It’s possible that I read this book because I realized I haven’t seen the movie and want to do so sooner than later…but I think that’s okay. I also found out that Judy Greer- my favorite perpetual co-star– is in it, so it’s like research for the blog. The movie was very well-received, earning Shailene Woodley her rightful place as a legitimate actress and not just the star of that terrible ABC Family show.
I’ve never been to Hawaii, so I was going off of the book’s descriptions of the state as I read through, and it painted a pretty lovely picture for me. I’m already kind of convinced to move there- if nothing else, for the descriptions of food! I love the connections the characters have to the land- it’s a nice history of the state told through the modern lens of the narrator. The main four or five characters are fairly well developed (though at some points there are so many people, it’s hard to keep track of them) and the descriptions are just phenomenal. The story completely meshes without feeling forced at any point- it can be brutally and painfully real at times and beautifully illustrates the range of emotions in the worst of situations.
At its core, The Descendants is a book about a father trying to navigate both the impending death of his wife and his relationships with his daughters while acknowledging that it’s possible to live with people for a long time and realize you really don’t know them all that well. It’s lovely in the moments when the characters seem to start to understand each other, but has no shortage of moments of frustration throughout when you want to shake the characters and tell them all to appreciate each other a little more. The backdrop for the story is pretty unique, but there are lessons to be learned no matter your circumstances. In this way, it’s a successful book.
I’m excited to see the movie and see how they’ve adapted an already strong story for the screen. It’s interesting, because the movie was out long before I read the book, so I didn’t get a chance to cast it in my head. I don’t know that I’d have picked George Clooney as Matt King, mainly because I find it hard to believe any normal middle aged woman would cheat on him (not a huge plot giveaway considering it’s revealed in the trailer), but it was kind of cool to be able to imagine those characters as they are portrayed in the movie. We’ll see how well it translates- I have pretty high expectations.
Good read, but fair warning: you’re going to want to move to Hawaii.
You’ll like this if: you like books that have some mystery but aren’t within the mystery genre or books that center on a family getting to know each other better.
Happy reading!
carlyreads 