Same as It Ever Was

A Novel

By: Claire Lombardo

Narrated by: Emily Rankin

Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

NAMED A BEST BOOK BY PEOPLE AND PARADE • The New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had (“wonderfully immersive…deliciously absorbing”—NPR) returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.

“Infidelity, dysfunction, secrets–this family novel delivers."—The New York Times • "Lombardo has such a fine eye for the weft and warp of a family’s fabric." —The Washington Post • “Witty and insightful...a powerful exploration of marriage, motherhood, and self.”–Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

Same As It Ever Was showcases the consummate style, signature wit, and profound emotional intelligence that made The Most Fun We Ever Had one of the most beloved novels of the past decade. Featuring a memorably messy family and the multifaceted marriage at its heart, Lombardo’s debut was dubbed “the literary love child of Jonathan Franzen and Anne Tyler” (The Guardian) and hailed as “ambitious and brilliantly written” (Washington Post). In this remarkable follow-up—another elegant and tumultuous story in the tradition of Elizabeth Strout, Ann Patchett, and Celeste Ng—Lombardo introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters, this time by way of her singularly complicated protagonist.

Julia Ames, after a youth marked by upheaval and emotional turbulence, has found herself on the placid plateau of mid-life. But Julia has never navigated the world with the equanimity of her current privileged class. Having nearly derailed herself several times, making desperate bids for the kind of connection that always felt inaccessible to her, she finally feels, at age fifty seven, that she has a firm handle on things.

She’s unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her spikey teenaged daughter, and a seductive resurgence of the past, all of which threaten to draw her back into the patterns that had previously kept her on a razor’s edge.

Same As It Ever Was traverses the rocky terrain of real life—exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all. Delving even deeper into the nature of relationships—how they grow, change, and sometimes end—Lombardo proves herself a true and definitive cartographer of the human heart and asserts herself among the finest novelists of her generation.

©2024 Claire Lombardo (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

NAMED A BEST FICTION OF 2024 PICK BY PEOPLE

“Infidelity, dysfunction, secrets–this family novel delivers. . . Poignant, punctilious. . . [Lombardo] refashions domestic drama into something rich and strange, with echoes of Lorrie Moore’s sardonic humor and Jonathan Franzen’s dissection of class. . . In less skillful hands, Same as It Ever Was would lose control over its transitions and veer toward soap opera; yet like Franzen’s Marion Hildebrandt, or Faye, the narrator of Rachel Cusk’s Outline trilogy, Lombardo gives us a woman whose inner life is knotted and revelatory. . . Same as It Ever Was is a brave, nuanced book, lulling us with its rhythms but taking risks when we glance away.”–Hamilton Cain, The New York Times

“Lombardo’s witty, sympathetic take on motherhood exudes the sharp scent of fermented apple juice and a full diaper… Lombardo has such a fine eye for the weft and warp of a family’s fabric. She understands the chemistry of that special epoxy of irritation and affection that keeps a marriage glued together. One finishes Same As It Ever Was with the satisfaction of knowing this complicated woman well—and the poignant disappointment of having to say goodbye.”–Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“This is one of those beautifully written, keenly observed novels where not that much happens—other than, you know, life itself—but also so much happens. . . Claire Lombardo has written a whole cast of characters so detailed, so specifically themselves, that you almost feel you could reach out and touch them.”–Samantha Balaban, NPR

Love , life and humans

Thank you Claire Lombardo for this extraordinary novel. A glimpse into relationships, exposing all facets of the complex nature of being human.

Quiet, engaging story of a life.

I love Lombardo’s writing and I was thoroughly engaged by this story and character. This did cement Lombardo as an author I will look out for and read when she has a new work on offer.

For this family, I thought that the characters were well drawn and believable. I really felt like the various reactions and perspectives were valid and the many relationship dynamics were beautifully described.

Highly recommend to anyone who can get behind a character study kind of book with excellent writing but doesn’t need a dozen twists or racing plot.

The character development!

Such a deep rich read . Every human emotion delved into by these characters . The complexities of love .

Life … same as it ever was

Spectacular … this book has it all. The good, the sad, the simplicity of happiness, the depths of loneliness and the joys of friendship. Hands down one of my favorite books this year. The writing was woven so purposefully I backed up and re-listened to perfectly strung sentences more than once. The narration was perfection. I would give it 10 ⭐️’s all the way around.
Now how do I find a book to follow this?

Loved it!

Despite its length, I devoured it in a few days. Maybe because I’m same age as Julia, but story resonated with me!

A Good Listen

I enjoyed this book better than "The Most Fun We Ever Had," which did not live up to its premise (for me). The strength for "Same as It Ever Was" was the storyline, the protagonist's actions/decisions were soundly explained by her past. Even though I really didn't care for the protagonist, it didn't impact what I thought of the overall story. I would have loved to learn more about the mother's backstory, maybe this is something the author could explore in a follow on book? She is an interesting character that the author could take in a lot of different directions.

Overall, this is an entertaining listen which many readers will love. I liked it but it won't be something I'll come back to in the future, like "The Age of Innocence," "Brooklyn," etc. I never thought of bailing, which shows that the author was successful in keeping me interested in the story (a success, I'm not one to stick it out through a boring, "formula" or insipid listen).

I did take a star off because of the protagonist's tendency to use pet names for other characters ("squirrel," for example), which was an annoying aspect of "The Most Fun....." It seemed affected, like the character was trying too hard to be a loving mother. The author smartly limited the use of these pet names in this book, so it wasn't as aggravating as it was in the earlier book.