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The Heroines: A Novel
Although a true lover of books, Anne-Marie Entwhistle prefers not to read to her spirited daughter, Penny, especially from the likes of Madame Bovary , Gone With the Wind , or The Scarlet Letter . These novels, devoted to the lives of the Heroines that make them so irresistible, have a way of hitting too close to home -- well, to the Homestead actually, where Anne-Marie runs the quaint family-owned bed and breakfast.
In this enchanting debut novel, Penny and her mother encounter great women from classic works of literature who make the Homestead their destination of choice just as the plots of their tumultuous, unforgettable stories begin to unravel. They appear at all hours of the day and in all manners of distress. A lovesick Madame Bovary languishes in their hammock after Rodolphe has abandoned her, and Scarlett O'Hara's emotions are not easily tempered by tea and eiderdowns. These visitors long for comfort, consolation, and sometimes for more attention than the adolescent Penny wants her mother to give.
Knowing that to interfere with their stories would cause mayhem in literature, Anne-Marie does her best to make each Heroine feel at home, with a roof over her head and a shoulder to cry on. But when Penny begins to feel overshadowed by her mother's indulgence of each and every Heroine, havoc ensues, and the thirteen-year-old embarks on her own memorable tale.
Eileen Favorite's lively, fresh, and enormously entertaining novel gives readers a chance to experience their favorite Heroines all over again, or introduces these fictional women so beguilingly that further acquaintance will surely follow. Narrated by the courageous and irreverent Penny, The Heroines will make book lovers rejoice.
In this enchanting debut novel, Penny and her mother encounter great women from classic works of literature who make the Homestead their destination of choice just as the plots of their tumultuous, unforgettable stories begin to unravel. They appear at all hours of the day and in all manners of distress. A lovesick Madame Bovary languishes in their hammock after Rodolphe has abandoned her, and Scarlett O'Hara's emotions are not easily tempered by tea and eiderdowns. These visitors long for comfort, consolation, and sometimes for more attention than the adolescent Penny wants her mother to give.
Knowing that to interfere with their stories would cause mayhem in literature, Anne-Marie does her best to make each Heroine feel at home, with a roof over her head and a shoulder to cry on. But when Penny begins to feel overshadowed by her mother's indulgence of each and every Heroine, havoc ensues, and the thirteen-year-old embarks on her own memorable tale.
Eileen Favorite's lively, fresh, and enormously entertaining novel gives readers a chance to experience their favorite Heroines all over again, or introduces these fictional women so beguilingly that further acquaintance will surely follow. Narrated by the courageous and irreverent Penny, The Heroines will make book lovers rejoice.
256 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
17 people are currently reading
718 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Favorite
3 books9 followersEileen Favorite teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she received her MFA in Writing in 1999. Her poems, essays, and stories have been published in many periodicals. She has received two Illinois Arts Council Fellowships for poetry and prose. Her poetry and essays have aired on WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
December 13, 2013
Sometimes a clever conceit should remain just that--a conceit. Because no matter how you try to develop it, it will never be as as wonderful as the idea itself. Trying to build upon it and give it complexity strips it of its fanciful "What if?" brilliance and plummets it back to earth. And so we have The Heroines, a novel built around one of the most wonderful ideas I've ever encountered--what if the heroines from famous novels needed a respite from the tragedies of their own storylines--and yet promptly clustermugs the whole thing.
Basically, I feel as though I was sold a false bill of goods. The novel purports to be about a bed and breakfast that attracts the heroines of famous novels. Deirdre of the Sorrows, Franny Glass, Daisy Buchanan, Anna Karenina, Hester Prynne, and Catherine Earnshaw have all signed the guest book and checked in for a few days of freedom from the misery of their lives. This is what I wanted to read about--how the heroines come to be at the bed and breakfast and how they interact with a modern world. I expected quirky, witty, and humorous. What I got was dark, disjointed, and ordinary. Instead of focusing on the heroines (who are little more than footnotes), the novel focuses on Anne-Marie Entwhistle and her daughter, Penny. Anne-Marie and Penny run the bed and breakfast and, unfortunately, the novel chooses to focus on their problematic relationship as a result of Penny's coming of age. WTF? Scarlett O'Hara's pounding on the door and instead of focusing on that, a pedestrian mother/daughter conflict is the subject of the book? And that is, in essence, the root source of my disappointment with the book. When heroines do (very briefly) make an appearance, they are flat, one-dimensional versions of their colorful, complex selves. Hester sets about sewing an A on the front of her dress and throwing just enough "thou" into her dialogue to make her seem authentic; Scarlett wakes in the middle of the night to pull down the curtains (for dressmaking purposes, of course) and try to steal the sweet potatoes; Deirdre constantly weeps. They read as caricatures of themselves.
As for the plot, Penny is rebelling by going out into the nearby woods despite her mother's rule against doing so. While there she meets and falls in lust with the Irish King of Ulster, Connor (better known as Conchobar in the original Deirdre mythology), who has followed Deirdre into our time. Through a muddled turn of events, Penny is locked up in a psych ward and we have to read about her "it's-all-so-unfair!" experiences there. After finally breaking free, Penny returns to the woods with Connor, during which some awkward sexual awakening occurs and Penny is going through withdrawal from the meds given to her in the psych ward. She spends her days smoking pot while Connor hunts deer and builds huts. Aaannnnndddddd that's pretty much it. Basically, there's just enough inexplicable tragedy and unresolved longing in Penny's life to make one wonder if Penny is herself a heroine (a thought which Penny also considers).
Then we have a peculiar shift in narrative and we go back in time to when Penny's mother was a young woman. A point of contention between Penny and her mother has always been the void that is Penny's father. Penny knows that her mother became pregnant out of wedlock, decided to keep the baby against the wishes of her parents, and that her father died in a car accident. Penny's mom is mum on the details of who Penny's father was and what, exactly, was the nature of their relationship. This part of the narrative answers all of the questions Penny has regarding her father. I won't reveal any more here as to do so would be to spoil the ending, but this story line was the best in the book and took about 10-15 pages. The payoff was not worth the other 200+ pages through which I had to drag myself.
The story could have been saved if the characters had been more likable, the heroines had made more frequent (and more satisfying) appearances, or if the story hadn't been so self-aware of how clever it was being with all of its metaphysical musings on the nature of "heroines" and storytelling itself.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder and at Shelf Inflicted
Basically, I feel as though I was sold a false bill of goods. The novel purports to be about a bed and breakfast that attracts the heroines of famous novels. Deirdre of the Sorrows, Franny Glass, Daisy Buchanan, Anna Karenina, Hester Prynne, and Catherine Earnshaw have all signed the guest book and checked in for a few days of freedom from the misery of their lives. This is what I wanted to read about--how the heroines come to be at the bed and breakfast and how they interact with a modern world. I expected quirky, witty, and humorous. What I got was dark, disjointed, and ordinary. Instead of focusing on the heroines (who are little more than footnotes), the novel focuses on Anne-Marie Entwhistle and her daughter, Penny. Anne-Marie and Penny run the bed and breakfast and, unfortunately, the novel chooses to focus on their problematic relationship as a result of Penny's coming of age. WTF? Scarlett O'Hara's pounding on the door and instead of focusing on that, a pedestrian mother/daughter conflict is the subject of the book? And that is, in essence, the root source of my disappointment with the book. When heroines do (very briefly) make an appearance, they are flat, one-dimensional versions of their colorful, complex selves. Hester sets about sewing an A on the front of her dress and throwing just enough "thou" into her dialogue to make her seem authentic; Scarlett wakes in the middle of the night to pull down the curtains (for dressmaking purposes, of course) and try to steal the sweet potatoes; Deirdre constantly weeps. They read as caricatures of themselves.
As for the plot, Penny is rebelling by going out into the nearby woods despite her mother's rule against doing so. While there she meets and falls in lust with the Irish King of Ulster, Connor (better known as Conchobar in the original Deirdre mythology), who has followed Deirdre into our time. Through a muddled turn of events, Penny is locked up in a psych ward and we have to read about her "it's-all-so-unfair!" experiences there. After finally breaking free, Penny returns to the woods with Connor, during which some awkward sexual awakening occurs and Penny is going through withdrawal from the meds given to her in the psych ward. She spends her days smoking pot while Connor hunts deer and builds huts. Aaannnnndddddd that's pretty much it. Basically, there's just enough inexplicable tragedy and unresolved longing in Penny's life to make one wonder if Penny is herself a heroine (a thought which Penny also considers).
Then we have a peculiar shift in narrative and we go back in time to when Penny's mother was a young woman. A point of contention between Penny and her mother has always been the void that is Penny's father. Penny knows that her mother became pregnant out of wedlock, decided to keep the baby against the wishes of her parents, and that her father died in a car accident. Penny's mom is mum on the details of who Penny's father was and what, exactly, was the nature of their relationship. This part of the narrative answers all of the questions Penny has regarding her father. I won't reveal any more here as to do so would be to spoil the ending, but this story line was the best in the book and took about 10-15 pages. The payoff was not worth the other 200+ pages through which I had to drag myself.
The story could have been saved if the characters had been more likable, the heroines had made more frequent (and more satisfying) appearances, or if the story hadn't been so self-aware of how clever it was being with all of its metaphysical musings on the nature of "heroines" and storytelling itself.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder and at Shelf Inflicted
July 5, 2008
Audrey Niffenegger's review on the front of this book is very apropos.
"Quirky: adolescent angst meets metaphysics, screwball-comedy trysts with the underpinnings of reality. It's funny and tender; it's a chance to see Scarlett O'Hara and Emma Bovary off duty."
This was a fun book to read - one of those read-it-in-one-day books.
This book really gives you a little look at what it would be like if heroines from books suddenly appeared in your home.
"Quirky: adolescent angst meets metaphysics, screwball-comedy trysts with the underpinnings of reality. It's funny and tender; it's a chance to see Scarlett O'Hara and Emma Bovary off duty."
This was a fun book to read - one of those read-it-in-one-day books.
This book really gives you a little look at what it would be like if heroines from books suddenly appeared in your home.
October 26, 2008
I lack the verbal skills to make you, the reader, fully comprehend the twitching heap of nerdy glee to which I was reduced by the sheer potential of this premise: rural bed and breakfast, in which dwells a female narrator steeped to the ears in puberty rage (and her mother), is visited periodically by heroines of classic literature, each on brief hiatus from the climax of her drama.
If you, like me, squealed and opened an Amazon.com window upon reading that, if you have already begun to consider how to rearrange your life and work around giving this concept room to breathe, if you're feverishly asking yourself (as you seriously consider paying for overnight or at least two-day shipping) whether Jane Eyre appears, or Francie Nolan, or Dorothea Brooke, or ooooh maybe Jo March, I must stop you to say: if you are thinking any of these things, you can write it better yourself. National Novel Writing Month is in November. Go. Make it happen. And if you can manage to avoid foreshadowing done with black Sharpie, idiotic Irish dialect, ridiculous mental hospital interludes, anything dramatic happening on horseback, capitalizing words for no reason, awkward and implausible edits to Wuthering Heights, and, for God's sake, force fields -- if you can avoid just generally making me sad -- then go ahead and send me what you got. Because it coulda been a contender!
If you, like me, squealed and opened an Amazon.com window upon reading that, if you have already begun to consider how to rearrange your life and work around giving this concept room to breathe, if you're feverishly asking yourself (as you seriously consider paying for overnight or at least two-day shipping) whether Jane Eyre appears, or Francie Nolan, or Dorothea Brooke, or ooooh maybe Jo March, I must stop you to say: if you are thinking any of these things, you can write it better yourself. National Novel Writing Month is in November. Go. Make it happen. And if you can manage to avoid foreshadowing done with black Sharpie, idiotic Irish dialect, ridiculous mental hospital interludes, anything dramatic happening on horseback, capitalizing words for no reason, awkward and implausible edits to Wuthering Heights, and, for God's sake, force fields -- if you can avoid just generally making me sad -- then go ahead and send me what you got. Because it coulda been a contender!
June 1, 2008
I am giving this book 2 stars mainly because the idea was so wonderful--a bed and breakfast where heroines of classic literature come for a respite from their plotlines--but the execution just left me kind of "meh". I think it tried to be too many things--a book about coming of age, a book about literature, a book about mothers and daughters---and not one of those themes really melded well with another. There was also a lot of odd lusting from the main character, Penny--a 13 year old girl who has not yet developed. Anyway. That's that. Check it off my list.
If you are interested in books about literary characters in a different setting, I would recommend the Thursday Next series by my Jasper Fforde over the Heroines.
If you are interested in books about literary characters in a different setting, I would recommend the Thursday Next series by my Jasper Fforde over the Heroines.
February 13, 2021
Molte idee ma l'intreccio chiede aiuto.
Primo appunto: Elliot, non mi vendere mai più un libro per una cosa che non è, perché non è corretto. La trama in aletta sottintende un'amicizia tra Penny e Deirdre e non è affatto così, per cui ho letto con un certo malmosto.
In secondo luogo, penso che sarebbe stato necessario un editing molto pesante per cercare di creare una trama meno confusa. I temi sono anche molto interessanti, ma l'intreccio è veramente un casino. Peccato.
Primo appunto: Elliot, non mi vendere mai più un libro per una cosa che non è, perché non è corretto. La trama in aletta sottintende un'amicizia tra Penny e Deirdre e non è affatto così, per cui ho letto con un certo malmosto.
In secondo luogo, penso che sarebbe stato necessario un editing molto pesante per cercare di creare una trama meno confusa. I temi sono anche molto interessanti, ma l'intreccio è veramente un casino. Peccato.
December 8, 2019
3,5. Olipas erikoinen kirja. Tykkäsin kovasti ideasta ja siitä, miten odottamattomille raiteille kurja lähti, mutta loppu tuntui tulevan vähän liian nopeasti ja muutenkin tarina olisi saanut edetä hitaammin. Ihan viihdyttävä ja nopealukuinen kirja kuitenkin.
January 18, 2018
meh... Interesting concept... but failed to meet it's potential.
Kept me sane during snow-day 6 though, so an extra star for that.
Kept me sane during snow-day 6 though, so an extra star for that.
October 5, 2011
This book began with such promise. A lively adolescent girl growing up in her mother's bed and breakfast, which just happens to be a favorite destination of literary heroines escaped from their novels for a little R & R -- what a delightful premise! (Hmmm . . . a premise with promise.) BUT, for me, the story fell flat.
When I try to analyze why it did so, I come to the conclusion that the author tried to write two different types of books at one time, and it just didn't work. When Penny (the aforementioned lively adolescent) encounters a studly hero in the woods outside her home searching for his runaway heroine, the story is silly and quirky. But when she is then committed to the local adolescent psychiatric unit for unwisely telling her tale, the story becomes disturbingly dark and realistic. Then, once the studly hero breaks her out of the funny-farm pokey, we're right back to silly and quirky. It was just too much for my poor brain to take. I couldn't decide if I was reading a light, charming fantasy or an expose of drug and insurance abuses in the mental health industry.
I do hope that this author tries again. Her actual writing is quite good, and the story is very readable. It's just that it should have been two stories (in perhaps two entirely different genres) rather than one.
When I try to analyze why it did so, I come to the conclusion that the author tried to write two different types of books at one time, and it just didn't work. When Penny (the aforementioned lively adolescent) encounters a studly hero in the woods outside her home searching for his runaway heroine, the story is silly and quirky. But when she is then committed to the local adolescent psychiatric unit for unwisely telling her tale, the story becomes disturbingly dark and realistic. Then, once the studly hero breaks her out of the funny-farm pokey, we're right back to silly and quirky. It was just too much for my poor brain to take. I couldn't decide if I was reading a light, charming fantasy or an expose of drug and insurance abuses in the mental health industry.
I do hope that this author tries again. Her actual writing is quite good, and the story is very readable. It's just that it should have been two stories (in perhaps two entirely different genres) rather than one.
April 25, 2020
I struggled between three and four stars... I absolutely loved the first half and couldn't put it down. The imagery was lovely and the idea unique. I also liked the twist I wasn't expecting- at first it was about the inn and the heroines, but then Penny ends up in a psych ward.
If I had just read the first half, it would have been four stars. More towards the end it seemed to be the same events repeating though... main characters being with villains in the woods while the heroines ranted and raved at the inn. I wish the heroines had more distinct personalities from each other- they all seemed pretty annoying and rude. Also, the ending was unsatisfactory in my opinion.
Definitely worth a read, but expect it to slow down towards the end and not have a very eventful conclusion.
If I had just read the first half, it would have been four stars. More towards the end it seemed to be the same events repeating though... main characters being with villains in the woods while the heroines ranted and raved at the inn. I wish the heroines had more distinct personalities from each other- they all seemed pretty annoying and rude. Also, the ending was unsatisfactory in my opinion.
Definitely worth a read, but expect it to slow down towards the end and not have a very eventful conclusion.
February 4, 2020
An interesting idea: a bed and breakfast for literary heroines. But the more interesting character is the true heroine, a 13-year-old coming of age in 1974.
July 11, 2017
I loved the cover of this novel, so I guess it was predetermined that I would be disappointed by the book. That's what I get for picking out books based on covers
September 3, 2016
It is 1974, and thirteen-year-old Penny is living with her mother in their small bed and breakfast in rural Illinois. Penny longs to read, but her mother has disallowed it and she can't understand why -- until the heroines from all sorts of famous works start magically coming to life and visiting the bed and breakfast. Their lives intersect with Penny's in unexpected ways, and through these intersections Penny must learn about what it means to be a woman, what it means to be a literary heroine, and how to make the choices necessary to become the woman you need to be.
Okay, that all sounds great, right? The basic premise is extraordinary, but the execution is miserable. The literary figures come and go too quickly to be woven effectively into the story, and Penny's teen angst seems darker than necessary. Instead of growing as a character, Penny just... whines. Even the glimpses into the different parts of her life don't do much to help the character evolve. Ultimately, Penny turns out to be as flat as the literary figures with whom she interacts -- which is a shame, given that the characters had such richness in their original stories.
This novel offers decent "fluff" reading, and is a reasonable book for middle- or high-school readers who may be newly acquainted with some of the literary figures Favorite introduces to the story. But for the avid reader or lover of classic literature, this novel is sure to disappoint. The premise promises so much, but falls far short of its lofty goals.
Okay, that all sounds great, right? The basic premise is extraordinary, but the execution is miserable. The literary figures come and go too quickly to be woven effectively into the story, and Penny's teen angst seems darker than necessary. Instead of growing as a character, Penny just... whines. Even the glimpses into the different parts of her life don't do much to help the character evolve. Ultimately, Penny turns out to be as flat as the literary figures with whom she interacts -- which is a shame, given that the characters had such richness in their original stories.
This novel offers decent "fluff" reading, and is a reasonable book for middle- or high-school readers who may be newly acquainted with some of the literary figures Favorite introduces to the story. But for the avid reader or lover of classic literature, this novel is sure to disappoint. The premise promises so much, but falls far short of its lofty goals.
September 14, 2009
I grabbed this book after reading a review in the Bas Bleu catalog. It sounded whimsical and charming, but I'm finding it's irritating and cloying. I'm a little more than half-way through and I'm disappointed in the main character's narrative. I realize she's an adult reminiscing on being 13, but neither her adult personality nor her 13-year-old personality come across.
The realistic events seem contrived and stiff. For instance, Penny's visit to the hospital for a pelvic exam ordered by the police wasn't believable. I definitely did not sympathize with a just-teen having her first pelvic exam under stressful circumstances, though I should have.
I like the idea of female characters from literature stepping out of their pages to enter the real world for a bit of a break. Unfortunately, I don't feel the idea is being exercised well. Where it should have been quircky and charming, it's not.
Update -
I finished the book (since I'm one of those compelled to finish even if I'm not enjoying myself) and I was disappointed. It was not the story I had wanted it to be, nor did it live up to the glowing review from the Bas Bleu catalog.
I was not charmed by any of the characters in the book; rather, they bored be because they were flat. I felt Penny's trip to the mental ward seemed too much of "Girl, Interrupted". The end was not satisfying nor even memorable.
I would not recommend this book to other readers.
The realistic events seem contrived and stiff. For instance, Penny's visit to the hospital for a pelvic exam ordered by the police wasn't believable. I definitely did not sympathize with a just-teen having her first pelvic exam under stressful circumstances, though I should have.
I like the idea of female characters from literature stepping out of their pages to enter the real world for a bit of a break. Unfortunately, I don't feel the idea is being exercised well. Where it should have been quircky and charming, it's not.
Update -
I finished the book (since I'm one of those compelled to finish even if I'm not enjoying myself) and I was disappointed. It was not the story I had wanted it to be, nor did it live up to the glowing review from the Bas Bleu catalog.
I was not charmed by any of the characters in the book; rather, they bored be because they were flat. I felt Penny's trip to the mental ward seemed too much of "Girl, Interrupted". The end was not satisfying nor even memorable.
I would not recommend this book to other readers.
January 14, 2012
A Christmas gift from Miss B....It's an odd book, the fantasy clash of literature famous heroines appearing in an everyday bed and breakfast...set in the USA 70s. It has all the marks of the 70s, the pot, the psych and the drugs, Nixon and Watergate. It is literally a clash, which I found disconcerting, but I know that if that background wasn't there, there would be nothing, and the book would fall apart. I called Penny's parentage well before she knew it herself, found it odd how she kept referring to her mother during the several chapters of back story about her...I did like the characters they mentioned; it was clear the author did her research (Scarlett fears for Beau!) It almost reads like fanfiction, which is funny, of the author-insertion variety, which is invariably dreadful.
"Never before had a man leapt from the pages of a book to recapture a Heroine. Deirde was so depressed- crying all the time and monopolizing Mother's attention- she must have come from some awful romance. Only a cheap book would have a binding too weak to hold back a stereotype like this guy."p7
"Never before had a man leapt from the pages of a book to recapture a Heroine. Deirde was so depressed- crying all the time and monopolizing Mother's attention- she must have come from some awful romance. Only a cheap book would have a binding too weak to hold back a stereotype like this guy."p7
September 30, 2013
If you are interested in this because love fiction/real life cross-over stories, such as the works of art written by Jasaper Fforde, do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Penny's mother has had book heroines popping in and out of her life since she was a child. Now she runs a bed and breakfast outside Chicago, where Heroines often come to escape the woes of their stories. Dealing with the emotionally wrought heroines doesn't leave much time for Penny, who is thirteen and wants some of her mother's attention. When a villain follows a heroine out of her story Penny decides to help him. But in her prolonged absence her mother calls the police. Not being able to tell the police the truth about the man in the woods her daughter saw, she goes along with them as they make her go through a rape kit, and then commit Penny to a psych ward for her "wild tales" of a Celtic king.
And that's where I gave up. There is no joy in this story. It is not well written, and and I have no sympathy for any of the characters. After you've read Fforde this just can't compare.
Penny's mother has had book heroines popping in and out of her life since she was a child. Now she runs a bed and breakfast outside Chicago, where Heroines often come to escape the woes of their stories. Dealing with the emotionally wrought heroines doesn't leave much time for Penny, who is thirteen and wants some of her mother's attention. When a villain follows a heroine out of her story Penny decides to help him. But in her prolonged absence her mother calls the police. Not being able to tell the police the truth about the man in the woods her daughter saw, she goes along with them as they make her go through a rape kit, and then commit Penny to a psych ward for her "wild tales" of a Celtic king.
