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2.97 AVERAGE
2.97 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this, but I think this suffered from too much exposition. Many places felt too long and didn't add much to the story. The audiobook narrator did a nice job though.
I enjoyed the flashes of insight about the everyday difficulties in a marriage. Outside of that, I didn’t care enough about these characters. Cass is a total slob which was unforgivable to me. I was not rooting for these two at all. Concept was similar to The Arrangement, which was much more entertaining.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Whew, this felt like a long one. It was 360 pages, which is fairly average for fiction reads, but this one felt like it was never going to end. The premise of this was really interesting - a married couple of several years takes an intermission before having children to see if they work alone, and together. What I thought was going to be a journey of self-exploration and becoming better individuals to be better partners just turned into sexcapades. Wasn’t it for me. (StoryGraph readers apparently agreed with my sentiments, racking in the lowest average I’ve ever seen at 2.95⭐️.)
•
| Gut Instinct Rating: | 5
| Characters: | 6
| Believability: | 10
| Uniqueness: | 10
| Writing Style: | 8
| Excitement Factor: | 9
| Story Line: | 10
| Title Relevance: | 10
| Artwork Relevance: | 10
| Audiobook Narration: | n/a
| Overall: | 7.80
| Out of 5: | 4.33
| %/100: | 87%
4 A Marriage Interrupted Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
intermission: an interval between two parts of an event ie a marriage...
Cass and Jonathan have been married for six years... from the outside they appear to be the couple who have everything... great jobs, a beautiful apartment, disposable income.... but, both Cass and Jonathan have secrets and doubts... so, before they start trying to have kids Cass decides they need a break... an intermission.... A six-month timeperiod Where they can figure out if they are happy in their marriage, if they are with the “right” person.... but, will this truly be an intermission or will it be the final act???
I found this an interesting idea... I also think if my ex-husband had approached me with this idea my reaction would have been... hasta la vista 🤬 during this time out Cass takes a job in LA and moves to the opposite coast... this leads to a crazy custody arrangement with their dog flying him every 30 days across the country usually on the redeye.... this also leads to more distance and more room for doubts... both Cass and Jonathan made some bad and telling decisions during this intermission.... it is always interesting to take a peek into other peoples relationships, probably why we all have such a fascination with reality television.... I spent most of this book trying not to pass judgment and analyzing the relationship between these two... should they stay together or are they better off apart?
I found Jonathan the more likable and sympathetic of this couple...Cass came across a bit selfish and calculating.... I also found most of the marriage problems stemming from her insecurities that were routed in her dysfunctional childhood, so very understandable.... we all bring so much baggage to a marriage, don’t we? We all probably bring some secrets as well, does your spells know absolutely everything about you? Now of course all secrets are not created equally.... I just read the blurb for this book, in the blurb the secrets in this marriage are described as “gut wrenching” ummm... I don’t think so, and I really think Cass’s secret was blown out of proportion... by her! Jonathan was a pretty understanding and devoted guy I think he would’ve really been OK with it, but.... then they would have had to open up and be completely honest with one another, something Cass had some trouble with.... I think the issues in this marriage could’ve been solved with some good marriage counseling, but then we wouldn’t of had this most interesting book....
Absolutely recommend to those of you who enjoy a character driven story about relationships and human behavior.... and if you are like me and like to play amateur psychologist this one is definitely for you!
*** many thanks to Berkley for my copy of this book ***
intermission: an interval between two parts of an event ie a marriage...
Cass and Jonathan have been married for six years... from the outside they appear to be the couple who have everything... great jobs, a beautiful apartment, disposable income.... but, both Cass and Jonathan have secrets and doubts... so, before they start trying to have kids Cass decides they need a break... an intermission.... A six-month timeperiod Where they can figure out if they are happy in their marriage, if they are with the “right” person.... but, will this truly be an intermission or will it be the final act???
I found this an interesting idea... I also think if my ex-husband had approached me with this idea my reaction would have been... hasta la vista 🤬 during this time out Cass takes a job in LA and moves to the opposite coast... this leads to a crazy custody arrangement with their dog flying him every 30 days across the country usually on the redeye.... this also leads to more distance and more room for doubts... both Cass and Jonathan made some bad and telling decisions during this intermission.... it is always interesting to take a peek into other peoples relationships, probably why we all have such a fascination with reality television.... I spent most of this book trying not to pass judgment and analyzing the relationship between these two... should they stay together or are they better off apart?
