All the Lasting Things

I loved the first 90% of this book. The writing was good, the characters had substance, the family dynamics were very interesting and I was looking forward to a book I could read more than once. However, the last 10% was a big disappointment.......more

Dreary and Verbous Sadly, I wanted to like this book. I'm a fan of new authors and first books. It's the English teacher in me that tries to encourage the young minds in my classes to stretch and persevere. Unfortunately, this book was hard to read; overwritten and depressing. The only likable charac......more

A very well-drawn picture of a dysfunctional family. All successful in their own ways but flawed and/or ill in their own ways. I wish at least one of the characters could have caught a break, but then the author could not have delivered his thoughts on the futility of life. Did not like the italiciz......more

This book is beautifully written and the story of a high-functioning, but dysfunctional family is poignant and heart wrenching. I found the book difficult to concentrate on and wonder if in places the author is trying to hard to be clever. The novel is as much about the nature of fame as it is about......more

This book almost brought me to tears on more than one occasion. It brings forth the complicated dimensions of family including aging parents, children, siblings, etc and captures it in a mesmerizing and thought provoking way. The characters are complex and could very well be any member of ones own f......more