The next book review I've got for you is 'The Interestings', the ninth novel by the fabulous American author Meg Wolitzer. This book was another of my purchases from when I passed my theory test, and another part of the 'buy one get one half price' deal from Waterstones (wooooh). I literally just finished reading it last night, and I've basically been reading 30 pages every night this last week or so because it's the kind of book that subtly hooks you and refuses to let you go until the very last page (and that's around 467 pages later).
I bought this book because of the good reviews that were splashed all over its cover, inside and out, and more importantly because of the plot itself. The story begins in 1974 America at Spirit-In-The-Woods camp, where Julie 'Jules' Jacobson, sporter of a poodle-like perm and still trying to recover from her father's recent death at 42 years old, comes for the summer to try and escape her life back home. Whilst at camp she ends up sharing a teepee (I've always wanted to go in one!!) with the camp beauty and sweetheart Ash Wolf and her slightly needy and emotional friend, the passionate dancer Cathy Kiplinger, amongst others.
Through these two girls Julie, who quickly becomes known as Jules, is inducted and incorporated into their friendship group which consists of Ash's equally beautiful but restless and lazy elder brother Goodman, whom she idolises, the reportedly 'ugly' but incredibly talented and sweet animation enthusiast Ethan Figman, and gentle, loveable hippy Jonah Bay. As the story begins on the summer night Jules joins this group of interesting, cool, fun loving, pot smoking teenagers, and thus changes her world forever, they decide to call themselves 'The Interestings' and vow to always live up to the name.
As the novel is set in motion, Wolitzer effortlessly guides us in and out of different time periods, settings and character perspectives, from 2010 stretching back to that pivotal year and summer for the characters, 1974. It's a skill that you don't fully notice and appreciate until you finish the novel and reflect on its brilliance. Wolitzer constructs so many individual threads and tales as she goes, and yet somehow she manages to weave them in and out of each other so easily and effectively, without ever failing to pick one up and guide it to its conclusion. No loose end is left untied in this novel and at 467 pages long that's a tough feat to achieve, and an undeniably amazing achievement that only writers with true skill can do.
Following each character as they make the transition to adulthood proves extremely intriguing, as some experience success beyond their wildest dreams whilst others get dealt the short hand and struggle to overcome the obstacles placed in their way, or make sense of the lot they have been given and the things that have been denied to them. We begin with seeing Jules and co. as teenagers who believe they can do anything and everything, who believe that they have the world at their feet, who are confidently conquering the world together, and watch them begin to realise as years go by that these things aren't necessarily so. We see their weaknesses and flaws become steadily exposed, we see them react to changes and occurrences in the world around them, from the political and cultural, we see them navigate life as it pulls them along and how each character exists and interacts in the real world, away from the magical and protective bubble of summer camp.
The story is split into three parts and this loosely divides into the transition between childhood and adulthood, early adulthood to middle age, and middle age onwards although as previously mentioned, there are a lot of jumps between time periods. However Wolitzer's clearly powerful literary skill means this is never confusing, and you quickly begin to realise that these jumps have been carefully compiled in a particular order to feed you the necessary information you need at particular points in the novel, which in turn helps you to gradually build up the bigger picture.
In my opinion, I think that 'The Interestings' is the sort of novel that you don't fully appreciate until it strives towards its conclusion and reaches it. Whilst reading it, you will notice that this a very, very good novel with clever characters and an extremely clever narrative and plot, however the full impact of this book only seems to really hit you at the end when you realise that you've actually come to care for these characters and don't want to leave them behind. I loved reading about what becomes of Jules, Ash, Cathy, Ethan, Goodman and Jonah, I love how Wolitzer mirrors and constructs her narrative in line with the events that occur in the novel, I loved being part of the journey that unfolds and I think that 'The Interestings' is the kind of novel that everyone, and I mean everyone, can relate to in some way.
If you're a teenager too like myself, on the very verge of stumbling into adulthood, you'll really connect to the younger selves of the characters and observe their ascent into adulthood with such strong interest, because you know that it's all about to happen to you soon. It will teach you some important lessons about life, prepare you for the world that you're about to enter and fill you with both excitement and fear. 'The Interestings' isn't a fairy coated tale where everyone gets a happy ending and everyone's dreams come true, it's honest, it's truthful, it's real, it's happy, it's sad, it captures life perfectly and I think that if you're a teenager in particular, all these things are what makes 'The Interestings' a book that you really ought to read.
And if you're older, and you're already riding the ups and downs of adulthood, then reading this book will be like a wonderful journey through the past, reminding you of what it was like to be a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, of the world around you and how it changed, and how it's never too late to make changes, re-invent yourself, and really find who you are and what you want to do and be, as well as appreciate and enjoy what you already have and the person you are right now.
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