The Condition

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very touching novel, written with graceful and articulate prose. 'The Condition' is not so much about the literal condition (Turners Syndrome), but about a Family and about change and growth; the passing of time and the effects it has on an individual and on a family. Haigh successfully interweaves the characters, all of whom are dynamic and believable. I read this novel in two days -- it was almost impossible to put down. My only criticism is how Haigh neatly wraps up the ending.


View all my reviews.

Run

Author - Ann Patchett
3 out of 5 Stars
This book would make a great script for an indy film or an off broadway play. It's very intimate and concise with well developed characters and a poignant social theme. I liked that Patchett didn't get overly sentimental or preachy.

The Memory of Water

Author - Karen White
2 out of 5 Stars
This is the first book by Karen White that I have read and I was very mixed. I love that the book portrayed an accurate (or at least what I imagine to be accurate) depiction of bipolar disease. This novel had all the trappings of something that could have been really great -- fantastic descriptions of the ocean (packed with metaphors), dysfunctional family relationships, and (at least for the first 30 pages) a rather suspenseful and well written foreshadowing of a drastic and tragic event. But Miller underestimates her reader -- her ending is way too obvious (ie. she gives the readers way too much information early on), making the ending extremely disappointing.