved one passes away.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jenn Crowell and publishers for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.
Happy reading everyone.
Gloria Burgess's world has just fallen apart and she has been left to bring up her son on her own. This was not the way they had planned things.
Gloria's husband has just died from Lukimia. Having been married for 9 blissful years. Gloria is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband. But she has to keep things together for her little boy.
Sometimes it's a struggle and Gloria's son is left to grow up to early and at times be the rock and take care of his mum. Trying to find the right balance was always going to be hard.
A moving read. Of loss, growing up and how to deal when you loved one passes away.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jenn Crowell and publishers for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.
Happy reading everyone.
December 18, 2016
4.5 stars (I reserve 5-star ratings for books I know I will read repeatedly).
This compulsively readable novel about the complexities of family relationships, and the surprising grace and horror of loss, cradles the reader with superbly assured, lyrical prose and immediately relatable characters. As a book about a grieving widow, of course it presents somber themes and some readers may find it too intense--but the overarching message is one of tribute to people's resilience in the face of many different kinds of pain. The unsparing, elegiac, luminous death of Bill Burgess is a truly superb piece of writing.
This compulsively readable novel about the complexities of family relationships, and the surprising grace and horror of loss, cradles the reader with superbly assured, lyrical prose and immediately relatable characters. As a book about a grieving widow, of course it presents somber themes and some readers may find it too intense--but the overarching message is one of tribute to people's resilience in the face of many different kinds of pain. The unsparing, elegiac, luminous death of Bill Burgess is a truly superb piece of writing.
February 27, 2009
I read this mostly because the author was about my age (17) when she wrote this, and because I'm a glutton for punishment and stewing in self-defeat because I am not yet a published author. I remember the opening quote by C.S. Lewis, "Nobody told me grief felt so much like fear," more than what happened in the novel (although I do remember it being about a woman who lost her husband and now had to raise her child on her own.
June 13, 2023
I am really amazed that a seventeen year old can capture the hardships in life so brillantly. There were parts in the book where the emotions were described so brilliantly. I cannot say it is my favorite book, or even my favorite style of writing, but I did enjoy this book for the brilliance the auther put into it.
April 19, 2011
A fairly quick read about a woman whose husband dies from leukemia. It flashes back to their early days together and follows her and her son in the four months subsequent to his death. It wasn't particularly powerful and lacked the emotion and meaning it could have held, but it still had some contemplative value.
July 9, 2012
I read this when I was in high school. I bought it because I had read somewhere about the author who was in high school at the time she wrote it (I think--she may have just been under 20). I was incredibly depressed after reading it because I was convinced that my life was a failure unless I could get a book published by the time I was 22. Ha!
February 7, 2015
This is a story about love and loss, about the hinges which keep us together, or not, in trying times. The story is expertly written. The characters are alive and four dimensional. The story keeps you turning the pages with interest. I'm astounded the author was 17 when she wrote this. It's a book with character and life and is well worth the read. I adored this story.
January 4, 2025
I get very into the emotions of the main character so it was no surprise that I felt pretty emotional while reading this book (not crying but definitely sad). Despite this however the book was pretty uneventful for me. It was good to make you experience that grief someone goes through, but other than that it was boring to me.
September 21, 2007
I was amazed by this first novel from a 17 year old. It is well written and and full of emotion I find amazing for a writer of that age. IT is about a woman coming to grips with her husband dying of cancer.
November 12, 2008
This book was amazing. Full of passion and heart and insights into the intimacy of love and death. It takes the breath away at times. Hard to belive that this writer Jenn Crowell was only 17 years old when she wrote it.
April 18, 2011
I really loved the prose in this book--beautifully written. The book is about how people deal with challenges, difficult relationships & death. It made me feel so grateful for the gospel, because I don't have to feel hopeless. As a warning, it does have some crude language!
October 28, 2014
Loved it! I started this book with a negative attitude...okay jealousy that some girl published a book in my hometown before I had a chance to, but I was able to finish this book in one day. Raw and intriguing.
June 18, 2016
A beautiful story about love and loss, you can't help but think about the uncertainty of your own future and the delicate balance that is happiness. The book is written with such insightful detail considering the author was only 17 at the time.
January 6, 2017
This is a story of loss and grief, very sad and slow which makes me want to stop reading this book. The reason I gave this book 4 stars is because some of the passages are so beautifully written and emotional.
Thank you Netgalley for this book
Thank you Netgalley for this book
January 22, 2017
A story that will reach your heart
Wonderfully told story of the effect the loss of loved ones has on your life across the span of two generations. But also how you can change to make life go on.
Wonderfully told story of the effect the loss of loved ones has on your life across the span of two generations. But also how you can change to make life go on.
May 29, 2008
The novel is the story of 30-year-old Gloria Burgess coming to grips with the premature death from cancer of a beloved husband.
Well written, I was astonished at the age of the writer--18yo.
Well written, I was astonished at the age of the writer--18yo.
August 24, 2008
The author was just 19 when she wrote this book! Amazing depth of emotion.
November 6, 2008
I actually taught and coached in Dallastown when Jenn wrote this novel. She wrote the entire thing from sophomore to senior year in her study halls. True story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews