Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother
Review: I was "forced" into reading this flimsy story about a supposedly all-American family growing up in an idyllic situation. I guessed the plot-point within 2 pages of reading it. Maybe I was influenced by the fact that too many of Oprah's books are based upon a rape, and from there it was easy to figure out that, predictably, one of her three brothers or her father would seek vengeance toward the rapist. So this supposedly close family throws the perfect daughter Marianne out of the family, and the next time she ever sees her father again is when he is laying on his death bed, and she keeps telling him that SHE is sorry. This book takes place in the mid 1970's and by that time in history American society was beginning to wake up to the fact that girls in pretty dresses with maybe a little too much cleavage showing aren't in anyway responsible for their attacks. Marianne's father throws her out of the family because he was embarrassed that his perfect daughter had been soiled. I really hated the character of Mike Sr., the father. He was a selfish, sorry man. And I was also irked that Marianne's mother didn't stand by her daughter. I resented this book because the mother is still portrayed as a heroine. If the family would have supported the daughter and had courage to face what had happened to her and demanded justice, this could have been a superior book. Plus, the book is just plain boring, with too many superfluous side stories going on. What Miss Oates was trying to say could have easily been said in 300 pages or less. If you are in the mood to read a really well-written and beautiful account of a family, read David James Duncan's "The Brothers K."
Rating:
Summary: Why bother?!
Review: I hated this book. Way too long, and totally unrealistic. I find the incident that took place was a ridiculous reason for a whole family to fall apart.
Boring, boring and boring.
With so many other great books out there, why spend time with this one?
Rating: 
Summary: Good, powerful book, but a little slow starting
Review: This is a good book, though it was a little slow starting. I stuck with it and it was well worth it. We Were the Mulvaney's is about a lovely family with a mom, dad, 3 sons and a daughter. The oldest son is Mike, astar-athlete, the second oldest son is Patrick, the school's valedictorian, the daughter is Marianne, a pretty and populare girl, and lastly is little Judd, the baby of the family. When beautiful Marianne is raped after the Valentine Day dance and she won't tell who it was, father sends her away. This upsets everyone, especially Mike and Patrick. As time goes on, Mike moves away and Patrick heads off for college, but they never forget about Marianne. What happens? I won't tell but the end of this book is very powerful and it shows us how one person CAN run or ruin a whole family. I recommend reading this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably boring
Review: This book was so boring, I can't believe I read the whole, long, drawn out thing. I kept hoping it would get better, but trust me, it doesn't. I agree with what others have said; underdeveloped characters that you don't really care about, too much irrelevant detail, too much getting off on tangents that were hard to follow. I wish I would have read the reviews before reading this book, but my husband gave it to me as a "gift". The best thing about the book is that it's so boring it's a good remedy for insomnia. And, to make a boring book worse, the parents who were first portrayed as a good mom and dad who really loved their family, behaved in a disgusting manner toward their raped daughter. It was too revolting.
Rating:
Summary: I gave this book 4 stars...
Review: ...because I really did enjoy the writing style of the author. But, my word, I was so irritated with the characters! I wanted to slap that mother and father silly for not supporting their daughter!!!
Rating:
Summary: Pretentious at times, but ultimately redeeming...
Review: Oates can take herself so seriously at times. But then, being one of the greatest female authors of her time, I say we look past it and support her. So went my thinking in delving in to "We Were the Mulvaneys". Wow! What a ride. This novel takes you through a story that is as lush, beautiful, tragic and heartbreaking as the upstate NY landscape it is set against. It is not so much the story of Marianne, the girl who is ..., but of the family - especially Patrick, her brother - and how they deal with it. It is not so much the crime, but the aftermath. (If you like stories that deal with peoples' psychological reactions to committing or witnessing crime, read "The Secret History" By Donna Tartt, it's excellent). Each member of the family deals with Marianne's ... in a different way. I won't spoil it for you, but this is really Patrick's story, the weakest looking, but strongest at heart. He is on his own personal quest to examine who he is and what he is made of - is he the thoughtless person seeking revenge or the healer? It is an important question during these times. Every character comes alive in this book, even Muffin, the cat, who made me cry. The family becomes your own as you want to scream, hug, claw their eyes out, stroke their tears away. Oates has a wonderful way with words and with her setting - I went to Cornell where much of this takes place and could see each spot perfectly. Worth the read, stick with it, it seems depressing, but the ending will make it worthwhile. Don't expect anything flashy, just real, heart wrenching, thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: Too lengthy
Review: I got to the third chapter and gave up. This was way to lenghty with detail of things that I could understand wher the author was going with this. I was recommended this novel with a warning that it was a tradgic story. Since I enjoy reading heavy conflict, and coupled with it being an Oprah pick, I thought for sure this would grab me. But it didn't. I would recommend this to those who don't mind reading multiple pages on dear, etc. Otherwise, skip it for a more enjoyable read!
Rating:
Summary: Good choice by Oprah
Review: At first this book was kinda slow and confusing but after you get a few chapters in, things start coming together and making more sense..... it also gets a little more fast-paced. Their troubles are saddening and heart-wrenching but by the end they truly have put everything behind them and moved on with their lives. It truly does have a "happily-ever-after" ending. This book is worth your time!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not for me
Review: It was hard to read a book about a family self-destructing when it was so unnecessary. What's the point?
Rating: 
Summary: So sad...
Review: The Mulvaneys seemed to me a very disfunctional family in crisis. The optimism in me hopes that most families would handle a similar tragedy by coming together, rather than falling apart. I found the plot a bit slow - mainly because I kept waiting for the silver lining. I truly sympathized for the characters that Joyce Carol Oates created, but I just can't call this book one of my favorites.
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