Today Will Be Different

Just an OK read.

wow racist, homophobic, sexist and an abusive parent? pick a struggle, maria semple

edit: i highly recommend reading this fantastic review for a breakdown on just why this was so awful
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1846350494?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

6 hours of whining about how being white and rich is so hard and attempting and failing to be aware of how ridiculous this is. And the ending was very disappointing.

It was a quick easy read with the same humor I enjoyed in “Where'd you go Bernadette?” but I didn't enjoy this book as much as that one.

I absolutely tore through this book, that's how much I enjoyed it. I loved Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and was concerned that I'd be disappointed by Today Will Be Different based on some of the reviews. But I'm so happy I gave this book a try. In my opinion, it felt very different from WYGB, and I enjoyed reading from Eleanor's perspective, even when things got really wild.

Let me start by saying that I devoured this book in one day. That is always a good sign.

The narrative shift partway through was a complete shock: we start with a not-too-serious story about a wealthy neurotic mother having a “rough” time, and then switch to a story of deeply bonded sisters whose relationship is destroyed over time in sharp acidic bursts. The emotions in this portion were so horribly sharp I had to stop reading and reach out to my own sister to tell her how much I love her (a sort of superstitious assurance that this story will never be us, never).

So then the book is moving back and forth between the plot of the sisters (the past) and the plot of the older-sister-turned-neurotic-mother (present). And here's where it gets complicated, since the former is so compelling and real and the latter is.... not. I mean, the older sister/mother just goes bonkers. It's been set up in the early pages that she gets away with acting like an asshole, but this is unbelievable. I think that it may have worked if things were slowed down, if she did these things over several weeks instead of in one day, and if more information was given to explain her behavior. As far as I can tell the only explanation for the present-day plot line is “My sister and I no longer have a relationship and the pain of it is making me selfish and a little nuts”. When I finished the book I had the strong feeling that the author had simply run out of time.

In summary, this starts as a good book, bursts into a great book, and then fizzles back into a book that is pretty good (but could have been great).

Though hard to follow at times, this book was a good story and funny. My favorite part is the funny conversations she has with her son and his comments.

Oh, Marie Semple, you lovely genius you. This is how I want to write when I grow up... Sigh.

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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It is 100% completely unfair to compare this book with Semple's previous novel, Where'd You Go, Bernadette – but, man – it's hard not to. The protagonists, their lifestyles, their problems, their families, their children's schools, their problems, what got them to Seattle and the career's they left behind – they all beg comparison. But I'm going to try not to – and it'll be to Today's benefit if I can pull that off.

Here's the problem with the book – well, the main one – it's there in the title, Today. It takes place over a day, no real change, no real resolution, no real anything can happen in a day. You can resolve to make changes, you can take steps towards anything happening. But real lasting whatever takes time. Not that you can't have a good novel in that time frame, but not this kind of novel.

The pluses? The storyline about Eleanor's sister – there were so many ways this could've gone wrong, become cliché, or turned into a mere punchline. It's uncomfortable, it's troubling, and it's real. Eleanor's kid, Timby was interesting and I enjoyed his relationship with her ex-colleague. Most of all, it's the voice. Eleanor's voice is strong, it's developed, it's clear, and there's a confidence to her (while realizing she's a giant mess).

But that ending? I could write pages about how bad it was.

In the end, while reading Today Will be Different, I had a blast and was hooked throughout – it was funny, tragic, thoughtful, painful. But the instant that I closed the book, all I could think of was how many things I didn't like and problems I had with the story. It's not just because Eleanor's story was different from Bernadette's – I was relieved, by that – but that this one didn't deliver what it could have.

Kind of a let-down after Where'd You Go, Bernadette? There's a difference between viewing the actions of a bunch of whiny, rich, self-centered adults through the eyes of 15-year Bee (Bernadette's narrator) and having the primary POV be from a primary example of the species. OK, former TV show animator Eleanor had a tough childhood, which is gradually revealed through flashbacks during the one day we spend with her, and she suffered an additional loss that has colored her adult relationships. But that doesn't make me want to slap her any less, or feel much beyond annoyance at the way she treats her 8 year old son (she's pretty awful to her husband Joe too, but he supposedly knew what he was doing when he married her). I guess there's a few humorous moments, but they are mostly the product of Eleanor's increasingly bad judgement and carelessness towards others. For example, she keeps calling one woman the most boring person she's ever met, when it appears that the woman's worst crime is being nice.

The good news is that the book doesn't take long to read; the bad news is that it leaves a sour aftertaste. Everyone who loved Bernadette will probably pick this one up but I suspect many will be disappointed.