Anywhere But Here

By: Mona Simpson

Narrated by: Kate Rudd

A national best seller upon its publication, Anywhere but Here is a moving, often comic portrait of wise child Ann August and her mother, Adele, a larger-than-life American dreamer. As they travel through the landscape of their often conflicting ambitions, Ann and Adele bring to life a novel that is a brilliant exploration of the perennial urge to keep moving, even at the risk of profound disorientation. Simpson's first novel is ultimately a heart-rending tale of a mother and daughter's invaluable relationship.

©2012 Mona Simpson (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Mona Simpson writes with confidence, with swagger. She is already a master." (Anne Tyler)

" Anywhere but Here is a wonder: big, complex, masterfully written, it's an achievement that lands [Simpson] in the front ranks of our best novelists." ( Newsweek)

A Medley of the Sad and Terrific - LONG

I liked this book. I would love to say "loved," but "Anywhere But Here" has some lapses.

First, it's a tribute to small town drama in the 20s to the 70s...the scandals that simmer and then are buried by the passage of time as people get on as best they can. The beauties of rural landscapes contrast with the dreariness of living in a milltown. Of course I Googled it, and there is a real Bay City, Wisconsin which today has only about 500 residents.

But it's primarily a tale of mother/daughter angst. That theme always appeals to me because I was a daughter of a difficult mother. My mother was very different from Adelle August, but I knew those fire-storm moods. And I was nothing like young Ann August. Ann is brass and practical and so funny with her dour responses to her mother's bi-polar and narcissistic hysterics. But Ann is also quite flawed, which was nearly inescapable given the haphazard, sometimes abusive life Adelle forced her little daughter to endure.

Mostly, Adelle hates Bay City and wants out. Her big solution is to somehow get Ann and herself transplanted to Los Angeles where pretty Ann will (inevitably) be a major child star. This pipe dream infects Ann herself. She doesn't necessarily want to leave home and her beloved Grandma and cousin Benny, but she comes to see California as the promised land where, at least, her mother might be happy. In the meantime, they are stuck in Bay City and other, more detrimental aspects of her mother's psychopathy have infected Ann. *SPOILER ALERT. Skip to the next paragraph if desired* There is a particularly disturbing (and repulsive) passage where Ann, as a preteen, uses her "power" to coerce younger kids in her neighborhood to let her take nude photos of them. There is indication that she fondled the frightened children, particularly a little girl from an impoverished and ostracized large family. I was not prepared for such a scene, and I didn't like Ann at all, at that point in the story.

The book tries to connect these two, strange main characters to their genealogy. So, there are stories from Ann's family...mainly her homey, humble and nurturing grandmother, and her older and plainer Aunt Carol, who seems mundane but turns out to have had a more interesting young adulthood than anyone knows as she has kept it secret. Carol contributes sparks of insight about Adelle, Ann, herself and everyone. Unfortunately, she becomes an xenophobe and borderline racist. Again, one recognizes the era and location of her world.

But the "why's" about how Adelle ended up so bizarre are not answered. Perhaps the lack of rationale was intentional, because the author felt there really is no logical reason why some people turn out "bad" or so eccentrically different from people of the same family and socioeconomic conditions.

The lapses I mentioned are not deal breakers. I just feel Ms. Simpson spent an inordinate amount of time on minute descriptions of rooms, objects and flora and FOOD (a lot of beef talk), while leaving other important details a bit hazy. For instance, how did Adelle repeatedly manage to rent better and better houses once she and Ann finally reached LA, and Beverly Hills, no less? Throughout the book she has practically zero money and only a marginal salary as a speech teacher. She has no references and (I assume) no or bad credit. I guess credit worthiness wasn't a thing in the 60s and early 70s, like it is now. But that doesn't explain how she overcame first month rent and deposit requirements. She writes about a million bad checks everywhere. There is also a yawning gap in details about Ann's eventual but brief turn as a TV sitcom star. We find out how she got the job, but then there's nothing about her relationships with castmates, how she managed high school while filming, her school mate's reaction to her "stardom" or how much she earned. With all the emphasis on poverty and struggling, I was annoyed with that "oversight." The most peculiar lapse is Adelle's silence regarding Ann being on TV. Except for the initial eruption of joy when Ann snags the part, Adelle never again mentions it. There is a glossing over of Ann's acceptance into Brown University when it is repeatedly noted she has always been a mediocre student.

