When Will There Be Good News?: A Novel
by Kate Atkinson
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Book Reviews of When Will There Be Good News?: A Novel
Book Review: Smart edgy mystery writing.
Summary: 4 Stars
I have enjoyed Atkinson's writing since appreciating Not the End of the World, her collection of short stories. This is the second of her Jackson Brodie detective novels which I have read.
Ultimately, I think I prefer her short stories. There is something very-- diffuse?-- about her writing and plotting. I remember enjoying the first Brodie book, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you what it was about. I know that there were several stories. I can remember images, moments, some flashes of character. But virtually nothing else. The Brodie money sub-plot in this book initially made no sense to me until about three quarters of the way through when I suddenly remembered he'd become rich in Case Histories.
I'm only a couple a weeks away from having read When Will There Be Good News? and it already has kind of the same effect. This is partially because Atkinson so resolutely refuses to tie up her endings. She clearly likes the way that stories fracture against the possibility of character. It's a nice thing, and it works very well for writers like Karin Fossum. Still, the ending of this book seemed to me dangerously close to week.
Still-- Atkinson writes smart, edgy detective novels. She isn't overly precious about violence, nor does she bathe her characters in it. I'll keep reading, I think.
Book Review: Fate, Family, Fatalities
Summary: 5 Stars
We are all dealt a few relationships at birth; other relationships are missing or extremely flawed. Sometimes we make good choices; other times we get on the train going the wrong way. Luck and fate and coincidence add interest as these relationships play out. Although you would expect a book that frequently warns, "just because something bad happened once doesn't mean it won't happen again," might be depressing, but Atkinson pulls her characters and readers through some dark moments to emerge with a sense of hope and trust.
Atkinson's "When Will There Be Good News" presents a wonderful ensemble cast, each member of which is wrestling with marriage, death, memory, parents, brothers, in-laws, ex-wives and children. Only the dogs seem to offer perfection in the intricate web of relationships surrounding the novel's main characters.
The chance encounters and interwoven lives of WWTBGN reminded me of Ian McEwan's "Saturday", although Atkinson's book seems more down-to-earth and less philosophical than the earlier novel. Although the plot coincidences would be far-fetched in the real world, in this terrific novel they are one of the sources of subtle humor and suspense.
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and appreciated the distinct voices of the characters and the pace of the reading. (Loved the Scottish accents!) I had not read Atkinson's earlier Jackson Brodie books, and did not feel lost by starting with this third novel in the series. Highly recommended!
Book Review: Fantastic Book With Characters You'll Love and Loathe
Summary: 5 Stars
When Will There Be Good News? tells the stories of teen-age nanny Reggie, her physician boss Joanna, and of course retired police detective Jackson Brodie. In typical Kate Atkinson style, each character's tale leads smack into the next's as violence, death and betrayal create an eerie backdrop.
The third of the Jackson Brodie books, When Will There Be Good News? is set in Edinburgh, where Reggie loves her job taking care of a busy physician's baby boy. She has no clue that Dr. Hunter ("Call me Jo") has a secret: she was the only survivor as a child when a crazy stranger with a knife murdered her mother and siblings.
Jo has secrets, her husband has secrets, even Reggie has secrets. But in Atkinson's hands, the secrets unravel and then knit together more tightly fused than ever as the characters' lives all intersect and then splinter off again. Atkinson's character development and plotting are impeccable; her dialogue is perfect; so much is revealed by passing thoughts and stand-by comments, like Reggie's constant "Sweartogod" replies.
This is the first Jackson Brodie novel getting tons of American attention; but it's a shame if it's the first book a reader picks up. Brodie is a complex character and all his cases and relationships matter. Readers, particularly mystery fans, should definitely put When Will There Be Good News? at the top of their lists. But consider starting with Case Histories and One Good Turn.
Book Review: What am I missing??
Summary: 1 Stars
Let me say at the beginning that there are only 2 reasons this book received 1 star instead of zero stars. First, Amazon requires at least 1 star. Second, it was written in my native language. I can think of no other redeeming qualities.
Truly, I do not understand all the gushing praise heaped upon this book. I found it dreadfully boring, so much so that it took me an entire month to finish it. Often, after reading 12-15 pages, my eyes would begin to droop, presumably under the weight of the laborious plot. As others have mentioned, it takes an extraordinarily long time to set up all the characters and scenes. By the time the Major Plot Event occurs, I didn't care what happened to any of the characters. I didn't like any of the principals, I never felt an attachment to any of them, I didn't like being dropped into their lives without any sort of set-up or explanation, I didn't understand all the references (geographic, cultural, or otherwise), and as a result, the overall effect made for a very uneven and unpleasant experience.
For me, reading is (ideally) a fun diversion. I do not read to seek enlightenment about the human condition, or some such. This book was work, a chore, a burden, strain, and a bother. So, either I'm missing the wonderfulness so many others have enjoyed, or it's simply a matter of taste, and I found this particular book to be as enjoyable as eating rust-covered rhinocerus feces.
Book Review: Portraits of Survivors
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't normally read a lot of crime fiction. However, I thought Atkinson's CASE HISTORIES was well done and thought I'd pick up her latest offering, WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS. The story focuses on a woman, Joanna Hunter, who survived a vicious attack when she was six years old and has now gone missing thirty years later. Atkinson's character Jackson Brodie makes a return appearance in the book. Virtually every character is a survivor of some sort. The theme of survival is big one throughout the story. How do we move on from great tragedy and adversity? What kind of people do things like that shape us into? Do we have a choice about the people that we become?
Atkinson hits you with violence right from the beginning and I had a lot of difficulty with it. I think it was because the majority of the violence throughout the book was directed at women and children. I appreciate the fact that Atkinson crafts such strong female characters, however. They are not just victims. They are empowered and fight to the bitter end.
Ultimately, the book made me sad. Not because it isn't good but because the subject matter left me melancholy. I think the real message of the book can be summed up in this quotation from one of the characters:
"We're all on our own, Mr. B., that's why we have to care for each other."
How very true.