Status
Checked out
Due 23-11-2022
Call number
Publication
Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Description
"In New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell's Landline, Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it's been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply -- but that almost seems besides the point now.Maybe that was always besides the point.Two days before they're supposed to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can't go. She's a TV writer, and something's come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her -- Neal is always a little upset with Georgie -- but she doesn't expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she's finally done it. If she's ruined everything.That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It's not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she's been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts.Is that what she's supposed to do?Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?"--… (more)
Media reviews
What really makes a book of the summer is when we surprise ourselves. It’s not just about being fascinated by a book. It’s about being fascinated by the fact that we’re fascinated.
The odds:4-1
Landline
Rainbow Rowell
Pros: Keen psychological insight, irrepressible humor and a
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supernatural twist: a woman can call her husband in the past.
Cons: Relative lack of violence, perverse sex. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member foggidawn
It's finally happened: a major network has expressed interest in the show that Georgie and her writing partner Seth have been working on since their college days. The problem is that the network executive wants to meet with them on December 27th . . . and Georgie and her husband and daughters have
I binge-read this book in one evening. It has all of the charming elements I've come to expect from Rowell's works: lovely writing, great characters, gripping plot, delightful touches of humor. This book doesn't have quite the emotional punch of Eleanor and Park, nor did I connect with Georgie on he same level as I did with Cath in Fangirl, but I still love it wholeheartedly and definitely recommend it!
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plane tickets for a Christmas visit to Omaha. When Georgie breaks the news to her husband Neal, she proposes rescheduling the trip, but instead, Neal and the girls go to Omaha without Georgie, leaving her to write scripts with Seth and contemplate whether her marriage is in danger of disintegrating. She'd feel better if she could just talk to Neal, but she's having a hard time getting to him on his cell. In a fit of desperation, she tries the land line (she memorized the number for his mother's house years ago, though she hasn't used it in years). Neal finally answers the phone, but not the Neal who packed himself and the girls off to the airport two days ago. Instead, Georgie finds herself talking to Neal of fifteen years ago, from the last Christmas they spent apart. The Christmas when Georgie thought that he had broken up with her. The Christmas when he turned up on her doorstep after a week of silence with an engagement ring. Now Georgie is inexplicably connecting with this past iteration of Neal. Is she being given a second chance? Is she supposed to save their marriage? Or is she supposed to save Neal from their marriage?I binge-read this book in one evening. It has all of the charming elements I've come to expect from Rowell's works: lovely writing, great characters, gripping plot, delightful touches of humor. This book doesn't have quite the emotional punch of Eleanor and Park, nor did I connect with Georgie on he same level as I did with Cath in Fangirl, but I still love it wholeheartedly and definitely recommend it!
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
Georgie and Neal are married with two daughters, Alice and Noomi. For years they’ve stretch themselves to the edge of what their relationship can handle. The bulk of the child-rearing has fallen on to Neal with very little contribution from the work-focused Georgie.
When she backs out of an
Most of Rowell's books are about the sweet beginnings of relationships. She writes about infatuation, first love, flirtations and fumbling kisses. Landline is a departure from that. We do see the start of Georgie and Neal's relationship, but it's in flashbacks, not as it's happening, so there's no wondering "will they or won't they?"
I love that she dove into the messiness of a real marriage in this book. No, I don't think it's quite as charming or lovable as her other work, but I also think that's okay. I trust Rowell enough as an author at this point that I'm along for the ride no matter what she writes. I had lower expectations for this one because of the reviews I'd already read, but I liked it. Either you can embrace the fact that a phone is letting Georgie talk to her 1998 husband or you can't. For me it worked and I liked it because it was less about the phone than it was about the conversations it aloud Georgie and Neal to have.
BOTTOM LINE: If you love Rowell definitely read this one. Eleanor & Park is still my favorite, but this novel gave her readers a glimpse into how difficult real marriages can be, although we don't all have a magic phone that might let us fix things.
When she backs out of an
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out-of-town Christmas trip with her family at the last minute to write for a new sitcom, her relationship with her husband hits a wall. When she tries to call her husband later she realizes she's reached him back in 1998, before they were even engaged. She finds herself reevaluating both her marriage and her priorities as she talks with the man she fell in love with so many years ago. Most of Rowell's books are about the sweet beginnings of relationships. She writes about infatuation, first love, flirtations and fumbling kisses. Landline is a departure from that. We do see the start of Georgie and Neal's relationship, but it's in flashbacks, not as it's happening, so there's no wondering "will they or won't they?"
I love that she dove into the messiness of a real marriage in this book. No, I don't think it's quite as charming or lovable as her other work, but I also think that's okay. I trust Rowell enough as an author at this point that I'm along for the ride no matter what she writes. I had lower expectations for this one because of the reviews I'd already read, but I liked it. Either you can embrace the fact that a phone is letting Georgie talk to her 1998 husband or you can't. For me it worked and I liked it because it was less about the phone than it was about the conversations it aloud Georgie and Neal to have.
BOTTOM LINE: If you love Rowell definitely read this one. Eleanor & Park is still my favorite, but this novel gave her readers a glimpse into how difficult real marriages can be, although we don't all have a magic phone that might let us fix things.
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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
Maybe my quirk threshold is a little lower than other people, but, much as I loved Rowell's other books, I can't see how anyone over the age of 13 could enjoy this one. A successful, college graduate human being who can neither make a meal nor buy her own underwear - too much ditziness for me. What
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was she thinking? I know she wanted to write a book about the difficulties and benefits of marriage, but using believable characters would have gone further to make her point. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
Neal Grafton is the caregiver in his family of four, because his wife, Georgie McCool, is a successful television comedy writer, and the two girls, Noomi, 4, and Alice, 7, still require full-time tending.
As the story begins, the whole family is about to leave for a Christmas visit to Neal’s
Neal is hurt, maybe angry, but he takes the kids and goes without Georgie. She keeps trying to call him in Omaha, but he doesn’t pick up his cell phone, and soon the message box is full. So Georgie, now sleeping at her parents’ house, gets her old landline out of the closet and calls the Grafton’s landline. But when she reaches Neal, it is Neal from fifteen years before, the first time he left her for Omaha before Christmas.
Georgie is pretty sure Neal isn’t happy any more. Maybe now, with their nightly conversations in this bizarre time gap, she has a chance to make it right. But making it right could mean one of two things: Georgie could take the altruistic high road, and encourage Neal to go on and be happy without Georgie, or Georgie could try harder, and fight to save her marriage to this man she still loves so much.
Discussion: I thought that Georgie’s meditations about what Neal meant to her were just lovely. I found it so touching how much Georgie looked forward to talking to Old Neal every night for hours and hours - the Neal before all the baggage of their marriage and the current contretemps:
"Georgie wasn’t ready to lose Neal yet. Even to her past self. She wasn’t ready to let him go. (Somebody had given Georgie a magic phone, and all she’d wanted to do with it was stay up late talking to her old boyfriend. If they’d given her a proper time machine, she probably would have used it to cuddle with him. Let somebody else kill Hitler.)”
