Rating: Summary: A Beautifully Written Story Review: Julia Glass has written a luminous novel about family ties those we are born with and those we acquire through life. The novel is divided into three sections that each include the McLeod family memebers. In the first and most interesting section we meet Paul McLeod who is recovering from his wife Maureen's death on a trip to Greece in June . Paul's reminiscence of Maureen is poignant as he describes their meeting and early years of marriage together. The reader is treated to beautifully written passages about their rural Scottish home and the interactions between these two people. Paul is left wondering if he ever really knew his wife, certian that he loved her, yet regretting not having the courage to really know her. Part two of the story centers on Fenno, Paul's oldest son, who arrives home from NYC to attend his father's funeral. It is in this chapter we meet the rich, interesting characters in Fenno's life; Malachy Burns a music critic dying of AIDS, Fenno's lover, his neighbor and twin brothers Dennis and David and their families. Fenno keeps his emotions to himself and like his father, questions why he sometimes doesn't have the courage to connect in a real way with the people in his life. This is the longest section of the book and at times drags as Fenno philosophies about his life and relationships. The last section of the book is by far the weakest, with Fern Olitsky being the central character who ties into the McLeod's life in an intesting way. This scene is set in the Hamptons, at a beach house where a dinner draws Fenno, his brother Dennis, his ex-lover, Fern and a new man. The interactions are interesting, but this was disappointing as the rest of the book was superb and the ending just seems to drop off. This is a story that is meant to be read slowly, with wonderful imagery and details to characters and relationships, but ends somewhat weakly.
Rating: Summary: An all-round good read Review: I truly enjoyed reading Three Junes. I found the characters interesting and likeable. I really liked the way the author released details about each character slowly and at different times in the book. The book clearly shows that lives can connect across time and through pure coincidence, yet provide joy to everyone involved. The second section about Fenno portrays a poignant story of what it might be like to live his lifestyle with dignity and yet maintain a sense of family..and humor.
Rating: Summary: Slow and boring Review: This book was so slow! Normally I fly through books and this one took me over a month to finish becaust it was so boring! The first part was relatively decent, Paul's life was pretty interesting. After the first section though, it's not worth reading. Way too much on unlikable characters: Fenno, Mal, and Fern. I was hoping that the book would tell one of the other brother's stories after Fenno's, but for some reason it switched over to Fern.
Rating: Summary: doesn't keep its promise Review: this is a quiet character-driven story with some fine moments in it and a structure that adds interest. The release of details is mostly well-done, the depiction of grief and its aftermath especially well-done, family dynamics handled realistically, and each segment closes strongly. Unfortunately, I found that by far the best moments come in the first section, and while not all of them are there, other good ones are too few and far between for me to have enjoyed or been captivated by the middle section, which left me all too impatient for the close by the time I reached the third and final segment, which veered a bit off the focus for me. I'd recommend it for the first section alone, and then advise to at least try and skim through the rest rather than completely give up on it if you find yourself, like me, losing interest in section two.
Rating: Summary: Great Characters Review: Julia Glass' descriptions are vivid. Her compelling characters all come to life. I couldn't put the book down waiting to see what would happen to these people. Excellent writing!
Rating: Summary: almost a great book... Review: I read this book in a very relaxed setting on the porch of a vacation cabin overlooking a lake....so I had no distractions other than time passing! I was absolutely enthralled with the writing/story being told in the first two viewpoints, but felt the third was relatively weak. Still, it's a really good read for the intelligent reader who enjoys an interesting story woven well. Bravo.
Rating: Summary: Slow, Boring, Jumps from Past to Present Too Often Review: I had heard how wonderful this books was, but I found it slow, boring, and the writer jumps around from past to present so often, that I found myself not even knowing who the characters were - I had to stop and either think about who the character was or actually go back through previous pages to refresh my memory as to who they were. To be quite honest, I so loathed the way this book was written that I didn't even bother finishing it. If a book doesn't pique my interest in 50 pages, then it isn't worth my time to finish. This book DEFINITELY was not worth my time.
Rating: Summary: heartwarming and beautiful Review: I read a lot of novels and this book tops my list for the summer. Unlike many reviews, my favorite section by far was the middle where we learn more about Fenno -a fully dimensional character who I will never forget. The relationship between Mal and him is poignant, witty and very interesting.. Mal is a character I would love to have know .His lines and observations had me laughing out loud on more than one occassion. I just don't comprehend why some people have a hard time reading about gay people (as per some of the reviews ). Get over it! It is reality. Look at this wonderful, rich, deep character this author has created - (I saw so many characteristics of myself in Fenno and I am a heterosexual female!) The second part 's wrapup where he is sitting up in the secret hide-out of the home he grew up in Scotland pondering where his life would lead while discovering where his precious niece has hidden her grandfather's ashes left me in complete awe and admiration for the gift of writing. Fern 's character was less interesting to me, but I was glad to see Fenno moving along in his life and displaying the wonderfulattributes you knew he had in him. A moving, lovely book.
Rating: Summary: Worthwhile Review: I tremendously enjoyed this book. The McLeod family's struggles and conflicts engaged me. My only criticism is the inclusion of the character Fern. She was an irritating distraction. I would have preferred learning more about Davey, Dennis or, especially, Maureen.
Rating: Summary: Not my cup of tea.... Review: I normally read mysteries, but since Three Junes had such great reviews, I thought I would try it. I was so disappointed. The book was so hard to get through. The book is partially based on flashbacks, but those became confusing. I often lost track of time. I never fully figured out the ages of some of the characters or what time frame that particular part of the book was written in. One of the reviews written on the book stated that Three Junes was full of life...HAHA. The only reason the book progressed was because of numerous deaths. Each new section began with a death. I finished the book feeling extremely depressed. Even mysteries that include murders and suicides are never this depressing. The only part of the book I enjoyed was the first section, Collies. The people were happy and seemed to have a purpose. I also enjoyed the visuals of Greece. After reading this book, I would love to visit the Greek island described in the book....it sounds so mysterious and calm. The third section did not have any relevance to the rest of the book. The first two sections were about Fenno and his family....the death of his parents, his mother's obsession with Collies, his own sexuality, and the relationships with his family. The third section was based on one of Fenno's lovers, Tony. I was officially lost. I believe that Julia Glass has a wonderful ability to write, but she should stop trying to write a classic. She needs to develop the book more and perhaps make it more lively. It was so depressing! I don't think I will be interested in trying another of her books, though. If you decide to read this one, make sure you have a funny, upbeat book to follow it up with.
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