Rating: 
Summary: Gripping & distressing but ultimately a pearl of great price
Review: The Oprah book club selections are certainly getting more complex!This book will strike an immediate chord to a family 'putting on airs' yet within the house having its problems. It hithome for me and will most likely hit home for many others because we know of families that seem perfect.... and often we find out much later what was truly happening. I do not believe that the choice of Mt. Ephraim as the hometown of the Mulvaneys was by accident. Ephraim and Manasseh were sons of Joseph - and while the latter committed heinous crimes against all moral authority, Ephraim was a redeemer. A striking metaphor against which much hurt is set - and one missed by the editorial reviewers. This family functions quite well - all that we'd say is 'too good to be true' *is* actually true until Marianne, the girl so beautifully described that we actually *feel* she's the 'girl next door' to *us* is sexually assaulted. Actually, we are never told whether it was rape or consensual. And the beauty of this is that for the purposes of this story it doesn't matter. It is the *effect* of the assault on the family that begins their descent. I will not spoil the book by telling you the details as to how each of the brothers and the parents fall off their respective wagons. But the cumulative effect is devasting, as told by the narrator, a now adult youngest brother Judd. How can such a complete destruction of a classic nuclear family be a book I'd want to read? Because as someone once said, it is when a man stares into the abyss that he finds his character. Suffice it to say that when you are done with this book you will feel as though you knew the Mulvaneys, suffered with them, and wonder how you would have reacted. I believe everyone can relate to one or more of the characters in this book. I also believe that this book is a *must* read. If you want a book that will make you think realistically about life's challenges - and not give you answers, but rather present situations that make you think about how you would respond, this is the book for you. The cliche that we learn more from our mistakes than our successes never applied more. And all of us can probably stand to look at this side of life. As with 'The Dark Side of the Light Chasers', it is by looking at our human frailties and faults, shining the light on ourselves, warts and all, that we can come to true self-awareness.
Rating: 
Summary: Something missing here.
Review: Oates is one my of my favorite authors; her talents for storytelling and in-depth characterization are irrefutable. But something is missing here. It wasn't very difficult to convince me that this family could have some serious flaws beneath the surface of the perfect family image; we all know people like this (maybe ourselves!). As I followed the deterioration of the Mulvaneys I knew that Michael Mulvaney would die a lonely death. Although it is uplifting for a story to have a happy ending, I was not prepared for the "happily ever after" reunion in the final pages of this novel. Marianne suffered from serious depression - how could the reader believe that she married, had children (uh,oh - SEX!)without aggressive pyschological help? Or are we just to assume she received treatment in the short pages between her meeting Whit West and the family reunion? Corinne was an emotional wreck whose deep faith failed her; Patrick and "Mule" and especially Judd were shallow characters at best. The only "real" character was Michael, seriously flawed, with a "real" illness, alcoholism, who met his demise sadly but realistically. It seems Oates ran out of steam at the end, but I enjoyed the book anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Difficult to get through, but well worth the time spent
Review: WE WERE THE MULVANEYS by Joyce Carol Oates Here's a book that I struggled with to finish, but by the time I was done with the book, I realized my time was well spent. WE WERE THE MULVANEYS by Joyce Carol Oates is a story of a once-happy family that seemed to have it all, but slowly falls apart after a tumultuous incident occurs to one of the members of the family. The Mulvaneys are comprised of six persons: Michael Sr. is the head of the household, proud father and wonderful husband. He runs a roofing business in town, Mulvaney Roofing, which he is highly successful at. His wife, Corinne, holds down the fort, spreading love to all her children and to the love of her life. Her obsession over antiques adds to her other eccentric qualities, making her even more loveable. Mike Jr. is the oldest child, the all-around athlete and is very popular in school. Patrick is son number two, the one with the brains. He of all the children seems to be the one that likes to be alone the most and seems happiest with his thoughts and his books. Marianne is the only daughter of the family, the cheerleader type and all-around popular girl in school. Like her mother, she is a very devout Christian girl, and believes in the ideal of "turn the other cheek". Last but not least is Judd. He's the baby of the family and also the narrator of this long intense drama that tells the tragic story of their family. Life is grand for the Mulvaneys. Home life is one busy event after another, as they live on a farm where they each handle various chores. It's busy work from morning until night but it's rewarding. Everyone seems to be happy, and there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong. But, on Marianne's prom night, something does go wrong. And as much as she tries to hide this tragic incident that scars her for life, her family eventually finds out as well as the entire town. From this point on, life changes for the Mulvaneys. The disintegration of the family is slow but sure, and it is hard to believe how far they get from that happy family they used to be. Judd chronicles the story of their family in detail, focusing on various members at a time. The book can be difficult to read, as I found Oates' writing tedious at times. However, by the time I reached the last page, I saw where she was going with this story, and I am glad I read it. I don't recommend this book to everyone. It's not an easy book to read, but for those with the patience to get through it, they will be rewarded.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let the Oprah recommendation deter you
Review: Oates writing on any subject, whether it's an essay on Mike Tyson, a short story or this book is a compelling read because she is a masterful writer. I don't read her work to obtain a feeling of overwhelming suspense, drama, happiness or sadness or to escape everyday life; I'm compelled to move along in her work because she builds a story like a master craftsman. So while the Mulvaney story captures, with outstanding detail, the breakdown of a typical average middle class family underneath the veneer that most families put in place to appear socially acceptable to other families in a tv-land kind of way, this book would be a dissapointment to anyone who is simply interested in an escapism formula of a suspenseful plot plus a dramatic ending. Read it if you like to read outstanding, masterful writing... and a tale wonderfully told.
