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Available
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Publication
Wildfire (2019), 384 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST �?� �??A masterpiece�?� (NPR) about marriage, divorce, and the bewildering dynamics of ambition Now an FX limited series on Hulu, starring Claire Danes, Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, and Adam Brody ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR�??Entertainment Weekly, The New York Public Library ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR�??The New York Times Book Review, Time, The Washington Post, USA Today Vanity Fair, Vogue, NPR, Chicago Tribune, GQ, Vox, Refinery29, Elle, The Guardian, Real Simple, Financial Times, Parade, Good Housekeeping, New Statesman, Marie Claire, Town & Country, Evening Standard, Thrillist, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, BookRiot, Shelf Awareness Toby Fleishman thought he knew what to expect when he and his wife of almost fifteen years separated: weekends and every other holiday with the kids, some residual bitterness, the occasional moment of tension in their co-parenting negotiations. He could not have predicted that one day, in the middle of his summer of sexual emancipation, Rachel would just drop their two children off at his place and simply not return. He had been working so hard to find equilibrium in his single life. The winds of his optimism, long dormant, had finally begun to pick up. Now this. As Toby tries to figure out where Rachel went, all while juggling his patients at the hospital, his never-ending parental duties, and his new app-assisted sexual popularity, his tidy narrative of the spurned husband with the too-ambitious wife is his sole consolation. But if Toby ever wants to truly understand what happened to Rachel and what happened to his marriage, he is going to have to consider that he might not have seen things all that clearly in the first place. A searing, utterly unvarnished debut, Fleishman Is in Trouble is an insightful, unsettling, often hilarious exploration of a culture trying to navigate the fault lines of an institution that has proven to be worthy of our great wariness and our great hope. Alma�??s Best Jewish Novel of the Year �?� Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle�??s John Leonard Pri… (more)
Media reviews
Many of its 373-pages seemed like padding, much of which consists of… sex.
Or sexting.
Or thinking about sex.
Or thinking about sexting.
User reviews
LibraryThing member froxgirl
This glorious mess of a novel, about 100 pages too long, needs to be read, but you'll be forgiven if you run out of patience and if the overwhelming prurience does you in. If you are a person who says, “There wasn’t one redeeming character in the whole book”, then run, don’t walk. The main
Toby's astonishment at the lush pickings of available horny, self-obsessed women in his dating apps gets very wearying. His sole positive trait is his love for his kids, the spoiled and despicable 11 year old Hannah, running the private school mean girl marathon to an extent that must be unheard of outside of NYC or LA; and little Solly, who’s chunky, smart, and lonely. Rachel herself is completely crippled by lack of love from her hypercritical grandmother, who reluctantly raised her from age three with no kindness, interest, or love. And just her luck: a horrible c-section by a brutal on-call ob-gyn causes lack of attachment to the children.
There's also an extraneous narrator, Toby's college friend Libby, and another college friend Seth, who seems to be around just to show everyone what a mess unmarried people are too. Both should have been eliminated by a good editor. Libby's view of her own marriage and career may have been meant to provide the woman's rebuttal to Toby's thoughts, but it just doesn't work here, like it did so brilliantly in Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies.
In almost every page, there's the opportunity for the reader to scream LEAVE MANHATTAN NOW AND SAVE YOURSELVES. What makes it all bearable is the hilariously snarky jabs at all aspects of the lives of almost all the characters. It's also got plot swerves and dead ends that leave the reader in agonized suspense. I’m glad I read it, just for the experience, but you probably won’t want to, so I’m sharing the best lines.
Quotes: “I was so far apart from my life in New York that it was like I’d been sent to another planet to breed and colonize.”
“You can only desire something you don’t have.”
“He’s linear and infers rules from onetime behaviors, which drives me crazy.”
“She was golden and tan, like an Oscar with hair.”
“The men hadn’t had any external troubles. They were born knowing they belonged, and they were reassured at every turn just in case they’d forgotten.”
