Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing, annoying, but kinda good!
Review: This book was chosen by my book discussion group this month simply because of the title. "It's June," we figured, "so why not read Three Junes?" The book starts off well enough. The reader is introduced to Paul McLeod and his family in the first of three sections, almost novellas. Paul is on vacation to help him recover from grief over the death of his wife Maureen. The reader is told about their life together and their three sons, Fenno and twins Dennis and David, in a series of flashbacks. It's a simple domestic portrait and fairly well written. The second section, the longest and the best part of the book, is about Fenno, who has moved from the family's Scotland home to New York City. Fenno is gay and the section mostly deals with that aspect of his life. Fenno is taking care of his neighbor, Mal, who is dying of AIDS. I pleased at how well this part of the book is written. The last part of this section about Mal's death, is especially good. And then the bottom falls out. If the book had ended after Mal's death, Three Junes could be considered almost a great book. Instead, Ms. Glass writes about Fern, who was a minor and not likeable character in the first section. It's ten years after the first section. Fern and Fenno are staying at a friend's house, unaware of their connection through Paul, who is now deceased. The quality of the writing takes a nosedive here. Ms. Glass also reintroduces Fenno's brother, Dennis, who is totally unrecognizable. In fact, I first thought that Dennis in part 3 was a different character than Dennis in part 2 until he is specifically referred to Fenno's brother. Ms. Glass gives the reader all this detail about people that we don't even care about. I kept waiting for the parts about Fenno, who I really liked. It seems that Three Junes really has two endings, the end of the second section and the end of the third. The reader would be much more satisfied if he or she just stops reading after the second section. Whenever I read a book, I ask myself if this is a book that I would read again. I would read the second section of Three Junes again, but not the rest.
Rating: 
Summary: Eloquent and moving
Review: This amazing tale is unusual on several levels. First, the form of the book: it reads like three novellas as the book is in three distinct sections, each with its own point of view. Then there are the characters (well-drawn and complex)which are interwoven into these sections. But the form alone is not the chief drawing aspect for this fresh, new novel, it is rather the excellent writing and dialogue. No, this is not a quick read, but then most great books aren't. With its themes of homosexuality and conflict within the human heart, it is like Jackson McCrae's "The Bark of the Dogwood" or a few other great reads that are currently out. And Glass handles her material as well as McCrae in this respect. But aside from all this, "Three Junes" is an entertaining read, and isn't that what it's all about? I highly recommend this stellar novel. Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD
Rating: 
Summary: Good for the first 2/3
Review: This was a well-written, interesting book. I really enjoyed the parts from the first two points of view. I thought the author went didn't create a very interesting narrator for the third part of the book, though, the only part told from a female perspective. I enjoy looking into Scottish lives, although as an American, I can't really judge how accurate the authors representation of the Scottish characters is. I thought the characters faced interesting problems, and that the book did a good job of showing how little we know of each other, even when we live in the same family!
Rating:
Summary: brooding and atmospheric
Review: I chose this book because I try to read all of the National Book Award winners, and I was a little surprised by its plodding, detailed format, but not disappointed. _Three Junes_ is split into three sections, and Fenno, the main character, plays a part in each one. The first section, "Collies," focuses on Fenno's father in Scotland and Greece; the second section, "Upright" is about Fenno's life in New York City (the bookstore he owns and the man he falls in love with); and the third section, "Boys," focuses on a woman whom Fenno's father met in Greece and now is meeting Fenno's accquaintance in New York as well. It is a little difficult to shift gears between the sections, but they are connected by thin strings of coincidence and fate, actions and reactions, so ultimately the reader can get comfortable again. Glass deals with some difficult subjects including infidelity, AIDS, and infertility with remarkable smoothness, and makes you really feel the characters' guilt, love, and confusion, as well as hope. It is hope, I think, that permeates the novel most of all. My only criticism is that I felt there were one or two minor subplots that weren't tied up sufficiently, and there also weren't too many ups and downs but just a slow crescendo of choices and misunderstandings. On the whole, however, this is a very rewarding book, and well worth the time it takes to get to know the characters and their environments.
Rating:
Summary: A FANTASTIC read!
Review: Julia Glass offers her readers a personal connection to the lives she unveils in this brilliant first novel. The writing style practically sings the stories of the three main characters. I liked this book as much if not more than I enjoyed Michael Cunningham's The Hours. The themes in both books are similar, but unlike the characters in Cunningham's novel, Glass provides the backdrop of the commonality of love, life, and relationships. I felt that I could have been any one of the main characters and that any of the supporting characters might have stepped out of my own life. You will appreciate the honesty in Glass' words as she reveals the merging lives of her characters. I found this book to be a quick read. Even more so, it kept me impatient at work, wanting to return public transportation or a lunch break just to read another few pages. Yet, because of its sensitive content regarding homosexual relationships, some may feel less of a connection with the book. I was also disappointed that some tangents went unclarified. This, again, is so similar to life--we don't have all the answers. It also leaves a sense of wonder and imagination in the reader. We can interpret these mini-story lines as we want. A FANTASTIC read!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: A brooding but highly developed and captivating book. I enjoyed it far more than I expected. I put it on the same scale as Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd), Middlesex(Jeffrey Eugenides), and My Fractured Life (Rikki Lee Travolta).
Rating: 
Summary: boooooooring
Review: After all the positive reviews, I was shocked to find that this book was completely lifeless and drab. I kept reading more to make sure it wasn't going to get better and then I just had to finish it because I had gotten so far. A major time waster, don't bother!
Rating:
Summary: Mild and Intelligent
Review: It has been said that Three Junes "rescues and refurbishes" the plot-driven novel, and it is easy to argue that the relatively mild-mannered main characters are pulled about by events that are not of their own making. Julia Glass makes particularly striking contrasts between many of the prominent male characters and the much more fiery and strong-willed women in their lives --generally their mothers and wives. Those who study the craft of writing will be impressed with the way the author weaves past and present action and first and third person narrative. While I recommend this book fairly strongly, particularly for its craft and introspection, I suspect some readers won't feel completely satisfied at the end as the book doesn't seem to build to a climax or tie up every loose end completely. For those who feel that literary fiction is always depressing, this book touches on tough subjects such as AIDS, childlessness and failed relationships while keeping an ultimately hopeful outlook. Those who liked the strong characters of Michael Cunningham's The Hours or the episodic narration of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, will probably find this to be a fine novel.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting Book
Review: I really enjoyed Julia Glass' novel, The Three Junes. I enjoyed the intricacies of the interwoven nature of life and relationships. This novel does a wonderful job of weaving these complexities into an interesting story about families, both the ones we come from and the ones we choose. I liked the humanness of the characters and the curious misunderstandings about what has happened that we didn't even understand at the time. The way that people are capable of seeing only what they choose to and thinking they have the full knowing of the thing. This is a story that really explores people, their lives and how we know what we think we understand.
Rating:
Summary: Distinct and moving
Review: Written in three distinct sections, this well crafted and moving work deserves every award it has received. Author Julia Glass takes us so expertly into the lives of her characters that we feel we know them inside and out. With its colorful settings and masterful dialogue, THREE JUNES is by far one of the best choices you can make. Also recommended: BARK OF THE DOGWOOD and BIRTH OF VENUS
|