As she considers what Neal means to her, she also gets insight into what she hasn’t meant to him:
"She should tell him about this magic phone insanity. Right now. She could tell him, she could always tell Neal anything. Georgie and Neal were bad at a lot of things, but they were good at being on each other’s side. Neal was especially good at being on Georgie’s side, at being there when she needed him.”
And then she thinks about all Neal does for her all the time. There is no listing of all that Georgie does for Neal, because, while she may be bringing in the salary, she has also spent a lot of time staying late at work (with Seth), and acting depressed or crazy or obsessed with fear of failure. But Neal was always there, always on her side.
Marriage, she thinks, also brought them closer:
"You don’t know what it really means to crawl into someone else’s life and stay there. You can’t see all the ways you’re going to get tangled, how you’re going to bond skin to skin. How the idea of separating will feel in five years, in ten—in fifteen. When Georgie thought about divorce now, she imagined lying side by side with Neal on two operating tables while a team of doctors tried to unthread their vascular systems.”
At the end, when Georgie makes her decision, it is totally in keeping with what we know about her. And Neal’s reaction is totally in keeping with what we know about him.
Evaluation: I loved this book. I think Rowell is just outstanding at crafting dialogue that is fast-paced and wickedly funny but yet still realistic. Her insight into relationships is excellent as well. I think it’s a mistake to focus on the magic phone - this book is all about dialogue and relationships, two aspects of writing at which Rowell excels.
As the story begins, the whole family is about to leave for a Christmas visit to Neal’s
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mother’s home in Omaha, when Georgie has to cancel. She and her writing partner since college, Seth, have got an opportunity to get a show of their own if they can come up with four episodes by December 27th. Neal is hurt, maybe angry, but he takes the kids and goes without Georgie. She keeps trying to call him in Omaha, but he doesn’t pick up his cell phone, and soon the message box is full. So Georgie, now sleeping at her parents’ house, gets her old landline out of the closet and calls the Grafton’s landline. But when she reaches Neal, it is Neal from fifteen years before, the first time he left her for Omaha before Christmas.
Georgie is pretty sure Neal isn’t happy any more. Maybe now, with their nightly conversations in this bizarre time gap, she has a chance to make it right. But making it right could mean one of two things: Georgie could take the altruistic high road, and encourage Neal to go on and be happy without Georgie, or Georgie could try harder, and fight to save her marriage to this man she still loves so much.
Discussion: I thought that Georgie’s meditations about what Neal meant to her were just lovely. I found it so touching how much Georgie looked forward to talking to Old Neal every night for hours and hours - the Neal before all the baggage of their marriage and the current contretemps:
"Georgie wasn’t ready to lose Neal yet. Even to her past self. She wasn’t ready to let him go. (Somebody had given Georgie a magic phone, and all she’d wanted to do with it was stay up late talking to her old boyfriend. If they’d given her a proper time machine, she probably would have used it to cuddle with him. Let somebody else kill Hitler.)”
As she considers what Neal means to her, she also gets insight into what she hasn’t meant to him:
"She should tell him about this magic phone insanity. Right now. She could tell him, she could always tell Neal anything. Georgie and Neal were bad at a lot of things, but they were good at being on each other’s side. Neal was especially good at being on Georgie’s side, at being there when she needed him.”
And then she thinks about all Neal does for her all the time. There is no listing of all that Georgie does for Neal, because, while she may be bringing in the salary, she has also spent a lot of time staying late at work (with Seth), and acting depressed or crazy or obsessed with fear of failure. But Neal was always there, always on her side.
Marriage, she thinks, also brought them closer:
"You don’t know what it really means to crawl into someone else’s life and stay there. You can’t see all the ways you’re going to get tangled, how you’re going to bond skin to skin. How the idea of separating will feel in five years, in ten—in fifteen. When Georgie thought about divorce now, she imagined lying side by side with Neal on two operating tables while a team of doctors tried to unthread their vascular systems.”
At the end, when Georgie makes her decision, it is totally in keeping with what we know about her. And Neal’s reaction is totally in keeping with what we know about him.
Evaluation: I loved this book. I think Rowell is just outstanding at crafting dialogue that is fast-paced and wickedly funny but yet still realistic. Her insight into relationships is excellent as well. I think it’s a mistake to focus on the magic phone - this book is all about dialogue and relationships, two aspects of writing at which Rowell excels.
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LibraryThing member bragan
Georgie is a TV comedy writer who's finally been given the opportunity to create the show she's always dreamed of. Unfortunately, that means she has to bail out on a trip to spend Christmas at her in-laws' at the very last minute, putting additional strain on an already strained marriage. Then,
I really loved Rowell's Fangirl, so I was very much looking forward to this one, but, while it's not bad, I'm afraid it didn't do anywhere near as much for me. Partly I think that's because it was so much easier for me to relate to the protagonist in Fangirl, being a fangirl myself and seeing a lot of my own college experience in hers. Marriage and children and a dynamic Hollywood career, however, I have not done, so the setup here just didn't resonate as much for me. Except, that is, for the ways it resonated a bit too much, as I've been experiencing more than a little of the kind of midlife second-guessing that Georgie goes through here, myself, which I'm sure contributed to the often frustrated feelings I had about Georgie's situation and her reactions to it.
It didn't help that I kept getting interrupted by my own frustrating life while reading it, either. In fact, I think that if I'd read it under better circumstances, I probably would have enjoyed it more thoroughly than I did. Because I noticed a repeating cycle with my reading. I would pick up the book, start reading, and find myself focusing on the negatives: I didn't feel like I had a really strong handle on the husband's character. The reversal of traditional gender roles in the relationship -- with Georgie as the one whose career kept her from her family and her husband as the dissatisfied homemaker -- was laudable but entirely too obvious. The writing felt very YA-ish, which is not inherently bad and worked great for Fangirl, but seemed a bit too slight for this more grown-up story. There was some sentimental romance stuff, of which I am not a fan. I could see where things were probably going when Georgie couldn't, and it made me a bit annoyed with her. And so on.
And then, inevitably, as I read on, the story would start to charm me. I'd laugh at the touches of humor. I'd realize that, sentimental or not, the romance was endearingly realistic, rather than schmoopy. I'd start ruminating on how the things and people in our lives change and how strange and precious and irrecoverable the past is, and I'd begin empathizing with Georgie and her experience and even start to feel a little moved by it.
And then I'd get interrupted and I'd have to put the book down. And when I came back to it, even just a short while later, the cycle would start all over again. In the end, I liked it OK, really. But if I had read the whole thing in one sitting, would I have loved it? Not having the opportunity to revisit my past and make different choices, I suppose I'll never know.