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one in trouble (there are oh so many) is Manhattanite Toby Fleishman, MD specializing in livers. He and wife Rachel, wealthy owner of a talent agency, are divorcing, and much of the narrative is the overly familiarly navel-gazing of Horrible Rich White People With Tiny Rich White People Problems. Toby's astonishment at the lush pickings of available horny, self-obsessed women in his dating apps gets very wearying. His sole positive trait is his love for his kids, the spoiled and despicable 11 year old Hannah, running the private school mean girl marathon to an extent that must be unheard of outside of NYC or LA; and little Solly, who’s chunky, smart, and lonely. Rachel herself is completely crippled by lack of love from her hypercritical grandmother, who reluctantly raised her from age three with no kindness, interest, or love. And just her luck: a horrible c-section by a brutal on-call ob-gyn causes lack of attachment to the children.
There's also an extraneous narrator, Toby's college friend Libby, and another college friend Seth, who seems to be around just to show everyone what a mess unmarried people are too. Both should have been eliminated by a good editor. Libby's view of her own marriage and career may have been meant to provide the woman's rebuttal to Toby's thoughts, but it just doesn't work here, like it did so brilliantly in Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies.
In almost every page, there's the opportunity for the reader to scream LEAVE MANHATTAN NOW AND SAVE YOURSELVES. What makes it all bearable is the hilariously snarky jabs at all aspects of the lives of almost all the characters. It's also got plot swerves and dead ends that leave the reader in agonized suspense. I’m glad I read it, just for the experience, but you probably won’t want to, so I’m sharing the best lines.
Quotes: “I was so far apart from my life in New York that it was like I’d been sent to another planet to breed and colonize.”
“You can only desire something you don’t have.”
“He’s linear and infers rules from onetime behaviors, which drives me crazy.”
“She was golden and tan, like an Oscar with hair.”
“The men hadn’t had any external troubles. They were born knowing they belonged, and they were reassured at every turn just in case they’d forgotten.”
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LibraryThing member annbury
This novel starts off like a social comedy for current day readers, but deepens into a complex examination of how marriage works. In doing so, it does some good things. It has lots of funny bits, mostly involving the mores of the New York upper class, which are largely involved in insanely
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conspicuous consumption. The structure in interesting and full of surprises; it keeps you reading. But there are also negatives. The book spends too much time on what it's good at -- cataloguing the markers of the 1% -- and could have been a good bit shorter. Also, though a few of the characters are vividly drawn, I found it difficult to get emotionally involved with them, perhaps because they are so emotionally involved with themselves. Finally, it is -- despite the humor -- a rather grim read. Everyone seem to be basically unhappy, dissatisfied at the least, near-suicidal at the most. An interesting novel, but not the sparkly comedy that some of the reviews seem to suggest. Show Less
LibraryThing member BibliophageOnCoffee
I really don't know how to feel about this book. On the one hand, I recognize that this is a "good" book. I understand all the praise it's received from the powers that be. On the other hand, I guess I just didn't like it very much? The writing is excellent and it's full of great lines and
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insights, but it all just felt like a little too much. It seemed like the author took every idea she ever had about marriage, motherhood, sexism, love, lust, middle age, etc. and put it all in this one book. I felt exhausted reading it, and I was so relieved to finally finish it. I probably would have quit on it by page 50 or so if it wasn't on the Tournament of Books, but at the same time I don't necessarily regret reading it. I don't think I've ever been so confounded by a book before, so that's saying something at least. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beth.Clarke
Cute Cover, but abandoned due to repetitive, boring storyline. I really don't want to read how all the women want him. Not for me.
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I had read several mentions about this book that all made it sound like it was not to be missed. I was pleased that my library offered the audiobook as a free download and that I was able to get it quite quickly rather than waiting for the over 100 other library patrons to finish reading it. Now
Dr. Toby Fleishman is recently separated from his high-powered agent to the stars wife, Rachel. He is exploring the world of on-line dating and loving the fact that lots of women in New York City seem willing to go out with him. The custody arrangements for his two children mean that he would have the children for weekends and some holidays so he has lots of time to follow new relationships. Rachel's job means she frequently works into the evening or is away for work so Toby has always been the parent who supervises homework and prepares meals and that doesn't really change after the divorce. Toby asked for the divorce because the two were always fighting and he thinks Rachel is a bad mother. For the sake of finishing the marriage he agreed to mediation and he agreed to the custody arrangements and Rachel agreed to keep providing the monetary support that allows their children to go to an expensive private school and spend summer in camps. Then one morning Rachel drops the kids off at Toby's apartment very early and leaves him a note that she is going to a yoga retreat in upstate New York. When she didn't return on the day she promised Toby is pissed off (because he had a date planned) but as her absence continues and the kids question where she is he does start to worry a bit. He can't get any information from her assistant or from the yoga retreat and she is not answering her phone. Finally he learns that some mutual acquaintances saw her in Central Park so he knows she is in the city and then he is angry all over again.
