Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments

Written by: Rainbow Rowell

Published: 2011

Synopsis: Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?

Challenges: New Adult for Book'd Out's Eclectic Reader Challenge
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOR SHAME. You guys have failed miserably as blog friends. How did I not hear the name Rainbow Rowell until the Dewey Readathon where EVERYONE was reading Eleanor and Park? How did a book like Attachments exist for two whole years without a single one of you tweeting at me shouting "KAYLEIGH YOU MUST READ THIS NOW!!!" So you are all on blogging probation, and if another amazing authors comes and releases 2 books before I hear about it...Well, we'll have to have a serious discussion about this whole blogging relationship we have going on right now. But for now I'll forgive you because ATTACHMENTS WAS AMAZING AND ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD AND ALWAYS WILL BE.

[Hopefully that's all the mass capitalisation we'll be seeing this review, but given how much I loved it, it's highly likely that this is going to devolve from a review in a series of squeals and exclamation points very quickly. But bear with me, I'm doing my best.]

Where to start with this book? It is simply one of the most easily devoured and deliciously heartwarming and splendidly funny books every published. I downloaded the ebook sure I'd like it but without any expectations what so ever and I devoured the whole thing in a day. I'd not recommend this, because much like when I read Ready Player One I plunged into a deep "but now that I've read this I will never read it for a first time again" funk that seriously clashed with my "this book is better than life" elation. So fight against the temptation and make this one last. At least take two days, hard it as it'll probably be.

I have a major soft spot for romantic comedies. Not the Katherine Heigel brand of constantly tripping over rom-com, but the kind Nora Ephron wrote and/or directed during the 1990s, the kind filled with fast and witty dialogue, a fantastically ordinary (and slightly cynical) lead pair and of course, a scene in the rain OR on the top of a tall building. Attatchments didn't have a tall building but it did have all the rest (the scene in the rain...OH MY GOD YOU GUYS) and I had the silliest grin on my face for days after finishing this book. Sure things don't work like the necessarily would in the real world, but when you have that perfect Nora Ephron recipe it. doesn't. matter.

Onwards!

Still nursing the bruises from a relationship that ended 9 years ago, Lincoln is a pretty sad guy. After completing degree after degree (I know how that goes fella) he finally decides to get a job and join the real world. But joining the real world as a security tech officer turns out to mean reading people's emails at the last newspaper to finally join the technical revolution (the book takes place in 1999 by the way). What begins as an icky job becomes somewhat delightful when the emails between copy writer Jennifer and movie reviewer Beth keep getting flagged. The two ladies are funny and witty and holy crap i loved their chapters. As much as I loved Lincoln (and I really did, he plays Dungeons and Dragons, and he doesn't really like clubs or loud events, and he likes talking to old ladies, and did I mention the multiple degrees?) I was so excited every time I flipped the page and I saw J&B's email conversation. I think this is partly because the Lincoln chapters were kinda sad (he's so lonely!) but also, holy shit, two funnier and more wonderful women have never existed.

Case in point numero uno...
"Oh, I love period dramas, especially period dramas starring Colin Firth. I'm like Bridget Jones if she were actually fat."
"Oh... Colin Firth. He should only do period dramas. And period dramas should only star Colin Firth. (One-star upgrade for Colin Firth. Two stars for Colin Firth in a waistcoat.)"
"Keep typing his name, even his name is handsome.”
Case in point numero two...
“So...I'm larking through the Baby Gap, looking at tiny capri pants and sweaters that cost more than ... I don't know, more than they should. And I get totally sucked in by this ridiculous, tiny fur coat. The kind of coat a baby might need to go to the ballet. In Moscow. In 1918. To match her tiny pearls.”
And those are just two funny (and true...Colin Firth in period dramas? UNF) cases in point that were short enough that I could bother typing out. But aside from being funny, their emails are also touching, especially when both struggle with personal issues (I know I've already mentioned it, BUT THAT SCENE IN THE RAIN YOU GUYS). It's not hard to see how Lincoln would struggle to stop reading their emails, or how he could fall in love with either of them (it's lucky Jennifer's married, because jesus christ Sophie's Choice much?).

So yes, this book is so, so, so wonderful and everyone should read it, and I promise you that you will like it. And not in an "Anna and the French Kiss kind of embarrassed you liked it" kind of way, but in a shout-it-from-the-rooftops eternal love kinda way.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...