ABRIDGED VERISION

I was disappointed to begin this book today and realize that it is an abridged version. I own the book and it has more than 5 chapters. The description does not indicate that it is abridged.

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5 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Join the pity party.

The main character in this book has no redeeming characteristics. Nor do any of the rest of the well under developed characters. Not a fan.

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5 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Don't waste your time...

What would have made While I Was Gone better?

Let's see...character development, an actual plot or purpose for the story.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was ok. I think she did the best she could with the material. She seemed like she was looking through a window at the characters though, instead of being a character. This is probably because of the poor character development to begin with.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from While I Was Gone?

I'd have redone everything.

Any additional comments?

The main character was ridiculous. I just didn't connect with her or even like her from the beginning. By the end of this long drawn out pile of garble, I was ready for her husband to just leave her and the book to end. I almost didn't finish it.

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3 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Completely forgetable

I never got to the point where I cared about the main character. The surprise(?) outcome was completely predictable. I've come to expect more from Ms Miller.

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3 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

One of my all-time favorite books...

I have always absolutely loved this book. It such an intimate and realistic view of a person’s true identity. An imperfect wife and mother, who draws you in. An imperfect marriage, that makes you want to cheer for their relationship. I read this EVERY fall/winter, and never stop enjoying being invited in to Jo’s Home, for the season.

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2 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Excellent

Jo Becker upended her world the year she left her husband and moved into a communal building with strangers. After divorcing her husband, she met and married Danielle a minister with whom she raised three daughters. Quite unexpectedly.Jo becomes reacquainted with one of the roommates from years ago. After being re-introduced to Eli, I wondered if perhaps Joe would take another path and stray from her marriage to Daniel.

I must confess when I first started this read/listen it felt as though the story plotted along. But after a short time, it picked up the pace, and I listened intently to the story.

While I Was Gone is an excellent character study, not only of Jo Becker, but of marriage, and how fragile it is in the wake of our actions. An excellent read by Sue Miller. Blythe Danner was the narrator who brought the characters to life.

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Enjoyable

Nobody describes the verisimilitude of marriage or family life better than sue Miller, sometimes not everyone may appreciate, but I do. This story is engaging on other levels as well, particularly the second half. I do wish the narrator had used different cadences & inflections for different characters, but everyone seems to speak exactly alike by her reading. Not a terrible problem, tho.

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Unexpected

This book was FAR from what I expected & not one I would have chosen, but it's well written. I was uninterested more than half way through wanting it to be over & then my attention was grasped with the shocking reveal. It is Not a revelation of while she was gone & how she would grow & develop during that time as I thought it would be, but instead how she left one husband & life & was ready to leave again until... Even though the situations were different. A story of things & people not being what or whom they seem. A story of the need to share faults with someone else in order to recognize & forgive oneself.

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Enjoyed this very much!

After reading the initial reviews I was hesitant to listen to the audiobook. I was prepared to not really enjoy this book. But I enjoyed it thoroughly. Although part of the storyline and the ultimate ending were somewhat predictable, it still left me eagerly anticipating if what I thought would occur actually would take place. I listened to it in its entirety in one night. I would definitely recommend it.

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Good book overall, not a great story line

This is a fairly short book. The beginning didn’t really draw me in and I kept wondering to myself, until nearly the end of the book, when the story line was going to start revealing itself to me. When it ended, I was actually shocked it was over. I remember thinking, “that’s it??”
That being said, the writing itself was good. I liked the characters, for the most part. I think the author was aiming to reveal a grand “moral of the story”, and I think it did have a bit of that, but even this area seemed lacking.
P.S. Please know that this is only my opinion! I am not a professional, I do not have an English degree! Just my take on the book. :)

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