Happiness for Beginners

A Novel

De: Katherine Center

Narrado por: Marguerite Gavin

As seen on Netflix—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger

Helen Carpenter can’t quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming—she hopes it’ll be exactly what she needs.

Instead, it’s a disaster. It’s nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn’t anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example—or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn’t anticipate that her annoying brother’s even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course—and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her.

But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can’t. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found.

Happiness for Beginners is Katherine Center at her most heart-warming, captivating best—a nourishing, thrilling, up-all-night listen about how to get back up. It’s a story that looks at how our struggles lead us to our strengths. How love is always worth it. And how the more good things we look for, the more we find.

©2015 Katherine Center (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Center has written a wonderful story, a fast-paced read with sharp, perfectly written dialogue. Her newest does exactly what we want a good novel to do, introduce us to characters who engage us and take us on a journey.”—Booklist

“If you're anything like us, you'll read this book in one sitting.”—InStyle

“Katherine Center has a true gift for creating a story arc that includes personal evolution, romance, challenges, disappointments, and joy in a way that avoids cliché and creates enough ebbing tension and resolution that the reader is left hungering for more.”—Boston Mamas

Really sweet story

If you need some good vibes, this is the story for you. You should check out the movie version on Netflix too.

Excellent

Such a good story. Katherine Center is great story teller. I can’t encourage you enough. You will enjoy her work

Funny, sweet, and way better than the movie

I listened to this book before watching the Netflix movie and I’m so glad I did. The book was, way better. The writing and narration were excellent and I loved the character development, the characters were complex and colorful. And I laughed out loud so many times. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Cute and easy listen

This book was a breeze to listen to. The performer did an excellent job. The book was cute, fun, and lighthearted.

I loved the book

I absolutely love this story! I actually saw the movie first. The book was so much better! (And I loved the movie!!) ❤️

Loved This

I came to this book after seeing the Netflix movie. I love it in a different way than the movie but it has me ready to read her other works.

Much better than the movie.

Watched the movie version randomly on Netflix one night. Liked it but thought man I feel like so much is missing from the story. Saw that the film was based on the book and immediately begin listening to the audio book. No spoilers but the book gives you so much more insight into Helen and all her relationships. Enjoyed the book so much more per usual.

Good story, great performance

Great story! I saw the Netflix movie and really liked it so thought I'd give the audio book a try. I loved the performance, she did a great job with the characters. I should have known NOT to read a book after I have seen the movie because I obviously had an idea as to how the end was going to fall into place. It certainly was better than the movie.

Three Good Things for Today

1. I ended up learning so much more than I expected about trying to be happy 2. The level of Cuteness for Beginners is so adorable 3. Helen with an H is so calm under pressure. Love that about her. Let's plan the Wedding.

A near perfect novel of self-discovery

Helen Carpenter is recovering from a really bad year. She has been mired in grief and self-doubt after divorcing her alcoholic husband. She wants to do something to prove to herself that she is strong, resilient, and capable, so she signs up for a reputedly brutal survivalist camp.

Along the way, she unexpectedly feels sparks for her younger brother's best friend Jake, but there are circumstances that push them apart. Much to Helen's dismay (but also for the better), Helen finds out that Luke is also taking part in the survivalist camp. One of the things that I so appreciated about this novel is that the primary focus here is not romance but the personal journey that Helen is on. She wants to unlock her inner Chuck Norris and to feel happiness again. On the trail, Helen begins to wonder if the true meaning of happiness is different from what she once understood it to be.

Another thing that I loved about this book is that I have never related to a protagonist more than I related to Helen. She is the overachiever who winds up being the course klutz. She wants to be a self-sufficient badass who does not care what others think, but she may be a bit too sensitive. She wants to be a lone wolf, but she also wants to fit in. She does not want to like Luke, but she can't deny what he makes her feel.

All in all, I loved Happiness for Beginners. I was sad to leave behind the cast of characters we meet at camp. I came to love the group's instructor Beckett and every one of his pupils. I loved how the concept of happiness was explored throughout the novel and what it meant to different characters. Had it ended with Chapter 14 and maybe a short epilogue, this book would have easily been a 5-star book.

BUT.., (no spoilers), the last two chapters happened. Chapter 15 reveals a new and very interesting plot point that I was dying to explore. Chapter 16 can end by resolving one of two plot points, but, for me at least, it resolves the least interesting plot point of the two. Many, if not most, readers will disagree and likely be happy with what we got. I found the finale a bit melodramatic and predictable. It played out like a Hollywood movie, which felt a bit out of place in a novel that mostly feels realistic and understated.

That said, I understand why Katherine Center chose the ending we got. We live in a dark world where it feels like we are on the precipice of something: civil war, World War III, nuclear war, the next recession, who knows. There is a great need for escapism and the happiness, however temporary, that a book can provide. What I appreciate about Katherine Center is that she manages to walk a fine line between writing escapist chick lit but also something profound and relatable enough to please fans of literary fiction, too.

I will, as always, end my review with my favorite quote from the novel: "“Getting what you want doesn't make you happy... Having doesn't make you happy: appreciating does; Happiness is more about appreciation than acquisition.”