The Almost Moon: A Novel
by Alice Sebold
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Book Reviews of The Almost Moon: A Novel
Book Review: Can killing one's mother ever be understood?
Summary: 5 Stars
Alice Sebold examines some of our darkest emotions. Let's face it, murder commonly occures in the family, husbands killing wives, mothers killing children fill our evening news almost daily. Yet, we do not often hear about a rage a daughter can feel towards her own mother, but it does not mean it does not exist.
In The Almost Moon, the protagonist, Helen, finds herself in a perfect storm of emotions, anger at her narcissistic mother for not ever really being a mother to her and tormenting her father, attachment to her mother and extreme responsiveness to her mother's needs, dealing with her mother's dementia and decline. Helen realizes that her mother is not competent enough to stay in her home any longer, yet the home is her entire life. Suffering from mental illness the mother has confined herself in the house for years, refusing to leave it even to save a child's life. Helen feels acutely for her mother b/c the old woman has taken over her life, the way a selfish needy adult can take over a life of a child, who would do anything to try to win parental love. So here she is, taking care of the mother who never loved her, who never really was a mother, a narcissist that affirms her own self-worth by diminishing everyone else, a woman she both loves (b/c she is her mother and every child loves her mother, no matter how undeserving some parents are, that is a way we are programmed) and hates. Moreover, Helen knows that her mother can not stay in her house nor can she leave it. On impulse, propelled by all these contradictory feelings, Hellen kills her mother. This is a book for people who struggled to break free from the disfunctional family patterns and to be free to live their lives had to kill their mothers, may be not literally and physically, but symbolically, because the realization that one's Mother was never really there for you when you were a child, that what was claimed to be love was not real, certainly feels like death. A wonderful, if difficult book.
Book Review: I FINALLY !!! FINISHED THIS BOOK
Summary: 1 Stars
THE ALMOST MOON
I knew by the second paragraph of this book that I would NOT like it. I loved the LOVELY BONES and, while I don't like to compare novels, this one was a waste of my time. Especially compared to the LOVELY BONES, God forbid I compare!
Helen murders her aged mom. Her mom was a horrible person, she took over Helen's life and made everyone around her miserable. Did she deserve to die? Who cares! Did Helen get away with murder? Who cares? Helen was so messed up because of her mom and her past, but I just didn't care. The book revolves around the murder, Helen trying to cover up the murder, her actions for a few days after the murder, and constant flashbacks of her life. I ususally enjoy books that are written in this mode, but did NOT care for this one.
But I guess you, the reader, have figured that out by now. I am so glad I am DONE with this book --
I don't like giving negative reviews. There is no way to mince words here; however, this book was not good. I just didn't care about anyone or anything that happened to anybody. The main reason I did not care for this book was the main character, Helen. I didn't like her as a person and for that reason, didn't care for how she handled anything in her life. In my mind, since I didn't like her, NOTHING she did or anything she said seemed correct to me. That may be a wrong basis for not enjoying a book, but she totally rubbed me the wrong way. However, maybe the author intended for her character NOT to be liked.
I am surprised that I even finished this book, but I wanted to see how it ended. How I wish I would have just peeked at the ending and saved myself some time.
I will not be recommending this book to ANYONE. I will pass my copy along to my local library. However, check out THE LOVELY BONES, it was great.
Thank you and sorry for being such a grouch re this book!
Pam
Book Review: Dark and dreary, indeed
Summary: 3 Stars
I borrowed the audio book from the library to listen to for company on my commute. I really wish I had just borrowed the book so I could have finished it in 2-3 days and didn't have to spend over a week with this character. I could not relate to Helen at all; she was self-absorbed, prickly, cold, and full of self-righteousness. I understood why she was that way, but that didn't make it easier to get through the story.
The main character wasn't the only problem. It was difficult to get through the narration--not because of the reader, who was excellent. It was difficult because of the constant shifting between past and present. It was impossible to stay with the story because as soon as it would start to gain momentum, there would be a flashback or a confusing change of scene. I could keep up, but I started not wanting to.
The author's intent seems to be to make you feel Helen's disappointment in life, her frustration and constant wishes for a better life/mother/husband/daughter/father/etc, her truly poor ability to make decisions. She seemed doomed to her fate; everything led up to her making her decision, whether it was out of mercy or the culmination of years of resentment--I just don't care enough about her to speculate. She's not like a friend or an acquaintance who makes me want to speculate about their fate or motivations. I just. Don't. Care.
The reason I gave it three stars is that Sebold really is a good writer and can pull off descriptive sections in a way that other modern writers can't. Though she does tend toward the choppy mundane on occasion, I think that was purposeful. It wasn't appealing at all, but there you go.
I'm only glad I didn't spend money on this one. Thank you public library system!! (If you choose to read it, I recommend the book if you're a fast reader and the audio book if you're not; just get through it.)
Book Review: Grim & Depressing
Summary: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (11/07)
I was excited to read the new novel by the acclaimed author of "Lovely Bones," but quickly realized that this was going to be a completely different experience. "The Almost Moon" is a story about a middle-aged woman whose life completely spirals out of control in a very short period of time. While it is very well written, the story itself is so disturbing that I would recommend it only to people who enjoy dark stories. I found myself having a hard time getting through the book at times because I was torn between wanting to smack some sense into the main character and feeling horrified at the things she did.
Helen Knightly is a middle-aged woman who has devoted her life to marriage, children and family. Now divorced with grown children she is frustrated by her mother's frailties. Helen knows that it is time for her mother to go into assisted living and while she is helping her get ready for the move, her mother does not make it to the bathroom in time. Helen completely loses it while trying to clean her mother up and kills her mother. This leads to one bad decision after another. Helen spends the next twenty-four hours doing many irrational things including having sex with her best friend's son.
As she faces the consequences of what she has done and tries to decide what to do about it, Helen also takes a look at her past and the impact that her parents had on her life. As Helen's life spirals she also feels a strange sense of liberation at stepping outside the box of what her life had become.
"The Almost Moon" is definitely for readers who enjoy stories about the mental illness, depravity and weaknesses of the human condition. As a middle-aged divorcee with aging parents I found it way too disturbing to enjoy.
Book Review: depressed yet?
Summary: 1 Stars
Okay, Alice Sebold is an excellent writter. She knows how to put words together very well. The LOVELY BONES was an Awesome book in my opion. But the ALMOST MOON? I was so disappointed and peeved that I paid money for the book. (& I bought it used). I started it Saturday morning, and finished it at 4:30am Sunday. I was determined to finish it. Waiting for the story to become more than my mother was horrible, my child hood sucked, so I just killed her! Then at the End, I was like WHAT????? Where is the ending? It's like Alice Sebold just gave up and said "Okay, I'm done" and then published it. There could have been at least 4 or 5 more chapters to actually finish the story. It was so INCOMPLETE? What happens to her, what about her and Hamish? What about the story that Alice could have went on with the main character and her ex-husband. The chemistry between her and her ex? The ex LOVED her, and tells her. Then she goes and has sex with Hamish for his car keys! I mean this a 50 year old woman, not a 17 year old teen! And the ex-husband, I mean 20 years of divorce and he flies from LA in the middle of the night just to try and resuce her from what she gotten herself into, and that's it. No romance, no nothing. What happened to him? What about her and her best friend? What about her youngest daughter and the things she was going through. Its like a whold other story could have developed from her. It seems it was setting up for that, then nada. I mean the book was depressing enough, but then the ending just SUCKED. I was so ticked that I had actually wasted my time, reading this book. There was just some many things she could have done with the stroy and still stayed with the "manic depression, my child hood sucked" story. I can't believe a published company actually put this book out!