The Weird Sisters
By
Grade : B-

Romance books typically have larger than life, perfect heroines and a satisfying fairytale ending. Both are reasons that I read romance, so when I read a book that explores human frailties, the analysis is somewhat different. Not being able to rely on the guarantee of a happily every after, I have to evaluate the book by the way it grabs my attention, makes me think, and keeps me turning the pages. Can I accept the characters' pasts, their insecurities, lack of confidence, birth order, and being raised by unorthodox parents as an explanation for their mistakes? Weird Sisters explores all of this with considerable genius even if it's not a perfect book.

The Andreas sisters have had an eccentric upbringing. Their father is an distinguished professor of Shakespeare who has an obsessed interest in all things Shakespeare(bardolatry), so much so that he communicates almost exclusively in verse. He notifies his youngest daughter that her mother is ill by sending a letter stating “Come, let us go; and pray to all the gods/For our beloved mother in her pains." Rosalind, Bianca, and Cordelia all use their mother's illness as a reason for moving home, but each faces a crossroads in life. Can sisters "who love each other but don't like each other" find common ground as they struggle to find their way?

Rosalind (Rose) as the oldest has a predestined desire to be in control and to be needed. When her fiancé takes a position at Oxford, she finds herself at loose ends. When her parents announce that her mother has breast cancer, she moves home to help out. Of all the sisters, she is the one who has always felt content staying in Ohio. She is comfortable with her life and resistant to change. But change is coming to her life, if only she has the courage to move forward.

Bianca (Bean) is not the oldest with all the dependability or the youngest with the charisma, so she has defined herself as the one with the looks and the ability to entice men. All during her adolescence she dreams of New York City, and upon finishing school, she makes this a reality. But being there only exacerbates the emptiness inside her. Spending money on designer clothes, eating at the best restaurants, and going to the hottest clubs all make her feel like someone who matters. Working in a small law firm doesn’t support this lifestyle, so handling the payroll proves too much of a temptation. Her avarice only breeds more feelings of repulsion resulting in a vicious cycle of more buying and more stealing. When the embezzlement is discovered, she returns home.

Cordelia (Cordy) has never had to take responsibility for her actions. Her charm plus the fact that she is the baby in the family has always kept her from suffering any dire repercussions from her spontaneous actions. She quit school and embraced a lifestyle free of responsibility, moving from one place to another on a whim. Now she is pregnant, and the time is right for her to grow up. Will she be able to settle down in one place and be a good mother, or is she destined to always run away from encumbrances?

Ms. Brown has created three flawed, imperfect characters and given them qualities that compelled me to identify with them. All three are voracious readers. Their unorthodox upbringing didn't include watching television, they read as children, and carry this affection for books over into adulthood. Like me, they read while waiting in line, they read while eating breakfast, they read at the hospital or doctor's office, and to comfort their mother they read to her. So while I can't say that I liked the sisters and at times wished they were nicer people, I understood the author's desire to relate each heroine's actions to her namesake. However, the sisters are sometimes blatantly self-centered and narcissistic, which impacted my enjoyment of the book.

The narrator portion of the story is definitely unique. The author uses the royal "we" or as the back of the book states "first person plural" so during many parts of the story the reader is not sure who is speaking. Supposedly it is all three sisters, or one sister describing a situation as if she knows the views of the others. I personally found it distracting rather then charming.

While I don't often seek out books with characters this damaged, I found this a compelling read in spite of the narration. If you enjoy thought-provoking stories about families, sisters, and character growth then there is plenty to enjoy here.

Reviewed by Leigh Davis
Grade : B-
Book Type: Women's Fiction

Sensuality: N/A

Review Date : August 10, 2011

Publication Date: 2011/01

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