LoveReading Says
An edgy, astute, robustly dynamic tale, taking snapshots of a life and allowing them to parade provocatively in front of you. Andrea is nearly 40, she doesn't have children, or a partner, she continuously battles expectations and other peoples judgement. Andrea opens windows into her world, with time not running concurrently, we slide backwards and forwards in an almost chaotic but incredibly powerful way. At first I wasn't sure what to make of Andrea, she can be abrasive and fatalistic, yet as I got to know her, any initial concerns about her, altered to being concerned for her, to caring about her. Jami Attenberg somehow encouraged hidden voices and thoughts skulking in a sealed shut wardrobe in my own mind to open the door and let themselves be heard. Her writing is incredible powerful, there is a beguiling sense of freedom and candour skimming the pages. Prodding, slashing, hammering at your awareness, ‘All Grown Up’ is a mesmerising tale, it’s short yet contains a lifetime of living. ~ Liz Robinson
Click here to read a letter from Jami Attenberg about this book.
Liz Robinson
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All Grown Up Synopsis
Andrea is a single, childless 39-year-old woman who tries to navigate family, sexuality, friendships and a career she never wanted, but battles with thoughts and desires that few people would want to face up to. Told in gut-wrenchingly honest language that shimmers with rage and intimacy, All Grown Up poses such questions as: - What if I don't want to hold your baby? - Can I date you without ever hearing about your divorce? - What can I demand of my mother now that I am an adult? - Is therapy pointless? - At what point does drinking a lot become a drinking problem? - Why does everyone keep asking me why I am not married? Powerfully intelligent and wickedly funny, All Grown Up delves into the psyche of a flawed but mesmerising character. Readers will recognise themselves in Jami Attenberg's truthful account of what it means to be a 21st century woman, though they might not always want to admit it.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781781257050 |
| Publication date: |
5th October 2017 |
| Author: |
Jami Attenberg |
| Publisher: |
Serpent's Tail an imprint of Profile Books Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
197 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Modern and Contemporary Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Jami Attenberg Press Reviews
'Hilarious, courageous and mesmerizing from page one, ALL GROWN UP is a little gem that packs a devastating wallop. It's that rare book I'm dying to give all my friends so we can discuss it deep into the night. I'm in awe of Jami Attenberg.' -- Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go Bernadette
'Jami Attenberg's sharply drawn protagonist, Andrea, has such a riveting, propulsive voice that ALL GROWN UP is hard to put down, but I urge you to resist reading it in one sitting. Both the prose and the author's knowing excavation of one woman's desires, compromises, strengths and fears deserve closer attention. Like Andrea herself, this novel is beautiful and brutal, intelligent and funny, frank and sexy' -- Cynthia D'Aprix McSweeney, author of New York Times bestselling The Nest
'One of the smartest and truest novels I've read about being a single woman' -- Hadley Freeman Guardian
'Jami Attenberg has written her frankest, funniest, and most riveting and heartbreaking book yet. In Andrea, she has created a character women will be talking about for years; she has opened the door for us to see ourselves in literature in a new way, writing with skill and fearlessness few others can match' -- Emily Gould, author of Friendship
'Is all life junk - sparkly and seductive and devastating - just waiting to be told correctly by someone who will hold our hand and walk with us a while confirming that what we're living is true. This is a good proud urban book, a sad and specific blast for the fearless to read. Thank you Jami.' -- Eileen Myles, author of Chelsea Girls
'What a voice. Honest and hilarious, unflinching and unapologetic, Jami Attenberg writes what it is to be single, sexual, and childfree by choice. I read the first page of ALL GROWN UP and knew the novelist was going to outdo herself. I am happy to report that she most certainly did' -- Helen Ellis, author of American Housewife
About Jami Attenberg
Jami Attenberg is the author of Saint Mazie; The Middlesteins, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction and was published in nine countries; a story collection, Instant Love; and the novels The Kept Man and The Melting Season. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Author photo © Zack Smith
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