really enjoyed!

I'm not usually one to dislike a novel because it's too difficult, but this was so damn good it was nearly impossible to read. God forgive me, I'd complained abut James's novels--I'm reading them in chronological order--having first improved by having more scenes with dialogue and less exposition, and then regressing (in The Spoils of Pynton) back to a more nineteenth century strategy of exposition. Well, as I say, for this sin I've been punished. The Awkward Age is 350 pages of pure scene: dialogue after dialogue, with a cast of characters so numerous, and a veiled wittiness so subtle to its dialogue, that I practically had to read the whole thing twice to get even a glimmer of what the heck was going on. Thus exactly what makes this novel great and groundbreaking--right in the final year of the nineteenth century!--is also what makes it frustrating as hell to read. Not recommended for the last week of teaching your summer school course, during a transatlantic flight, and then while adjusting to a nine-hour time-lag. Save this one for when you're feeling like a challenge and your patience is well rested.

This one dragged a little for me, but I thought that it was an interesting story about blended families and growing into womanhood. I really appreciated the exploration of what it looks like for women to find their own identity and joy outside of the expectations placed on us by familial and romantic relationships.

Hated them all. Fun. The writing was florid, which was a choice. It’s a soap opera. Poking fun at the grossest people. Well, not THE grossest, but certainly gross. Like being a fly on the wall in a camper’s weekend home.

A divorced man and widow fall in deep storybook love but also have teenagers. Mayhem ensues.
Of course I hate the kids especially Gwen. She's selfish and immature and has a terrible temper. But she's a 16yo girl. Of course she is.

My mom is disgusted by moms and teen daughters as "friends" and Julia and Gwen are exhibit A as the worst example of indulgent nonparenting parenting.

I did enjoy the random yiddishisms in this book (mensch, machatanim) and I appreciated the complexity of a blended family, particularly coming from very different circumstances (untimely death of a parent and fighty shouty divorce).

Here's hoping that I never find myself in any of the situations Julia found herself in. While she's definitely experienced some great things, this book made me equal part happy for my current life and terrified to have a teenage girl! :) It was a lightweight book, quick read.

Maybe a 3.5.

This is one of those books where the premise was better than the actual story. Shifting points of view allowed a glimpse into the major players so I was sympathetic to nearly everyone at one point or another, no matter how annoying they were in an earlier chapter. Blended families are full of drama and theirs is no exception.

Dating in mid-life, especially when both parties have teen children, can be a challenge. When Julie and James move in together, with her daughter Gwen and his son Nathan, the fireworks go off big time. Gwen and Nathan detest each other. Julie and James are madly in love, but they have very different styles of childrearing. And though they try for the longest time to keep their love for each other uppermost, problems with their children become overwhelming. Gwen and Nathan soon stop hating each other and start making out with other. It becomes increasingly difficult for Julie and James to hide their impatience and outright disgust for the other's child. Their dreams of an idyllic life together begin to disintegrate. As sad as this is, the story is beautifully written and rings abundantly true. Sometimes love isn't enough.

Very annoying