And that's where I gave up. There is no joy in this story. It is not well written, and and I have no sympathy for any of the characters. After you've read Fforde this just can't compare.
October 17, 2015
This book has a much rawer style than my usual choices, but I will say I thoroughly enjoyed it, reading the last two-thirds in one sitting. The plot barreled down a road I did not expect--a welcome surprise--and while the heroines of famed literature don't play nearly as big a part in the book as the awkward, painfully realistic adolescent narrator Penny and her down to earth mother, I forgave the author that decision when
*******SPOILER******
Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights appeared as a--surprisingly believable--love interest. Utterly awesome. For a story that shows the reader everything from puberty crazed teenagers in 1970s suburban bedrooms to Valium-armed nurses in a questionable mental hospital, it's nice to end with a troubled, handsome anti-hero running through a stormy wood! Penny's dubious march on into adulthood after everything she's experienced only makes the book more believable, something I never thought I'd say about a story that mixes modern life with classical drama. After reading The Heroines, I feel like my own imagination just got a bit more interesting.
*******SPOILER******
Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights appeared as a--surprisingly believable--love interest. Utterly awesome. For a story that shows the reader everything from puberty crazed teenagers in 1970s suburban bedrooms to Valium-armed nurses in a questionable mental hospital, it's nice to end with a troubled, handsome anti-hero running through a stormy wood! Penny's dubious march on into adulthood after everything she's experienced only makes the book more believable, something I never thought I'd say about a story that mixes modern life with classical drama. After reading The Heroines, I feel like my own imagination just got a bit more interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2012
What if your favorite heroines from literature made an appearance in real life? Would it be fun, hobnobbing with them or an utter nightmare?
Being the inverse of the Thursday Next novels, Ms. Favorite adroitly brings the protagonists from some favorite old classics into the real world and shows how one woman and her curious daughter deals with them. These aren’t just heroines; these are heroines in need of rescue or at least a respite from the perils given to them by their authors. They cannot be saved but perhaps they can get a breather from their lives.
But removing any character from a story carries its own risks and Ms. Favorite shows that in a very credible fashion.
Being the inverse of the Thursday Next novels, Ms. Favorite adroitly brings the protagonists from some favorite old classics into the real world and shows how one woman and her curious daughter deals with them. These aren’t just heroines; these are heroines in need of rescue or at least a respite from the perils given to them by their authors. They cannot be saved but perhaps they can get a breather from their lives.
But removing any character from a story carries its own risks and Ms. Favorite shows that in a very credible fashion.
June 4, 2017
Characters from books come to a home to get a rest from their story plot. While I like the idea of this book, there is a lot I don't like at all. A thirteen year old girl having thoughts about an older imaginary man who is trying to get his imaginary wife back, with the help of the thirteen year old girl. The standard modern curse word that authors believe should be used in books. The man is a king who can have any woman he wants since he is king. A real turnoff. A mother who puts the thirteen year old in a mental institution where she is put on strong drugs. Throw this all together and maybe you will get an idea about this story or maybe not.
May 18, 2018
Wow. huh. I almost never read books with only a two-star rating, and after this one I think I should make it a policy. Like all the other reviewers, I was sucked in by an intriguing premise that the author couldn't - or didn't really want to - sustain. What if heroines from the great stories took respite for a little while in an isolated inn? What would their presence do? Clever idea, but too bad it turned into a teenage psych ward and lots of 70s teenage angst that really made little sense. (I read the first 50 pages and then stalled over how unappealing this was, but then decided to solider through).
March 16, 2008
I was really excited to read this book, but it contained too much 'angst-ridden teenage rebellion', sexuality, & drug use for me to really enjoy the story. The book couldn't make up its mind whether it was metafiction or mother-daughter drama. The heroines didn't play as big a role as I had hoped. How could someone as fiery as Scarlett O'Hara be relegated to one chapter? If you're looking for wonderful metafiction, try reading Jasper Fforde.
November 10, 2012
The idea is rather interesting - a bed and breakfast for all those heroines in those really old novels. But in some ways, you want it to be a little more something.
Favorite does an excellent job of nailing down the characters of her heroines, and the book is a rather intersting look at how we see fiction and fact. Just need a little more something.
Favorite does an excellent job of nailing down the characters of her heroines, and the book is a rather intersting look at how we see fiction and fact. Just need a little more something.
February 18, 2008
The idea for the book is GENIUS, but it didn't make me want to read it as I got into it. A fun read though, I'd recommend it.
