Status
Available
Publication
S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books (2021), Edition: 1st, 368 pages
Description
"ALL'S WELL is about Miranda Fitch whose life is a waking nightmare after an accident ruins her acting career, and leaves her with chronic back pain, a failed marriage, and a deepening dependence on painkillers and alcohol. On the verge of losing her job as a college theater director, Miranda lives out her broken dreams through an upcoming production of Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, when the unimaginable happens. She suddenly recovers, but at what cost?"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member khenkins
Mona Awad again negotiates the world of the body and its failures. Following 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl and Bunny, All's Well is set in a failing college drama department where Miranda tries to maintain her position as director of All's Well that Ends Well. So much against her: lackluster
The first page sucked me in as Miranda describes herself lying on the floor in excruciating pain which she describes with ascerbic wit amid a chaotic jumble of thoughts. The characterizations of the college acting student types, along with Miranda's take on all of them, are spot-on and hilarious. At the same time, Miranda's serious chronic pain is center stage -- in her own body and in the novel. She recalls the many doctors she has consulted and their various degrees of doubt and inept advice. No one, not even her colleague in the department, believes she is in the kind of pain she describes. Still she tries very hard to disguise the pain from her students, who conclude she is either crazy or high.
The students are another pain in her butt (ha!) as their planned coup gains energy. However, soon Miranda meets 3 mysterious strangers who give her the ability to lose her pain and forge on toward her goals. Hmmmm. When shall we meet again? Who would have thought to mash-up Shakespeare in such a way? Only Mona Awad.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is an honest review.
,
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talent in the student acting pool who agitate for putting on MacBeth instead, few resources in the two-professor department, painkillers, a divorce, and -- most significantly -- incessant back and leg pain following an accident. Yet this isn't as depressing a story as it may seem.The first page sucked me in as Miranda describes herself lying on the floor in excruciating pain which she describes with ascerbic wit amid a chaotic jumble of thoughts. The characterizations of the college acting student types, along with Miranda's take on all of them, are spot-on and hilarious. At the same time, Miranda's serious chronic pain is center stage -- in her own body and in the novel. She recalls the many doctors she has consulted and their various degrees of doubt and inept advice. No one, not even her colleague in the department, believes she is in the kind of pain she describes. Still she tries very hard to disguise the pain from her students, who conclude she is either crazy or high.
The students are another pain in her butt (ha!) as their planned coup gains energy. However, soon Miranda meets 3 mysterious strangers who give her the ability to lose her pain and forge on toward her goals. Hmmmm. When shall we meet again? Who would have thought to mash-up Shakespeare in such a way? Only Mona Awad.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is an honest review.
,
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LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
Miranda had been a stage actress until a fall put an abrupt end to her career and left her in constant pain. Now she is a director in a small college theatre department. Each year, the class enters a Shakespearian play competition and this year, Miranda has chosen All’s Well That Ends Well, an
All’s Well by Mona Awad is a beautifully written novel infused with empathy, dark humour and magic and it grabbed my attention from the very first page. Awad’s description of Miranda’s constant pain was vivd and realistic and her characterizations of the differing theatre types, despite being very funny, somehow managed to avoid cliches.
My only problem -I often felt at sea thinking I was missing important references that would have been more clear had I ever read the original play. But that’s on me and a problem I now plan on rectifying in the future Overall, though, I really enjoyed the book so a definite high recommendation from me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
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unpopular choice with her students. Unfortunately, between her unremitting pain and the increasing rebelliousness of the students, Miranda seems in a downward spiral - that is, until she meets three very strange men in a bar who seem to know everything about her and offer her the golden cure for her pain, a cure with rather shocking consequences.All’s Well by Mona Awad is a beautifully written novel infused with empathy, dark humour and magic and it grabbed my attention from the very first page. Awad’s description of Miranda’s constant pain was vivd and realistic and her characterizations of the differing theatre types, despite being very funny, somehow managed to avoid cliches.
