This Is a Love Story: A Read with Jenna Pick

A Novel

De: Jessica Soffer

Narrado por: Marin Ireland

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY

“This may be the most epic love story I’ve ever, ever read.”—Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY

An intimate and lyrical celebration of great love, great art, and the sacrifices we make for both

For fifty years, Abe and Jane have been coming to Central Park, as starry-eyed young lovers, as frustrated and exhausted parents, as artists watching their careers take flight. They came alone when they needed to get away from each other, and together when they had something important to discuss. The Park has been their witness for half a century of love. Until now.

Jane is dying, and Abe is recounting their life together as a way of keeping them going: the parts they knew—their courtship and early marriage, their blossoming creative lives—and the parts they didn’t always want to know—the determined young student of Abe’s looking for a love story of her own, and their son, Max, who believes his mother chose art over parenthood, and who has avoided love and intimacy at all costs. Told in various points of view, even in conversation with Central Park, these voices weave in and out to paint a portrait as complicated and essential as love itself.

An homage to New York City, to romance, and even to loss, This Is a Love Story tenderly and suspensefully captures deep truths about life and marriage in radiant prose. It is about love that endures despite what life throws at us, or perhaps even because of it.

This is more of a life story than a love story

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was amazing, excellent job for sure . This author has great writing skills and I would definitely recommend and read more from her . With that send this book is more of a life story over love . It was heartbreaking and not just for the loss of the main character in the end of her life but for all the very reasons that make a life story very complex,sad and difficult at times. I think the writer showcased too much of the lows in this couple life and the results of those hard times and didn’t touch enough on the beautiful times in life . The beautiful times were skimmed and the hard times were showcased. More balance would have been such a better way to go,just my humble opinion. If you call a book a love story then show it more . Life is hard and complicated but if you only focus on those moments it can be a bit depressing. The read had a bit too much “ depress “ to it .

A waste of time — not worth the credit

Not sure why Tyler bothered. Could not manage to stay interested. Story lacks momentum of a y kind.

Stop saying “Remember “

I can’t listen to this anymore. I can’t stand how this story being told with, “remember…”

Very believable as a true life story. Wonderfully written.

I enjoyed the reader very much. Some may not like the “rambling” of the story line.

Heartbreaker

beautifully written ..and great characters...could have been a bit long at end..but enjoyed the listen.

Not my type of read. Sensitive topics.

Not a type of read I enjoy. I struggled with the topics. Written in a very lyrical format.

Read it like poetry

I got this book because it was the Barnes & Noble book club book for February. I was not sure what to expect. This is not a book. That is not what you would call a page turner. You need to read this like poetry, where you read it slowly and try to digest and savor each word. At first, i almost abandoned the book during page after page of “You remember….” Fillowed by “I remember…”. I felt like I couldn’t “find the narrative.” A few days later I tried again…and really focused…thus time with both the hardcover book AND the audiobook. The audiobook saved me. The performance is great and helped me to find and track the narrative. In the end, the reader/listener must remember that this is literary fiction and is not so much about plot as much as it is about character development. As a son who lost my mother a couple of years ago, the relationship between Jane and her son Max was of particular interest to me. This really is a love story both about the love shared between husband and wife, but also between mother and son.

“You remember….”

Not a fan of the point of view and style at all. Didn’t like the repeated phrasing. Could not connect with characters.

Ugh

It was a terrible book. No redeeming storytelling - even the park descriptions are odd. It took forever to be over.

Truth,honesty, reality

Boring and yet you can’t stop listening and then hearing…it’s about fun and failing, it’s about disappointment and keeping on and caring and mistakes and do overs and not being able to do over and living to forgive.. it’s about being there and sometimes not.. and being sorry you weren’t..it’s about life and living…it’s really just about love…