Plot line is a bunch of es from different stories come to live at this B&B -- Scarlett O'Hara, Madame Bovary, etc. Cute idea, wish she'd do a second book. :)
Plot line is a bunch of es from different stories come to live at this B&B -- Scarlett O'Hara, Madame Bovary, etc. Cute idea, wish she'd do a second book. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2013
This is a YA novel, but I really liked it.
found today 8/2/2013 1 of 20 books for $10
found today 8/2/2013 1 of 20 books for $10
April 10, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. I kept waiting for it to get good. It just didn't.
It's about Penny, who was raised by a single mom in a boarding house that mysteriously welcomes heroines from famous literature as guests. Sounds delightful, doesn't it?
Instead it turned into a drawn out tale of Penny's dysfunctional relationship with her mother and of all men--mirroring her mother's own attraction to strange and dangerous men she just met. There were also some serious unethical practices by doctors and nurses that I just found frustrating and disturbing. I know the whole premise was based on a bit of fantasy, but all of the realistic parts were still just so unbelievable. The ending--when it finally came--felt rushed and too contrived. The whole thing was just a disappointment to me. Gratefully, it's not a very long book.
If you do choose to read this book (spoiler alert), you should know that the plots of Madame Bovary, Wuthering Heights, and maybe also Anna Karenina will be ruined for you if you haven't already read them. Characters from the Gone with the Wind and the Scarlet Letter also show up (in case you want to read them first and avoid any spoilers). JD Salinger character Franny is also makes an appearance (the book title wasn't clear to me).
It's about Penny, who was raised by a single mom in a boarding house that mysteriously welcomes heroines from famous literature as guests. Sounds delightful, doesn't it?
Instead it turned into a drawn out tale of Penny's dysfunctional relationship with her mother and of all men--mirroring her mother's own attraction to strange and dangerous men she just met. There were also some serious unethical practices by doctors and nurses that I just found frustrating and disturbing. I know the whole premise was based on a bit of fantasy, but all of the realistic parts were still just so unbelievable. The ending--when it finally came--felt rushed and too contrived. The whole thing was just a disappointment to me. Gratefully, it's not a very long book.
If you do choose to read this book (spoiler alert), you should know that the plots of Madame Bovary, Wuthering Heights, and maybe also Anna Karenina will be ruined for you if you haven't already read them. Characters from the Gone with the Wind and the Scarlet Letter also show up (in case you want to read them first and avoid any spoilers). JD Salinger character Franny is also makes an appearance (the book title wasn't clear to me).
February 21, 2024
What an odd story. I am assuming I purchased this book because the premise was about heroines from novels coming to a current day bed and breakfast out of the blue. The owner would take care of them until they would go away/disappear. Some stayed a day. Some stayed a week and the owner would try to figure out what part of the book they were going through while there. For instance, Scarlet O'Hara ripped the drapes off of the windows one night.
I found this book so odd that I broke a rule and read some reviews. Most reviews seemed to complain that the focus was not on the heroines but on the relationship between the mother (owner of the B&B) and her 13 year old daughter. With that warning, I had no expectations and was able to enjoy the story as weird as it was. I liked Penny (the daughter). The book was mostly about her and how she dealt with these intrusions from the heroines. Again, this was an odd book and I am glad I was not swayed by the reviews because it did have some redeeming qualities. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
I found this book so odd that I broke a rule and read some reviews. Most reviews seemed to complain that the focus was not on the heroines but on the relationship between the mother (owner of the B&B) and her 13 year old daughter. With that warning, I had no expectations and was able to enjoy the story as weird as it was. I liked Penny (the daughter). The book was mostly about her and how she dealt with these intrusions from the heroines. Again, this was an odd book and I am glad I was not swayed by the reviews because it did have some redeeming qualities. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
October 25, 2023
Blimy. Remind me to never purchase a book from Bas Bleu catalog without checking the reviews on Goodreads first.
This book stunk to high Heaven.
The sad part is it was such a clever idea, but in my humble opinion, so poorly executed. There were so many different ways this book could have gone. In theory it should have been a 5 star read. Alas, that was so not the case.
Anne-Marie, the mom in this book has no chance in hell of winning mother of the year award. Dang, she was so awful. I feel horrible for her daughter Penny.
I have no idea how to stress the fact that this book was horrible. I honestly cannot believe I read the entire thing. As I said the basis for the book is so clever, I suppose I kept hoping for some promise of a good book. It never happened. I read the entire book and got nothing.
So, the fact I actually read the entire book and the fact that the idea of the book was good I’ll give it two stars. I leave the one stars to books I cannot finish.
This book stunk to high Heaven.
The sad part is it was such a clever idea, but in my humble opinion, so poorly executed. There were so many different ways this book could have gone. In theory it should have been a 5 star read. Alas, that was so not the case.
Anne-Marie, the mom in this book has no chance in hell of winning mother of the year award. Dang, she was so awful. I feel horrible for her daughter Penny.
