Share for friends:

Read Rosie (1997)

Rosie (1997)

Online Book

Author
Rating
3.65 of 5 Votes: 5
Your rating
ISBN
0140264795 (ISBN13: 9780140264791)
Language
English
Publisher
penguin books

Rosie (1997) - Plot & Excerpts

I approached this book with high expectations, which is always a mistake. I love most of Lamott's non-fiction work and had read a positive review or two of Rosie. The first half was hard going and I had to talk myself out of giving up on it more than once. Slow moving and too much detail. It picked up in the 2nd half and I ended up finishing the last 100+ pages in one hit. I really enjoyed Lamott's ability to tap into the world of little girls - how they think and act, and I also found her depiction of Elizabeth's reaction to the alleged betrayal by James all too familiar. I found Elizabeth's negligent parenting bothersome though, particularly because there appeared to be a subtext that love would overcome all and with the odd decent parenting moment, everything would be OK. Rosie has been structured as a character with a particularly high resilience for her alcoholic, despondent mother, but that type of resilience is rare and many kids would not come out the other side of Elizabeth's parenting in great shape. That said, the 2nd half of the book was sufficiently gripping and interesting enough for me to consider reaching for the next book in this series.

Rosie is one of Lamott's earlier novels. It's honest in its presentation of characters and their flaws. Elizabeth, the main character, is kind of detached from life; she has no direction or desire. When she get's pregnant with Rosie, at first she wants to get rid of the child via an abortion, but decides to keep her.This changes Elizabeth's life. Rosie is the key to her existence and as Elizabeth raises her, she gains purpose, a reason to exist.Lamott throws several situations at her characters as the story line unfolds. I do not want to spoil the story, so read it and you'll see the various things that Elizabeth and Rosie must overcome together.Lamott's prose is heartbeat steady. She is heavy on the dialogue but in such a way that it is used as narrative as well as dialogue. When you read this story, do not expect "great moments." What I mean is that there is no real climax or huge conflict to the story, just a steady telling. The characters are endearing, and sometimes aggravate the reader, but are real and easy to relate to. This novel is a solid read.

What do You think about Rosie (1997)?

I've only read one other book by Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird, which I really enjoyed). I like her writing style and I enjoyed the character of Rae, but I was troubled by some of the book. For an author celebrated for her honesty and empathy, I sensed a lot of prejudice in the book: toward people of different religions, sizes, skin colors, and educational background. Lamott wrote about the main character, Elizabeth, as though she were better than others because of her love of reading and her beautiful tablecloths and good taste in food. Yet I actually found Elizabeth pretty repulsive and narrow minded. And she doesn't grow much as a character. Lamott's writing is good, but I found the story and characters unappealing. I don't think I'll read anything else by Lamott.
—Kourtney Collum

This book was written in 1983 and it was interesting reading about life as we knew it 20 years ago. It wasn't because anything dramatic was happening other than the random references to Reagan and Russia etc. but it was more about the portrayal of the emotional time. Anne Lamott was an alchoholic herself and has been free of it for a long time. I wondered whether this story was partly autobiographical in a way. The acid trip was weird and felt odd being included but then it may have been part of the times back then. I read the book quickly and felt better about it as I read on and on. Like another poster mentioned, I felt like putting it down in the beginning. It struck a cord and I am glad I stuck with it and finished it through to the happier ending. I am reading the sequel of Rosie next. Glad to know there is a third one as well.
—Annie Smith

I love Anne Lamott's non-fiction - she's really funny. But after reading this early fiction for a second time (the first was many years ago) I was left wondering why I remembered liking it so much. Elizabeth is a whining, self-indulgent trust funder, who in spite of heavy drinking, reads the classics, cooks gourmet meals and has a killer garden. All else bores her to tears. A traumatic event at the beginning of the book is entirely glossed over and another involving Rosie and the neighbor is neatly resolved. The kid is wise beyond her years in a not-so-believable way. You never hear what she is doing when her mother is out drinking in the bar, not remembering her drive home. Rae is a great character but the way she and Elizabeth become best friends in about two minutes does not ring true. Lots of unlikely events occur including not one, but two, dogs being hit by moving vehicles within a short time span. Not impossible, but when truth is stranger than fiction, the editor should step in.
—Lisa

Write Review

(Review will shown on site after approval)

Read books by author Anne Lamott

Read books in series rosie ferguson

Read books in category Historical Fiction