Getting Over It

Rating:
Summary: Better the Second Time
Review: Two years ago, I wrote a scathing review here of Getting Over It, calling it "the worst book I've ever read." And at the time, that's exactly how I felt. Since then however I've had a chance to revisit the book and have to modify my opinion.
My original opinion was clouded by my intense dislike and annoyance with the main character, Helen Bradshaw, who I found to be shallow, petty, mean, and foolishly impulsive. What I really didn't take into account is that the entire novel is a flashback. The story is told by Helen in the present tense, but the events actually happened one year ago. So that means that Helen is being brutally honest about the kind of person she was; and that shows maturity and depth of character.
I think Helen is the type of person that needs to grow on you. The things that previously ticked me off about her, I now find humorous and endearing.

I still find Anna Maxted's choice of words to be weird and sometimes downright bizarre. Her selection of verbs, for example, is often unintentionally funny. Her characters never just "say" something; they bleat, snarl, croak, trill, roar, sob, tinkle or snap. My all time favorite line from the book is from Helen's mother when she is offered ketchup for her omelette:
"Yuck," sings my mother. (page 221)

Another example of unusual wordplay is when Helen comes home from a friend's birthday party feeling miserable, lonely and tired:
"I... glide to the kitchen table, and in a stiff robotic movement, sit down." (page 63)
Well, which is it? "Glide" and "stiff robotic movement" imply vastly different types of action. Gliding usually refers to a smooth fluid movement.

These grievances, however, are minor. Overall, the book is a pleasure to read. Some reviewers here have complained that Helen is not a fully realized character and is more of a caricature. I disagree. If you read carefully, she comes across as complex and very three-dimensional. Everything about her is on display - her pettiness, her vulnerability, her self-effacing deprecation. She isn't shy about sharing her many foibles and that's what makes her so human.

Rating:
Summary: Returned it after 40 pgs.
Review: This book tried to hard to be "brit chick lit" I couldn't get into it at all. Rambling sentences and quite depressing. Fortunately, I took this one out from the local library, where it went right back to the day after I got it.

Not worth it in my opinion

Rating:
Summary: Pros and Cons
Review: I liked and I disliked Getting Over It. My main complaint was that it seemed Maxted couldn't decide if she wanted to write an uplifting romantic comedy or a deep tragic story about death and domestic abuse. Instead of making the novel deep, all the talk about death just seemed to put a damper on what was otherwise a fun humourous love story. I'm all for serious books, but these two elements didn't quite fit together in Getting Over It, and made for a bipolar read. My other complaint was how every chapter started out with a story from Helen's childhood or an explanation about some quirk in her personality, so you lost where you were at the end of the previous chapter. I felt like I had to get back into the book at the beginning of every chapter. But, it was a good book! The characters were my favorite part. They all had personality flaws and highs. I also believed the spark between Helen and Tom. Overall, Getting Over It was a good book, worth the read, but it didn't keep me from doing other things, like sleeping.

Rating:
Summary: Another entry on the list
Review: For all intents and purposes, this wasn't bad. As yet another addition to the brit chick lit genre, Maxted manages to make the characters interesting and keeps them from becoming cardboard. Not quite up to par with some other British authors, but still an exceedingly good attempt.

Rating:
Summary: I fell in LOVE with this novel
Review: This novel captivates the reader from the first chapter right until the single last page.

I have yet to find a book as wonderfully written and characterized as this one.
Maxted truly did an excellent job.

By the time I had reached the last 5 pages of this novel, I could not bring myself to want to sit down and read them-- simply because I knew if I did, the unbelieveable story would be over.

This is a book I will never forget- A MUST READ!

Rating:
Summary: Love this book...
Review: This is a really good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldnt put it down. I gave myself a headache reading so much at one time .... but it was worth it. Keep writing Anna.

Rating:
Summary: Move over Bridget Jones...Helen Bradshaws' movin' in!
Review: Since reading Bridget Jones (to which comparisons must be made given the genre making scope of BJ) I've slogged through book after book about unappreciated single girls working at either PR or magazine jobs wandering through dates, relationships and "flatmates". Except for BJ, these books are invariably predictable and shallow - with prose that could line the bottoms of bird cages as easily as being slung between pink stilletto clad illustrated covers.

With Getting Over It, it's a brand new ball game. A real character is wittilly brought to life by Anna Maxted and her consistently entertaining prose. The characters are interesting, the situations are entirely unpredictable, and the pace is brisk enough that when the final page turns and the tale is over, you'll wish you could start it all again. Bravo Anna Maxted! Thanks for giving us such a fabulously fun, substansive read. I enjoyed each delicious word.

Rating:
Summary: Dealing with death
Review: "Getting Over It" is a story of Helen Bradshaw who had a difficult time dealing with the death of her father. It was unreal for her and at the same time, her mother was also have difficulties accepting her husband death. It became Helen's responsibility to make sure that things are fine for her mother who suffered mild depression. At the same time, her love life was basically not going anywhere, dating briefly ... Jasper and Marcus. The only bright spot in Helen's life was the meeting of Tom, a vet who drove Helen to her father's funeral when she had an auto accident with Tom's assistant.

This is not a particularly "fun" book because the pace is quite slow. Even though I sympathize with the main character Helen, she is not particularly likeable in the sense that she makes the same mistakes again and again, and she is quite passive. I have mixed feelings about this book. It would be more entertaining if the author develops the secondary characters more. Also, her editor needs to make an extra effort in proofreading because there were quite a few errors in the book especially typos. I recommend this book if you are not looking for light or fun read but something different from the typical chick lits.

Rating:
Summary: Loved this book!
Review: Having had the pleasure of being raised by a somewhat narcissistic (ok, a lot narcissistic) mother and a distant father, who passed away, this book struck a chord. I was entrigued with the main character's journey through the trials and tribulations of friendships, boyfriends, and frequent disappointments while maintaining a humourous, well, more like sarcastic and biting, outlook. One of many favorite scenes in the book was when the main character finally told an on-again-off-again lover, who was using her for room and board under the guise of renewed devotion, to hit the road. Anna Maxted's second novel, Running in Heels, is next on my list. No this book is not War and Peace, but for a light, fun book for the beach or when curled up with a hot cup of tea this one is for you.

Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: This is a good story and the main character is very likeable. If you are a late 20-something then you can even relate. I wasn't expecting the British Humour and some of it was a little hard to understand at times, while other times it was interesting and funny to hear new and different terms. The story itself is very good - mostly funny and the main character is saracastic and makes some good jokes. It's also got that painful suspense because she makes an ... out of herself so often that you are just pulling for something to go right for her by the end. I couldn't put it down for the last 100 pages because I couldn't stand not knowing how it would end. I was happy with it all!