She's Come Undone

Rating:
Summary: Not for the faint-of-heart
Review: Not for the faint-hearted, SHE'S COME UNDONE, is a tour-de-force of emotions. With rape, mental illness, dysfunction and all the emotions from A to Z, it's reminicent of McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD. And like that book, the writing is excellent and the characters are well-drawn. Perhaps a little too well-drawn, for the character of Dolores is, well, disgusting. Lamb has so given us a portrait (both physical and psychological) of this girl/woman that not a lot is left to our imaginations. And it's because of this that Dolores is so effective. How Lamb (as a man) ever wrote so accurate a portrait of a woman with a plethora of wrongs, is beyond me. She's something like a female Ignatius from CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, turned sour. Very sour. But aside from all her faults and behavior, I don't think I've ever experienced such an interest in a character before, and herein lies Lamb's talent--he's able to give us great characters that are all at once believable, over-the-top, disgusting, and loveable. Who else can do that?

Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD and Lamb's I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE

Rating:
Summary: Wally Lamb
Review: She's Come Undone was one of the best books i have ever read. The story of a young girl growing up with so many problems and challenges kept me more interested than any other book I have ever read.Wally Lamb wrote the perspective of the young girl so well and detailed, that you thought she was a part of your life.I would definately reccomend this book to anyone and everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Readable Story About Survival
Review: I read Wally Lamb's second novel, 'I Know This Much is True,' before I read this one. This book is a less complex one (and shorter!). Both are well-written and it was interesting to me to discover that both novels have shrinks/therapy aspects to them; perhaps Lamb is particularly intrigued by psychology and emotional development.

I highly disagree with those readers who found this novel so depressing or not 'enjoyable' enough for them to finish or see the merit in reading it. Yes, it has subjects in it that aren't upbeat, but life isn't all upbeat either, and because the character grows in the story and has such remarkable resiliency, I didn't find it gloomy at all. Plus Dolores, while not exactly 'hilarious,' has some pretty good lines, and I thought the book was a real page-turner (you do wonder what will happen to her, or what could possibly happen next, or how she's going to get out of a situation); also, partly due to a lot of dialogue in the novel, it's also highly readable.

I don't think I've ever read a novel about a fat or obese heroine before and I also found that part interesting. I disagree with the reviewer who says that there isn't any truth in this book about how fat women feel. My mother was obese for much of her adult life and I know she would have identified with a lot of Dolores' feelings, and especially the self-loathing. My mother, too, felt she was ostracized--not invited to clubs, etc., because she was fat, just as Dolores experiences plenty of discrimination because of her weight and size.

And yes, Dolores is not always a likeable character. But her journey is a survivor's one--she always manages to bounce back, even when she has absolutely no one left to call upon for support (or so it seems), and I found that uplifting and a good lesson. She says, at one point, "I think the secret is to just settle for the shape your life takes. Instead of always waiting and wishing for what might make you happy." If only we could all manage to carry out this simple wisdom, often cited by Eastern religions! Dolores reminded me about the power of acceptance--though there's a fine line between accepting something and trying to change it, and the novel does a good job of illustrating this.

I was impressed, too, that after her period of psychotherapy, which she certainly needed and needed earlier than she gets it, that she didn't go back again to a therapist when she had further difficulties later, that she had grown enough to figure things out for herself. Another way I found growth in this character: Dolores connects with people who helped her earlier in her life and she ends up giving back to them--she grows enough that she can do this, which not only helps others, but helps her, too.

I did think a lot about how a trauma at an impressionable young age (such as 13, when she was raped) can have such a long-lasting effect if it's not processed. The novel is particularly realistic, I thought, in painting the events that lead up to this disaster for Dolores--not only is this a neighbor, someone she knows (which is so often the case), but it's someone she looks up to. Oh dear. I so wished I could say, wished Dolores had been told, "It's not your fault" (but how many raped or traumatized young people ARE told this?).

I also liked how the book drew various loose ends together toward the end and achieves closure. No, it's not a perfectly happy ending, but it's a realistic one, with a lot of hope. I admit I was disappointed that Dolores didn't finish college, yet maybe this was what it took for her to 'survive' and maybe she will in the future. At any rate, while it's not the greatest novel I've ever read, I enjoyed my trip with Dolores and learned or relearned some major points about being resilient when life throws you yet another curve, and the power of connecting with people you meet in various situations in your life.

I'd also recommend Lamb's second book for those of you who don't mind a little more depth and detail and have the staying power to finish a very long book (but it's definitely not for those of you who want 'entertainment' and had trouble with this one!).

Rating:
Summary: Contrivances and cliches--but still a good read
Review: I couldn't put this book down. That being said, just because I loved reading it doesn't mean that it's the Great American Novel. Probably the main annoyance for me was the giant coincidence/contrivance that slaps you upside the head in the second half. It's annoying that it's there when the rest of the book has been so believeable. Then there's the plot itself. Yes, this is an Oprah book, and it tells a story you could see on Dr. Phil almost any day of the week. You actually get the creepy feeling that Wally Lamb used talk shows for fodder. It's by no means a fresh idea. One more grievance is that there are some cilche characters--the neighbor whose motives are gut-wrenchingly obvious, the stereotypically preppy/cruel/partying college students who seem to comprise 99% of the student body, and a love interest that fits all the educated-pompous-male stereotypes to a T.

Even with all my complaining about this book, it was still a great read. The narrative is convincing, and Dolores does have a good voice that sucks you in. Read it if you need a break from thinking too hard, and I sincerely mean that in the best possible way.