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when the battery on her cell phone dies, she tries calling her husband on an old rotary phone in her mother's house... and gets him, but not the version she was expecting. Inexplicably, she's now talking to a version of him from fifteen years ago, before they were married.I really loved Rowell's Fangirl, so I was very much looking forward to this one, but, while it's not bad, I'm afraid it didn't do anywhere near as much for me. Partly I think that's because it was so much easier for me to relate to the protagonist in Fangirl, being a fangirl myself and seeing a lot of my own college experience in hers. Marriage and children and a dynamic Hollywood career, however, I have not done, so the setup here just didn't resonate as much for me. Except, that is, for the ways it resonated a bit too much, as I've been experiencing more than a little of the kind of midlife second-guessing that Georgie goes through here, myself, which I'm sure contributed to the often frustrated feelings I had about Georgie's situation and her reactions to it.
It didn't help that I kept getting interrupted by my own frustrating life while reading it, either. In fact, I think that if I'd read it under better circumstances, I probably would have enjoyed it more thoroughly than I did. Because I noticed a repeating cycle with my reading. I would pick up the book, start reading, and find myself focusing on the negatives: I didn't feel like I had a really strong handle on the husband's character. The reversal of traditional gender roles in the relationship -- with Georgie as the one whose career kept her from her family and her husband as the dissatisfied homemaker -- was laudable but entirely too obvious. The writing felt very YA-ish, which is not inherently bad and worked great for Fangirl, but seemed a bit too slight for this more grown-up story. There was some sentimental romance stuff, of which I am not a fan. I could see where things were probably going when Georgie couldn't, and it made me a bit annoyed with her. And so on.
And then, inevitably, as I read on, the story would start to charm me. I'd laugh at the touches of humor. I'd realize that, sentimental or not, the romance was endearingly realistic, rather than schmoopy. I'd start ruminating on how the things and people in our lives change and how strange and precious and irrecoverable the past is, and I'd begin empathizing with Georgie and her experience and even start to feel a little moved by it.
And then I'd get interrupted and I'd have to put the book down. And when I came back to it, even just a short while later, the cycle would start all over again. In the end, I liked it OK, really. But if I had read the whole thing in one sitting, would I have loved it? Not having the opportunity to revisit my past and make different choices, I suppose I'll never know.
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
I adore Rainbow Rowell's writing, both her YA and adult books (ATTACHMENTS is my favorite). Her characters are always alive, often uncomfortably so. She is a master at creating smart and authentic dialogue, and as with all her books, the dialogue was my favorite part of LANDLINE.
I wanted to fall
She's a mess, somewhat endearingly in the beginning. She's hyper consumed with work and her BFF writing partner, Seth. Her husband and kids get whatever dregs are left of her at the end of long days. It's unfair and she recognizes that. Her husband is unhappy and she knows that's her fault. She doesn't know how to take care of her kids or even connect with them. She's an absentminded slob who wears old clothes until they literally fall off of her.
In contrast, her husband, Neal, is a figurative rockstar. He quit his job to raise the kids, he cooks and cleans and gardens and paints and bikes and a million other things all without coming across as a doormat. Oh and he loves her to an awe-inspiring degree.
The problem began to manifest, for me as a reader, when Georgie kept acknowledging the gulf between herself and her husband. She sees all the sacrifices he makes for her and their family and over and over again notes how unfair that is and how unhappy she is making Neal with her choices. Cue the redemption, right? Where Georgie realizes she has to change her life and start trying to balance her dreams with the happiness of those she loves? Wrong. She just tells Neal this is the way she is and she won't change. Work and her flirty best friend/partner and going to always come first (she literally says stuff like that to him). At the very end, she vows to try harder, but without anything concrete to back it up. It feels like all her other promises: empty.
How is it okay for him to give everything and her to give nothing in their relationship? I can't imagine anyone accepting this if the roles were reversed and Neal was the ever absent spouse with the 80 hour work week and pretty best friend and Georgie was the miserable one who was just supposed to accept that he would never change. Who would put up with that?
I still love Rainbow Rowell, and many of the things I love about her writing are on display in LANDLINE, but ultimately, this story and the protagonist left a sour taste in my mouth instead of the wistful smile I've come to expect from this author.
I wanted to fall
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head over heels with LANDLINE the same way I did with her other adult book, ATTACHMENTS. It sounded like a magical blend of FREQUENCY and a Hallmark Christmas movie (which it kind of was). And both do have a charming yet full of depth romantic comedy tone to them (ATTACHMENTS more so than LANDLINE). They feel very cinematic and are easily visualized, and of course, the dialogue is stellar and prolific (like in all her books, both YA and Adult). The reason that I'm only giving LANDLINE three stars is due to Georgie.She's a mess, somewhat endearingly in the beginning. She's hyper consumed with work and her BFF writing partner, Seth. Her husband and kids get whatever dregs are left of her at the end of long days. It's unfair and she recognizes that. Her husband is unhappy and she knows that's her fault. She doesn't know how to take care of her kids or even connect with them. She's an absentminded slob who wears old clothes until they literally fall off of her.
In contrast, her husband, Neal, is a figurative rockstar. He quit his job to raise the kids, he cooks and cleans and gardens and paints and bikes and a million other things all without coming across as a doormat. Oh and he loves her to an awe-inspiring degree.
The problem began to manifest, for me as a reader, when Georgie kept acknowledging the gulf between herself and her husband. She sees all the sacrifices he makes for her and their family and over and over again notes how unfair that is and how unhappy she is making Neal with her choices. Cue the redemption, right? Where Georgie realizes she has to change her life and start trying to balance her dreams with the happiness of those she loves? Wrong. She just tells Neal this is the way she is and she won't change. Work and her flirty best friend/partner and going to always come first (she literally says stuff like that to him). At the very end, she vows to try harder, but without anything concrete to back it up. It feels like all her other promises: empty.
How is it okay for him to give everything and her to give nothing in their relationship? I can't imagine anyone accepting this if the roles were reversed and Neal was the ever absent spouse with the 80 hour work week and pretty best friend and Georgie was the miserable one who was just supposed to accept that he would never change. Who would put up with that?
I still love Rainbow Rowell, and many of the things I love about her writing are on display in LANDLINE, but ultimately, this story and the protagonist left a sour taste in my mouth instead of the wistful smile I've come to expect from this author.
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LibraryThing member Denise.Gibbs
Rainbow Rowell is in a league of her own. Her writing is so naturally sunny, observant, witty, sparkly and smart that I always feel happier when I finish one of her books. LANDLINE is no exception, even though I must admit that it isn't my favorite...I'm still very partial to her young adult books,
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FANGIRL and ELEANOR & PARK. Regardless, it's Rainbow Rowell! Read it! Be happy! Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Let me start of saying that I pretty much figured I'd like this book even before starting it. I've read three Rainbow Rowell books and they've each knocked it out of the park for me. Had I not adored her other books so much, this might have gotten a higher rating. It deals with important stuff --
Basic plot: Georgie is a comedy writer for a sit com. She and her writing partner/best friend, Seth, who she's been working with since college, have a shot at their own show. If they can get some scripts pulled together and present them in 10 days, their writing dreams could come true. The kicker comes that the 10 days include the time that Georgie, her husband Neal, and their two girls are scheduled to visit his mother in Omaha-- for Christmas. Georgie chooses to stay behind in LA and write. The last time Neal went to Nebraska without her was when they were in college, also at Christmas, after a misunderstanding so severe, she thought they'd broken up. but instead, he'd appeared at her door on Christmas day, and proposed. Now, 15 years later, he has gone again. Unable to connect with him by phone (she has mobile phone problems, or only is able to reach her daughters or mother in law0, she fears this is the end of their marriage. Her writing suffers, and unable to do much else, she ends up back at her mother's home, in her old bedroom. There, she is able to reach Neal by an old landline phone, but the Neal she reaches is much more like the one she knew before her marriage than the husband to whom she recently said goodbye.
