Rating: 
Summary: Too long for such a frustrating story
Review: I had a difficult time finishing this book. The story could have been told in half as many words. I never came to care for any of the characters, they all seemed flawed and weak to the point that I didn't care what happened to them. The rambling style of the narrative is difficult to follow at times. During the first 100 pages I kept waiting for "something to happen" - but it never did. The end is too neat for such a messy book. I finished the book only as a challenge to myself.
Rating: 
Summary: country bumpkins lose the farm--boo hoo
Review: I bought this book to read while I was recovering from surgery, otherwise I never would have finished it. The beginning is completely boring description of the farm the family lives on. It goes on and on . . . . all I did was was wait for something to happen, and finally, the horrible tragedy happens, the teen girl gets raped.No one in the family seems to deal w/ the issue well at all, and this seems to get blamed for every bad thing that happens after that. At first I thought to myself, these parents and the community aren't handling this tragedy very well, and of course I feel sorry fot the victim, but I say, well, it's supposed to be the 70's, people did things differently then, but it wasn't just that. i came to realize I detested every character in this book. The father was a womanizer and a jerk, and it sounds like he married Corinne, the wife because she was a virgin and the only woman who'd put up with him. Corinne was pathetic, initially stealing Michael Sr. away from her friend when she was supposed to be getting them back together, and considering herself lucky to be with him because he was handsome. She did nothing when he badmouthed her own parents in front of their children. The worst thing was when she sent Marianne away to make her husband happy. And for no one reason that I could see, Marianne completely heals herself and forgives her family. The characters Mike, Jr. & Jud were pretty boring, but Patrick was supposed to be the big vigilante who punishes Marianne's rapist, foreshadowing this for a great deal of the book, then, at 11th hour, he forgives the guy for no explainable reason. Huh? Nothing in this book makes sense, no character grows or becomes better or worse in a way that makes sense. Don't bother w/ this one!
Rating: 
Summary: A Sad Story of a Family
Review: We Were the Mulvaneys will strike a chord with anyone who has experienced catastrophe in their own family. Once a proud, loving family, one terrible event takes them spiraling down the path to destruction. Up to the point of the tragic rape, I was thoroughly enjoying the book. It is well written with enjoyable characters. After the rape took place, the book became very slow and it was difficult to focus on the plot. The characters became very weak and disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Too long and frustrating
Review: I found this book very disappointing. I normally like Oprah's books, but I found this one felt like it was just going on and on. I never "bonded" with any of the characters and by the end I really didnt care what happened to any of them. I felt each person was terribly weak and self-centered.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad Story Worth Reading
Review: Think you have the perfect American family? Honestly, how strong is it and where does it unravel? Joyce Carol Oates answers that question in this riveting book about the impact of a violent crime on what was thought to be the perfect family. First off, I should explain that this isn't a light read that will put a smile on your face. While the ending provides a little ray of positive hope, you are dealing with a story that spends a lot of time on how people hurt each other. The physical victim of crime is only the first person to feel pain. The impacts can then cascade to others and as a reader of this book, you will feel some of that pain. Recently there have been a few other books that have explored this topic in different ways. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is one example and Donna Tartt's new book, The Little Friend reminds me of this book too. What makes this book memorable is Oates'writing. I've found that people either love her work or hate it with a passion. Count me as a fan. I'll admit that she could be more concise and she rarely writes anything too light and refreshing, but she never fails to elicit my emotions. In many cases, they are feelings that don't make me all that comfortable but they do make me think. This book is worth reading although it will upset and sadden you. It's worth reading because you will react and you will examine a number of very important issues.
Rating:
Summary: We Were the Mulvaneys
Review: This is a wonderful book. It will make you laugh, cry, and really think. I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: starts so well - but disappointing second half
Review: This book seemed just the thing for a transatlantic flight, and the half I read on the outward leg was just wonderful. The family developed so well and their pain was so real.
The flight home wasn't anywhere near as satisfying, although I read the whole book I came away feeling that the author had somehow bitten of more than they could chew, and just couldn't decide which bits of the story were important enough to include. And so we got bits and pieces of everyone's life and then huge gaps. The uneasy bringing together at the end failed to tell us enough about how the characters had reached this point in their lives and made them seem unreal.
Although I understand that novels must be limited in size to appeal to a general readership, I felt that these characters (esp. Patrick) who were so well drawn in the first half, deserved way more than they got in the book, and only wish the second half could have been as satisfying as the first.
Rating:
Summary: The Worst Book I Have Ever Tried To Read
Review: Don't buy it, don't try to read it. I could have read an instruction manual and got more enjoyment out of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Joyce Carol Oates Examines the Fragility of Love and Family
Review: Joyce Carol Oates is a very gifted writer with many fine books to her credit. Add "We Were the Mulvaneys" to that list.
There are many reviews on this site that explain the nuances of the story, so I won't go into that here. The book worked for me because it showed, in dramatic fashion, how an unsettling event (the rape of a daughter) can tear apart even the most secure and loving families, and drive family members far apart to the point where they can never truly reconcile again. While there are parts of the story that seem somewhat implausible, Ms. Oates does an excellent job of illustrating how a family that seemingly has everything going for it can fall apart with once incident, hence the fragile nature of love and family.
A very good book.
Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: Joyce Carol Oates does it again. This is a good story.
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