Rating:
Summary: Too Bad and Too Sad
Review: When I finished this book I was left with nothing but a bad taste in my mouth and a sense of wasted time. I didn't even want to finish it, but I felt that surely it would eventually get better. It didn't. While I did feel sorry for Delores, it seemed like she was just too weak to take control of her own life and create a better future for herself. This book was depressing and dissapointing and when I finally got to the end I threw the book in the trash.

Rating:
Summary: A good read. Very entertaining
Review: There are a lot of sad events in this book. Rape, divorce, death, mental illness. And even though it was a bit depressing, I liked the book. I don't know if I was marvelling at Dolores' resilence, or just amazed that she survived so many sad events. (Maybe I was happy to read about someone who suffered so much and looked at my life and realized, "Wow...my life could be a lot worse".)

Wally Lamb creates complex characters and certainly moved the story along at a decent pace. (This is my first Lamb read).

I read into the wee hours to see how Dolores would handle the adversity thrown her way, so I have to give this book 4 stars out of 5. It was a well-written story, that kept me interested to the end.

Rating:
Summary: A depressing read
Review: The book cover say that this book is "hilarious" and touchingly funny. I would say this book is neither and is merely depressing. If you are looking for an entertaining, fun, up-lifting read, do not read this book. The book includes themes of divorce, rape, nervous breakdowns, institutionalization, dealth of just about every loved one that exists, HIV/AIDS . . . . At about 3/4's of the way through it, I began to wonder if ANYTHING good was EVER going to happen to the main character. Finally about 25 pgs. before the end, it brightened up a bit but with still very weighty material mixed in.

I think the author is very talented. He DID make me feel he had a great idea of what it is like to be a woman. His style is great too. But that is the best part of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Not an enjoyable read...
Review: Swayed by Oprah's seal of approval, I started to read She's Come Undone. I can't imagine exactly what about it that oprah liked, frankly. Technically, I will agree that is is "well-written". It is not enjoyable to read, though. Especially if you were ever an overweight girl/woman... and holy cow, THAT is an uderstatement. The author may think that he's dead-on with how fat people think and feel, but mostly, it is cliched. I'll be honest that i haven't gotten to the end, yet. It's hard to continue to read something where every other line is about self-hatred manifested in slurping up sugary doughnuts by 2 or 3 or eating whole lemon meringue pies. Sure, I haven't had to dissect a literary novel lately, and the whole fatness food issue is likely one of those little literay devices - her fat represents so much more (again gag - cliche). I am guessing she's thin by the end. Proof that she's soooo together and resolved, I'm sure. I can't get over how NOT accurate he is on the whole fat/food issue though. And that's my problem... since he's using that as the main view into her psyche via this issue, it's really distracting that he is SO wrong. And, as other 1 or 2 star reviews have indicated, the main problem is it's not an enjoyable read. No WAY any kind of fun - at the beach - entertainment material. If you know that and don't mind, then go for it. Just warning anyone who's had a weight problem above 20 lbs, it's gonna agitate you. And for those of you without a weight issue, all fat people don't hate themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Coming Together
Review: I received a copy of "She's Come Undone" when I was a senior in high school. A gift from my best friend, this first novel of Wally Lamb's had been named to the Oprah Book Club Selection a few months earlier. Since its publication in 1997, "She's Come Undone" has been named a "New York Times" Notable Book of the Year, a "People" Magazine Top 10 Book of the Year and a "Los Angeles Times" Book Award Finalist for Best First Novel of the Year.

The 465-page novel captured me within the first few pages, and carried me along a wild roller coaster ride that was the life of Dolores Price. My glimpse into Dolores' life began when she was a confused, unhappy 13-year-old. I followed the ups and downs of her continuously confused and unhappy life until she was 40.

Dolores grows up in a home with dysfunctional parents who divorce while she is seven-years-old. Dolores has to face the absence of her father in her life during a time when she felt she needed him desperately. Soon after, she has to move away from her friends and home to live with her grandmother because her mother is placed in a mental institution.

In her grandmother's home, or "the house of repression," as Dolores' mother refers to it, Dolores begins to blossom into a young woman and is violently raped by a man she trusted and respected. The pain she was forced to repress after being raped and the untimely death of her mother resulted in her eating of lots of junk food and she grows into a very large woman. She unwilling leaves for college as a 257-pound "whale."

Her life as a college student across the country from her home didn't go smoothly for the unhappy woman and she attempts suicide. She is committed to a mental institution where she finally meets a man to help her straighten out her life - her psychologist.

After Dolores is released from the mental institution, she begins another life - the life of a thin woman. She soon realizes, however, that her size doesn't make her life much easier. She falls in love and repeats her parent's history with a dysfunctional marriage that ends in divorce. By the time she is 40, Dolores has managed to shake and stir emotions in everyone she has ever known through her words and actions.

The novel ends its insight into Dolores' life while she is in an ironic stage. She is finally happy, even though she has moved back into "the house of repression."

The struggles and triumphs of Dolores' life are a compelling insight for any reader who enjoys fiction. The witty way she perceives situations and the world around her often made the novel a hilarious insight for me to have during a time when my life was in a state of change.

Rating:
Summary: Sad but true
Review: A sad but all-too-frequently true journey, this book kept my attention right up until the last page. Well-written, with great characters, it ranks up there with other wonderful reads I've come across in the last few months: "The Last Juror, Secret Life of Bees, and Bark of the Dogwood. "She's Come Undone" is the first Wally Lamb book I've attempted, but it certainly won't be the last. He's sure to take his place among the greats this country has produced.