My only problem -I often felt at sea thinking I was missing important references that would have been more clear had I ever read the original play. But that’s on me and a problem I now plan on rectifying in the future Overall, though, I really enjoyed the book so a definite high recommendation from me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
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LibraryThing member booklove2
First, PERFECTTTT cover for this book. The cover deftly combines the two halves of this book: chronic pain and theater. Some might complain that the complaints about pain are TOO much. But I think this is because when you have chronic pain, it takes over your life. It becomes more important than
*Book #125/304 I have read of the shortlisted Morning News Tournament of Books competitors
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anything else, all the time. This wasn't a problem in the book for me. But with an unreliable narrator, I'm kind of left in a whirlwind of "what the heck just happened?" I'm not sure what happened to Miranda, what was in her head. I'm just left a little confused. Maybe there are Shakespeare references I didn't get that would have been a big hint? I had a feeling Mona Awad's writing was spicy and snarky, so I kind of expected more of that! I will be reading more of her books...*Book #125/304 I have read of the shortlisted Morning News Tournament of Books competitors
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LibraryThing member bhowell
Brilliant, I loved it.
LibraryThing member kcshankd
The first of my subscription to the Harvard Book Store First Edition club. I am certain they will get better. The novel starts out in a clear direction, a Faustian bargain struck by a floundering adjunct trying, and failing, to lead a college theater group.
Once the bargain is struck, it isn't
I tried to enjoy this book but the weirdness and magic have no real payoff in return for the reader's belief.
Once the bargain is struck, it isn't
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clear what happens. Our stage director can apparently transfer her chronic pain to others, with disturbing results. There are accusations of witchcraft, and misplaced lovers, and of the deal coming due, but no denouement. I tried to enjoy this book but the weirdness and magic have no real payoff in return for the reader's belief.
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LibraryThing member kayanelson
2022 TOB—There wasn’t a character in this book who wasn’t seriously flawed. So very unlikeable that I’m surprised that I finished the book. Miranda, the protagonist, suffers from extreme pain. Through magic, she somehow transfers that pain to others, primarily those who hurt her either
I’m not familiar with the Shakespeare play, All’s Well That Ends Well. The play opens at the end of the book and it does seem like the ending of the book corresponds to that title.
So despite the fact that I despised the characters, the book was well written so it wasn’t hard to read all the way through. Just not my cup of tea.
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mentally or physically. When she is pain free, Miranda is no more likeable. I’m not familiar with the Shakespeare play, All’s Well That Ends Well. The play opens at the end of the book and it does seem like the ending of the book corresponds to that title.
So despite the fact that I despised the characters, the book was well written so it wasn’t hard to read all the way through. Just not my cup of tea.
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LibraryThing member banjo123
I was excited about this book, as I love Shakespeare. The main character, Miranda, is a college theater professor, directing a production of All's Well, even though her students would prefer "the Scottish play." Miranda is suffering from chronic pain, as a result of an accident when she fell from a
I did love the Shakespeare references, and I think it may have helped with my understanding of All's Well, which is one of the problem plays. However, I had some difficulty with the books dream-like sequences.
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stage. Her pain isn't taken seriously by either friends, or by the medical establishment. She is increasingly estranged and isolated. She gets help with her pain from supernatural sources, but there is a cost for this help.I did love the Shakespeare references, and I think it may have helped with my understanding of All's Well, which is one of the problem plays. However, I had some difficulty with the books dream-like sequences.
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LibraryThing member ElizaJane
Monica is a teacher and director of theatre arts at a college. This term they will be putting on All's Well That Ends Well but the students want Macveth. They even go so far as to petition the dean. Monica gets her way with the interference of three businessmen.
The point the businessmen enter the
The point the businessmen enter the
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story is when the magical realism begins and what is real and what is not becomes blurred. Monica suffers from chronic pain and she is able to transfer it to others now. I found this more of a fever dream not knowing whether this is Monica's doing or rationally explained as the other characters believe. I enjoyed the story but didn't wholly like the main character. I just found her annoying and insincere. I haven't read the play All's Well so I'm sure some symbolism was lost on me. The ending is also ambiguous so I wouldn't recommend this to those who want answers. This whole book leaves one with questions. Show Less
LibraryThing member BibliophageOnCoffee
I don't really know what happened in this book, but I know I liked it.
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2023)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Short List — 2022)
Indie Next List (August 2021)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (Fiction — 2021)
Language
Original language
English