All in all, "Anywhere But Here" is a beautifully worded book with engaging dialogue (I love first-person accounts), a good plot and very interesting main characters. There are some quirky jumps in time sequences, as characters discuss events and memories. But that didn't bother me as much as it has some other reviewers. I rather enjoyed figuring out how and why the story moved "here" and then "there."

I also appreciated Ms. Rudd's narration. I thought she perfectly captured Ann's brooding dissatisfaction, her snarky retorts to Adelle's nonsense, and her underlying, resilient love for an almost unlovable mother. Even her sing-song voicing of Adelle seemed appropriate. Clipped, confident and the sound of someone educated but hopelessly deluded.

Oh... one more thing. There are many, many plot differences between the book and movie, perhaps more than is typical for adaptations of modern fiction. But I enjoyed both versions. Natalie Portman could not have been more perfect as Ann in the film. Susan Sarandon, as usual, also was wonderful. But they greatly toned down her character from book to film, to make Adelle more likeable.

Painfully too long

This story had little substance and could have ended about 10 hours earlier. Most of the story felt forced and artificial.

No more unabridged novels

I can't exactly determine where my irritation lies but I'm beginning to think it's with the unnecessary wordiness. I get bored as it drones on about nothing, realize 20 minutes went by and rewind, get distracted again, rewind only to realize it was nothing worth listening to. I couldn't even get half way through it. The characters were not likable and the story was dragging.

Dull, wordy & no clear direction

The story line was dull. Random events added leading nowhere but needed details left out. I would find myself trying to figure out who they were talking about & question if I missed something, which I had but only because it was left out!

Living in a disfunctional family

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

I found myself getting very frustrated with the characters in this book. I have known a woman with the same sort of personality disorder as Ann August and she was frustrating to deal with.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kate Rudd?

No suggestions as to another narrator but someone who could give the different voices more of a difference.

Was Anywhere But Here worth the listening time?

Not for me

Mother & Daughter one is nothing without the other

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Not really, you got a true insight into the daughters thoughts and lives.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes it would make a good story - chick flick

Hard to follow the different POVs

Someone recommended this title for me as the descriptions are well done, and they are. The author sprinkles in attractive phrasings that show vs tell. However, I feel the story was a bit hard to follow. It might have been better if it didn't jump around from POV to POV each chapter, and if it weren't written in three POVs. I think I might have preferred a single or dual-POV, with Adele and Ann. I am unsure why the author included Carol as a third POV. I also was unsure when this took place. Those descriptions were underdone. I'm the type who likes and needs to know when something takes place. The author mentioned the year just twice in the whole book. And there, too, the story seemed to jump around. It took me too long to listen to this because of these factors. Otherwise, I always enjoy a good story about a family or mother-daughter. This could have been that, but, sadly for me, it did not deliver in this way.

Why was there no story?

Would you try another book from Mona Simpson and/or Kate Rudd?

Maybe

What was most disappointing about Mona Simpson’s story?

Great characters who do nothing

Would you listen to another book narrated by Kate Rudd?

Yea

Was Anywhere But Here worth the listening time?

Nah

Any additional comments?

Too bad. Well written for what it was but just became dull after a little while with nothing happening.

Fantastic character study

A mother with borderline personality disorder (or similar affliction- it's never formally acknowledged); a daughter who is oddly detached and stoic; a supporting cast of characters endearing and infuriating, woven together in a sort of anti-coming-of-age story: fantastic. I was engrossed from start to finish.

And the narration: excellent. Most narrators irk me some way or another.
Kate Rudd, however, delivers an unpretentious, somewhat monotone, lovely narration that fans of 'This American Life' will enjoy.

So glad I took a chance on this wonderful novel.

Great Book From Multiple Perspectives

What did you love best about Anywhere But Here?

I really enjoyed how the book was written giving the perspectives of several different generations of the family. It gave the story so much more depth and texture than if the author had taken a single perspective approach. The author created a storyline that drew me in and made me feel emotionally attached to the characters.

What about Kate Rudd’s performance did you like?

I really enjoyed the main characters voices but Ms. Rudd over emphasized the endingS of wordS so ofteN that it drove me nuts. There were times I had to force myself to keep listening because it was so irritating. She didn't do it until around chapter 3. I guess someone must have critiqued her work and told her to be more clear or something? Either way, it was bad advice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES!

Any additional comments?

If any of you have known someone whose entire personality and mood could flip on a dime and suddenly YOU are to blame for everything wrong in their life you will be able to appreciate the main character in the book.