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momey's review against another edition
5.0
I very much empathized with the author and also his mother. I'm glad I read this after not-so-much liking the author's first novel. I'm going to try his historical novel Fragrant Harbor about Hong Kong. I greatly enjoyed Jane Gardam's trilogy on the place and hope to compare.
jillysnz's review
3.0
I loved the beginning of this book but it lost some of its momentum for me as it went on. I do admire his writing: there are some descriptions, especially about relationships and suggested motives that are beautifully nuanced.
tippycanoegal's review
4.0
John Lanchester is one of those authors that I keep forgetting that I love. Every one of his books is like a fresh, delightful new voice in my head and then I remember that I have admired his work before. Part of the reason for this may be because each of his books is quite different. I still recommend [b:The Debt to Pleasure|169510|The Debt to Pleasure|John Lanchester|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312009160s/169510.jpg|163686] often as though it came out yesterday rather than 15 years ago. It is a sly and witty mystery about a cookbook writer who is not quite what he seems.
Family Romance is a smart memoir about a complex set of parents. Lanchester discovers his mother's past after her death and spends the book unraveling the person that she was from the person that he thought he knew. Absolutely filled with witty, observent asides about the choices that we make in life. I just loved this book on so many different levels. My poor husband had to listen to me read paragraphs aloud at least ten times, and that is a rare enough occasion to distinguish the book as a new favorite.
Family Romance is a smart memoir about a complex set of parents. Lanchester discovers his mother's past after her death and spends the book unraveling the person that she was from the person that he thought he knew. Absolutely filled with witty, observent asides about the choices that we make in life. I just loved this book on so many different levels. My poor husband had to listen to me read paragraphs aloud at least ten times, and that is a rare enough occasion to distinguish the book as a new favorite.
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