Today Will Be Different

Kind of a let-down after Where'd You Go, Bernadette? There's a difference between viewing the actions of a bunch of whiny, rich, self-centered adults through the eyes of 15-year Bee (Bernadette's narrator) and having the primary POV be from a primary example of the species. OK, former TV show animator Eleanor had a tough childhood, which is gradually revealed through flashbacks during the one day we spend with her, and she suffered an additional loss that has colored her adult relationships. But that doesn't make me want to slap her any less, or feel much beyond annoyance at the way she treats her 8 year old son (she's pretty awful to her husband Joe too, but he supposedly knew what he was doing when he married her). I guess there's a few humorous moments, but they are mostly the product of Eleanor's increasingly bad judgement and carelessness towards others. For example, she keeps calling one woman the most boring person she's ever met, when it appears that the woman's worst crime is being nice.

The good news is that the book doesn't take long to read; the bad news is that it leaves a sour aftertaste. Everyone who loved Bernadette will probably pick this one up but I suspect many will be disappointed.