The narrator of the book is one of Toby's oldest friends, Libby, who worked as a journalist but is presently staying at home and trying to write a book. She gets calls from Toby frequently and at first she is as angry as Toby but when she runs into Rachel and gets her side of the story we get a better picture of the marriage and of Rachel. This was the redeeming part of the book for me. So I would encourage others who start the book to keep going to the end.
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I'm not so sure what the big fuss was about. It is an okay listen but I did rather become tired of the frequent sexual encounters (both real and virtual) and it wasn't until near the end that I found some redeeming value.Dr. Toby Fleishman is recently separated from his high-powered agent to the stars wife, Rachel. He is exploring the world of on-line dating and loving the fact that lots of women in New York City seem willing to go out with him. The custody arrangements for his two children mean that he would have the children for weekends and some holidays so he has lots of time to follow new relationships. Rachel's job means she frequently works into the evening or is away for work so Toby has always been the parent who supervises homework and prepares meals and that doesn't really change after the divorce. Toby asked for the divorce because the two were always fighting and he thinks Rachel is a bad mother. For the sake of finishing the marriage he agreed to mediation and he agreed to the custody arrangements and Rachel agreed to keep providing the monetary support that allows their children to go to an expensive private school and spend summer in camps. Then one morning Rachel drops the kids off at Toby's apartment very early and leaves him a note that she is going to a yoga retreat in upstate New York. When she didn't return on the day she promised Toby is pissed off (because he had a date planned) but as her absence continues and the kids question where she is he does start to worry a bit. He can't get any information from her assistant or from the yoga retreat and she is not answering her phone. Finally he learns that some mutual acquaintances saw her in Central Park so he knows she is in the city and then he is angry all over again.
The narrator of the book is one of Toby's oldest friends, Libby, who worked as a journalist but is presently staying at home and trying to write a book. She gets calls from Toby frequently and at first she is as angry as Toby but when she runs into Rachel and gets her side of the story we get a better picture of the marriage and of Rachel. This was the redeeming part of the book for me. So I would encourage others who start the book to keep going to the end.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Toby Fleishman is in trouble. He and his wife, Rachel, are in the middle of a divorce and while on-line hook-up apps have provided him with plenty to distract him, he's left with caring for two kids who aren't doing well with the divorce when his wife drops them off at his new apartment and
For the most part, though, Brodesser-Akner pulls it off. The writing is smooth and having the narrator be an old friend of Toby's, who is now a New Jersey housewife, does ground the story somewhat. The final chapters of the novel are also far more nuanced and better written than the first three quarters, making me wish that the author had included the portions telling Rachel's story throughout the novel. One's enjoyment of this novel will depend entirely on one's tolerance for reading about the troubles of people living wealthy lives in Manhattan, but this does look like the literary vacation novel of the summer. It's an impressive debut that reads like the work of a seasoned author.
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disappears. He's also the financially disadvantaged spouse, being only a well-established specialist at a prestigious hospital which, in the wealthy enclaves of Manhattan, makes him contemptuously low-income. This is the challenge that debut author Taffy Brodesser-Akner has set for herself; how do you write a scathing send-up of an Upper East Side family in which the reader is invited to feel sorry for the handsome doctor who is getting laid regularly, but who has to make do with a bare third of a million a year to live on? There's only so much sympathy that can be pulled from Toby's below-average height and chronic insecurity. For the most part, though, Brodesser-Akner pulls it off. The writing is smooth and having the narrator be an old friend of Toby's, who is now a New Jersey housewife, does ground the story somewhat. The final chapters of the novel are also far more nuanced and better written than the first three quarters, making me wish that the author had included the portions telling Rachel's story throughout the novel. One's enjoyment of this novel will depend entirely on one's tolerance for reading about the troubles of people living wealthy lives in Manhattan, but this does look like the literary vacation novel of the summer. It's an impressive debut that reads like the work of a seasoned author.
