Rating: 
Summary: Starts great, but becomes tiresome
Review: I used to be one of those readers who had to finish a book I had started, whether or not it was holding my interest. I am not capable of this these days. I'm sorry to say that I quit reading Fiona Range with less than 100 pages to go, choosing instead to skim the remainder just to find out what happened.Mary McGarry Morris paints the picture of a 30-year-old waitress struggling to make something of her life, while repeatedly getting in her own way. Fiona's mother ran off when Fiona was still a little girl, leaving her to the care of her aunt and uncle, who raised her alongside their own children. Her father is assumed to be Patrick Grady, the violently angry loner who had loved Fiona's mother before he was shipped off to the Vietnam War, but who had returned a scarred and changed man who still denies any relationship to Fiona. When we first meet our heroine, she is dealing with a rat's nest of problems, including strained relationships with her aunt and uncle and her bizarre, persistent attempts to build a relationship with Patrick. Her biggest problems, however, seem to revolve around her cousin Elizabeth and Elizabeth's fiance, Rudy. Elizabeth doesn't seem to want to marry Rudy, but also can't let him go... which eventually pushes him toward Fiona, causing repercussions in every aspect of Fiona's messy life. Sound interesting? It was, until about halfway, when all of the characters began to grate on my nerves. Fiona herself is hard to pin down- she does or says something horrible, then goes for long stretches of time acting pretty much like a normal human being, before doing something bad again. I couldn't decide if I liked her or found her irritating. The other characters, on the other hand, are so one-dimensional and repetitive that it's painful. In particular, I grew so weary of Elizabeth's hand-wringing and spinelessness that I felt no sympathy for her when her difficulty in breaking things off with Rudy pushed her closer and closer to emotional collapse. Throw in a few too many hushed conversations, family secrets that are constantly danced around (even long after the reader has guessed the truth), and angry phone conversations, and you have a book that eventually becomes unreadable. I give "Fiona Range" three stars, because it could have been much worse. However, if you are new to this author, I would recommend "Songs in Ordinary Time" or "A Dangerous Woman" before I would suggest this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Fiona's story is a fabulous read!
Review: I've read all of Mary McGarry Morris' novels and have loved each and every one! Fiona Range was so very human and vulnerable I ached for her sadness and disappointment in what her life had to offer. . . again, as in previous novels, Ms. Morris' story features a woman with plenty of troubles, struggling to find her way. This was a great book which should please all of her fans!
Rating:
Summary: I could'nt stop reading!
Review: This book was by far the best ever by Mary McGarry Morris. The characters were so real and the ending...what can I say, I never suspected it! I loved this book and was done with it within a week. Fiona Range is a character who you really feel sympathy for. i'm sure everyone knows a "Fiona Range." Eventhough, she frustrates the reader, and I felt like taking the book and shaking it, Fiona is a great character with a witty unique personality.
Rating:
Summary: Slightly Disappointing
Review: I found myself desperately trying to get to like the character of Fiona, and just when I thought I could, she would do something to upset me. In this respect, I found the character very well written, because despite the fact she isn't always likeable, this is who she is. What was so disappointing was the extremely predictable ending, as well as the lack of well developed characters other than Fiona. I still find the book a decent read, just not one of the best.
Rating:
Summary: 4 star effort that fizzles at end
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book until about the last 20 pages or so. I would definitely rate the previous part 4 stars, but the ending deserves only 2 stars. Morris did an excellent job of describing Fiona and her place in her family. Most people probably even know a Fiona....nothing is her fault and everyone is plotting against her. Morris's descriptions are vivid and satisfying. It's too bad that she seems to have failed to wrap the story up in any meaningful way and simply went for the "movie of the week" ending. What a shame because I really enjoyed the book before the ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Right down there with the worst I've ever read.......
Review: Repetitive, silly, ridiculous, tedious, monotonous....if you've started reading this book, do yourself a favor and just skip to the 2 last chapters and save yourself some valuable time. Thank goodness I got mine at the library and didn't waste my money.
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable, but good none the less.
Review: As I already said, it was predcitable. Somewhere around the fourth or fifth chapter you can put the pieces together and figure out what is going to happen. There are some good twists and turns, but you end up right where you thought you would. However, even though you know what is going to happen, you want to continue reading anyway. I really enjoyed the characters and all the little (and big) messes Fiona gets herself and her family into. This is the first book I have read in a long while that I can honestly say would make a good movie. Of course, if it were a movie they would have to not give so much away at the very beginning of the story!
Rating:
Summary: Flawed Families
Review: Fiona Range was raised by her prominent and successful aunt and uncle, along with their three children, in Dearborn, a small town near Boston. She finds it difficult to live up to the expectations of her "perfect" aunt and uncle and their "normal" children. Fiona is now 30, and her recklessness, unfounded trust in people, and poor judgment has earned her a reputation as an impulsive flake. She apparently sleeps with every man who crosses her path, and the book opens with her waking up and not knowing who is in her bed. But in spite of her poor judgment and many mistakes, Fiona is basically a good person and wants to help people. There is a real dichotomy between her basically good inner self and her outward appearance and actions. She is working as a waitress in the town diner, but wants to complete her education, so is taking a night class at the local college. She is surrounded by men who use her in so many ways. Patrick Grady is cruel and unstable as a result of injuries in Vietnam, and she believes him to be her father. Todd Prescott is her longest relationship (since high school), but he is wealthy and spoiled, and is constantly getting bailed out by his parents. George Grimshaw is the loyal and steady friend since high school, and former boyfriend of her cousin Elizabeth. She also becomes involved with Rudy, her cousin's fiancé. Her uncle Charles is a respected and prominent judge and is always helping out others, but can't seem to give Fiona the love and support she really needs. The intricacies of the relationships between all of these people make for interesting reading. You keep wondering what dilemma Fiona will find herself in next, and how she can extricate herself. The situation with her alleged father, Patrick Grady, deteriorates and becomes frightening, and the mystery of who he really is and his motivations will keep you engrossed until the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring, Predictable and Ridiculous plot
Review: Compared to "Songs in Ordinary Time" this book was boring and predictable. The characters never displayed any depth. I thought it was absurd the way 30 year old Fiona kept dismissing Patrick's inappropriate behaviour. I figured out the plot early on. Maybe the author will do better next time. I'll wait for the paperback on that one!
Rating:
Summary: Morris and Fiona have failed...
Review: I am always on the lookout for stong female characters, Fiona has proved to be the weakest yet. With her life revolving around one man to the next, she never takes the time to evaluate her own NEGATIVE choices and take stock in her own worth as a human being. I kept reading simply for this hope, but it never arrived. In the end, Fiona still takes pleasure out of seeing other lives destroyed. Only skillful writing could have saved this character, and unfortunately Morris has failed. Fiona's story is thinly constructed. Morris's novel is devoid of any quality literary technique. And I certainly hope that the copy editors of Viking have been retrained, as misspelled words and punctation errors further scar this already poorly written novel. May I never fall in the type of love that The Philidephia Inquirer calls Morris "a master at depicting."
|