There are some definite strengths in this story. Rainbow Rowell has a gift of creating ordinary guys and casting them as the romantic lead. Neal is not anywhere near the looks of the guys on the cover of romance novels, but he's genuine. And he's a terrific father and husband, even in difficult circumstances. The other peripheral characters also had their strengths. The plot-line is inventive, and the writing good. All together, it's a decent read, just not, for me, a superlative read; a good solid 3.5 out of 5 stars, but not a 4.
Tags: bookshelves: met-the-author, favorite-author, time-travel-reincarnation-etc, i-liked-it, color-me-disappointed, ok-but-not-great, e-book
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how we make, break, build. and fail relationships. I've certainly had my share of screw-ups, failing people that hold my heart together, so I'm not faulting the plot line, the author, or the main character, Georgie (though to tell you the truth, I'd rather meet Neal than her, in real life. I go for geeks.) It wasn't the premise of a phone that could call back into the past, either, because that sure could come in handy to straighten out some things that still hang over my head from Junior High, and is a brilliant idea. I guess it's like having a memory from your childhood of something that was so utterly fantastic and then seeing it as an adult, and realizing fine, but lacks the sparkle you'd given it over the years.Basic plot: Georgie is a comedy writer for a sit com. She and her writing partner/best friend, Seth, who she's been working with since college, have a shot at their own show. If they can get some scripts pulled together and present them in 10 days, their writing dreams could come true. The kicker comes that the 10 days include the time that Georgie, her husband Neal, and their two girls are scheduled to visit his mother in Omaha-- for Christmas. Georgie chooses to stay behind in LA and write. The last time Neal went to Nebraska without her was when they were in college, also at Christmas, after a misunderstanding so severe, she thought they'd broken up. but instead, he'd appeared at her door on Christmas day, and proposed. Now, 15 years later, he has gone again. Unable to connect with him by phone (she has mobile phone problems, or only is able to reach her daughters or mother in law0, she fears this is the end of their marriage. Her writing suffers, and unable to do much else, she ends up back at her mother's home, in her old bedroom. There, she is able to reach Neal by an old landline phone, but the Neal she reaches is much more like the one she knew before her marriage than the husband to whom she recently said goodbye.
There are some definite strengths in this story. Rainbow Rowell has a gift of creating ordinary guys and casting them as the romantic lead. Neal is not anywhere near the looks of the guys on the cover of romance novels, but he's genuine. And he's a terrific father and husband, even in difficult circumstances. The other peripheral characters also had their strengths. The plot-line is inventive, and the writing good. All together, it's a decent read, just not, for me, a superlative read; a good solid 3.5 out of 5 stars, but not a 4.
Tags: bookshelves: met-the-author, favorite-author, time-travel-reincarnation-etc, i-liked-it, color-me-disappointed, ok-but-not-great, e-book
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LibraryThing member cms519
Fun but not as good as Elenor and Park
LibraryThing member arielfl
There was a lot of hype surrounding this novel so I thought I would give this author a try. She has previously written two beloved YA novels Fangirl and Eleanor & Park which I have not read. The premise of this novel is that Georgie McCool is able to talk to her husband in the past on a rotary
I read the book straight through without putting it aside so the story did keep me engaged. The problem for me is that I could not stand Georgies husband Neal. He is described as short and miserable but for some reason Georgie who has so much going for her is madly in love with him. Neal is always miffed about something concerning Georgies career and he is threatened by her writing partner Seth even though they never engaged in a romantic relationship. Personally I don't see what the big deal was about skipping a family vacation to Omaha but apparently it is a deal breaker for Neal. Neal by the way has no career of his own because he could never get his professional life together. He is a stay at home dad which is fine but he does not seem very supportive of the bread winner Georgie. I get the author's point that family should come before career but in this economy you do what you have to do to keep the money coming in and sometimes sacrifices have to be made and one parent has to step it up so the other can make money. I think Neal was unfair to Georgie and it tainted my enjoyment of the story. The magical phone was an interesting plot device. It took Georgie back to the time in the relationship when they were the most in love. Even though Georgie loved Neal with all her heart she finally had to face the fact that she couldn't change who she was and past Neal would have to decide whether he could accept her as she is. I think that is the take away point from this book. We try to be our best selves for the people we love but we are who we are and the people in our lives have to have a certain amount of acceptance. You cannot change your partner only the way you chose to deal with them. Anyone in a long term relationship will probably find a lot to relate to in this book. Everyday life problems have a way of eroding your tolerance for your partners quirks and it is important for couples to remember why they came together in the first place.
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phone during a time when they are having marriage troubles in the present. Georgies husband Neal has gone to Omaha for a Christmas vacation along with the couples two daughters. Georgie was supposed to have gone on the vacation but she got the break of a lifetime at work writing her own sitcom and has to work through the vacation much to her husbands annoyance. I read the book straight through without putting it aside so the story did keep me engaged. The problem for me is that I could not stand Georgies husband Neal. He is described as short and miserable but for some reason Georgie who has so much going for her is madly in love with him. Neal is always miffed about something concerning Georgies career and he is threatened by her writing partner Seth even though they never engaged in a romantic relationship. Personally I don't see what the big deal was about skipping a family vacation to Omaha but apparently it is a deal breaker for Neal. Neal by the way has no career of his own because he could never get his professional life together. He is a stay at home dad which is fine but he does not seem very supportive of the bread winner Georgie. I get the author's point that family should come before career but in this economy you do what you have to do to keep the money coming in and sometimes sacrifices have to be made and one parent has to step it up so the other can make money. I think Neal was unfair to Georgie and it tainted my enjoyment of the story. The magical phone was an interesting plot device. It took Georgie back to the time in the relationship when they were the most in love. Even though Georgie loved Neal with all her heart she finally had to face the fact that she couldn't change who she was and past Neal would have to decide whether he could accept her as she is. I think that is the take away point from this book. We try to be our best selves for the people we love but we are who we are and the people in our lives have to have a certain amount of acceptance. You cannot change your partner only the way you chose to deal with them. Anyone in a long term relationship will probably find a lot to relate to in this book. Everyday life problems have a way of eroding your tolerance for your partners quirks and it is important for couples to remember why they came together in the first place.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
A refreshingly different look at a long-term marriage. Georgie McCool writes comedy but her marriage is no laughing matter. She loves her husband and daughters but how can she abandon the biggest opportunity of her L.A. career to travel to Omaha for Christmas with her family? Georgie reflects on
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the development of her life when she picks up an old rotary phone and reaches her husband in Omaha. Years, ago, just before he drove 1500 miles to propose marriage. The device Rainbow Rowell uses is clever but the main character stretches the reader's patience at times. Show Less
LibraryThing member winterlillies
Rainbow Rowell’s LANDLINE was just a delight to read! I’ve been in a strange reading funk and devoured this book in a few days. While I could have read it in one sitting, I decided to get lost and really enjoy it. This is my second Rowell book and it won’t be my last! I enjoyed ELEANOR AND
We have great character development. Georgie is a hardworking mother of two girls who dreams of having her own successful show. When a lifetime opportunity lands on her lap, she has to make the painful decision of work or her family. I liked really Georgie and believe any female reader will be able to associate with her in some format. I admit, I had difficultly warming up to Georgie’s husband, Neal. It wasn’t towards the final chapters that I sort of liked him, but I still have a few problems with him. In the end, I’m not exactly sure he deserves Georgie. Then there’s Seth, Georgie’s best friend and writing partner. I do believe Seth took Georgie for granted, but he realized and appreciated her talent. All he wanted was for her to be better and because Rowell lets us spend so much time with him, it was so easy to love him and not Neal. The real treat in LANDLINE are Georgie’s girls! Oh, how I adored them! I loved the interactions they had with Georgie.