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LibraryThing member alexrichman
This starts as a modern Roth/Updike middle-age shagathon then twists into something else entirely. It isn’t really a book about the Fleishmans - like Jaws not being about sharks - but by the end, as the focus swung elsewhere, I wished it was. Still a lot of fun though.
LibraryThing member sberson
Well written story of marriage.
LibraryThing member arlenadean
Title: Fleishman Is in Trouble
Author: Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Publisher: Random House
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Fleishman Is in Trouble" by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
My Rationalization:
This was quite a read of a 41-year-old man who was in the process of divorcing, a Jewish doctor, trying
I felt like this was a good story of a marriage that lets the reader see both sides of the coin. I did feel that the story was a little lull in the beginning, however by the end [part three] I was pulled back into the story which did explain quite a bit about the two main characters. I don't want to leave out the side characters that were so important in their own way to the story. I will say you will have to keep up in this literary read because the storyline will have several different stories going on which did bring out 'the meaning of commitment even as people grow older and do change.' There is definitely a story of lessons on 'marriage, sex life, motherhood, and family life.' What got me about the story was how I was left thinking that this mother didn't really focus on the children's needs at all. Be prepared for a good read about 'divorce, family life, dating and dealing with relationships' even from a man's viewpoint.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review
Author: Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Publisher: Random House
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Fleishman Is in Trouble" by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
My Rationalization:
This was quite a read of a 41-year-old man who was in the process of divorcing, a Jewish doctor, trying
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to be there for his two kids, however, he was also caught up in wanting to hook up with women thru via dating apps. As the story opens up we find that Toby Fleishman ex-wife [Rachel] has dropped the kids off at Toby's place without his knowledge and disappears leaving him to have to shoulder all their needs 24/7. Now, at this point I know one is asking why did she do this? What was going on with Rachel? We find Toby is left to ponder what went wrong with his marriage, his work, and his life.I felt like this was a good story of a marriage that lets the reader see both sides of the coin. I did feel that the story was a little lull in the beginning, however by the end [part three] I was pulled back into the story which did explain quite a bit about the two main characters. I don't want to leave out the side characters that were so important in their own way to the story. I will say you will have to keep up in this literary read because the storyline will have several different stories going on which did bring out 'the meaning of commitment even as people grow older and do change.' There is definitely a story of lessons on 'marriage, sex life, motherhood, and family life.' What got me about the story was how I was left thinking that this mother didn't really focus on the children's needs at all. Be prepared for a good read about 'divorce, family life, dating and dealing with relationships' even from a man's viewpoint.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review
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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
After a run of great books, I suppose it was only a matter of time before I suffered a fall from reading grace, and I was definitely sold the dummy over this novel. Having read some favourable reviews, I stole a quick peek at the first couple of pages while visiting Daunt Books, and decided it was
The basic premise surrounds recently divorced Toby Fleishman, a successful hepatic surgeon, who has embarked upon a series of one-night stands fixed up through an app on his phone. After years of marital fidelity, he is surprised that he is seen as desirable by the various women whom he encounters through the app, and is enjoying this new lease of life. All is well until his ex-wife Rachel suddenly disappears.
I found all of this strangely depressing, perhaps more as a consequence of the strangely impenetrable prose style. The story is narrated by one of Toby’s old friends from university days, who intermingles episodes from their shared past in her account of the unfodling present story. This approach was occasionally reminiscent of Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney’s (notable for having been related in the second person), although Ms Brodesser-Akner lacks McInerney’s undoubted literary flair.
I found that most of the characters were merely two dimensional, and, paradoxically, the figure who emerged most clearly was the missing ex-wife.
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worthy of further consideration. My divination proved sadly awry, and in future I should probably stick to studying entrails or trying to read tea leaves when deciding which books to buy next.The basic premise surrounds recently divorced Toby Fleishman, a successful hepatic surgeon, who has embarked upon a series of one-night stands fixed up through an app on his phone. After years of marital fidelity, he is surprised that he is seen as desirable by the various women whom he encounters through the app, and is enjoying this new lease of life. All is well until his ex-wife Rachel suddenly disappears.
I found all of this strangely depressing, perhaps more as a consequence of the strangely impenetrable prose style. The story is narrated by one of Toby’s old friends from university days, who intermingles episodes from their shared past in her account of the unfodling present story. This approach was occasionally reminiscent of Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney’s (notable for having been related in the second person), although Ms Brodesser-Akner lacks McInerney’s undoubted literary flair.
