George and Lizzie

George and Lizzie, by Nancy Pearl, is different. But good different. Very good different. A day after finishing the book I can't get it out of my head. The novel is primarily about Lizzie, from being raised by atypical parents to acceptance of her life and optimism for the future. Lizzie grew up in a sterile environment without loving, caring parents. From there she develops into a person unwittingly set on self-destruction. After a semester of being in love with a fellow student who moves away, she spent years tormenting herself that he was her one true love and she was responsible for the breakup. She spent hours and years looking for him on the internet, social media, telephone books . . . everywhere she traveled. Even so, she developed a relationship, which led to marriage, with George. His upbringing could not have been more different . . . loving, wonderful parents and extended family. Lizzie eventually let's herself be married to him but doesn't stop looking for her true love until the end of the book, when she realizes she has found her true love in George. Of course, it's more than that, it's a story about a damaged soul who grew up believing the glass is always half-empty yet fortunately grasped at lifelines extended by the few she allowed in. It's a unique book: sad, funny, insightful, frustrating yet I became invested in her character as well as George and the others in her close circle. People were there for her but she had to quiet the voices in her head who told her she was worthless and, through life lessons, recognize that loving and being loved trumps everything. There is so much in this book that it should be a book club must read.

I'm not opposed to quirky books or unlikable characters and although I've seen both charges leveled against this book, those aren't the reasons for my 2 star rating. My problem with George and Lizzie was that neither George nor Lizzie seemed like real people to me, so I never cared about the outcome of their relationship. None of it rang true, especially Lizzie's “Great Game” and her emotionally absent psychologist parents (I'm so sick of that trope; and do your research Ms. Pearl, worshiping B.F. Skinner went out of fashion long before Lizzie's fictional birth year). The flash forward detours for the Great Game “participants” added nothing to the story except display Pearl's knowledge about football. I think the author is trying to say something about marital love that supports and grows over time, as compared to the passionate love of short-term affairs, but she chose an awkward vehicle to deliver the message.

Kind of disappointing. I gave up partway through, but I may try it again later.