The narrative is just beautiful. I don’t know how Rowell does it, but if I can have a crush on an author’s writing style, then I have one on her! She has this ability to capture so much emotion in a book. It’s easy to reflect on your own choices and see them via her characters. I really liked how she slowly told the story of how Georgie met Neal and how ultimately Seth really is the third wheel in their relationship.
What I loved about LANDLINE is the premise! While we’re given a few facts, as a reader we aren’t sure what to believe. I had my doubts as to where Rowell was going to take this and what she was going to do because there was only one outcome I could picture. Early on, I wasn’t sure if that’s the outcome I wanted, but as the story progresses, it was easy to imagine a different ending. I won’t go into a lot of details because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone! I’m so afraid I will. It was so much fun to see LANDLINE take place in the 90′s and in the present because we get to see how much technology has changed and how it has impacted our current way of living. In some ways, maybe that’s why I adore Rowell so much is because I was a teen during the years she writes and it’s easy to get lost in nostalgia.
Overall, Rainrow Rowell’s LANDLINE will be one of your favorite summer reads! If you’re looking to try a new author or are in a reading funk, I highly suggest LANDLINE.
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PARK and I’ve had some trepidation picking up FANGIRL, but since reading LANDLINE I know not to fear anything.We have great character development. Georgie is a hardworking mother of two girls who dreams of having her own successful show. When a lifetime opportunity lands on her lap, she has to make the painful decision of work or her family. I liked really Georgie and believe any female reader will be able to associate with her in some format. I admit, I had difficultly warming up to Georgie’s husband, Neal. It wasn’t towards the final chapters that I sort of liked him, but I still have a few problems with him. In the end, I’m not exactly sure he deserves Georgie. Then there’s Seth, Georgie’s best friend and writing partner. I do believe Seth took Georgie for granted, but he realized and appreciated her talent. All he wanted was for her to be better and because Rowell lets us spend so much time with him, it was so easy to love him and not Neal. The real treat in LANDLINE are Georgie’s girls! Oh, how I adored them! I loved the interactions they had with Georgie.
The narrative is just beautiful. I don’t know how Rowell does it, but if I can have a crush on an author’s writing style, then I have one on her! She has this ability to capture so much emotion in a book. It’s easy to reflect on your own choices and see them via her characters. I really liked how she slowly told the story of how Georgie met Neal and how ultimately Seth really is the third wheel in their relationship.
What I loved about LANDLINE is the premise! While we’re given a few facts, as a reader we aren’t sure what to believe. I had my doubts as to where Rowell was going to take this and what she was going to do because there was only one outcome I could picture. Early on, I wasn’t sure if that’s the outcome I wanted, but as the story progresses, it was easy to imagine a different ending. I won’t go into a lot of details because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone! I’m so afraid I will. It was so much fun to see LANDLINE take place in the 90′s and in the present because we get to see how much technology has changed and how it has impacted our current way of living. In some ways, maybe that’s why I adore Rowell so much is because I was a teen during the years she writes and it’s easy to get lost in nostalgia.
Overall, Rainrow Rowell’s LANDLINE will be one of your favorite summer reads! If you’re looking to try a new author or are in a reading funk, I highly suggest LANDLINE.
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LibraryThing member melissarochelle
Read from March 18 to 22, 2014
I need a book that I can't put down. I found it very easy to sit Georgie aside for a little while -- she was pretty exhausting.
When Georgie decides to skip Christmas vacation at the in-law's house to work on a huge career opportunity, her husband is (rightfully so)
So one night after trying his cell phone, she's at her mom's house and plugs in her old yellow phone into the landline in her childhood bedroom. She finally gets in touch with Neal, but something isn't right about the conversation. When she gets through the next time on the landline, she realizes that she's not talking to the now-Neal, she's talking to the then-Neal.
Is Georgie having a mental breakdown or is some kind of phone time travel at work? I have no idea. But that's pretty much what happens and a lot of the book is ... and ( ) and Georgie's spiral into crazy. Or stress or whatever it is she's going through.
So while I'll still keep reading everything by Rainbow Rowell, this isn't my favorite.
I need a book that I can't put down. I found it very easy to sit Georgie aside for a little while -- she was pretty exhausting.
When Georgie decides to skip Christmas vacation at the in-law's house to work on a huge career opportunity, her husband is (rightfully so)
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pissed off. However, after he leaves for the airport Georgie spirals. She can't focus on work because she's worried about how she left things with Neal. She keeps calling, but he doesn't answer or he's never around when someone does answer his phone. And her phone is always dead unless it's plugged in...So one night after trying his cell phone, she's at her mom's house and plugs in her old yellow phone into the landline in her childhood bedroom. She finally gets in touch with Neal, but something isn't right about the conversation. When she gets through the next time on the landline, she realizes that she's not talking to the now-Neal, she's talking to the then-Neal.
Is Georgie having a mental breakdown or is some kind of phone time travel at work? I have no idea. But that's pretty much what happens and a lot of the book is ... and ( ) and Georgie's spiral into crazy. Or stress or whatever it is she's going through.