I found that most of the characters were merely two dimensional, and, paradoxically, the figure who emerged most clearly was the missing ex-wife.
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LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
Toby, Libby, and Seth meet on their Junior year abroad in Israel. There they form a bond that, despite distance and forgetfulness, holds firm and brings them back together in the year of Toby’s divorce, of Seth’s engagement, or Libby’s estrangement from her suburban existence. Toby is going
This is a fascinating read. And not just because of the narrative complexity (though, yes, mostly). There is a withering view of the current state of male-female relations and the negotiations that facilitate our compromises. Withering but also at times optimistic. Or is that optimism just optimistic? It’s hard to know. At times things seem excruciatingly real. But at others the narrator just seems to be ranting. Which narrator? See, I told you it was confusing. But also exhilarating.
Ultimately the problem of these excessively wealthy New Yorkers (Toby is the poor man of the bunch, a medical specialist who only brings in $268,000 per year!) can seem distant and self-inflicted. But then maybe all of our problems are like that.
Warmly recommended.
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through hell. Or he’s putting himself through hell. Or he’s putting everyone else through hell. In any case, this appears to be a novel about Toby — close third-person narration, so close it’s inside Toby’s thoughts. Or it seems to be about Toby until the narration switches to first-person from Libby’s perspective and you realize that she’s the one who has been writing Toby’s life. It’s disorienting. I assume it’s meant to be. And then the first-person narrative just drifts off and you get thoroughly immersed again in that close third-person view of Toby’s disastrous marriage. And then back. Breathe in, breathe out. Relax.This is a fascinating read. And not just because of the narrative complexity (though, yes, mostly). There is a withering view of the current state of male-female relations and the negotiations that facilitate our compromises. Withering but also at times optimistic. Or is that optimism just optimistic? It’s hard to know. At times things seem excruciatingly real. But at others the narrator just seems to be ranting. Which narrator? See, I told you it was confusing. But also exhilarating.
Ultimately the problem of these excessively wealthy New Yorkers (Toby is the poor man of the bunch, a medical specialist who only brings in $268,000 per year!) can seem distant and self-inflicted. But then maybe all of our problems are like that.
Warmly recommended.
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LibraryThing member HandelmanLibraryTINR
A finely observed, timely exploration of marriage, divorce, and the bewildering dynamics of ambition from one of the most exciting writers working today
LibraryThing member chasidar
Did not like it
LibraryThing member Fluffyblue
I'm not sure what the fuss is about this book. I don't get it. I've read some reviews and I know the direction it's heading but I really can't be bothered to keep reading it until I get to the 'reveal'. It's just a chore and there appears to be no story.
LibraryThing member quirkylibrarian
I didn't finish the book. Just over halfway through and I couldn't decide why I was supposed to care about Toby. Not just that I haven't anything in common with him or his life, but why should I care? He's a New York Jewish doctor having, and talking about, a LOT of sex with random women
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post-divorce. His care for his children and his references to his ex-wife's disregard for them were the only points that moved the character forward. Just wasn't sustainably interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member almin
The problem with this couple was lack of communication, it may not have saved the marriage but could have made the divorce civil.
These characters were self-absorbed, clueless, elitist whose hypocrisy was laughable. If this is how people in New York truly live and think, our society is in deep
Sounds like I didn't like the book, but I read it in two and half days....so I guess I liked it...so hard to recommend, I admit I skimmed a small bit, but there were times where she repeated herself ad nauseam. (maybe that is a bit extreme, but she did repeat herself, where was her editor?) I usually avoid books about New Yorkers because they think the world revolves around them and this one is no exception.
These characters were self-absorbed, clueless, elitist whose hypocrisy was laughable. If this is how people in New York truly live and think, our society is in deep
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trouble. I understand it is a work of fiction, but many passages were observations of the writer.....I shudder. Although, there was one in particular that I thought was spot on......page 42 regarding working mother's and stay-at home mothers. It is soooo true....Sounds like I didn't like the book, but I read it in two and half days....so I guess I liked it...so hard to recommend, I admit I skimmed a small bit, but there were times where she repeated herself ad nauseam. (maybe that is a bit extreme, but she did repeat herself, where was her editor?) I usually avoid books about New Yorkers because they think the world revolves around them and this one is no exception.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
I did not like this book. The characters were whinny and annoying. Also Elizabeth narrating did not flow.