I have no idea how to stress the fact that this book was horrible. I honestly cannot believe I read the entire thing. As I said the basis for the book is so clever, I suppose I kept hoping for some promise of a good book. It never happened. I read the entire book and got nothing.
So, the fact I actually read the entire book and the fact that the idea of the book was good I’ll give it two stars. I leave the one stars to books I cannot finish.
March 9, 2022
The quirky tale offered by Eileen Favorite in “The Heroines” is at least unique. Literary characters show up periodically for a respite at a B and B.
Assigning a heroine tag to the likes of Madame Bovary, Scarlett O’Hara, Hester Prynne et al might be a stretch but bringing them to life when they need “a break from their storyline” is very clever.
Never sure if there is a reality to the narrative or if the story is the imagination of a mentally disturbed teen. It is a testament to the author that one could bear either way. Favorite’s constant reference to Nixon was curious, was she establishing a timeline, or expressing her political view??
This book has been in a stack of TBR for years and picking it out to read I wonder what sparked me to obtain it. The book cover maybe, the literary references? No matter, it provided a spin of entertainment unexpected.
July 13, 2022
From a journal entry dated June 30, 2010:
"I requested this after the audio was recommended in a review journal list on fantasy/sci fi & it looked so unusual: Illinois family has fictional heroines come to their bed & breakfast for respites from their trials & challenges--but their plots can't be altered. It was a clever idea & had a lot of potential, but the bulk of the story revolved around the teenage daughter's angst & I felt the crux of the fantasy wasn't as well-developed as it could have been (& as Jasper Fforde does so well & cleverly in his Thursday Next books). Also, I found a serious discrepancy in Hester & Pearl (from 'The Scarlet Letter') speaking in stereotyped King James English while Madame Bovary didn't use French & the other 'heroines' seemed to speak in modern English."
"I requested this after the audio was recommended in a review journal list on fantasy/sci fi & it looked so unusual: Illinois family has fictional heroines come to their bed & breakfast for respites from their trials & challenges--but their plots can't be altered. It was a clever idea & had a lot of potential, but the bulk of the story revolved around the teenage daughter's angst & I felt the crux of the fantasy wasn't as well-developed as it could have been (& as Jasper Fforde does so well & cleverly in his Thursday Next books). Also, I found a serious discrepancy in Hester & Pearl (from 'The Scarlet Letter') speaking in stereotyped King James English while Madame Bovary didn't use French & the other 'heroines' seemed to speak in modern English."
June 13, 2021
There wasn't much "story" here, but quite a bit of plot. It may be that it's the other way around, I dunno. The book centers around a mother and daughter, where the mother (or maybe just their house) is visited by Heroines from literature (like Franny and Zooey or Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights). A lot of the book is told in flashback, which muddies up the narration because the book is written in the omniscient first person voice of the daughter. So when we flashback into the mother's early life, the narrator is talking about her mother from the perspective of her mother who's talking about her mother's mother. So Mother is saying "mother" and it gets you all mixy. The narrator/daughter will also refer to her mother at various times as Mother or as Anne-Marie. The book should have just been third person and spared us the grief.
Still, it was entertaining. It might have been better had I read all of the novels that "The Heroines" referenced, but it wasn't absolutely necessary since the contexts were explained well enough. There was a lot of angst in the characters; their frustrations and struggles were convincingly and empathetically conveyed. I was invested in the characters, just not the story... but I still wanted to know what happened next
Still, it was entertaining. It might have been better had I read all of the novels that "The Heroines" referenced, but it wasn't absolutely necessary since the contexts were explained well enough. There was a lot of angst in the characters; their frustrations and struggles were convincingly and empathetically conveyed. I was invested in the characters, just not the story... but I still wanted to know what happened next
December 8, 2021
This is possibly the most painful book cover betrayal I have experienced to date.
I found myself immensely disappointed in this book. When I first found it, I thrilled myself with expectations of an adventure book reminiscent of The Magic Tree House or Wishbone, geared towards a slightly older audience. Not so.
Instead, I slogged through a book seemingly written for adults, but with a 13-yr-old protagonist, where everyone is wrong and everyone is miserable. Psychosis is at once encouraged and condemned, but as long as you stick to your own psychotic family unit, you'll be alright.
I kept trying to like the book - hoping it would get better - but this is a book worth selling. And if you know me, that's not a decision I make lightly.
I found myself immensely disappointed in this book. When I first found it, I thrilled myself with expectations of an adventure book reminiscent of The Magic Tree House or Wishbone, geared towards a slightly older audience. Not so.
Instead, I slogged through a book seemingly written for adults, but with a 13-yr-old protagonist, where everyone is wrong and everyone is miserable. Psychosis is at once encouraged and condemned, but as long as you stick to your own psychotic family unit, you'll be alright.
I kept trying to like the book - hoping it would get better - but this is a book worth selling. And if you know me, that's not a decision I make lightly.
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