So while I'll still keep reading everything by Rainbow Rowell, this isn't my favorite.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. I have yet to read a Rainbow Rowell book (Fangirl and Eleanor and Park are on my wishlist), so I was eager to finally read a book by this author. This was a well done book about marriage and family that has a bit of a sci-fi/fantastical
The story mainly deals with a woman, Georgie, who is struggling to balance work and family. When she and her husband split up over the holidays (Georgie stays at home to work, while her husband Neal takes the kids to the their grandparents), Georgie is worried that something bigger is wrong with their marriage. When Georgie can't reach her husband on his cell phone for days, she is convinced that her marriage is falling apart. Then she tries to call Neal from the landline in her mom's house and gets Neal...but it's not the Neal from the present, it's Neal from the past.
This was a heart-warming read about family and marriage and the sacrifices people make to make it all work. There are a lot of trendy issues in here; Neal is a stay at home dad, Georgie works way too much and barely sees the family, and Georgie's sister Heather ends up revealing that she is gay. On top of all of this Georgie spends a ton of time with her co-worker and best friend which adds some tension to the whole thing, since said co-worker obviously has romantic feelings for Georgie. There is good discussion around all of this.
Georgie's ability to call into the past and talk to her not-yet husband in the past gives the reader an interesting look into their relationship. Because of these calls Georgie has a lot of flashbacks into the early stages of her dating/marriage with Neal. Being able to see where their relationship started gave a lot more background into the story. Additionally Georgie is worried about her conversations with Neal in the past and if that is affecting how things will/have turned out in the future. So you have a bit of that time travel kind of conundrum throughout.
I really enjoyed the way things play out, that story has a bit of irony and symmetry to it that was very well done. It’s a heart-touching story that has some humor, and deals with a lot of issues families face today. I could definitely relate to some of Georgie’s struggles. There have been times in my life where work has overruled everything and I have had to step back and take a serious look at the effect this is having on my family. I also thought that the whole perspective as the mother as the sole bread-winner for the family was interesting.
Overall this was a very engaging and interesting read. I enjoyed the discussion around family issues and loved the fantastical ability of being able to talk to your spouse in the past. It was a funny, creative, and heart-warming read. It wasn’t the kind of thing I normally read (I like a bit more magic and fantasy and less drama) but I think fans of contemporary fiction will find a lot here to like. Let’s just say I definitelys still plan on checking out her YA books.
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element to it. It was a quick and engaging read. The story mainly deals with a woman, Georgie, who is struggling to balance work and family. When she and her husband split up over the holidays (Georgie stays at home to work, while her husband Neal takes the kids to the their grandparents), Georgie is worried that something bigger is wrong with their marriage. When Georgie can't reach her husband on his cell phone for days, she is convinced that her marriage is falling apart. Then she tries to call Neal from the landline in her mom's house and gets Neal...but it's not the Neal from the present, it's Neal from the past.
This was a heart-warming read about family and marriage and the sacrifices people make to make it all work. There are a lot of trendy issues in here; Neal is a stay at home dad, Georgie works way too much and barely sees the family, and Georgie's sister Heather ends up revealing that she is gay. On top of all of this Georgie spends a ton of time with her co-worker and best friend which adds some tension to the whole thing, since said co-worker obviously has romantic feelings for Georgie. There is good discussion around all of this.
Georgie's ability to call into the past and talk to her not-yet husband in the past gives the reader an interesting look into their relationship. Because of these calls Georgie has a lot of flashbacks into the early stages of her dating/marriage with Neal. Being able to see where their relationship started gave a lot more background into the story. Additionally Georgie is worried about her conversations with Neal in the past and if that is affecting how things will/have turned out in the future. So you have a bit of that time travel kind of conundrum throughout.
I really enjoyed the way things play out, that story has a bit of irony and symmetry to it that was very well done. It’s a heart-touching story that has some humor, and deals with a lot of issues families face today. I could definitely relate to some of Georgie’s struggles. There have been times in my life where work has overruled everything and I have had to step back and take a serious look at the effect this is having on my family. I also thought that the whole perspective as the mother as the sole bread-winner for the family was interesting.
Overall this was a very engaging and interesting read. I enjoyed the discussion around family issues and loved the fantastical ability of being able to talk to your spouse in the past. It was a funny, creative, and heart-warming read. It wasn’t the kind of thing I normally read (I like a bit more magic and fantasy and less drama) but I think fans of contemporary fiction will find a lot here to like. Let’s just say I definitelys still plan on checking out her YA books.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Georgie McCool and Neal are married. . From the first time they saw each other, it was kismet. They are a couple in their late thirties, married for 14 years, with two young children, Naomi and Alice. Georgie worked with her best friend Seth, writing episodes for a hit comedy show at “Spoon”.
When Georgie and Seth’s big opportunity arises, to break through into the entertainment field writing for their own TV show, Georgie decides not to go with Neal and the children to visit Neal’s mom, in Omaha, for Christmas. Georgie’s mother decides that Georgie and Neal are separated and she creates the setting for it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The story moves back and forth in time through a magic yellow telephone, a landline, a relic from Georgie’s childhood. Georgie has lost sight of the real purpose of her life and has become obsessed with work. Through the phone conversations, she rediscovers a warmth in her relationship that she had lost without even realizing it was happening. Can Georgie save her marriage? Is it really in crisis? Is Georgie living in the past or present? Is she mentally unstable? Can she regain her life or has it been lost in a black hole created by the telephone?
The story is told in simple language. The issues explored are clear-cut and uncomplicated. The family dynamics investigated are unusual. There are few surprises, in either reactions or behavior in particular circumstances, but none would really be relevant. The relationships between a husband and wife were not necessarily the norm, but they were uncomplicated and presented in a straight forward manner. Sibling relationships were addressed, so was teenage love and sexual identity. Parenting roles and a parent’s feelings about having children were also directly confronted. Alternate lifestyles were presented in a very positive light.
Essentially, “Landline” is the story of young love. It is simple and sweet, This was written for adults, but Rainbow Rowell normally writes novels for young adults, and I think this might be more suitable for them, but it could be a crossover. The dialogue sometimes seems silly, fairytale-like, but the story is easy to read and easy to take. It addresses the value of relationships, the way we approach our lives and how we choose our priorities. I listened to it in one day and it was a quick, entertaining “listen”, but essentially, it was a no brainer!
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Neal drew cartoons there, but studied oceanography which did not particularly appeal to him. When Georgie and Neal have a family, he very naturally settled into the role of house-husband, raising the kids, doing the cooking and the laundry, and loving Georgie, who happily became the breadwinner.When Georgie and Seth’s big opportunity arises, to break through into the entertainment field writing for their own TV show, Georgie decides not to go with Neal and the children to visit Neal’s mom, in Omaha, for Christmas. Georgie’s mother decides that Georgie and Neal are separated and she creates the setting for it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The story moves back and forth in time through a magic yellow telephone, a landline, a relic from Georgie’s childhood. Georgie has lost sight of the real purpose of her life and has become obsessed with work. Through the phone conversations, she rediscovers a warmth in her relationship that she had lost without even realizing it was happening. Can Georgie save her marriage? Is it really in crisis? Is Georgie living in the past or present? Is she mentally unstable? Can she regain her life or has it been lost in a black hole created by the telephone?
