We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

By: Karen Joy Fowler

Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling author of The Jane Austen Book Club introduces a middle-class American family that is ordinary in every way but one in this novel that won the PEN/Faulkner Award and was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize.

Meet the Cooke family: Mother and Dad, brother Lowell, sister Fern, and Rosemary, who begins her story in the middle. She has her reasons. “I was raised with a chimpanzee”, she explains. “I tell you Fern was a chimp and already you aren’t thinking of her as my sister. But until Fern’s expulsion...she was my twin, my funhouse mirror, my whirlwind other half and I loved her as a sister”. As a child, Rosemary never stopped talking. Then, something happened, and Rosemary wrapped herself in silence.

In We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler weaves her most accomplished work to date - a tale of loving but fallible people whose well-intentioned actions lead to heartbreaking consequences.

©2012 Karen Joy Fowler (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A novel so readably juicy and surreptitiously smart, it deserves all the attention it can get.... [Its] fresh diction and madcap plot bend the tone toward comedy, but it never mislays its solemn raison d’être. Monkeyshines aside, this is a story of Everyfamily in which loss engraves relationships, truth is a soulful stalker and coming-of-age means facing down the mirror, recognizing the shape-shifting notion of self." (Barbara Kingsolver, The New York Times Book Review)

"Fowler’s interests here are in what sets humans apart from their fellow primates. Cognitive, language and memory skills all come into playful question. But the heart of the novel - and it has a big, warm, loudly beating heart throughout - is in its gradually pieced-together tale of family togetherness, disruption and reconciliation. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves is Fowler at her best, mixing cerebral and emotional appeal together in an utterly captivating manner." (The Seattle Times)

"Elegantly and humorously orchestrated.... Knitting together Rosemary’s at times poignant, at times hilarious scraps of uncovered memories, Fowler creates a fantastical tale of raw, animalistic love." (O, The Oprah Magazine)

The mysteries of families

Where does We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Unfortunately, I had heard an interview with the author about the book which provided a significant plot spoiler, but even knowing what I knew, I found the novel psychologically intriguing and suspenseful, as well as thought provoking. It verged on the didactic at times, but only to the extent that a central concern of the novel required it because it was integral to the characters.

DO. NOT. READ. THE. SYNOPSIS!

The synopsis RUINED the reveal. Major spoil alert. I was so angry when I realized I wasn't yet supposed to know who Fern was.

Fantastic

Best book I’ve listened to in a long time !!! Love the author and the performance !!!

Good contemporary

Nice to read a contemporary (almost) story for once. Everything is good. The story. The portraits. The writing. But easily forgotten none the less.

well worth a listen!

This was refreshingly out of the norm. I wish the "twist" had been a surprise for me, unfortunately it's hard to avoid the information. Great narrator. The end seemed to drag out a bit, but I hung in there and was mostly glad that I did.

Book that stays with you after you shut the cover!

What did you love best about We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves?

This whole book was written in an untraditional way -- it did not follow a chronological order typical of so many books you read. I found myself being wound through this young lady's life through memories and present day situations. Masterly written!

I can truly say this book has had a huge impact on my life and the way I view animals in captivity.
Awesome~

What did you like best about this story?

The delicate way the author told a riveting tale about the human/animal relationship. I also enjoyed the way the book ended it gave me some comfort. I did research after the book ended and found there is a huge area in Florida devoted to Chimps/Apes giving them their life back.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene is when Rosemary places her hand on the glass after a long absence and Fern places her hand on the other side -- the connection is so great, it still brings tears to my eyes.

Who was the most memorable character of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and why?

It can't be just one character, it has to be Fern and Rosemary together because they are so connected.

Any additional comments?

This is a definite read for everyone! It will change you!

'Monkey-Girl' Finds Her Way Out of the Closet

I enjoyed this story of a woman who has had to come to terms with her very unusual upbringing; how it has affected her relationships with her parents and her brother, and her own ability to establish significant connections with other human beings. The author has managed to give each character depth, even the peripheral ones, and even the not-so-nice characters are sympathetic. Well-told.

I did not want to listen, but then...

I loved the book, despite or because it made me cry. it reminds you of there are any so much more wrong in this world then the guy who is claiming to run this country sitting in DC.

Intriguing and captivating story!

The book raised all kinds of interesting issues, worthy of a lot of thought. What is family anyway?? How do we learn? Who do we learn from?

Surprisingly unique read

Really enjoyed the story, and was surprised by the uniqueness of the story line. Well performed, took a minute to get used to the voice over but soon felt very comfortable.