This One Is Mine

A Novel

De: Maria Semple

Narrado por: Claire Christie

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life - except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own.

This One is Mine is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more - and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.

©2008 Maria Semple (P)2013 Hachette

Wanted to like this but was disappointed

I really wanted to like this book, but I found all the characters unrelatable, and I also had a hard time following the plot since it jumps around so much (maybe this was worse because it's an audiobook). I did not find the plot particularly engaging. Others have also mentioned this - the narrators mispronunciations are very distracting. I loved Where'd You Go Bernadette, and this book was a disappointment.

Okay book, what's with the mispronunciations?

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the story

What didn’t you like about Claire Christie’s performance?

The main character is supposed to be worldly and fluent in different languages, but this reader has no clue! It was annoying to hear "tarte tatin" (tart ta-tan) pronounced as (tart TAY-tin)

Hermès is not pronounced "hur-meez"..

Really enjoyed the story and the narrator. My only complaint is her mispronunciation of hermès, which drove me absolutely insane.

Why is this overt racism okay in this day and age?

This book is totally entertaining, however, I’m confused about the overt racism and reliance on racist and ethnic stereotypes for humor. What’s equally bad, is the reader’s attempt at ethnic accents, even when the text does not call for it. Do we need to assume someone selling Mexican food speaks in broken English in a ridiculous Spanish accent? I cringed over and over but I’ll admit I keep listening. This isn’t a new book, but I’m shocked that it wasn’t written in 1952.

Terrible pronunciation is distracting

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes - engaging and light, social parody

How could the performance have been better?

I am writing this review because of the reader - please at least learn to pronounce the words you are reading. Totally distracting. This is supposed to be an educated upper class narrator and the mispronunciations were like nails on a black board.

Intense read well done

A little more detailed and dark than I expected after Bernadette. Well written and performed. I definitely needed headphones for a few parts with slightly lewd language however I couldn't turn it off and I had to know how the lead would fair.

Mispronunciations

The narrator mispronounces a lot of words and it’s infuriating. The story itself is pretty good and speaks to the age old lesson of “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

Engaging

What did you love best about This One Is Mine?

Violet and David's relationship

Who was your favorite character and why?

David the husband. He had intelligence and depth and some unique skills which, along with some synchronicity, allowed him to be in a position of privilege. During the novel, he went through some surprising twists and turns.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were many. I enjoyed the way Violet and David's daughter Dot interacted in some surprisingly funny ways. i enjoyed the scenes before Sally's wedding because so many participants had secret/other agendas during the event. I enjoyed the scenes where David attended the yoga retreat.

Who was the most memorable character of This One Is Mine and why?

Sally, David's sister, was memorable for her self-centered and clueless interactions early on, and Teddy because he was full of surprises.

Any additional comments?

I am surprised I liked this so much. It was engaging, kept my attention, and I liked
the locale (California, the socioeconomic differences (rich and privileged to desperately poor), and the self-absorption (but capable of change) of the characters. The ending was surprising to me, but I'm glad it was.

Performers should know how to pronounce the words

The narration was not strong. She didn't always have the right tone or reflection, which was awkward at times. She also did not know how to pronounce some words which was highly annoying.

What a Disappointment

I gave up in Chapter 3. I loved the other books I listened to written by Maria Semple and performed by Kathleen Wilhoite. Compared to those - this was a dud. I would have returned it if I could. The storyline was disjointed, crass and a serious downer. The performance was equal to a tech support rep answering the same question for the hundredth time that day. If this had been the first Maria Semple book I had listened to, I would have missed the gems of "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" and "Today Will Be Different". Hopefully her next book will be a delight and she will convince Kathleen Wilhoite to perform it.