The story is told in simple language. The issues explored are clear-cut and uncomplicated. The family dynamics investigated are unusual. There are few surprises, in either reactions or behavior in particular circumstances, but none would really be relevant. The relationships between a husband and wife were not necessarily the norm, but they were uncomplicated and presented in a straight forward manner. Sibling relationships were addressed, so was teenage love and sexual identity. Parenting roles and a parent’s feelings about having children were also directly confronted. Alternate lifestyles were presented in a very positive light.
Essentially, “Landline” is the story of young love. It is simple and sweet, This was written for adults, but Rainbow Rowell normally writes novels for young adults, and I think this might be more suitable for them, but it could be a crossover. The dialogue sometimes seems silly, fairytale-like, but the story is easy to read and easy to take. It addresses the value of relationships, the way we approach our lives and how we choose our priorities. I listened to it in one day and it was a quick, entertaining “listen”, but essentially, it was a no brainer!
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LibraryThing member Twink
I first 'discovered' Rainbow Rowell when I read her debut novel Attachments. I loved her story and her style and have been a fan ever since. (She's also written some fantastic YA titles - Fangirl and Eleanor & Park)
Rowell's latest book Landline is an adult book.
Georgie and Neal have been married
Georgie tries to stay in touch with Neal by phone, but he seems to be out every time she calls. Depressed and not wanting to go home to an empty house, she heads to her mom's house and her childhood room. When her cellphone dies, she plugs in the bright yellow landline buried in the closet. And she finally reaches Neal. But, Georgie thinks she's losing her mind - when she talks to Neal, it's the past. The yellow phone is letting her revisit another Christmas, before they were married.
Rowell has again created a wonderfully quirky story in Landline. At first I thought the story would simply be a exploration of a relationship. Rowell makes the story unique with the addition of magical realism. The phone was a great plot device.
I liked the idea of seeing the past from the present. How often do we say to ourselves - "Oh, I wish I knew then what I know now." What would you do if you had the chance to change things? What if you couldn't? What if you didn't want to? Rowell raises some good questions and discussion points about marriage, relationships, balance in our lives and choices we make. What would you do if you had the chance to change things? What if you couldn't?
Rowell always creates quirky, fun characters. In Landline, Georgie's family - her mom and sister - both really appealed to me. I liked Georgie, but wanted to give her a bit of a wake up shake - especially in the past. I just didn't like Neal. Yes, in the present he's a good father. But seriously- in the past when she first meets him, I had my doubts. He's anti-social and quite frankly, I found him somewhat manipulative.
Rowell's prose are easy to read, are entertaining and seem to flow effortlessly. I finished Landline really quickly. Now, I quite enjoyed it, but didn't love it as much as past titles. Part of that was Neal, part of it Georgie's choices and part of it was perhaps an extra chapter or two that I thought was somewhat repetitive, covering ground already talked about. That being said, it's still a four star read from a very talented author. Landline releases July 8/14 - put it on your summer reading list.
Rowell's latest book Landline is an adult book.
Georgie and Neal have been married
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for fourteen years. They have an established life with Georgie as the breadwinner and Neal as stay-at-home dad to their two daughters. Georgie works as a television scriptwriter. When she and her writing partner get an offer at last for their own show, Georgie is thrilled. The only hitch? They have to produce four scripts in a short amount of time - over the Christmas holidays. The plan was to visit Neal's parents in another state for Christmas. But, when Georgie cancels going with Neal and the girls, the cracks in their marriage widen to what may be the breaking point. Is this the end of their marriage?Georgie tries to stay in touch with Neal by phone, but he seems to be out every time she calls. Depressed and not wanting to go home to an empty house, she heads to her mom's house and her childhood room. When her cellphone dies, she plugs in the bright yellow landline buried in the closet. And she finally reaches Neal. But, Georgie thinks she's losing her mind - when she talks to Neal, it's the past. The yellow phone is letting her revisit another Christmas, before they were married.
Rowell has again created a wonderfully quirky story in Landline. At first I thought the story would simply be a exploration of a relationship. Rowell makes the story unique with the addition of magical realism. The phone was a great plot device.
I liked the idea of seeing the past from the present. How often do we say to ourselves - "Oh, I wish I knew then what I know now." What would you do if you had the chance to change things? What if you couldn't? What if you didn't want to? Rowell raises some good questions and discussion points about marriage, relationships, balance in our lives and choices we make. What would you do if you had the chance to change things? What if you couldn't?
Rowell always creates quirky, fun characters. In Landline, Georgie's family - her mom and sister - both really appealed to me. I liked Georgie, but wanted to give her a bit of a wake up shake - especially in the past. I just didn't like Neal. Yes, in the present he's a good father. But seriously- in the past when she first meets him, I had my doubts. He's anti-social and quite frankly, I found him somewhat manipulative.
Rowell's prose are easy to read, are entertaining and seem to flow effortlessly. I finished Landline really quickly. Now, I quite enjoyed it, but didn't love it as much as past titles. Part of that was Neal, part of it Georgie's choices and part of it was perhaps an extra chapter or two that I thought was somewhat repetitive, covering ground already talked about. That being said, it's still a four star read from a very talented author. Landline releases July 8/14 - put it on your summer reading list.
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LibraryThing member Jaylia3
I love Rainbow Rowell’s other books, particularly Fangirl, and I enjoyed Landline too, but not quite as much. It’s worth reading because it has Rowell’s trademark wonderful cast of quirky characters and it showcases Rowell apt skills as a writer and storyteller, but it’s essentially about
Other than each other, what Georgie and Neal want out of life is so different it will always cause conflicts between them, and while that may be how some real life relationships are the intense, sulky, withdrawn aspects of Neal’s character are qualities I particularly dislike in any kind of partner, so it took me until far into the book before Rowell convinced me that Georgie would have wanted to marry Neal in the first place. Or that Neal would have wanted Georgie for that matter, but Rowell handles the challenge of writing about their marriage with deftness, and other people may not react to Neal the way I did.
I listened to the novel’s audiobook which has a narrator who’s terrific at differentiating all the different character voices.
This was my first foray into the world of audiobooks and it went way better than my attempt to appreciate the special joys of graphic novels. As it turns out I spend a lot more time in my car than I thought--which is where I listened to this book--and even when I was only making a ten minute trip I effortlessly sank back into the world of Georgie and Neal every time. I’m delighted to discover a way to read more books!
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the redemption of a troubled marriage that’s so fraught I sometimes had mixed feelings about it being “saved.” Other than each other, what Georgie and Neal want out of life is so different it will always cause conflicts between them, and while that may be how some real life relationships are the intense, sulky, withdrawn aspects of Neal’s character are qualities I particularly dislike in any kind of partner, so it took me until far into the book before Rowell convinced me that Georgie would have wanted to marry Neal in the first place. Or that Neal would have wanted Georgie for that matter, but Rowell handles the challenge of writing about their marriage with deftness, and other people may not react to Neal the way I did.
