The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
The book focuses on a group of people who meet at camp as teenagers in the 70s. A camp with a bend towards the arts that has kids from all walks of life. There are a few kids that are on financial aid at this camp and some of them are part of the group that calls themselves "The Interestings".
We follow this group of friends from camp in to their mid-50's. Each of their lives go through what all of our lives go through, a series of ups and downs. You get to know each individual character in depth. We read about the first bout of AIDS, the conversations that take place about feminism that will be different from the past generation, the gay friends who come out of the closet, having kids that grow up and go to college, autism, how some friends have incredible success and others do not, being abused as a child, sexual attraction and even different work habits. The book combines all the things that I have witnessed over my life.
What has stayed with me is that how each of their lives took a different path based on who they are, the baggage they carry, their expectations and perceptions of each other and each of their relationships with themselves and each other. Who you become based on all the luggage you carry or who you do not become is really interesting when you take a step back and look at it from a birds eye view.
I highly recommend this book. An American novel.
Comments (Archived):
I found the book remarkable and lasting.”And didn’t it always go like that—body parts not quite lining up the way you wanted them to, all of it a little bit off, as if the world itself were an animated sequence of longing and envy and self-hatred and grandiosity and failure and success, a strange and endless cartoon loop that you couldn’t stop watching, because, despite all you knew by now, it was still so interesting”
nice quote. i am honestly still thinking about the book.
Susan just said to me: “it is the book for our generation”
spot on
Joanne, You are the most remarkable writer. Your reviews are outstanding; you communicate much complexity and depth with as few words as possible. A real gift. Thank you
Wow. Thanks Sharon
Buying this book tonight based on this review. Sounds great! Thanks
I am 89% of the way through it according to my Kobo and I am dragging it out to make it not end. Helps that my name is Jules too. 🙂 (Does anyone else prefer page progression to %?)
i def prefer page progression but have gotten used to the %.