LibraryThing member EBT1002
There is so much about this novel that is well-done. Brodesser-Akner's writing is deceptively straightforward, the pacing and rhythm reflect the pacing and rhythm of the city and its dwellers, the setting and images are crisp and vivid. She plays with narration with terrific skill; more than once I
I also realize that heterosexual marriage as a theme pretty much leaves me cold. I get that it's a central institution in our society and that important elements of life, regardless of the era, play out within this institution. Marriage as it manifests in any given place and time reflects the deep values of that place and time as well as - and perhaps better than - any other component of daily life. But to do it well is to expose its ugly underbelly; novels meant to elucidate marriage as a mirror on society almost always dig into a marriage on the rocks. The criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling (those are the referenced four horsemen of the apocalypse of marriage, in case you wondered), the disillusionment, violence, infidelity and regret that seem necessary to any meaningful literary analysis of marriage -- I just don't enjoy reading about them. I don't enjoy mucking around in the ugly intimacy of other people's disastrous relationships.
If I set all that aside, I can more fully appreciate Fleishman is in Trouble. And I never wanted to stop reading; I cared about what was going to happen even if I didn't care about the characters themselves. Well, there is Solly. He is a lovable character through and through. But in the end, this was a good read rather than a great one, and not one deserving of a prize intended to settle a novel into the ranks of the year's best.
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found myself surprised or cheerfully reminded. Her analysis of gender roles as they play out in marriage, work, and the landscape of opportunity in the U.S. is spot on. It's also too often tedious and unsubtle. I also realize that heterosexual marriage as a theme pretty much leaves me cold. I get that it's a central institution in our society and that important elements of life, regardless of the era, play out within this institution. Marriage as it manifests in any given place and time reflects the deep values of that place and time as well as - and perhaps better than - any other component of daily life. But to do it well is to expose its ugly underbelly; novels meant to elucidate marriage as a mirror on society almost always dig into a marriage on the rocks. The criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling (those are the referenced four horsemen of the apocalypse of marriage, in case you wondered), the disillusionment, violence, infidelity and regret that seem necessary to any meaningful literary analysis of marriage -- I just don't enjoy reading about them. I don't enjoy mucking around in the ugly intimacy of other people's disastrous relationships.
If I set all that aside, I can more fully appreciate Fleishman is in Trouble. And I never wanted to stop reading; I cared about what was going to happen even if I didn't care about the characters themselves. Well, there is Solly. He is a lovable character through and through. But in the end, this was a good read rather than a great one, and not one deserving of a prize intended to settle a novel into the ranks of the year's best.
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LibraryThing member nivramkoorb
This to me was a great book. It was on the long list for the National Book Award 2019. It basically got universal excellent reviews from the usual suspects(Ny Times etc.). In terms of the negative reader reviews, many them did not finish the book which really sort of invalidates their reviews(in my
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opinion). The earlier you quit the less your review means. What I enjoyed about this book was that it created multiple points of view and the writing was terrific. The basic plot deals with Toby a 44 year old New York liver specialist who is divorcing Rachel a high end driven talent agent who makes 10 times what Toby makes. Are the characters in the books basically rich entitled people who may not elicit much sympathy for their problems from many people? However, liking characters is not necessary(for me at least) to enjoy a book. As we get into the book we begin to see Rachel as a monster but we see this through Toby's lens. Eventually Libby enters the book as a first person narrator. She is an old friend of Toby's who reconnects with because of his divorce. We also get see the world of the newly divorced as they navigate the world of dating apps and sexual hookups. This is a complex novel that deals with marriage, male and female roles, spoiled rich children and the world of the New York rich. I thought it was one of the best books I have read in the last few years. The subject matter connected with me. Read more about the book and see if it works for you plot wise. This is Taffy's first novel but she is a featured writer at the NY Times magazine. Show Less
LibraryThing member kayanelson
2020 TOB--This was so well written for a first book. Toby Fleishman, a stereotypical Jewish doctor, gets divorced from his wife Rachel. Rachel is a woman who wants more and more in life and goes after it. Toby reconnects with college friends during the divorce and the narrator of the book is one of
Elizabeth has problems of her own in her marriage. Their other friend Seth has commitment issues but he's getting ready to propose to a much younger girlfriend.
