Elizabeth Is Missing
Ratings55
Average rating3.7
I feel rather drab and shy for a few minutes. But then I remember that I am old and nobody is looking at me
Deeply moving story about 80yr old Maud who is suffering from dementia and can't find her friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth is Missing just like her sister Sukey who went missing in 1949.
For the most part I thought this was incredible. Maud's memory slips between then and now are brilliantly done and you really feal the frustration and anger building up in Maud when she is struggling to work things out. I did find the “Elizabeth Is Missing” part of the story a little bit drawn out. I'm pretty sure someone would have said SOMETHING at some point it just irked me a little bit.
I was waffling between three and four stars, but I'm glad I read this so I'll go with four. I appreciated the confusion of the older Maud, but young Maud seemed... stunted? or on the spectrum or something? that that part of the story didn't really work for me. You really feel for Maud though; the not knowing, the confusion. You also feel for her family members; it's hard when a family member doesn't remember anything from one minute to the next. I wish there was a bit more resolution, but for the story this is, it makes sense there's not. Overall I'm glad I read this, but I'm not sure I really liked it, if that makes sense.
It was well written and kept me interested, pulled a couple small twists. But I just don't find the connection between the two stories to make much sense. What, she didn't know where her sister was until 70 years later? She kept it in her subconscious all that time and suddenly with Alzheimer's it comes out? I don't buy it :/. I felt like there would be a more logical connection between the two stories but that was never resolved, and not in a good way that keeps you guessing (see previous comments).
Very cleverly written, I love how the author teased little bits out of the story here and there, wee clues to the ending.
I really enjoyed this book. But I have to admit I was wondering when the big ‘thing' was going to happen. Perhaps that's because it took me a while to figure it out. Maybe people who got it sooner found it a little more riveting. But I don't think the book was meant to be riveting. It certainly opens your eyes to Alzheimer's and the difficulty for all those involved that they experience every day. It was brilliantly thought out, and it felt very real. I became so attached to the family, how they were dealing with it all. How everyone has their part to play. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I started reading it. the crime/mystery aspect of it gave it the ‘oomph' I'm used to when reading a good book, but then like I said, it's not meant to be that kind of book. It certainly was the kind of book it set out to be. Sad, funny, informative, enlightening. I would definitely recommend it.
Excellent representation of a mind slowly losing touch with the present. Very well plotted, juxtaposing the past with the present and weaving two narratives together intriguingly. However, I just found it a bit dull.
“Elizabeth is Missing” came up on one of the trillion best-of-2014-book lists I've reviewed in the last few weeks and sounded interesting. Christmas got in the way of reading this one straight through, and, upon completion, I'd say I agree with whichever list recommended the book!
Emma Healey paints Maud beautifully, both as a young girl and as a elderly woman spiraling into dementia. It's not just Maud that is nuanced and living; the other characters in the book are also well-rendered. Post-WW2 English life also felt spot-on based on family stories, which makes me wonder whether the author incorporated real events into the novel. Although Maud's present isn't as vivid as her childhood in 1946, the depiction felt accurate; the current-day lens is mostly through a woman living alone (with her daughter and carers sprinkling in) whose short-term memory is severely hampered. I couldn't help but cheer Maud's tenacity in the face of confusing information coming from both internal and external forces.
After finishing the book a few minutes ago, I could not help but be impressed by the authors handiwork in her first published novel. What might have been ham-fisted in other hands was elegant in Ms. Healey's.
Although the plot is quite different, readers who enjoyed “Elizabeth is Missing” may enjoy “Turn of Mind” by Alice LaPlante. Another reviewer recommended “The Night Guest” by Fiona McFarlane, which I've not read, but does sound compelling.
omg bloody amazing!!! so glad I trusted Goodreads (and my instincts) and picked this one from the voting thingie.
Reasons to love it:
1, Maud is just adorable. broke my heart when she (the main character, an elderly woman suffering from dementia) would be embarrassed because others wouldn't take her ramblings seriously, but she is just the loveliest dotty character I've had the pleasure of coming across.
2, Helen, who keeps strong, dignified and loving throughout all the “how do you grow summer squash.”, and makes me wish I can always be as sweet and have family like her around.
3, the narrative is so good that up to the moment the mystery started to be the focus, I was perfectly okay with Maud's voice and the occasional glimpse from others.
4, the plot twist? ladies and gentleman, consider me amazed.
5, the fact you laugh (the advert for the cat was priceless, I laughed for five minutes) and cry (possible spoiler would incur from my finishing this thought, so...) is just so good.
really made my weekend nicer for being such a gem. Thank you Emma Healey !