I listened to the novel’s audiobook which has a narrator who’s terrific at differentiating all the different character voices.
This was my first foray into the world of audiobooks and it went way better than my attempt to appreciate the special joys of graphic novels. As it turns out I spend a lot more time in my car than I thought--which is where I listened to this book--and even when I was only making a ten minute trip I effortlessly sank back into the world of Georgie and Neal every time. I’m delighted to discover a way to read more books!
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LibraryThing member debnance
This is the fourth Rowell novel I’ve read and the fourth Rowell novel I’ve enjoyed. I’ve read enough Rowell to figure out the secret of her magic is twofold: great dialogue and great real characters. This story is about the marriage of Georgie and her husband, Neal. The marriage has hit a
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rock and we are not sure whether the boat is going down or if someone can patch the hole before it’s too late. It doesn’t take long to find yourself loving Georgie and Neal, rooting for them, wishing you could pull them aside and trying to help them along. And, oddly, though the reader can’t help out, assistance does come in a totally unexpected form, from conversations on an old landline phone. Show Less
LibraryThing member StefanieGeeks
I just can't get enough of Rowell's witty dialogue, original storytelling, and relatable characters! This story about an established marriage with normal issues coupled with flashbacks to the beginning of the relationship is just a pure joy to read.
LibraryThing member Nanders
Another good read by Rainbow Rowell! Brought me to tears on numberous occasions, I really felt for Georgie, even though at times she frustrated me.
LibraryThing member asomers
I love this book. A good love story that reminds us not to take love for granted. Love requires hard work. I would highly recommend this book.
LibraryThing member ecataldi
You've got to give Rainbow Rowell credit, she can write the shit out of realistic female characters. She makes you relate to her characters by giving them real people flaws, unlike so many authors that make the female leads to pretty, perfect, self absorbed, etc. Rainbow is honest, and her writing
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shows that. She can also easily transition between writing adult and young adult novels which takes some serious talent. I can't wait to read more of her work. I haven't read Fangirl or Attachments yet, but I did read and love Eleanor and Park. Basically, if you like Rainbow Rowell as an author, then read this. And if you haven't? Read it anyway. Show Less
LibraryThing member Narshkite
Light as air, generally enjoyable, pedestrian but also fairly charming. No spoilers, but the final scene was clearly written as a movie treatment and its going to be a tour de force for Rachel McAdams.
LibraryThing member UnderMyAppleTree
Georgie McCool is a comedy writer for a television series. Her work always seems to take priority over her family. Days before a planned trip to visit her husband’s family for Christmas, she had to cancel for a last-minute project. Her husband, Neal, and the kids went to Denver without her. Her
While visiting her mom for Christmas, Georgie uses an old landline phone in her childhood bedroom to call and say hi to Neal and kids. But something isn’t right. Neal sounds different. Somehow Georgie is talking to Neal in the past. Is this her chance to fix things? Or should she change the past, and undo all the complications of the present?
Told in the first person from Georgie’s point of view, the story alternates between the past in the 1980s, when Georgie and Neal first fell in love, and the present, with the now married Georgie and Neal and their two children. Seth, Georgie’s best friend, now co-worker, and constant thorn-in-the-side for Neal, is present in both time lines and at times complicates Georgie’s life.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style with cute, clever dialog and ’80s cultural references. Despite her all her flaws, I liked Georgie and wanted her and Neal to succeed – but not because I liked Neal. We don’t really get to know Neal – what he thinks and what he wants – we only know what Georgie tells us about him.
Part romance and part magical realism, this book should appeal to more than the YA audience it is targeted to. While it does deal with young love, overall it had a more adult feel. Ultimately, this is a story about relationships and families, with characters that felt real. The ending felt a little predictable, but we don’t get answers to all our questions. A few things are left to the reader to decide.
Audio Production
The audio was narrated by Rebecca Lowman. Characters and voices were distinct and I had no trouble remembering who was speaking. Even pacing and a pleasant tone made this an easy listen. At about nine hours, the time zipped by for me.
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marriage is in trouble, and she knows it.While visiting her mom for Christmas, Georgie uses an old landline phone in her childhood bedroom to call and say hi to Neal and kids. But something isn’t right. Neal sounds different. Somehow Georgie is talking to Neal in the past. Is this her chance to fix things? Or should she change the past, and undo all the complications of the present?
Told in the first person from Georgie’s point of view, the story alternates between the past in the 1980s, when Georgie and Neal first fell in love, and the present, with the now married Georgie and Neal and their two children. Seth, Georgie’s best friend, now co-worker, and constant thorn-in-the-side for Neal, is present in both time lines and at times complicates Georgie’s life.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style with cute, clever dialog and ’80s cultural references. Despite her all her flaws, I liked Georgie and wanted her and Neal to succeed – but not because I liked Neal. We don’t really get to know Neal – what he thinks and what he wants – we only know what Georgie tells us about him.
Part romance and part magical realism, this book should appeal to more than the YA audience it is targeted to. While it does deal with young love, overall it had a more adult feel. Ultimately, this is a story about relationships and families, with characters that felt real. The ending felt a little predictable, but we don’t get answers to all our questions. A few things are left to the reader to decide.
Audio Production
The audio was narrated by Rebecca Lowman. Characters and voices were distinct and I had no trouble remembering who was speaking. Even pacing and a pleasant tone made this an easy listen. At about nine hours, the time zipped by for me.
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LibraryThing member mcelhra
Oh, how I love Rainbow Rowell. I’m sure if I knew her personally, we would totally be BFFs. Landline is funny and heartwarming at the same time. I could relate to both Georgie and Neal. Georgie is an over-worked, stressed out television writer and Neal is a stay-at-home dad. The story was
Georgie and Neal could have easily been caricatures. I’ve seen the working spouse vs. the stay at home spouse many times in other books and in TV and movies. But this book is a fresh and original take on that storyline. There is not much more I can say about the plot that I can say without spoiling it. There is one device that requires a heavy suspension of belief but it’s worth it and I didn’t have a problem doing that at all.
Call me Rainbow. Anytime. We can hang out.
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primarily set in the present day, showing Georgie and Neal’s strained relationship but also flashed back to the back to when they first met so the reader gets a clear idea of how they ended up in the state they’re in today. Even the secondary characters, like Seth and Georgie’s mom and sister are well drawn. And they have the most hilarious lines. I was laughing out loud several times. I love Rainbow’s sense of humor.Georgie and Neal could have easily been caricatures. I’ve seen the working spouse vs. the stay at home spouse many times in other books and in TV and movies. But this book is a fresh and original take on that storyline. There is not much more I can say about the plot that I can say without spoiling it. There is one device that requires a heavy suspension of belief but it’s worth it and I didn’t have a problem doing that at all.
Call me Rainbow. Anytime. We can hang out.
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Awards
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2014)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-07
Physical description
7.83 inches
ISBN
140915212X / 9781409152125
Other editions
Landline by Rainbow Rowell (Paperback)