Rating:
Summary: cool characters, overheated setting
Review: The four young characters, while a bit too perfect, were engaging; you rooted for them and hoped they'd make it through the tragedy as more mature folk. But Oates' descriptions of their farm and town and such were overwrought, that at times I wasn't sure if the book was supposed to be parody or not. There was scattered humor in its pages, but it was all-too-rare. The story of how a perfect family begins to unravel is an old one, and I'm afraid Oates' brought nothing new to the table in "We Were the Mulvaneys." Engaging characters can only go so far if there isn't a real concrete plot to stand on.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed Feelings...
Review: This book was very interesting, very well written but.... It is a story about the distingration about a seemingly "perfect family". Marianne, the only daughter, a devout, popular "good girl" gets raped on her prom night and this event shatters the entire family, which consists of Mom, Dad and three brothers. I enjoyed the author's prose and descriptions about farm life but I found several things wrong with this story. 1. In the beginnning of the novel, we're led to believe that this family is so close yet after the daughter's rape, the mother (Corrine) sends Marianne to live hundreds of miles away because the father (Mike Sr) can't deal with the fact that she was raped and that he did nothing to protect her. I don't understand how parents could put their own needs over their daughter's. In one scene, Mike Sr. cries that he doesn't care if he ever sees Marianne again. I thought this was all a bit farfetched. 2. The Marianne character was a little bit annoying. Banished from her family, she doesn't seem to feel any anger or shame but rather excuses the choice of her parents. At times I wanted to shout "wake up and smell the coffee and take off those rose colored glasses". 3. The book was a little too long and at times boring. I mostly skimmed the middle sections of the book and the ending was disappointing. The only character I liked was of Patrick, who seemed to be the most normal. Overall, an ok read but not re-readable.
Rating:
Summary: it was ok
Review: i wouldn't read it again. or for that matter recommend it to anyone because it was sort of boring. it was really slow.
Rating: 
Summary: Ahhhh Come Onnnnnnnn!!!
Review: Oates is brilliant for the most part but this book made me wonder! The Muvaneys are about as unrealistic as they can get! Oates' elaborate descriptions of Marianne's mother baking pies, pies and more pies in such detail emphasizing the "perfect" family is less than perfect and borders on obnoxious hyperbole!It is true the storyline is one of the devastation of date rape; she overemphasizes the "cutesiness" and later the unraveling of this upstate New York family as the book progresses. The ultimate ending is nearly laughable! I threw it across the room!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing; Loved the Use of Animals
Review: I had always been a bit intimidated by Joyce Carol Oates, but someone had recommended this to me so I plunged right in. I had read some of the unfavorable reviews on this site, so I had low expectations. Boy, was I surprised. I absolutely loved this book, and read it quickly. I especially appreciated the animals in this story; reminds me of how my family treats animals as part of the family unit. I didn't think the ending was saccharine at all...it was a real story composed of a real family who had the ability to heal despite terrible circumstances. I never thought this book had a Lifetime televisionesque-plot as some people have complained...the characters were incredibly well developed and there's a real sense of wholeness at the end. I highly recommend this book, especially if you appreciate the complexities of family, the outdoors, good food, and have a love for animals.
Rating:
Summary: an intimate look inside a "perfectly" dysfunctional family
Review: Many of the reviews I've read about this book complain of the unrealistic or shallow characters. I personally could not put this book down, and read it in a weekend. I suppose if you expect people's behavior in response to traumatic events to be predictable and in character with their every-day behavior, the way this family deals with the crises after Marianne's rape would seem false. I think Oates' phenomenal ability to make the reader empathize with her characters, even when they're behaving horribly, is a gift. I felt for all of them because I could sympathize with their inability to cope with such a horrible thing. Who knows how we will deal with disaster until it happens to us? Oates allows the reader insight into each character's mind through their personal idiosyncrasies, and leaves you with a yearning to see them return to their once vibrant family dynamic.
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