Rachel goes off the deep end and Toby has to maneuver full time parenting at the cost of losing a promotion at the hospital. But overall Toby really tries hard at parenting and is a good parent.
This is a book about stereotypes, relationships on many levels and success and failure. There are many profound sentences in this book that made me take notice. How can the author Taffy Brodesser-Akner be so wise and yet so young?
This is a book that almost everyone can identify with.
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those friends, Elizabeth. Elizabeth has problems of her own in her marriage. Their other friend Seth has commitment issues but he's getting ready to propose to a much younger girlfriend.
Rachel goes off the deep end and Toby has to maneuver full time parenting at the cost of losing a promotion at the hospital. But overall Toby really tries hard at parenting and is a good parent.
This is a book about stereotypes, relationships on many levels and success and failure. There are many profound sentences in this book that made me take notice. How can the author Taffy Brodesser-Akner be so wise and yet so young?
This is a book that almost everyone can identify with.
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LibraryThing member carolfoisset
Not really my style of book. Cynical - yet truthful in much of the cynicism - I just try not to revel in that too much. Was able to relate to some parts, some parts seemed to drag on.
LibraryThing member novelcommentary
This first novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a smart, well written exploration of a marriage gone wrong. Four characters drive the narrative and present for the reader the different examples of mid life struggles. For Toby Fleishman, he appears the poor but dedicated husband whose wife worked long
We then start to realize the novel is being narrated by Toby's college friend, Elizabeth. "I was from Brooklyn, from a family full of girls who were expected to transfer from their childhood bedrooms to the bedrooms of their husband’s homes with no pit stops along the way." It is Elizabeth, called Libby, that provides the insights and then her own version of midlife that turns this novel into something more than originally expected. Libby, like the author, works for a men's magazine as the token female perspective and makes a living profiling famous men in her more understanding view. She is well aware that she has become almost invisible in her world. "But no one was watching. People didn’t look at me anymore. I’m allowed to go into bathrooms that are only for customers now anywhere in the city. I could shoplift if I wanted to, is how ignored I am."
Then the author turns the story around when Libby starts to tell the story of Toby's wife, Rachel.
One other amusing subplot is the third college friend, Seth. Here's Libby's description: "He’d stayed thin and had a well-executed fake tan and fake ultra-white teeth that played well against his leonine hazel eyes that picked up every shade of light brown in what remained of his hair. On his face he had the kind of two-day stubble growth we used to suggest that cover stars at the magazine nurture before their photo shoot that looks like benign neglect but is actually so evenly shaded that it could only be the work of meticulous planning. Man, all of it, he was still so handsome I could barely look at him." Seth is wealthy and charismatic in fact seems to have it all, but alas wants what his friends are questioning.
I have to admit I missed hearing of Toby's troubles and aligned with his pain of his wife abandoning her children, but then there were other factors to hear. Reminded me of Groff's Fates and Furies and that's pretty good company. Impressive first novel- highly recommend.
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hours as an agent because she wasn't happy with a salary gleaned by a liver specialist in a respected NYC hospital. Toby is also amazed at the world of dating right now for a short, Jewish doctor whose phone app continually pings him with invitations from woman who not only want him but advertise by showing parts of their genitalia. The beginning is funny and clever, like Roth or Franzen, depicting the current state of the world and making quotable observations. We then start to realize the novel is being narrated by Toby's college friend, Elizabeth. "I was from Brooklyn, from a family full of girls who were expected to transfer from their childhood bedrooms to the bedrooms of their husband’s homes with no pit stops along the way." It is Elizabeth, called Libby, that provides the insights and then her own version of midlife that turns this novel into something more than originally expected. Libby, like the author, works for a men's magazine as the token female perspective and makes a living profiling famous men in her more understanding view. She is well aware that she has become almost invisible in her world. "But no one was watching. People didn’t look at me anymore. I’m allowed to go into bathrooms that are only for customers now anywhere in the city. I could shoplift if I wanted to, is how ignored I am."
Then the author turns the story around when Libby starts to tell the story of Toby's wife, Rachel.
