Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney - A Book Review
Some of us are lucky enough to fall in love with someone who has the same goals and values that we have. Unfortunately, others fall in love and feel the betrayal of a partner who does not value monogamy. Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney explores marriage and the friendships which bind us.
Plot Summary
Flora has been married for the past twenty years to Julian. The first years of their marriage were financially challenging as each tried to make a living in New York’s theatre world. Eventually, Julian opened up Good Company, his own theatre company while Flora raised their daughter Ruby and did voiceover work. Flora’s best friend Margot is also an actor, married to David, a paediatric brain surgeon. When Flora discovers her husband’s wedding ring in an envelope, she begins to reflect upon not only her marriage, but her friendship with Margot.
Book Review
This book is character driven and is told from multiple perspectives in multiple time frames. It discusses infidelity, trust and the ability to forgive. I appreciated the character development in the book, but felt I really could not connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. I contribute much of this due to the non-linear nature of past events in this book. These reflections felt random in nature and I was distracted by them. While I was entertained by the book, it was a struggle at times to maintain my focus. This is likely due to a mismatch between the book and reader and I appreciate that many others may not feel this way.
Audiobook Review
I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Marin Ireland who provided an excellent performance. I appreciated the articulate and sweet tone to her voice and it was a pleasure to listen to her. I listened to the book at my usual 1.25x speed which provided me a comfortable listening experience.
What I Liked About Good Company:
- The character development
- The story itself was entertaining.
Those that enjoy character driven literary fiction.
Acknowledgments:
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.
My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5.
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Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great day.
This looks like a nice weekend reading! Thank you for the review!
ReplyDeleteThanks Daniela!
DeleteI love a character driven book, so I'm definitely checking it out. It reminds me a little of Ask Again, Yes! Great review.
ReplyDeleteAnika | chaptersofmay.com
Thanks Anika!
DeleteAh, I do like a book that's written from multiple perspectives in multiple time frames but I completely get that it can also be super confusing! It's a shame this one didn't work so well for you, Jodie, but thank you for an honest review :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa!
DeleteInteresting! This book wasn't on my radar yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenna!
DeleteIt's a shame you couldn't connect to the characters very well, good that it was entertaining at times though, it's difficult sometimes when you're not really getting into the story so it's hard to keep focused with it! Great review though, thank you for sharing your thoughts! x
ReplyDeleteThanks Chloe!
DeleteThis sounds like a good read! I like multiple characters in a book, that intertwine with others, but your comment of them being distracting puts me off slightly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your review :)
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
Thanks Aimsy!
DeleteThis sounds like an interesting book. I like books that tell the story from multiple characters and points of view.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly ~Diane!
DeleteI love character driven plots and this books sounds brilliant! Great post x
ReplyDeleteThanks Della!
DeleteAlthough the blurb isn't something I'd probably pick up, I do love a character driven novel! Great review as always! :) x
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny!
DeleteI love the sound of this and a character driven novel. It's a shame this one didn't live up to your expectations x
ReplyDeleteSophie
www.glowsteady.co.uk
Thanks Sophie.
DeleteThis sounds like an emotional book, it's often hard to read novels with multiple character perspectives but it seems like it works for this book. Now I want to read it and find out what and why it happened!
ReplyDeleteLoren | Plaidandsugar.com
Thanks Loren! Let me know what you think!
DeleteIt sounds like an intriguing story. Character-driven stories are interesting, and I hope Flora will find happiness and peace in her life again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a lovely review:)
Thanks Sara!
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