Arlington Park - What a great big pile of crap, worst book I have had the misfortune to pick up in a long long time

[Oliveoil]

One of my NY resolutions is to read more books (now that dd2 seems to realise - at 3.6yrs!!! - that at bedtime she REMAINS in her bed in the evening) and I have been doing just that

well

Arlington Park

I forced myself to get to the end

what an obnoxious moaning bunch of women

I do not know ANYBODY like this, it makes out motherhood and relationships to be crap

yes you may have the odd day when you could easily headbutt the wall, but purlease

hated the writing style and skimmed it over and over again

anybody want it FFP? before I lob it out of the window?

In what way ironic, Franca?

I found it really demoralising - I had never even thought to see motherhood and babydom in such a negative light.

that doesn't surprise me Anna

Cusk has servants? Why does this not surprise me?...

I honestly can't remember Anna, I read it 5 yrs ago when ds was a baby and the vague memory I have was that it was quite funny. A breath of fresh air out of the idealization (does this word exist?) of babyhood and motherhood. Which, don't get me wrong, are great, but deserve at times a bitter laugh

was it really that negative? I will re read it.

Yes, it was really gloomy and depressing. There I was thinking that life had just never been better than this, and I could spend all day every day revelling in my baby and general domestic cosiness - and R Cusk comes along and its all gloom and doom and don't know what to do next .

. I understand. I liked it. Don't get me wrong, I loved having a new baby, but was quite unconfrotable with the mistique surrounding new mothers and the presciousness of those first months. so I found the book refreshing

unconfortable (sp?)

I know RC lived in Bristol for a bit, and I have always imagined that Arlington Park was based on Westbury Park - or Waitrose Park as I like to think of it. I think the shopping centre is based on the Mall at Cribbs Causeway, and the estate-y bit they drive through to get there is Southmead.

I like some of early RC, but she has got quite doomy and depressing, and I found AP really hard work. My sister and I were laughing the other day about the bit where she goes on about how the men are KILLING the woman (iirc, it's been a while since I read it).

Hmm. I never had any feeling of mystique and preciousness. I found the whole process incredibly earthy - I had a real back-to-nature moment during pregnancy/childbirth/early motherhood and absolutely adored that feeling of being an animal .

UQD and so she should have servants, if indeed she does. She's a writer not a housekeeper. She should employ whoever possible to come in and do things so she can write.

oh I don't think I am clever enough to partake of this thread anymore, you have gone all descriptive

tbh I was BORED TO DEATH with the start of the book, waffling on about rain. Yes, it is raining, get on with it fgs

I didn't buy anything in Waterstones, I bought some soup instead from Pret

what can you recommend (that isn't obsessed with the weather and/or motherhood)?

would love to keep on discussing but have to go back to my internetless flat .

I read it. She seems to be producing books which vindicate my view that most middle class clever women are pretty unhappy at home and ought to be out there working.

(I didn't like the first chapter, when she's pg and goes for a walk in the snow, I thought she was being quite irresponsible )

lol

oh Xenia, nothing like a bit of generalising is there?

Xenia - actually, she vindicates my view that many middle-class women have become so divorced from the biological realities of life that they labour under the illusions they are being cleverer and leading more fulfilling lives by marketing soap powder than by bringing up their children

And vindicates my view that it would be better if everyone did what makes them happy and/or what's best for their financial and family situation, and not moan at each other for doing the "wrong" thing.

Yes, but a lot of them get fed up at home because it's so boring there. I loved the giving birth process, the being pregnant, the holding and touching chidlren, the breastfeeding, loved all of that basic stuff very very much. Just never wanted to do it all day long.

I think she does describe well what she sees. Nt all women are as she describes but a good few are in a particular subset. Cannot now remember much about the book - they seemed to meet to chat, the various mothers and presumably someone or other had a marriage breakup and did one husband have an affair with the au pair?

Well said Anna I completely agree with you.

nothing as exciting as that Xenia, highlights were

it rained
one couple were moaning at each other
woman chopped hair off
another couple not getting on
more weather updates
red pen on white sofa
visit to shopping mall with 4x4 rant
London is where it is at apparently
more couples hating each other
sad children
big houses (but not big enough apparently)
booze
crap dinner party
THE END (thank f@ck for that)

LilianGish - thanks .

I'm working on perfecting the wording (in English and French) for that particular retort/put down. I find I often need it (if only inwardly to be said to myself at crucial moments ).

Olive, this migh sound silly but I LOVED the descriptions, particularly the shopping centre. There isn't much of a plot, i agree. I found the narrative quite humorous in a dark, brooding sort of way.