She's Come Undone

By: Wally Lamb

Narrated by: Kathy Najimy

"Mine is a story of craving: an unreliable account of lusts and troubles that began, somehow, in 1956 on the day our free television was delivered...."

Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Beached like a whale in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally rolls into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before really going belly-up.

In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of love, pain, renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years. At once a fragile girl and a hard-edged cynic, so tough to love yet so inimitably lovable, Dolores is as poignantly real as our own imperfections. She's Come Undone includes a promise: you will never forget Dolores Price.

©1998 Wally Lamb (P)1997 Simon & Schuster

A Worthy Read

Again, Wally Lamb keeps you spell bound. A story wound around women of circumstance. You’ll not regret purchasing this one.

One of my all time favorites…

I love this book. I read it every year or so. I love having this audio book read by Kathy Najimy. There is something so comforting about it. Listening to her read it is like wrapping yourself in a big comfy sweater, and it feels like home. I am a huge King of the Hill fan so it reminds me of Peggy reading me a story. Love it!

She saw and was the whale!

Sometimes too predictable, but full of life lessons. Really appreciate grandma & her friend. Their candor and realness resonated with me. You didn't have to wonder about where they stood about life, they would tell you rather you wanted to hear it or not. Grandma was good at reading people and those she loved, she loved for life. We all have a good degree of Delores in us and like her we learn to do and be better through others' life experiences as well as our own. Whales represent a strong and forceful metaphor for freedom, in my opinion, within the context of this story, anyway. Whales learn to navigate their own course through a big and powerful ocean. The sea belongs to the whale and all other creatures of the sea know it!

Abridged - Boo!

This has been one of my favorite books since I first read it when I was 14, over half my life ago. I relate to Delores more powerfully than I have any other book character - and as a lifelong avid reader, the impact she and this book have had on me can't be overstated. Either I didn't read the description closely enough or it isn't stated clearly enough, I'm not sure which, but the fact that this is an abridged version was highly disappointing. Everything that happens to Delores shapes who she is, and to take any of it away is to take away some of the depth, subtlety, and nuance of the character. I was saddened by the loss of some of this powerful story, and if you enjoy the audiobook, I HIGHLY recommend you read the original

Sadly disappointed all around

I've read several Wally Lamb books and found his gentle grasp of the feminine perspective to be better than average, but this one was sorely lacking all around. I'm an overweight adult female too and thought I would find a kindred spirit in Dolores, but instead I met a whiny, self-indulgent, unschooled and uninteresting victim who manages to turn every breeze and every whim of her existence into a personal attack. Worse still is Kathy Nijimy's narration. She is a talented actress but her nasal inflection and mushmouthed reading make the entire book a chore. Sometimes I wasn't even clear on what she said, but I wasn't interested enough to wind back and listen again.

Fantastic Coming of Age Novel

What made the experience of listening to She's Come Undone the most enjoyable?

The narrator did a fantastic job of capturing the character's tones and imaginable personality.

What other book might you compare She's Come Undone to and why?

I cannot think of a book that compares to this well illustrated life of a young lady, turned women, who survives her family and herself.

What about Kathy Najimy’s performance did you like?

Wonderful sense and use of tone.

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

I have read the book, so I couldn't wait to hear the audiobook. One sitting was all it took.

Excellent!

Very well written, realistic, and hopeful. I especially liked the grandmother, and Roberta. The main character is believable and her arc is perfect!

triumphant

Where does She's Come Undone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

high - i've read it in paperback and loved it and was thrilled to hear it again

What did you like best about this story?

she puts herself back together, finds contentment and happiness - humans can overcome terrible things

This is abridged.

This version is missing content. You need to make it more clear that this version is abridged. Kathy Najimy’s performance is wonderful though.

Sad but Real

I enjoyed this book, especially the narration by Kathy Najimy! I'll be looking for more books she reads.