One other amusing subplot is the third college friend, Seth. Here's Libby's description: "He’d stayed thin and had a well-executed fake tan and fake ultra-white teeth that played well against his leonine hazel eyes that picked up every shade of light brown in what remained of his hair. On his face he had the kind of two-day stubble growth we used to suggest that cover stars at the magazine nurture before their photo shoot that looks like benign neglect but is actually so evenly shaded that it could only be the work of meticulous planning. Man, all of it, he was still so handsome I could barely look at him." Seth is wealthy and charismatic in fact seems to have it all, but alas wants what his friends are questioning.
I have to admit I missed hearing of Toby's troubles and aligned with his pain of his wife abandoning her children, but then there were other factors to hear. Reminded me of Groff's Fates and Furies and that's pretty good company. Impressive first novel- highly recommend.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
This book is not an advertisement for the institution of marriage nor is it a novel peopled by mentally stable people. All the characters seem to be chasing ideals they can not achieve. That said, the novel is very well written and moves along effortlessly through a plethora of events anchored by
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Toby and Rachel a New York Jewish couple with two children. Rachel is much more ambitious than Toby who is a doctor. The focal point is their pending divorce because Rachel is frustrated with Toby's lack of drive. I loved the book in a voyeuristic kind of way. Show Less
LibraryThing member breic
The funny parts were great, the serious parts a bit too on the nose. Maybe it is because the characters are never real people, but more like New Yorker sketches whose problems are more aspirational than real. It isn't easy to write funny characters who are also real—Richard Russo does it, but who
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else? Show Less
LibraryThing member alanna1122
I have a lot of feelings about this book.
First of all it is just the type of book that I like best. It is chunky - its a deep dive into people's lives. I didnt have a problem reading it or continuing on with it. So in that way it was successful.
But -- I had trouble liking any of the characters. i
Also, the way marriage is looked at is really sad. It seems like no one has even a basic friendship with their partner. It's hard and terrible to imagine how you could be surrounded by people who screwed up that basic element of partnership so much.
I found the extra narrator really ripped me out of the story everytime she stepped into focus. I honestly can not understand that choice. It is so uneven and jarring the way it is used. I feel like an editor really failed the author on letting that stand the way it did.
I don't know if the author is a fan of Tom Perrotta but a lot of the subject matter in this book felt Perrotta-esque to me. Sandly though, the treatment and the handling lacked Perrotta's nuance and humor.
I haven't watched the tv adaptation yet but I am curious enough that I will probably check it out.
First of all it is just the type of book that I like best. It is chunky - its a deep dive into people's lives. I didnt have a problem reading it or continuing on with it. So in that way it was successful.
But -- I had trouble liking any of the characters. i
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feel like I was supposed to have some kind of revelatory compassion for one of them - but that didn't happen. There was also this simmering hatred (guilt?) regarding stay at home moms that it felt like she was trying to be jokey about but came off kind of filled with rage. Also, the way marriage is looked at is really sad. It seems like no one has even a basic friendship with their partner. It's hard and terrible to imagine how you could be surrounded by people who screwed up that basic element of partnership so much.
I found the extra narrator really ripped me out of the story everytime she stepped into focus. I honestly can not understand that choice. It is so uneven and jarring the way it is used. I feel like an editor really failed the author on letting that stand the way it did.
I don't know if the author is a fan of Tom Perrotta but a lot of the subject matter in this book felt Perrotta-esque to me. Sandly though, the treatment and the handling lacked Perrotta's nuance and humor.
I haven't watched the tv adaptation yet but I am curious enough that I will probably check it out.
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Awards
National Book Award (Longlist — Fiction — 2019)
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2020)
National Jewish Book Award (Finalist — 2019)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Quarterfinalist — 2020)
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction (Longlist — Fiction — 2020)
The British Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — Debut — 2020)
McKitterick Prize (Runner-up — 2020)
Australian Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — 2020)
BookTube Prize (Octofinalist — Fiction — 2020)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Fiction — 2019)
NPR: Books We Love (2019)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction — 2019)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Debut Fiction — 2019)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2019)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Adults (Top Ten — 2019)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2019
Physical description
384 p.; 6.22 inches
ISBN
1472267052 / 9781472267054
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 813.6 |