I found Jonathan the more likable and sympathetic of this couple...Cass came across a bit selfish and calculating.... I also found most of the marriage problems stemming from her insecurities that were routed in her dysfunctional childhood, so very understandable.... we all bring so much baggage to a marriage, don’t we? We all probably bring some secrets as well, does your spells know absolutely everything about you? Now of course all secrets are not created equally.... I just read the blurb for this book, in the blurb the secrets in this marriage are described as “gut wrenching” ummm... I don’t think so, and I really think Cass’s secret was blown out of proportion... by her! Jonathan was a pretty understanding and devoted guy I think he would’ve really been OK with it, but.... then they would have had to open up and be completely honest with one another, something Cass had some trouble with.... I think the issues in this marriage could’ve been solved with some good marriage counseling, but then we wouldn’t of had this most interesting book....
Absolutely recommend to those of you who enjoy a character driven story about relationships and human behavior.... and if you are like me and like to play amateur psychologist this one is definitely for you!
*** many thanks to Berkley for my copy of this book ***
I liked the concept of this book and it was good in the beginning, but for some reason around the last quarter, it totally fell off for me. I'm not sure why - there wasn't a huge noticeable change, just something clicked off for me and I wasn't that into it anymore.
3.5
Marriage is a complex subject -- sometimes too complex for Cass. Cass is the main character of The Intermission and thr person behind the idea that she and her husband Jonathan should take a 6 month break to see if they *really* should stay married and have children. The pages just kept turning as I had to find out what was going to happen to these two!
Marriage is a complex subject -- sometimes too complex for Cass. Cass is the main character of The Intermission and thr person behind the idea that she and her husband Jonathan should take a 6 month break to see if they *really* should stay married and have children. The pages just kept turning as I had to find out what was going to happen to these two!
The seven-year itch seems to be what is ailing Cass at year five in The Intermission by Elyssa Friedland. Unfortunately, neither Jonathan nor Cass are particularly likable characters in this character driven story. The consequence of that is that I end up not really caring about the outcome. The premise of the book seems to be about how well you really know your partner; the book goes more in the direction of how well do you really know yourself.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/10/the-intermission.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/10/the-intermission.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
3 stars. Eh.
I wanted to like the book, but I didn’t. I really didn’t connect with the characters. The Arrangement was a better book on a similar idea.
I wanted to like the book, but I didn’t. I really didn’t connect with the characters. The Arrangement was a better book on a similar idea.
For my frustrations with the novel, I will say that I definitely got invested in Cass and Jonathan's relationship... I wanted to see them talk to one another, honestly, SOONER, and this speaks to the complexity and heart of the characters in the book. The writing style, though, was a challenge for me. It was SO expository, and I found myself wishing that the story unfolded in a less descriptive and more active way. Ultimately, I did enjoy this book, but it was hard to lose myself in its pages.
This novel, about a couple who has been married for five years, together for six, is not plot driven. When Cass and Jonathon decide to take a time out from each other before they have kids, both have been thinking about the good and bad parts of their marriage. The prospect of bringing a kid into the world brings the problem aspects into a new light.
Both of them have secrets from each other that they are ashamed of, but the secrets don’t strike me as the kind of thing they couldn’t talk through. I do understand that if you hide the truth or go along with one version of reality, bringing it up later can seem like a bigger deal than it otherwise would be. We all tend to present our best selves when we’re dating—but then what happens when the details you leave out of your history haunt you later when the dating leads to marriage?
I liked the fact that Cass’s past of financial struggle with two divorced parents who were less than reliable puts an automatic fissure of tension in becoming part of Jonathon’s blue blood family.
If you’re looking for a page turner that will keep you up all night, this isn’t it, but there is some beautiful writing. Toward the end, the twists and turns did pick up.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley Books for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JULY 3, 2018.
Both of them have secrets from each other that they are ashamed of, but the secrets don’t strike me as the kind of thing they couldn’t talk through. I do understand that if you hide the truth or go along with one version of reality, bringing it up later can seem like a bigger deal than it otherwise would be. We all tend to present our best selves when we’re dating—but then what happens when the details you leave out of your history haunt you later when the dating leads to marriage?
I liked the fact that Cass’s past of financial struggle with two divorced parents who were less than reliable puts an automatic fissure of tension in becoming part of Jonathon’s blue blood family.
If you’re looking for a page turner that will keep you up all night, this isn’t it, but there is some beautiful writing. Toward the end, the twists and turns did pick up.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley Books for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JULY 3, 2018.