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Alice Otto is unquestionably the matriarch on Elizabeth Street, where those with big dreams and dashed hopes end up. Every day is a battle against constant change, but not until now, recognizing in herself the symptoms her grandfather once faced, has Alice encountered a change she cannot combat. For decades Alice Otto has known every squatter and dweller on Elizabeth Street, and on most days she remembers their names-every Bart, Lila, Gerty, Michael, and Steve. Bart has written a book, stories about all of them, and Lila, long married, has moved overseas. Gerty is dead, Michael never left, and for a decade nobody has heard a thing from Steve. When Steve unexpectedly returns to Elizabeth Street, Alice takes great comfort in the fact, and as their bond deepens very little stands in their way as they spiral together into hopelessness. Alice yearns for things remembered, and clings to Bart Steyn's book, the line between fact and fiction growing increasingly indistinct, while Steve longs for the love he once shared with Michael. Brimming with heart and gentle humor, and not wasting a single word, The Thing About Alice is a study in character no reader will easily forget.… (mer)
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Actual Rating: 2.0
The Thing About Alice follows many different characters who live on Elizabeth Street through the eyes of Alice — there's Mitzi, Rita, Gerty, Michael, Steve — who are all at different stages in their lives.
The blurb calls this book a study in character, and that was honestly what this was, with a sprinkle of slice-of-life. I personally have no problem with that, but I just found that the book didn't go into as much depth with any of the characters as much as I liked. It was a little hard to keep track of everyone when nobody had very definitive personalities and there was no opportunity to get to know each character gradually.
Plot-wise, it just felt like nothing much happened. There were a few moments that were pretty heart-warming, but it really didn't feel enough to carry the story. I reached the end of the book when I felt like I had just read through the exposition.
The writing style was something I definitely enjoyed though. It was pretty dialogue-heavy, and I really liked how that made the pacing very realistic during conversations. It was poetic in all the right places, and the blurb is absolutely right about it "not wasting a single word."
Ultimately, this was a really quick read for me, and I felt like it could've benefited a lot more from a stronger, streamlined plot, where the characters could have bigger roles in all the chapters. Part of it is on me, being someone who just naturally forgets who's who when there's a really big cast — but I feel like I could've grown to love the characters a lot more if I had more time with them. This had a lot of potential. ( )
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Alice Otto is unquestionably the matriarch on Elizabeth Street, where those with big dreams and dashed hopes end up. Every day is a battle against constant change, but not until now, recognizing in herself the symptoms her grandfather once faced, has Alice encountered a change she cannot combat. For decades Alice Otto has known every squatter and dweller on Elizabeth Street, and on most days she remembers their names-every Bart, Lila, Gerty, Michael, and Steve. Bart has written a book, stories about all of them, and Lila, long married, has moved overseas. Gerty is dead, Michael never left, and for a decade nobody has heard a thing from Steve. When Steve unexpectedly returns to Elizabeth Street, Alice takes great comfort in the fact, and as their bond deepens very little stands in their way as they spiral together into hopelessness. Alice yearns for things remembered, and clings to Bart Steyn's book, the line between fact and fiction growing increasingly indistinct, while Steve longs for the love he once shared with Michael. Brimming with heart and gentle humor, and not wasting a single word, The Thing About Alice is a study in character no reader will easily forget.
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(3.5)
1
The Thing About Alice follows many different characters who live on Elizabeth Street through the eyes of Alice — there's Mitzi, Rita, Gerty, Michael, Steve — who are all at different stages in their lives.
The blurb calls this book a study in character, and that was honestly what this was, with a sprinkle of slice-of-life. I personally have no problem with that, but I just found that the book didn't go into as much depth with any of the characters as much as I liked. It was a little hard to keep track of everyone when nobody had very definitive personalities and there was no opportunity to get to know each character gradually.
Plot-wise, it just felt like nothing much happened. There were a few moments that were pretty heart-warming, but it really didn't feel enough to carry the story. I reached the end of the book when I felt like I had just read through the exposition.
The writing style was something I definitely enjoyed though. It was pretty dialogue-heavy, and I really liked how that made the pacing very realistic during conversations. It was poetic in all the right places, and the blurb is absolutely right about it "not wasting a single word."
Ultimately, this was a really quick read for me, and I felt like it could've benefited a lot more from a stronger, streamlined plot, where the characters could have bigger roles in all the chapters. Part of it is on me, being someone who just naturally forgets who's who when there's a really big cast — but I feel like I could've grown to love the characters a lot more if I had more time with them. This had a lot of potential. (