Helpful Score: 3
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-impossible-lives-of-greta-wells.html
The time is 1985. Greta Wells's twin brother has just died, and her long-time partner Nathan has just left her. She goes for therapy and agrees to undergo electroconvulsive (a.k.a. electroshock) therapy as a means of helping her overcome her sadness and emerge back into her life. The therapy sends her time-travelling.
We meet Greta in 1985, in 1918, and in 1941. Each time period presents an image of the life Greta lives, the choices she makes, and the joys and sorrows that come along with it. Along with Greta's live, the book describes major themes in the time period - war, disease, loss.
In each life, Greta reaches a point of receiving electroconvulsive therapy. With each procedure, the three Greta's of the three time periods switch places. The story follows the 1985 Greta, but tells of how each influences and changes the lives in the other time periods based on their wants and their regrets.
The description sounds a little confusing, but the story truly is not. For, as Greta thinks, "For is my story so unusual? To wake each morning as if things had gone differently - the dead come back, the lost returned, the beloved in our arms - is it any more magic that the ordinary madness of hope?"
To me, the book addresses the question "if you had your live to live over, what would you do differently?" and the idea that "wherever you go, there you are - your emotions and thoughts go with you no matter how far you travel." Without a spoiler, I will say that I enjoyed the fact that this book did not end up where I expected. The key to this book is to suspend disbelief and just go along for the enjoyable ride.
The time is 1985. Greta Wells's twin brother has just died, and her long-time partner Nathan has just left her. She goes for therapy and agrees to undergo electroconvulsive (a.k.a. electroshock) therapy as a means of helping her overcome her sadness and emerge back into her life. The therapy sends her time-travelling.
We meet Greta in 1985, in 1918, and in 1941. Each time period presents an image of the life Greta lives, the choices she makes, and the joys and sorrows that come along with it. Along with Greta's live, the book describes major themes in the time period - war, disease, loss.
In each life, Greta reaches a point of receiving electroconvulsive therapy. With each procedure, the three Greta's of the three time periods switch places. The story follows the 1985 Greta, but tells of how each influences and changes the lives in the other time periods based on their wants and their regrets.
The description sounds a little confusing, but the story truly is not. For, as Greta thinks, "For is my story so unusual? To wake each morning as if things had gone differently - the dead come back, the lost returned, the beloved in our arms - is it any more magic that the ordinary madness of hope?"
To me, the book addresses the question "if you had your live to live over, what would you do differently?" and the idea that "wherever you go, there you are - your emotions and thoughts go with you no matter how far you travel." Without a spoiler, I will say that I enjoyed the fact that this book did not end up where I expected. The key to this book is to suspend disbelief and just go along for the enjoyable ride.
This is time travel story with a twist. I liked it although the ending was a little confusing (I have a simple mind). Very nicely written!
This book was a combination of The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy; both books that I loved even though I don't normally like reading about things that suspend belief (time travel is a stretch for me). Greta lives in 1985 New York and her beloved twin brother Felix is dying of AIDS. She has broken up with her long time boyfriend Nathan and the combination of losing both Felix and Nathan has made her come mentally undone. After trying to treat depression with meds her doctor recommends electroshock treatment. (The book does not dwell on her depression or treatment, it is not dark or depressing). When she receives her first treatment she travels to 1918 and her second treatment takes her to 1941. In both former time periods she is another version of herself. Felix and Nathan are also other versions of themselves. The other two Gretas are also time travelling and all three are trying to fix the things in their lives that are missing or wrong. As the book takes us through Greta's time travel there is love and loss and wrongs made right. Interesting concept and interesting ending.
Interesting premise, same person, different iives at different times.
A sarcastic, cynical female protagonist, history, and time travel? Yes please! I jumped at this immediately when it went on sale.
I have this bad habit of quickly scanning through the first few reviews on Goodreads when I first add a book. I know I shouldn't do it, and I know I have what you could call an "easily influence-able personality". But it's hard to stop myself, and I did it again with this book. And reviews were mixed. And I went into the book with a heavy heart, not wanting to again be let down by a female-driven story. Especially written by a man.
But I've just come out on the other side and I am pleased to report this book lived up to my excited expectations. It is dark and grisly, not only emotionally, but also when dealing with war and illness and death. It does a fantastic job of illustrating the different lived experiences of a woman in 1918, 1941, and 1984 and contrasting them with how Greta deals with them. Not that it's heavy on feminist theory (you get a feeling Greta would call herself a feminist, but it's not her focus), but due to the issues she deals with in each time period, it's noticeable.
It would be easy to say this book was written by one of those people that think "I would have rather been alive in the 20s!" and that's where the story ends, but I think there is more to this story than that. There are nuances about twin siblings, about the AIDS epidemic, about war, about heartbreak, about friendship, about stereotypes, about choices. They are all simmering underneath. The only reason I can think that someone wouldn't enjoy this book is because none of these things are fully realized - but I think that's fair enough. Because these are all things Greta is dealing with and no one fully realizes anything in one calendar year of their lives (no matter the time period).
Either that or they don't like where she ended up, which is ludicrous, because she absolutely made the right choice.
I have this bad habit of quickly scanning through the first few reviews on Goodreads when I first add a book. I know I shouldn't do it, and I know I have what you could call an "easily influence-able personality". But it's hard to stop myself, and I did it again with this book. And reviews were mixed. And I went into the book with a heavy heart, not wanting to again be let down by a female-driven story. Especially written by a man.
But I've just come out on the other side and I am pleased to report this book lived up to my excited expectations. It is dark and grisly, not only emotionally, but also when dealing with war and illness and death. It does a fantastic job of illustrating the different lived experiences of a woman in 1918, 1941, and 1984 and contrasting them with how Greta deals with them. Not that it's heavy on feminist theory (you get a feeling Greta would call herself a feminist, but it's not her focus), but due to the issues she deals with in each time period, it's noticeable.
It would be easy to say this book was written by one of those people that think "I would have rather been alive in the 20s!" and that's where the story ends, but I think there is more to this story than that. There are nuances about twin siblings, about the AIDS epidemic, about war, about heartbreak, about friendship, about stereotypes, about choices. They are all simmering underneath. The only reason I can think that someone wouldn't enjoy this book is because none of these things are fully realized - but I think that's fair enough. Because these are all things Greta is dealing with and no one fully realizes anything in one calendar year of their lives (no matter the time period).
Either that or they don't like where she ended up, which is ludicrous, because she absolutely made the right choice.
