Fiction
2016
Finished on October 1, 2025
Rating: 2/5 (OK)
Publisher's Blurb:
Daniel Sullivan leads a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and his wife, Claudette, is a reclusive ex-film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Together, they have made an idyllic life in the country, but a secret from Daniel's past threatens to destroy their meticulously constructed and fiercely protected home. Shot through with humor and wisdom, This Must Be the Place is an irresistible love story that crisscrosses continents and time zones as it captures an extraordinary marriage, and an unforgettable family, with wit and deep affection.
In a crazy effort to read all of Maggie O'Farrell's books, I stuck with this one in spite of my irritation with the structure of the novel. Anyone who has read O'Farrell's works is familiar with both her nonlinear timelines and multiple points of view. I have enjoyed a few of her books with these formats, but This Must Be the Place pushed me to my limit. Allow me to share the following line-up for each chapter:
Daniel 2010
Claudette 1989
Niall 1999
Phoebe 2010
Auction Catalog 2005
Donegal 2010
Claudette 1993
Daniel 2010
Lenny 1994
Donegal 2010
Todd 1986
Lucas 1995
Daniel 2010
Claudette 1996
Teresa 1944
Daniel 2010
Maeve 2003
Ari 2010
Daniel 1986
Daniel 2010
Nicola & Daniel 1986
Niall 2013
Claudette & Daniel 2013
Interview with Timou 2014
Lucas 2014
Rosalind 2015
Ari, Calvin & Marithe 2016
Daniel 2016
There you have it. If my calculations are correct there are 16 points of view. As it's Daniel's story, he is the primary narrator, but the complex puzzle of a story made my head hurt. (I didn't even try to keep track of the locations!)
This is not the sort of book you can set down for more than a day without losing your place in the narrative. The prose is lovely, and the conclusion was satisfying, but this is not a book that I can recommend. I can't imagine what it would be like to listen to the audiobook. The novel really needs more than two readers (and the male's delivery is bland and annoying), and the constant shift between characters, time, and place would be agonizing. Thankfully, I had the print edition, which I promptly threw across the room once I finished. Bah!
I've not read this one and am not inclined to pick it up. Ha! 'Threw it across the room' - LOL!
ReplyDeleteKay, you're not missing a thing! :)
DeleteI read this one and I remember being a bit confused about the nonlinear situations. But, overall I liked this book by O'Farrell. Claudette's back story was interesting to me. Maybe the next one will be better for you and I admire you are working through all her books. She's a good author.
ReplyDeleteTina, I remember reading your review and knew you enjoyed this one. I have two books by O'Farrell remaining to read. I'm hoping to finish this read-a-thon of her books by the end of the year.
DeleteI love book goals like that! Picking an author and seeing what they've published. You are killing it on getting hers read.
DeleteTina, I had also planned to read all of Elizabeth Strout's books, but go side-tracked. I'll get back to those soon!
DeleteDo you have any author goal for 2026? I was pondering Michener or Picoult. No rock solid plan though.
DeleteGood question, Tina. I may go back to a mystery series (as I did with Susan Hill and Deborah Crombie). Maybe Martha Grimes, Elly Griffiths, Peter Robinson. Or maybe I'll just look at my shelves and see who I've loved and try to get caught up on their backlist titles.
DeleteI think I would be totally lost with that many timelines and changes. I wouldn't be able to keep my place in the story. Hmm. You seem to have summed that up well.
ReplyDeleteSusan, it was pretty confusing! I was tempted to try to read the book in chronological order, but that was too much work.
DeleteToo many points of view! I am proud of you for sticking with it. If I am not enjoying a book, I move on.
ReplyDeleteHelen, it was crazy! I would have moved on had I not been hell-bent to read all of this author's books.
DeleteWow. You were persistent despite your frustration with the disorder in the timeline.
ReplyDeleteDeb, it's always the case of wanting to see how it all wraps up in the end, especially if I've invested a lot of time in the book. If I'm more than halfway through a book, I really hate to stop reading it.
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