We are all completely besides ourselves

I loved this too. I really liked Rosemary's voice, and found it clever and funny. (Loved the line about the feds not agreeing that opening a door was the same as closing a door.) There were lots of funny throwaway lines, and great characterisation.

I agree with those who say it reminded them of John Irving. It had more focus and self-control though, I thought.

The central theme was interesting, although I found after the twist, I couldn't view Fern as I had previously. So I agree with slightlyglitterstained when she says 'The thought provoking parts for me were the relationships and Rosie's world as a small child, how little her parents understood of her internal world, how useless/helpless they were at dealing with the aftermath of what happened.'

I was still very moved by the ending though.

I absolutely loved it.

I thought the narrator was Holden Caulfield-esque in her disappointment with society.

Surprising, smart, heartbreaking.

That is so true about so many things though, isn't it?
Child poverty?
Untold millions dying of infectious diseases/war/poor sanitation?
The issue raised in the book is a terrible one, but not the worst I can think of tbh.

Just finished The Casual Vacancy and am now utterly depressed.
Good read, well-drawn characters, but OMFG
Likely too close to the bone for me as I work with people who live with some of the issues discussed (don't want to post spoilers).

I loved it. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I started yesterday and finished today. Reading this thread, I can't help but think of this quote from the book.

“The world runs,” Lowell said, “on the fuel of this endless, fathomless misery. People know it, but they don’t mind what they don’t see. Make them look and they mind, but you’re the one they hate, because you’re the one that made them look.”

That last sentence meant I found it interesting enough to recommend, not that my husband has the last word in these matters

I enjoyed it, found it an easy read. The twist wasn't a huge shock exactly but it did completely change the course of the book and made it very different to how it initially seemed.

I nearly sent it windmilling across the room at that point I'll admit, but persevered and it was worth it. It was more interesting and thought provoking than I had expected it to be. I knew of the subject matter but it was an original approach to it and it was emotionally involving but not sentimental or mawkish in its treatment of it, which I liked. It made me think a lot about family relationships and our interactions with the people we love, how it informs our character, childhood and growing up. I took a lot from it other than what it was ostensibly 'about' and found all the books etc referenced interesting and some of it was new to me.

A different take on the Bildungsroman if nothing else! I recommended it to my husband.

For me it was a book I could read on holiday. I didn't expect to learn anything from it. It was off the fiction shelf. Easy ready. That's all my poor brain needs to keep it ticking over on holidsy.

For me it contained no new ideas or insights and the issues covered were incompletely covered over simplified or misrepresented.

I can't explain any more without adding spoilers

I think some posters on here have alluded to the twist- maybe thread title needs to mention that? I loved the first half, and reread some bits after the twist. I thought it list it's way a bit in the second half, but bring a simple soul, I liked the way things were tied up at the end. I can't stand being left in limbo at the end of a good book! BTW, found A Casual Vacancy pretty boring and not brilliantly written, but am loving the Cormoran Strike books!

I was aware of the experiments & theories. The thought provoking parts for me were the relationships and Rosie's world as a small child, how little her parents understood of her internal world, how useless/helpless they were at dealing with the aftermath of what happened.

I know DS has his own mysterious little toddler world and I understand very little of it. That doesn't bother me, but the thought that I might break his world and not have a clue how to make him feel safe again does.

You could argue that the sign of a good book is that it makes you think - in a way that a well researched but dry article doesn't or a bunch of animal activists can't. There are many "issues" competing for attention and only so much headspace you can give each.

Well I must be abit daft because I've just finished it and have a tear in my eye! I thought it was great. I read it on the train and in bed. We don't always want War and Peace.

"Those who found it thought provoking, were you not aware of experiments and theories pertaining to the issues covered in the book?"

Yes, I was, which was precisely why I found it interesting.

Of course I, for one, knew about experiments on animals etc. No need to be patronising. It's touched me and I found it thought provoking. Sorry for enjoying not-quite-highbrow-enough literature.

I found it all rather 'pop psychology'

I thought the book taught me more about 'growing up with psychologist parents' than it did about 'siblings that are 'other'' IYKWIM (I am trying not to post a spoiler)

Yes, I remain underwhelmed too.

Those who found it thought provoking, were you not aware of experiments and theories pertaining to the issues covered in the book?
Personally I've read a fair bit on the subject and found the book distinctly underwhelming.

it's facile nonsense, sorry, and an insult to ali smith that they might be named in same paragraph.

and i read the whole damned thing, several hours of my life i could have spent reading something better.

Interestingly I realised the "twist" worked, in that when Rosemary is getting really distressed during Dr Soso's lecture, it took me a while to think "shit, of course she's thinking about her sister". Which tells me something about how I'd categorised her.

Given some of her previous stuff, I'm curious about whether people think of it as science fiction?

Not in the raygun toting space monkey sense, obviously, but I can't quite decide whether it "feels" similar in the way she builds up Rosemary's world. Will prob need to reread again but not sure I want to go there yet.

I loved it, didn't know about the twist in advance and was blown away when that came out. It really did make me think... Persevere!

Oh, I'm three quarters through it and really enjoying it. I've just told my cousin to recommend it to her book club!

Today I bought the National Geographic for the kids. An indirect link, no doubt. I am thinking about the book.

Really?!
Hm. I remain underwhelmed, although it has stayed with me and I have been thinking about it.

Today it made the Man Booker shortlist